604  About the crashes on the danse floor

Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2002 11:33:32 +0200
From: CLIMENTI Dominique <cli@UBP.CH>
Subject: About the crashes on the danse floor

Hello Everybody!
I want to share with the list two facts I noticed about space and
crashes on the dance floor.
First, IMHO, the "crash dancers" are not defined by the style or the
speed they dance, but by there posture. The point is not if they dance
close, separated, milonguero, salon, nuevo tango, apilado or even
canyengue, the point is how can a people see where he is going or where
he has space to move in if he his looking to his partner shoes or worst
to his own shoes... :-) And a second interesting thing is that one.
Don't try to "find" place on the dance floor, just "wait" to have the
place you want. If I see a place free on the dance floor other people
will see it too, so they want to go there too and we are half a dozen
couples trying to go in the same place... So it's better to wait for a
couple to try to go there and then to use the space they left... :-) And
trust me, if you try to dance this way, you will have the impression the
whole dance floor is free and you will almost never have to wait for
more than 3 seconds to have the place you want...
Nice tangos to everybody,

Dominic from Geneva

Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 00:22:37 -0400
From: Nicole Dowell <bailadora2000@EXCITE.COM>
Subject: Re: About the crashes on the danse floor

--- On Mon 06/10, CLIMENTI Dominique wrote:

>Don't try to "find" place on the dance floor, just "wait" to have >the

place you want. If I see a place free on the dance floor other >people will
see it too, so they want to go there too and we are half >a dozen couples
trying to go in the same place... So it's better to >wait for a couple to
try to go there and then to use the space they >left... :-)


Good advice... and I'd like to share some more interesting ideas learned
while at the Miami Tango Fantasy. In Diego di Falco's last class he shared
some thoughts about leading around a crowded dance floor that was
interesting...he said that he liked to go for the crowd to dance in the
most crowded part of the floor as practice. Of course, I'm definately not
suggesting the average to try this...but it was great concept...he also
said that tries not to stop...for alot of giros or something like
that...but tries mostly walking steps in various ways. Now...let me tell
you....it's true. I danced a few dances with him at the milongas at the

Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 00:21:43 -0400
From: Nicole Dowell <bailadora2000@EXCITE.COM>
Subject: Re: About the crashes on the danse floor

--- On Mon 06/10, CLIMENTI Dominique wrote:

>Don't try to "find" place on the dance floor, just "wait" to have >the place you want. If I see a place free on the dance floor other >people will see it too, so they want to go there too and we are half >a dozen couples trying to go in the same place... So it's better to >wait for a couple to try to go there and then to use the space they >left... :-)

Good advice... and while learned at Miami's Tango Fantasy..in Diego di Falco's last class he sharedsome thoughts about leading around a crowded dance floor ...he said that he liked to try to dance in the most crowded part of the floor as practice. Of course, I'm definately not suggesting the average dancer to try this...but it was great concept...he also said that tries not to stop...for alot of giros or something like that...but tries mostly walking steps in various ways. Now...let me tell you....it's true. I danced a few dances with him at the milongas at the Tango Fantasy...and truly, he doesn't stop...he drives you right through the dance.

Now.... not that I think everyone should do this...but the concept of actually trying a more variety of walking steps through the milongas should be practiced more by the leaders. First of all...when dancing with a new partner, it's hard to find the correct balance and lead/follow relationship to do comfortable giros, molinetes, lapis, gaunchos and etc that so many leaders want do on the dance floor. Being a more experienced dancer, I can usually follow all these things, but I hate feeling like my ability is being tested when some guy I have never or rarely danced with before starts trying every gauncho or giro pattern that they've learned. This is where the crashes originate....from trying to show off. Now...I've heard the argument before that us ladies want to dance with the guys with the fancy steps...well... I don't think that's true.. (besides most women can't do those fancy steps well enough anyway). I think we would just prefer good leads..and a good lead means re!
specting the fellow dancers aroun
d you and the movement of the dance.

I heard a complaint while at the Tango Fantasy that the teachers don't dance enough with the students...being a teacher, I can understand this in a way. When you get comfortable dancing with a partner you understand their balance and lead or follow. It takes work to dance with someone else. But...dancing with multiple dancers only makes you a better lead or follow...as long as it isn't like a test out on the dance floor of your ability.

Nicole Dowell
Miami, Florida

Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 08:47:30 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: About the crashes on the danse floor

Nicole Dowell wrote:

>In Diego di Falco's last class he shared some thoughts about
>leading around a crowded dance floor that was interesting...
>he said that he liked to go for the crowd to dance in the
>most crowded part of the floor as practice.

I agree with Diego's sentiments that the most crowded floors create and
demand an entirely different way of dancing tango. I am not quite sure why
Diego would describe this as "practice" -- maybe because large movements or
elaborate figures are not really possible. Personally, when I think of my
favorite moments dancing tango, many been invariably on occasions the most
crowde floors. I love dancing on extremely crowded dance floors with the
right partner. I find the energy of the crowd, the attention necessary to
navigate and the improvisation exhilirating. Big movements and elaborate
figures are much less interesting.

With best regards,
Steve

Stephen Brown
Tango Argentino de Tejas
https://www.tejastango.com/