The past week I've read messages about close embrace festivals that aren't close embrace, 8 count basic beginning with a back step, and wild and crazy nuevo moves.
The real problem is NAVIGATION. But you don't see classes in navigation at festivals. Why?? Because they aren't as sexy as volcaldas (however you spell it). Do teachers explain navigation? Mine did! I can't believe he is the only one. Clearly, it's going to take something radical. (To prepare me for the Denver festival, I danced in a corner surrounded by chairs. It was intimidating but I needed the training to dance at the MERC, and later my trip to BA.) I remember at last year's tango festival, an instructor taught what can be done in milonga when the couple in front don't move. At the next festival where there is no navigation, the hosts should treat the dance floor like a construction zone, put up cones and create traffic lanes. Of course, it will look ridiculous, but I'll bet the point will be made. Now suppose nothing is done. Today I've read that the San Diego and Phoenix festivals aren't good for close embrace dancers. I live on the east coast so I'm looking for opinions about festivals that have expensive air fares. (Registration seems to be about the same for all festivals or proportional to the length of the festival.) Now that attendees are publicly reviewing festivals, the promoters should at least be aware that corrective action might have to be taken. Of course, one or two reviews may not seem a lot. But for every public review, there are probably 10-15 people who feel the same way. To some degree, dancing is just like driving. Maybe solid yellow lines have to be embossed on the dance floor to mean no crossing. I remember reading about a milonga in Buenos Aires where the "rules of the road" were read to participants in multiple languages. If you didn't follow the rules, you were asked to leave. I remember an idiot at a ballroom who was going to back into my partner during foxtrot. I held out my arm to protect her. He asked if I did that on purpose. I said "Yes, to prevent a collision." He pitched a hissy fit and threatened to punch me. I told him to watch where he was going. The bottom line is there are some dancers who think for $10 or $15, they bought the entire floor. I'm not convinced this is a close embrace vs open position vs nuevo problem but just bad navigation. Maybe festival promoters should include a flyer with registration. Michael Washington, DC Planning to go to the Atlanta tango festival I'd danced Argentine Tango- - with the Argentines _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
