288  Observations about music presentation at milongas

Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2001 21:24:09 -0900
From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
Subject: Observations about music presentation at milongas

Hello friends -

At a couple of milongas recently, the DJs played one tango right after the
other, with absolutely no space between songs. Many times, the last fading
note of the song was chopped off and the first note of the next song came
booming forth. I felt like I was dancing in a tango disco parlor. This
also irritated my partners, who unanimously wished the DJ would give us a
short break between songs.

When I dance, my partner and I often exchange a lot of energy, emotion, and
expression. The last fading note of the song and a few seconds of silence
afterwards is the time for us to be still and silent in our embrace, to
breathe and reflect on the experience we just shared. For me, this is a
very sacred, intimate time, and I know many other dancers feel the same. If
this moment is interrupted, I feel the DJ has robbed me of reaching the
final destination of the dance. If the DJ does this continually, I know
I'll never get this experience I crave and it really effects my dancing,
making me feel rushed. I don't dance as deeply as I'd like to in this
atmosphere. I go home unfulfilled and frustrated.

At these same milongas, the DJs did not use cortinas. One orchestra blurred
into another, valses and milongas seemed lost within the tangos, and the
whole atmosphere seemed rushed and confused. The floorcraft reflected
this - it was a confused floor, with no real flow to it. I could never get
into a groove despite having some really good partners to dance with. The
poor presentation overwhelmed the fact that the music selections themselves
were quite good. Had the DJ allowed a bit of space between songs, I
probably could have done just fine without the cortinas, although I
definitely prefer cortinas. A lot of us were sitting out, and a few dancers
left pretty early. I was completely surprised that this level of
insensitivity towards the dancers and the tango experience exists.

For these reasons and more, I am really appreciating the efforts of
dedicated, sensitive DJs who realize that they have a huge responsibility
for our enjoyment during the milonga. I also appreciate DJs who are not
afraid to take a few calculated risks, to give us something a bit different
and unique of their own, as long as it is in small, tasteful doses. I feel
that this advances the tango experience a bit. These DJs are sensitive
enough and know their music well enough to change their ideas and to respond
to the energy of the dancers. Fortunately, the majority of the milongas
I've attended in recent months have featured DJs who really take their craft
seriously and have the best interest of the dancers in mind. They are the
wizards of the milonga, wielding their spell over the crowd. These are the
DJs that inspire me to dance with passion and intensity and whom are
responsible for creating many wonderful nights of dancing. These are the
DJs I get my own inspiration for DJing from so I can better return the favor
when I'm holding the wizard's wand.

Dan Boccia
Anchorage, AK
(Glad to be home, missing Portland)