At a traditional BA milonga, like Lo de Celia, the single men and women are segregated on either side of the floor and use cabeceo to ask for and accept a dance. The ONLY time two partners can talk is when the music starts to play. I noticed that about 60% of the couples are moving within 30 seconds of the music's start, an additional 30% are moving within the next fifteen seconds, and the remaining ten percent are moving about one minute into the selection. It would be wonderful if the "late starters" were congregated in the center but they are spread around the dance floor. I saw one Argentine actually shove another who wasn't moving.
I try not to pass but there are kamikaze leaders who suddenly cut in front of me for time consumming figures. When there's a parada, I can't tell how long his "performance" is going to be so I'll move around. The biggest problem is when milonga is played because a lot of people dance like it's tango. Milonga is designed for movement, not pauses nor time consumming figures. Michael I danced Argentine Tango --with the Argentines John The main reason for standing and chatting before starting to dance is for the man to “Mark the music” listen to the music the beat the rhythm. In BA it drives me crazy to stand there for 30 or 40 seconds after the music starts before you start dancing. I force myself to comply out of respect for the rules of the milongas in BA. In the US I think it’s okay to mark the music for a couple of seconds and go. Nothing pisses me off more then the idiot that just got back from BA and thinks he’s a milonguero and needs to stand there for eternity after the music starts. I’m like you in the US I’ll dance past someone who’s holding up the floor chatting but once the floor is moving I rarely will pass another couple. David [email protected] writes: Oh, and I can't abide the way we all feel bound to affect the "Buenos Aires" interminable chat at the start of every song. Sorry, I like to dance, so I just listen for the music and go. That usually results in passing 5 couples, deep in conversation. Guys, it's not like the women are chaperoned by their mothers any more, or that you must leave them at the ladies tables, BsAs style. Can't you chat somewhere else? John _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
