520 Smelly dancing
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 20:30:13 -0700
From: clayton beach <akumushi@ONEBOX.COM>
Subject: Smelly dancing
I remember a workshop with Fabian Salas in Burbank during an extremly
hot spell. It was at least in the mid 90's outside, and fairly miserable
indoors due to a struggling ventilation system. At one point during
the workshop, I felt the unpleasant senation of sweat dripping from my
partners' underarm. Needless to say, after dancing all day with various
partners in the heat, everyone was a little rank.
After this experience, I don't think I've never minded what little sweat
a relatively well kept, slightly perfumed woman has had to offer, even
after a tanda of milongas in extremly close embrace.
It's all a matter of taste, but if someone is a good dancer and the connection
is there, I see it as pretty petty to let a little sweat get the way
of tango nirvana.
I once said, half joking,
"There are only two activities where I don't mind being sweat all over,
one of which happens to tango..." ;)
Good tangos to all, whether squeaky clean or drenched in sweat.
--
clayton beach
akumushi@onebox.com
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 01:47:15 +0100
From: Daniel M Iannarelli <dmi@OSTEOPATH.THERAPIST.ORG.UK>
Subject: Re: Smelly dancing
Hello all.
Re - the 'smelly' issue.
It's a natural thing to sweat. We all do it - some more than others.
However, it doesn't necessarily follow that sweating causes 'smelliness'.
Some people do not seem to sweat, and yet exude a certain foulness into the
local atmosphere.
A lot can be done to offset 'SMELLY SYNDROME'.
There are different types of smells that can exude from our bodies. I won't
go into too much detail, but I don't need to elaborate on the fact that some
smells are substantially more unpleasant than others(!). In ANY
activity/circumstance in which one is in contact (close or otherwise) with
others, it is a simple sense of common courtesy to ensure that all our bits
and pieces are scrubbed clean and ready for whatever action they are called
upon to perform in the heat of any given moment.
Good, efficient, effective personal hygiene is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.
I tend to sweat a fair bit, so I take precautions. The last thing I want is
to be labelled as being smelly-sweaty, smelly-breathy, smelly-bummy,
smelly-feety or indeed smelly-tackle-'ey'!
I thought I'd point out a few considerations for the road to Mr/Ms Clean and
Fresh, as follows:
i. For a start I 'Immac' my armpits! Ok, I'm an heterosexual guy and some
people say that it's not manly to do such a thing. Well, if that's true (and
I think that's a load of rubbish) I'd rather be 'unmanly', 'unsmelly',
clean, fresh and danceable-with, than manly and smelly with no one to dance
with! Hairy armpits - not to mention other hairy parts - are a breeding
ground for the (natural) bacteria that produces that icky acrid sweaty
smell.
ii. To a Practica or Milonga, I take a couple of changes of shirt/t-shirt,
underwear, or whatever. Even those who don't sweat much will get a bit
moist, and so should thing of taking along at least one change.
iii. A towel or two is also a very useful accessory.
iv. I always carry a ROLL-ON anti-perspirant deodorant. The sprays are no
use. The spray goes everywhere and people will avoid you for other reasons.
Also, think of the choking atmosphere if everyone uses a spray. Invariably
they will be of different brands, and therefore the dissemination of such a
cloud mixed scents can be unbearable and choking. Use the roll-on
intermittently throughout the evening. NB: the roll-on shouldn't be of too
strong a scent.
v. Breath-freshener. Keep that breath fresh. Suck an orange before going to
a Milonga/Practica. Then, when you get there - use chewing-gum. At many
Milongas I've experienced in Buenos Aires, there are different brands of
chewing-gum for sale at the entrance desk. Makes sense, doesn't it? Also,
consider the fact that bad breath is not always from the mouth itself. The
food you eat can have a considerable bearing on the colour your partner
turns when dancing with you! Other causes: dirty teeth, gum-disease (yecchh!
A BAD one this!), the previous night's curry (for example), mouth ulcers
(get rid of them!), alcohol (important to consider as this can also be
offensive), disease, infection, poor lung ventilation . . . to name a few.
Take each of these possible factors into consideration and combat the
relevant offender respectively.
vi. Remember also that spicy food can not only play havoc with each of our
opposite orifices, but can also ooze out through our largest organ (no,
guys - not THAT one!) - our very skin! Take this into consideration and
think before having that Indian food, garlic-ridden pizza, or whatever,
before (even a day or two before) dancing.
vii. Always wash hands after using the bog! This is a basic courtesy - after
all, we are touching hands with others.
viii. Always shower before going dancing - whether late or not!
ix. Change underwear regularly!
x. Fumigate those dancing shoes regularly. Lots of bacteria can build up and
breed within the confines of our shoes. Often the smell can insidiously
exude from down there, pass up between the dancing pair and foul-up our
nasal intelligence. Result? Each of the dancing pair is secretly blaming the
other, with bilateral loss of credibility!
However, let's talk a bit more about breath:
Bad breath is another Mr Smelly-inducing factor we should not forget about!
There is nothing (well, almost nothing) worse than bad breath. Trouble is
that it's often there when we don't know it. I, for one, would appreciate
anyone telling me that I have bad breath. It's only when one knows about a
'smelly-breathy' problem one may have... that one can do something about it!
Fundamentally, it's our duty to tell our tango (or otherwise) colleagues -
in a nice, but also diplomatic way, of course - that there is a problem and
a reason why there is a cloud of bluebottles following him/her around. This
is especially important for teachers. The last thing we want is for our
students to be put off coming to classes because of a Mr or Ms Smelly... and
it certainly happens.
The person in question MUST be told about the problem (breath or
otherwise) - for their sake, the other students' sake, and your own sake as
a teacher. After all, it's the size of your class at stake. Wouldn't do any
good if all your students disappeared for no apparent reason, and you were
left alone with one student to teach - yes, Mr/Ms Smelly! Soon YOU would
also leave the class!
It all boils down to consideration and courtesy. Think of how YOU might like
to dance with a smelly partner. It's an horrible experience - we ALL know
that! If someone does offend your nostrils, approach a friend of theirs and
explain the situation - DIPLOMATICALLY! It's often best coming from a
friend. Perhaps this will do the trick, and make dancing tango the
pleasurable experience it should be.
If all else fails, buy a bag of clothes pegs... or a gas-mask!
Regards to all,
Dani
Daniel M Iannarelli
Scotland
United Kingdom
Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 18:26:36 -0700
From: Paul Lange <elonce@DIRCON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: smelly dancing
Dear Dani,
I've tried using a "roll-on" anti-perspirant intermittently throughout the
evening but kept getting disapproving looks from the other dancers - should
I have waited until the tango I was dancing came to an end ?
> iv. I always carry a ROLL-ON anti-perspirant deodorant. The sprays are no
> use. The spray goes everywhere and people will avoid you for other
reasons.
> Also, think of the choking atmosphere if everyone uses a spray. Invariably
> they will be of different brands, and therefore the dissemination of such
a
> cloud mixed scents can be unbearable and choking. Use the roll-on
> intermittently throughout the evening. NB: the roll-on shouldn't be of too
> strong a scent.
Paul Lange
El Once Tango News
www.elonce.dircon.co.uk
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 10:02:30 -0300
From: SMC Administracion <adm@SMCAR.COM.AR>
Subject: smelly dancing
Dani wrote
> I always carry a ROLL-ON anti-perspirant deodorant. The sprays are no
> use. The spray goes everywhere and people will avoid you for other
> reasons.
> Also, think of the choking atmosphere if everyone uses a spray. Invariably
> they will be of different brands, and therefore the dissemination of such
> a cloud mixed scents can be unbearable and choking. Use the roll-on
> intermittently throughout the evening. NB: the roll-on shouldn't be of
too
> strong a scent.
I don t know how the milongas work outside Buenos Aires . Here in Buenos
Aires,
there is a part of the building that is reserved for rest
rooms/toilet/bathroom/loo for ladies and gentlemen.
Concerning the part of the building used for rooms/toilet/bathroom/loo used
for gentlemen, which -unfortunately- is the only one I can report due to
abusive restrictions to see what is happening at the ladies part ,there are
some ingenious devices.
a) A liquid soap provider
b) A roll of paper towels
c) An interesting white furniture attached to the wall that provides fresh
water, and believe it or not, in some milongas
you may obtain hot water and cold water.
d) a plastic container to throw the used towels
e) another devices not specifically related to cleaning but to discharge of
fluids .
So it is possible, to change clothes , in this part of the building, wash
yourself, dry with the paper towel , and use whatever you want
(perspirant/spray/eau du toilette/etc...)whithout making other people choke
or suffer.
I often was intrigued to know why the rest rooms were called in UK "loo"
.Some people told me it was a short form for Waterloo/Water closet . But a
reader of The Guardian , post an answer in a section of Jonathan Harker
"Notes & Enquiries" , and it looks interesting enough. It seems "loo" is a
transformation of the french word " l éau /the waters" used in the medieval
times, meaning the fluids that were made by human beings by nights in the
pots under the beds. This pots were thrown from the windows to the street
with a previous shouting to alert passers by " regardez l´eau! /watch the
waters !" , and then came the throwing to the street , which used to have a
small channel in the middle , to carry away this "waters"
Alberto Gesualdi
Buenos Aires
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 11:15:08 -0700
From: Barbara Garvey <barbara@TANGOBAR-PRODUCTIONS.COM>
Subject: Re: Smelly dancing
Dear List,
In the almost 17 years that I have been dancing Argentine tango, in San
Francisco and in 7 month-long visits to Buenos Aires, I have practically
never encountered an odorous partner (of course I am one who doesn't mind
the smell of garlic, for example, and I have danced with gentlemen whose
jackets had a dry-cleaner or mothball fragrance).
Dampness is a whole other matter, and can only be avoided by those who have
that tendency by changing clothes as necessary. I have seldom noticed
dampness in Buenos Aires, but we usually to milongas where men wear jackets
and we've never been there in the summer! Nevertheless here in the cool
gray city by the Bay moisture does happen. So guys, if you are particularly
porous, wear a tee-shirt under your shirt, wear a jacket, bring an extra
shirt if necessary and carry a clean hanky (towels are for boxing rings).
And if this issue is still not under control, don't even consider
close-embrace style.
Abrazos to all,
Barbara
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 08:59:07 +0100
From: Daniel M Iannarelli <dmi@OSTEOPATH.THERAPIST.ORG.UK>
Subject: Re: smelly dancing
Hi Paul.
If people don't like it... sod them!
Thing is though, Paul, yes you should wait until the dance is finished
before applying the roll-on. If, however, you really cannot wait and she
really smells that bad, then you MUST ask permission of your dancing partner
before applying the roll-on to her armpits!
Come to think of it, it's no wonder people give you disapproving looks if,
while you're dancing, you lift your partners arms and start applying roll-on
deodorant to her sensitive parts. Would YOU like it if she did it to
you??... and in pubic!??
Kindest regards,
Dani
Daniel M Iannarelli
Scotland
United Kingdom
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 26 April 2002 02:27
To: TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: smelly dancing
Dear Dani,
I've tried using a "roll-on" anti-perspirant intermittently throughout the
evening but kept getting disapproving looks from the other dancers - should
I have waited until the tango I was dancing came to an end ?
