--- On Tue, 10/27/09, RonTango <[email protected]> wrote: What do traditionalists need to do to let attendees know that at their milongas, one adheres to a line of dance, keeps feet on the floor, and generally respects the space of other dancers on the floor?... We don't enjoy playing tango police nearly as much as you think we do. We just want to dance in peace. ~~~ Trini wrote: Honestly, I don't understand this not being able to set the tone of the milonga or develop a reputation such that standards of behavior are not known. I really don't. Certainly not up to the point that it feels as if one is trying to keep people away... I've never had a problem like this...I don't feel a need to separate out people who do social nuevo steps at our local milongas...Perhaps the approach should focus on what the milonga organizer stands for, what his/her image needs to be, and that should be strong enough on its own... <<<
As much as I might agree with Trini, clearly Ron perceives a problem, a conflict in need of resolution. So if we take his question at face value: "What do traditionalists need to do?..." - we might refer to strategies used in the past at milongas in Buenos Aires to control attendees' behavior. I once saw a sign posted at the El Arranque afternoon milonga, mentioning a dress code requiring slacks for men. Some Buenos Aires milongas back in the last century would have signs saying (roughly translated) "Cortes and Quebradas prohibited" (cortes and quebradas were tango moves that were considered scandalous by some at the time, and unfit for nice girls to have to endure at a dance). So one approach might be to pick some "nuevo" moves or inconsiderate behaviors that from the organizer's perspective cause problems to other dancers, and prohibit them with a sign near the door, where the money will be taken. To avoid misunderstanding, perhaps include in the sign some photos showing the prohibited moves and behaviors. If necessary, offenders could simply be offered a refund of the entrada and requested to leave - not fun, I know, but probably only necessary once or twice before word gets around a relatively small tango community. I would think that a simple and obvious step like this would go a very long way to directly solving the problem as it's defined here. On the other hand, milongas (and tango communities in general) are social networks whose collective behavior can be very difficult to predict. Here's a cautionary note concerning such direct action (and its unforeseen consequences): "You make what you defend against, and by Your own defense against it is it real And inescapable..." - A Course in Miracles All the best, Brian Dunn Dance of the Heart www.danceoftheheart.com "Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time" _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
