471  NO BUMPING NIGHT

Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 13:05:33 -0300
From: Cori Bennett <naranjoenflor@TUTOPIA.COM>
Subject: NO BUMPING NIGHT

Keith wrote:
And then I thought, how many teachers really have figured out a way
to
tactfully and helpfully address this issue? They want their students
to COME
to the Milonga ... it isn't helpful to make them feel even more their
inadequacies.

I (Cori) posted this long time ago:

There are a few things that we make sure it happens in our
dancing. FIRST and most important is that we don't bother
other's
dancing, we GET OUT of their way. We know right away who can't
dodge people or can only do one step and doesn't know how to get
out of it, so is OUR responsibility to give them room.

SECOND Omar always avoids me getting hit, stepped on, elbowed,
etc.
He takes good care of me or any other partner.

Last but not least is that we improvise, we don't dance the same
way all the time or two tangos the same way. So when we are in a
crowded situation he just changes direction, move sideways,
backwards, forwards or whatever to get to that little space that
could be in the ronda, the middle
of the floor, the corner, etc.
To be able to do that you have to dance with cadence, otherwise you're just
doing steps.

Now when the milonga is very crowded, we just leave or sit and
watch, specially when they play a milonga and everyone thinks
that they have to rush through the floor.

All of the above we teach to our students from day one. We feel
they should
learn to have "milonga manners/ethics", to create/improvise, and
above
all to take care of their lady partners and other dancers.

Wishing you a milonga free of bruises,
Cori and Omar