1919 An environment for success
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 21:51:45 -0800
From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
Subject: An environment for success
Consider this scenario:
You know you're nearing the address because you can hear tango music
coming from a nearby window. You enter the door, climb the stairs, and
walk into the room. Someone takes your money, and you proceed in the
only direction possible, right toward the dance floor. A throng of
people mills about, and you have difficulty getting past them to find a
table while at the same time trying to avoid the dancers on the floor.
You escape into a corner, looking about, and find a comfortable place to
settle into, but you have to walk across the dance floor again to get
there. Once seated, you breathe a sigh of relief, having stressed
yourself a bit trying to avoid dancers and get oriented all in a rush.
After you get your shoes on, the cortina comes on and you get up to see
who is there. The first song of the next tanda is one you love, and you
find a partner and you're off dancing. Right away, you're bumped into
by someone else trying to get somewhere within the milonga, and you wish
the pedestrians would get off the dance floor. Then two couples enter
right in front of you, and the whole group gets jammed up because of the
throng of people just inside the front door. Eventually you (or your
partner) navigate around the throng of people and relax into the dance
for a few steps, then the song ends. The next song goes nicely as la
ronda seems to be going fairly smoothly, until you get in front of the
speaker, which is blaring in your ear and you wince with the sonic pain.
Once safely past the speaker, in the opposite corner near the bar,
another group spills out onto the dance floor and you get bumped into by
someone backing away from the bar with a drink in their hand. By the
time the tanda is over, you hope that you dance better next time or
somehow find some flow because you feel a bit rough. The cortina comes
on, and as you try to make your way off the floor, you get jammed up
because there's nowhere to easily exit the floor and many of the dancers
do not appear to be leaving the floor anyway. You get caught still on
the floor when the next tanda starts, and nervously dart off the floor,
only to find yourself between 2 tables with nowhere to go.
Sound familiar, in whole or in part, to anyone??
I've been thinking about all of this lately ever since someone asked me
about how best to set up a dance floor a couple months ago (and I just
finished up with my recommendations). After focusing on navigation and
floorcraft in classes, picking a good DJ, and finding a location, when
things don't go smoothly it can be frustrating. We need to go a bit
further, and realize that the host's role in a good milonga is VERY
important. A few suggestions, maybe others have more to add:
1. The dance floor is a sacred location. There should
only be dancing occurring on the floor - no pedestrians whatsoever.
2. To help avoid pedestrians on the dance floor,
ensure that there is a clear path or paths to enter, pay, and take a
seat to change shoes, socialize, and otherwise enter into the milonga in
a relaxed and gradual manner.
3. Make sure that there is room OFF the dance floor to
go socialize with people, go to the bar, bathroom, and otherwise
congregate and socialize.
4. The best setup is to have a path BEHIND the tables
to move about the milonga, and be sure that no chairs are on the dance
floor. Sometimes a blank wall with no tables is OK in a smaller space.
It is also nice to have a large area where there is no dancing to
socialize, talk, perhaps eat a snack, etc.
5. Be sure that the horn (tweeter) of ALL speakers is
at least 48" above ear level, which amounts to something like 9 feet off
the dance floor. This puts the high notes (the ones that hurt) above
the head-level of the crowd, where it doesn't blast peoples' ears and
gives much better coverage of the room. In larger rooms, putting 2
speakers in front and 2 in back is a good idea, or if all the speakers
are in front, put the horns 10' off the dance floor or higher so they
can cover the entire room. If you're renting a hall with speakers, or
renting speakers from a separate source, give them these specs and hold
them to it.
6. Realize that as hosts or organizers, we have a duty
to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the guests. That means
that they can travel about the room safely, dance without worrying about
anything other than other dancers, and hear the music clearly but
without discomfort.
A final thing - if you normally line the tables up against a wall to
make the dance floor bigger, think again - moving the tables in to
create a walkway behind the tables actually results in a better dance
experience because there is no longer a need to travel about the room by
crossing the dance floor.
Dan
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 11:56:03 -0500
From: Hector <maselli@GATE.NET>
Subject: Re. An environment for success
>Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 21:51:45 -0800
>From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
>Subject: An environment for success
>A final thing - if you normally line the tables up against a wall to
>make the dance floor bigger, think again - moving the tables in to
>create a walkway behind the tables actually results in a better dance
>experience because there is no longer a need to travel about the room by
>crossing the dance floor.
>Dan
Great set up Dan.
Where is your milonga?
Hector
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 11:54:50 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Re: An environment for success
I really agree that these are important issues...especially in
crowded milongas, like at festivals, or in Buenos Aires.
I've seen the good, the bad and the really ugly.
I noticed that club owners who are used to salsa or swing are
frequently unaware of the needs tango dancing, and are extremely
resistant to changing the layout of the room.
Milonga organizers who dance tango SHOULD be more aware; maybe they
don't have experience leading in crowded conditions, or haven't
travelled enough to see how much better things can be if you lay out
the room nicely.
Some dancers will complain vociferously that an organizer who fails
to maximize the floor size is forcing them to do a style of tango
they don't like. But if they thought this through, they would realize
that the walkers take up the same amount of room space whether they
are on or off the floor, so this is simply a matter of moving them to
a safer place. Once that they are off the floor, you can safely dance
up to the edge of the tables.
For me the key concept for constructing a good flow of the dance
floor is forming a "Rectangular Perimiter of the Dance floor".
Why rectangular?
- Dancing forward in a straight line builds navigational skill
- If you make it circular, the lanes are don't form as easily
- People cutting corners use up the space of 2 or 3 other couples
- The corners are safe places to do a flourish or more flashy turn.
In a festival with a high percentage of moderately skilled dancers,
it is reasonable to hope for two outside lanes, recognizing that we
still have quite a few people whose tango mental structure is
precisely of zig-zagging about the middle whether on stage or on a
social dance floor.
Dan proposes a number of excellent ideas, pointing out that these are
directly within the control of the milonga organizer. I'd like to
endorse these ideas by highlighting some easy things that address the
problem:
(1) Delimit a rectangular perimeter with tables on one or two walls.
This puts the audience in closer contact with each other so they can
catch eyes, or find partners easily.
(2) Put aisles BEHIND the tables for waiters and partner seekers
(3) Create an obvious rectangular perimeter physically, for example
by laying down a dance floor at a carpeted hotel ballroom
(4) Use two layers of tables on two or three sides rather than one
layer of tables on all sides.
(5) Allow sufficient entry ramps to the outside lane, so there isn't
one congestion point. A bigger milongas requires more entries.
Does it work?
I personally set up several of the milongas at the Denver Milonguero
Festivals. These are on portable floors over carpet at a hotel
ballroom. The tables are placed on two or three sides, allowing ample
room to walk around off the floor. The floor is sized appropriately:
too big and you don't get a good crowd energy.
The teachers are asked to focus on material appropriate to the
conditions expected at the milongas, and the classes always includes
discussion of floor-craft, navigation, etiquette (such as catching
the eye of the on-coming leader), lanes, not cutting corners, not
zig-zagging between lanes, etc.)
Admittedly, the first days things are pretty chaotic as people from
around the country bring old habits that function on empty floors,
but by the end of the weekend, people get used to the flow, and 2 or
2.5 lanes are functioning fairly nicely.
The tango trance for the man happens when he isn't worried about
collisions, and the crowd takes on a predictable rhythm.
Dan said:
>...things don't go smoothly it can be frustrating. We need to go a bit
>further, and realize that the host's role in a good milonga is VERY
>important. A few suggestions, maybe others have more to add:
>
>1. The dance floor is a sacred location. There should
>only be dancing occurring on the floor - no pedestrians whatsoever.
>2. To help avoid pedestrians on the dance floor,
>ensure that there is a clear path or paths to enter, pay, and take a
>seat to change shoes, socialize, and otherwise enter into the milonga in
>a relaxed and gradual manner.
>3. Make sure that there is room OFF the dance floor to
>go socialize with people, go to the bar, bathroom, and otherwise
>congregate and socialize.
>4. The best setup is to have a path BEHIND the tables
>to move about the milonga, and be sure that no chairs are on the dance
>floor. Sometimes a blank wall with no tables is OK in a smaller space.
>It is also nice to have a large area where there is no dancing to
>socialize, talk, perhaps eat a snack, etc.
>...
>6. Realize that as hosts or organizers, we have a duty
>to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for the guests. That means
>that they can travel about the room safely, dance without worrying about
>anything other than other dancers, and hear the music clearly but
>without discomfort.
>
>A final thing - if you normally line the tables up against a wall to
>make the dance floor bigger, think again - moving the tables in to
>create a walkway behind the tables actually results in a better dance
>experience because there is no longer a need to travel about the room by
>crossing the dance floor.
>
>Dan
--
Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 14:59:43 -0500
From: A Coleman <gurps_npc@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re. An environment for success
I disagree about the tables against the wall.
By putting the walk space by the dance floor, when no one is walking you
have a bigger dance floor.
If you put the isle behind the table, then that space is totally wasted when
no one is walking.
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 11:56:03 -0500
From: Hector <maselli@GATE.NET>
Subject: Re. An environment for success
>Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2003 21:51:45 -0800
>From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
>Subject: An environment for success
>A final thing - if you normally line the tables up against a wall to
>make the dance floor bigger, think again - moving the tables in to
>create a walkway behind the tables actually results in a better dance
>experience because there is no longer a need to travel about the room by
>crossing the dance floor.
>Dan
Great set up Dan.
Where is your milonga?
Hector
-----------------------------
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 11:54:50 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Re: An environment for success
I really agree that these are important issues...especially in
crowded milongas, like at festivals, or in Buenos Aires.
I've seen the good, the bad and the really ugly.
I noticed that club owners who are used to salsa or swing are
frequently unaware of the needs tango dancing, and are extremely
resistant to changing the layout of the room.
Milonga organizers who dance tango SHOULD be more aware; maybe they
don't have experience leading in crowded conditions, or haven't
travelled enough to see how much better things can be if you lay out
the room nicely.
Some dancers will complain vociferously that an organizer who fails
to maximize the floor size is forcing them to do a style of tango
they don't like. But if they thought this through, they would realize
that the walkers take up the same amount of room space whether they
are on or off the floor, so this is simply a matter of moving them to
a safer place. Once that they are off the floor, you can safely dance
up to the edge of the tables.
For me the key concept for constructing a good flow of the dance
floor is forming a "Rectangular Perimiter of the Dance floor".
Why rectangular?
- Dancing forward in a straight line builds navigational skill
- If you make it circular, the lanes are don't form as easily
- People cutting corners use up the space of 2 or 3 other couples
- The corners are safe places to do a flourish or more flashy turn.
In a festival with a high percentage of moderately skilled dancers,
it is reasonable to hope for two outside lanes, recognizing that we
still have quite a few people whose tango mental structure is
precisely of zig-zagging about the middle whether on stage or on a
social dance floor.
Dan proposes a number of excellent ideas, pointing out that these are
directly within the control of the milonga organizer. I'd like to
endorse these ideas by highlighting some easy things that address the
problem:
(1) Delimit a rectangular perimeter with tables on one or two walls.
This puts the audience in closer contact with each other so they can
catch eyes, or find partners easily.
(2) Put aisles BEHIND the tables for waiters and partner seekers
(3) Create an obvious rectangular perimeter physically, for example
by laying down a dance floor at a carpeted hotel ballroom
(4) Use two layers of tables on two or three sides rather than one
layer of tables on all sides.
(5) Allow sufficient entry ramps to the outside lane, so there isn't
one congestion point. A bigger milongas requires more entries.
Does it work?
I personally set up several of the milongas at the Denver Milonguero
Festivals. These are on portable floors over carpet at a hotel
ballroom. The tables are placed on two or three sides, allowing ample
room to walk around off the floor. The floor is sized appropriately:
too big and you don't get a good crowd energy.
The teachers are asked to focus on material appropriate to the
conditions expected at the milongas, and the classes always includes
discussion of floor-craft, navigation, etiquette (such as catching
the eye of the on-coming leader), lanes, not cutting corners, not
zig-zagging between lanes, etc.)
Admittedly, the first days things are pretty chaotic as people from
around the country bring old habits that function on empty floors,
but by the end of the weekend, people get used to the flow, and 2 or
2.5 lanes are functioning fairly nicely.
The tango trance for the man happens when he isn't worried about
collisions, and the crowd takes on a predictable rhythm.
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 21:42:32 -0500
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: An environment for success
Argentinean tango rituals.
La pista is the dancing floor. The use of the floor is part of the rituals
of tango. "Salir a la pista" means that you are going to the dancing floor
which must an can *only* be used for dancing.
People avoid by all means to step on the dancing floor or to cross it . They
will only use it for dancing.
When the floor is empty after a cortina, people will walk around the floor
following the periphery or the corridors between the first and the other
lanes of tables placed around "la pista" but will never cross it.
When full with dancers the only way to walk around is using the corridors
between the tables.
It would (of course) be totally absurd to carry drinks or food to or across
the dancing floor at any time.
These rituals serve as rules to follow to avoid problems at the milongas
the same as the "Tabu" served the prehistorical man.
PS. Tabu or taboo.
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 11:37:59 -0500
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: An environment for success II
As Gary explained : Here we have two dances, product of popular culture,
which resolved the problems of dancing on crowded floors in similar ways.
The Country-Western club with its lanes of dancers would be the perfect
example of a well designed floor for dancing tango.
The periphery for the more progressive dancers. (Normally used for "Two
step" and partner dancing such as Schottische), the intermediate lane for
slower moving dancers (Country Swing, Cha-Cha, waltz) and the inner, central
area for those that do static figures (normally used for line dancers.
Outside the dancing floor space for walking and cruising looking for
prospective partners. The tables or the bar for drinking and eating.
At one side where we usually have the mechanical Bull for cowboys to ride
on, till they are dismounted, we could easily substitute with a wild horse
for the gauchos to mount and throw boleadoras to ostriches. :))
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 09:53:57 -0800
From: David Exum <dexum@SPINN.NET>
Subject: Re: An environment for success II
Sergio,
Your illustration of the country-western dance floor was well presented and
informative. However, the country waltz is a progressive dance and is
sometimes danced to rather fast music. It is danced on the outer or fast
line of dance.
David
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 8:37 AM
Subject: [TANGO-L] An environment for success II
> As Gary explained : Here we have two dances, product of popular culture,
> which resolved the problems of dancing on crowded floors in similar ways.
>
> The Country-Western club with its lanes of dancers would be the perfect
> example of a well designed floor for dancing tango.
>
> The periphery for the more progressive dancers. (Normally used for "Two
> step" and partner dancing such as Schottische), the intermediate lane for
> slower moving dancers (Country Swing, Cha-Cha, waltz) and the inner,
central
> area for those that do static figures (normally used for line dancers.
>
> Outside the dancing floor space for walking and cruising looking for
> prospective partners. The tables or the bar for drinking and eating.
>
> At one side where we usually have the mechanical Bull for cowboys to ride
> on, till they are dismounted, we could easily substitute with a wild horse
> for the gauchos to mount and throw boleadoras to ostriches. :))
>
>
>
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 15:41:00 -0800
From: Rick FromPortland <pruneshrub04@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Environment
I love dance floors that are really big & that have enough room for easy maneuvering, for everyone there. A nice big center too, for people that like to wear their pants backwards. Flexible DJs who are open to requests & bringing a CD in is nice too. Guess I'm spoiled by dancing here in Portland. Modern/contemporary music is good too.
PS: just got home from Saipan, what a trip! Heard a story that misbehaving soldiers were sent their during WWII; hmmm, I can see it...
Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 09:53:57 -0800
From: David Exum <dexum@SPINN.NET>
Subject: Re: An environment for success II
Sergio,
Your illustration of the country-western dance floor
was well presented and informative. However, the
country waltz is a progressive dance and is
sometimes danced to rather fast music. It is danced
on the outer or fast line of dance.
David
Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears
