1004  NYC milonga

Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 14:17:40 -0500
From: VOZ <tangovoz@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: NYC milonga

Thanks to all of you that have been so nice in responding to a new dancer.
I want to go to as many dances as time allows me wile in NYC, and I hope to
get up my courage to ask as many beautiful ladies to endure my "beginner"
skills.

Who is Hernan Gomez?
He wrote:
"no realmente no hay buenas milongas como en argentina pero podes pasarla
bien podes revisar las milongas en www.newyorktango.com pero la peor es
la nacional las demas son pasables suerte"

My Spanish is not very good, but I understood this.

I hope to find more people like all of those who took their time to put in a
good and positive vibe, I'm scared enough as it is, with being a newcomer!

Thank you all.

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 13:03:32 -0800
From: Jai Jeffryes <doktordogg@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: NYC milonga

--- VOZ <tangovoz@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

> I hope to find more people like all of those who
> took their time to put in a
> good and positive vibe, I'm scared enough as it is,
> with being a newcomer!

Good for you for starting out. I was nervous, too, at
the beginning.

You don't need anybody's permission to be at a
milonga. Nobody has to like the way you dance. In
order to dance, you only need the consent of one other
person in the whole room.

The funny thing about tango is you can find yourself
recapitulating your entire emotional development
leading up to adulthood. You can and will be scared,
but that doesn't mean you have to tell everybody.
Never let 'em see you sweat. Tango is about attitude
and nerve, neither of which are awarded to you by
anybody else. They're yours when you accord them to
yourself. Self-respect need not depend on your level
of dancing ability.

Forget about approval. You don't need it. You're not
begging for approval from women when you ask them to
dance. You're expressing your own desire. If you
need approval from them, too, you're burdening them
with an additional responsibility that should be yours
alone. Be a man! Take responsibility for your
desires and say what you want. Your prospective
partner will then make her own adult decision about
whether or not to accept your invitation. If she
declines, be gracious. If she accepts, be dignified
and considerate, but don't grovel.

Tango is interesting because everyone takes it so
seriously, don't they?

Jai
NYC


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Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 12:26:20 -0800
From: luda_r1 <luda_r1@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: NYC milonga

"Tango is interesting because everyone takes it so
seriously, don't they?"

No, Jay, not everybody. Not this body, anyway. And
what's the idea of scaring a newcomer like that?! I
thought you were trying to offer some moral support?
And doing a good job, too. :)

Luda

Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 14:31:05 -0300
From: la guacha <lamasguacha@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: NYC milongas

Someone requested info on NYC milongas
Check out Richard Lipkins NY tango page on the web.
Also pick up a copy of Reportango at any of the milongas when you arrive.

Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 09:13:16 -0400
From: s1redh <s1redh@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: DJ at Central Park, NYC milonga

I am forwarding a message that I have been asked to post to the list. The
real name has been changed to Jane, for the sender fears "possible
reactions, since this guy seems to have significant support (!)".

I have also received a mesage advising me to keep this matter private. I
disagree: djGuy is providing a public service, therefore he is open to
public critique, which in this case hopefully will help resolve the issue in
the public interest. Furthermore this "case" could serve as a model to deal
with CONSISTENTLY poor performing DJs and /or organizers.

Seth

On 9/11/05, <Jane> wrote:

I wasn't there yesterday, Seth, but I know what you experienced. Every

> time I've been to a milonga dj'd by Guy, the same thing happened. He's
> amazing -- it's almost as though he thought the goal was to clear the
> dance floor. I've learned not to stick around if Guy's the dj. The event
> will be a total bust. The only people who don't seem to mind are the
> ones who use tango as background music. Guy's claim to fame is his
> unique selection of tangos that no one else plays -- for good reason:
> they are undanceable and even ugly. No wonder the spectators left. And
> you're right, he'll play an endless stream of tangos that are virtually
> indistinguishable. Then -- for "variety" -- an endless stream of equally
> undanceable alternative tango.
>
> On occasion I have protested to the organizer, and I know others who
> have, but somehow Guy keeps getting invited back. It's a shame -- and a
> mystery.
>
> [I'm glad you posted your opinion. I'm sorry that I don't dare do the
> same, but I would be grateful if you would forward this to the list. I'd
> also be interested to know if you hear from others. I would love to
> understand this phenomenon. I wish there were a way to stop it.]
>
> <Jane>
>
>
> > Dear Gui,
> > I came to the Central Park milonga yesterday, and for the first time
> > I left
> > before its conclusion. Your music selection was simply awful, the
> > boom-boom,
> > chop-chop kind, with nary any variation (one was 6 minutes long!),
> > almost no
> > valses or milongas, tandas being a concept obviously foreign to you..
> > And
> > all minor tangos...Someone should have told you that the role of a DJ
> > is to
> > keep people dancing: you couldn't even keep the seated spectators from
> > leaving...Find yourself another hobby, you failed this one.
> > Seth
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 14:43:36 -0400
From: seth <s1redh@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Fwd: [TANGO-L] DJ at Central Park, NYC milonga, con't

I am pleased to oblige and forward the message of another reader of the "DJ
at Central Park, NYC milonga" thread:

"Hi Seth

Can you please post this like you did "Jane's" comment. Just call me an
anonymous dancer, thanks (I am not unknown therefore I want to be anonymous)
I think the reason Guy is all over the map is he's his own organizer (one of
a committee of several organizers). Just for the record, I have never heard
DJGuy play so I don't have an opinion about his work in particular.

QUOTE

I have never heard this DJ play. But if people are displeased with some DJ,
and this DJ is still getting gigs, somebody is not doing their job: possibly
the dancers, for not providing enough feedback to the organizers who hire
the DJ. Other possibilities are, the DJ is in fact OK, or bad taste is
rampant, or the organizers disregard the comments, or the DJ is his own
organizer and hires himself.

If it has gone so far that somebody is disgruntled enough to write an angry
post to 1200 people across the nation, and this is a surprise to the DJ
and/or the organizers, then there has been a lack of communication. Has
anybody made any suggestions to this DJ or his employer to make him play
more milonga/vals, or use a more conventional tanda format, or deal with
whatever gripes people have?

People often think it's enough to vote with your feet, but there are several
problems with that.

One, if there isn't a big crowd on any one day, the organizers really have
to guess if it's the DJ, or the beautiful or awful weather, or the holiday
weekend, or a competing event, or a statistical fluke, or people didn't know
who was DJing, or it's the end of the month. Some events draw a crowd IN
SPITE of the DJ. Too many variables to go by the size of the crowd except in
the long term.

Second, most milongas draw some kind of crowd no matter who DJs, these are
people who will dance to pretty much anything. So it's the responsibility of
the people with an educated opinion and/or good taste to take the
initiative.

If you vote silently with your feet, you're the one staying home not having
any fun. Who wants to do that. It's like boycotting an election. Tough luck
if the bad guys win, you had your chance to make your vote count.

Bottom line, if you have an opinion about the DJ, good OR bad, go tell the
organizers, or email them. If the DJ causes you to seek out a milonga, or
conversely, to stay away, SAY SO. You should help the organizers bring the
people what they want. It's up to the dancers to DEMAND good DJs. And the
organizers should publicize who is DJing so the dancers know what to expect.

Thanks"

You are welcome,

Seth