636 Outdoor Milongas Hosting/Dancing
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 17:17:17 -0400
From: Ramu Pyreddy <rpyreddy@EECS.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Outdoor Milongas Hosting/Dancing
Greetings,
We started a Argentine Tango club at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
last September. Close to 2/3rds of our membership comprises of students and
the other 1/3rd is community members.
Contrary to our initial expectations, we did well in our first year. We also
got monetary logistic help from the University in this endeavor. During
Fall and Winter semesters (when school is in session), we have milongas
twice a month. In the summer we have milongas once a month. We hold weekly
practicas besides the milongas. We keep the membership fees very low.
($15/$10 for a semester). It is a non-profit venture and we have some
dedicated volunteers willing to teach. (details @ www.umich.edu/~umtango)
All our events are free for people visiting from out of state.
We just got permission from the University to hold milongas outdoor
at the Regent's Plaza, next to the University's Student Center (aka Michigan Union)
The plaza has a nice ambience, it is aptly lit by street lights, surrounded
by concrete benches on 3 sides and "The Cube" on the fourth.
("The Cube" is a big black steel cube pivoting on one of its corner)
This is a free event.
The only drawback is that the floor is concrete. I would like to hear from
members of this list about street dancing and dancing on concrete in particular.
I danced outdoors once in Portland, Oregon and once in Paris on the banks of
Seine river. I enjoyed the whole experience. The floor was concrete in one case
and brick in the other. But I understand it is much harder for women who do
more pivoting and turning.
In particular (for dancing on concrete floor) -
Any DOs and DON'Ts
Advice on Shoes
Advice on Dancing Styles
Anything relevant to dancing outdoors
I am planning to compile a list of these and distribute at the outdoor milonga.
Check our website for additional details.
www.umich.edu/~umtango
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Ramu
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 22:53:20 EDT
From: Clifton Chow <TangoPassionMoon@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas Hosting/Dancing
Ramu,
You've danced along the Seine? Fantastic! I hope to do that someday. I
coordinate Tango by Moonlight here in Boston, one of the most popular and
successful outdoor milongas in the city. In our 6th season, we continue to
draw huge crowds even on a week night. We took our inspiration from the
movie, "Tangos: The Exile of Gardel," where Argentine emigres in Paris were
dancing over the Seine River. Here in Boston we dance over the Charles River
on a concrete footbridge located near Harvard Square between Boston and
Cambridge. We have grappled with the floor problem for years. I have looked
into trying linoleum and even renting a wooden dance floor for the evening
(which is very expensive, by the way). Linoleum does not work very well
under heat, which is often the case when you dance outdoors in the summer.
Therefore, we now tell our dancers to wear comfortable shoes, but not their
best shoes, and be very careful when leading not to lead too many ochos or
molenetes. Some dancers, as you can imagine, will ignore the floor condition
and do what they will. Others will simply dance in close embrace and enjoy
the romantic atmosphere the occasion brings by slowing down their pace and
let the music flow through their bodies. I would suggest concentrating on
the mood of the evening and let Tango transform those who come to your
outdoor event. I have heard that many people here in Boston begin their
addiction to Tango by experiencing Tango by Moonlight, and undoubtedly I am
sure romances are formed there too. I still get calls from people asking if
I know so and so who was at the bridge, that he or she had one dance with
that person and was so speechless that they forgot to take down contact
information before the moon waned. I know the floor may be a distraction,
but in the end, if the mood is right and the stars and the moon shine,
dancing on concrete will feel almost like gliding on water.
Good Luck!
Clifton de Boston
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 15:06:45 -0400
From: Lois Donnay <donnay@DONNAY.NET>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas
Here in Minnesota we treat the cement or concrete with white sand. We
spread it with a lawn fertilizer spreader. It seems to disappear
fairly fast so it needs to be reapplied in the middle of the evening.
I think the idea came from the swing dance scene. Without it spins
(and pivots) are very difficult!
Looking forward to our outdoor dance this weekend,
Lois Donnay
Minneapolis
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 09:17:05 EDT
From: Clifton Chow <TangoPassionMoon@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas Hosting/Dancing
Hello Fellow Tangueros/Tangueras who host outdoor milongas!
Does anyone know of a website that lists all outdoor milongas in North
America, and more importantly, would update the information annually? I
think we need to consolidate all the locations that have outdoor milongas
available into one internet address so that as people travel in the summer
throughout the continent, they can enjoy the romance and the ambience of
dancing under the stars/moon wherever they may go.
If no such website exists, I would consider developing one. What does
everyone think?
Clifton de Boston
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 16:07:16 GMT
From: michael <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas Hosting/Dancing
Carlos Quiroga, editor of the New York "ReporTango" publishes a list of all milongas in the United States. Maritza Bodine, editor of "La Voz del Tango" publishes a list of milongas in California. You would have to take the info from their publications.
Michael
Washington, DC
Waiting anxiously for the New York Tango Festival that begins July 17.
---------- Clifton Chow <TangoPassionMoon@AOL.COM> writes:
Hello Fellow Tangueros/Tangueras who host outdoor milongas!
Does anyone know of a website that lists all outdoor milongas in North
America, and more importantly, would update the information annually? I
think we need to consolidate all the locations that have outdoor milongas available into one internet address so that as people travel in the summer throughout the continent, they can enjoy the romance and the ambience of dancing under the stars/moon wherever they may go.
If no such website exists, I would consider developing one. What does
everyone think?
Clifton de Boston
I'd rather be dancing argentine tango
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 14:05:35 -0500
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas
Hi Lois and friends,
...just a quick addition to Lois' note...
Lois Donnay wrote:
>
> Here in Minnesota we treat the cement or concrete with white sand. We
> spread it with a lawn fertilizer spreader.
The exact material is potter's silica. We get it from Continental Clay
(612-331-9332). It looks like fine sand but in fact the microscopic
shape of the particles is sphrical. In other words, we spread down a
layer of little ball bearings! The idea came from a ceramics sculptor
who also dances salsa, Gary Erickson. With the silica, the dance
surface
isn't so impossible. The only draw backs are: a) it also generates
dust,
and b) an ocho is surprisingly loud. Add all of the dancer's moving
together, and the sound system needs to be loud as well! Still, you
shouldn't use nice shoes...
The problem with talc, and the reason it was largely removed from the
US marketplace as a skin powder, is that it is relatively allergenic.
So, the next outdoor milonga here in the Twin Cities is this Saturday at
Mears Park in 'Lowertown' St. Paul. ...a lovely urban setting lit
by inspired landscape architecture and the surrounding buildings.
You're all invited! https://www.mntango.org
Best regards,
Frank - Minneapolis
Frank G. Williams, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
frankw@mail.ahc.umn.edu Dept. of Neuroscience
(612) 625-6441 (office) 321 Church Street SE
(612) 624-4436 (lab) Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 281-3860 (cellular/home)
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 16:39:38 -0400
From: Alan McPherron <mcph+@PITT.EDU>
Subject: Outdoor Milongas
About concrete floors: when I was in high school we used corn meal. Has
anyone else tried it?
Alan McPherron, Tangueros Unidos de Pittsburgh
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 15:59:19 -0400
From: Manuel Patino <white95r@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas
I've had the opportunity to dance at a few outdoor milongas. While there is
a good bit of charm and ambiance to some of these, they can have some very
negative factors. It is very important to make sure that the floor is at
least smooth and non-abrasive. A hard floor is hard on the feet and legs,
but can be danced on with enjoyment. OTOH, a hard, abrasive and worse yet,
uneven or broken surface is a big downer. I much rather not dance than to
dance under conditions that make it difficult to pivot on or to walk without
tripping or going downhill/uphill.
IMHO, if one cannot find a decent floor to dance on, it is better to change
the venue or cancel the milonga. Not to beat a dead horse, but is good to
reiterate that the outdoors will require a very good sound system or
felicitous presence of walls or other objects that will reflect the sound,
the availability of toilets, etc. is also very important. Finally, the
safety of the locale must be adequate.
(successful) alfresco milongas to all
Manuel
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 09:59:09 -0400
From: Carol Shepherd <shepherd@ARBORLAW.COM>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas
Corn meal works really well! We use it for lindy hopping, which is a
very pivot and slide oriented dance. We learned this trick at a barn
dance (rough hewn wood planking). Plus you get the added benefit of
being able to draw patterns in it with your toes and the balls of your
feet as you dance, this can be a lot of fun and really adds something
different to the aesthetics! :) Two things to note: it's messy and
will dust up your shoes completely, and you need a lot of it! (You're
probably going to need to sweep it up, so bring a broom and a dustpan
and something to throw it away in when you're done.) I figure we used
five pounds of corn meal for every 12 square feet or so of dance space.
Also, if it rains...you have corn mush.
Alan McPherron wrote:
>
> About concrete floors: when I was in high school we used corn meal. Has
> anyone else tried it?
>
> Alan McPherron, Tangueros Unidos de Pittsburgh
--
Carol Ruth Shepherd
Arborlaw Associates PLLC
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
734 668 4646 v 734 822 4646 f
https://www.arborlaw.com
business, technology, entertainment
and media law
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 18:45:48 -0400
From: Carol Shepherd <shepherd@ARBORLAW.COM>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Milongas
That should have been 12 feet squared....sigh.
Carol Shepherd wrote:
>
> Corn meal works really well! We use it for lindy hopping, which is a
> very pivot and slide oriented dance. We learned this trick at a barn
> dance (rough hewn wood planking). Plus you get the added benefit of
> being able to draw patterns in it with your toes and the balls of your
> feet as you dance, this can be a lot of fun and really adds something
> different to the aesthetics! :) Two things to note: it's messy and
> will dust up your shoes completely, and you need a lot of it! (You're
> probably going to need to sweep it up, so bring a broom and a dustpan
> and something to throw it away in when you're done.) I figure we used
> five pounds of corn meal for every 12 square feet or so of dance space.
> Also, if it rains...you have corn mush.
>
> Alan McPherron wrote:
> >
> > About concrete floors: when I was in high school we used corn meal. Has
> > anyone else tried it?
> >
> > Alan McPherron, Tangueros Unidos de Pittsburgh
>
> --
> Carol Ruth Shepherd
> Arborlaw Associates PLLC
> Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
> 734 668 4646 v 734 822 4646 f
> https://www.arborlaw.com
> business, technology, entertainment
> and media law
>
--
Carol Ruth Shepherd
Arborlaw Associates PLLC
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
734 668 4646 v 734 822 4646 f
509 692 4561 efax
https://www.arborlaw.com
business, technology, entertainment
and new media law
