5617  Reports from Buenos Aires: Navigation et al.

Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:58:16 -0500
From: Tango Society of Central Illinois <tango.society@gmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Reports from Buenos Aires: Navigation et al.
To: tango-l <tango-l@mit.edu>
<cff24c340904200958l61914553l697757a8f6e2433c@mail.gmail.com>

Club Gricel has a long and narrow dance floor, the smallest width to
length ratio of any milonga dance floor in Buenos Aires that I know
of. The length of the floor can accommodate a lot of dancers in a
moving line of dance; however there is less mobility in the narrow
middle, so it is more likely that center-of-floor dancers will drift
into the perimeter. As far as I've seen, Michael is correct in saying
that, strictly speaking, there is only one line-of-dance in Bs As
milongas that moves counter-clockwise along the perimeter of the
floor. However, in contrast to what Michael has reported, I have never
seen a clockwise moving center area. In my experience the center also
generally moves more or less counter-clockwise, but with varying
degrees of mobility, including couples who are stationary for the most
part, and counter-clockwise progression may be less linear with
passing of other couples possible if necessary. One will occasionally
see some dancers moving clockwise or even in no particular direction.

Michael commented that there is a line on the floor at Lo de Celia
near the perimeter of the floor and, as I understood it, he suggested
this demarcated the line of dance. I have never thought this was a
traffic lane maker, nor that the porten~os needed it, especially in Lo
de Celia, where the line of dance is pretty well respected. As I
remember it, this line is not painted on the tile, but actually part
of the tile pattern. In any case, from my recollection, this line is
about 0.5 meters from the tables. The line demarcation is too narrow
for a line-of-dance progression, because in actually the progression
is not linear, but a progressive spiral. On a crowded floor it is
necessary to turn most of the time; the skill is to orient these turns
so that there is progression in a forward direction to keep up with
the slowly but surely moving forward progression of the line of dance.
Actually, in Bs As milongas, the line of dance generally progresses
more rapidly and smoothly under the same floor density as would a
typical progression at a US tango festival.

With respect to porten~os having poor navigation skills, it is true
that there are some who navigate poorly. In my experience milongas are
more crowded on weekends (Fri-Sat-Sun), in part because some porten~os
dance only or mostly on weekends, and collisions are more likely with
more inexperienced dancers on more crowded floors. However, a general
characteristic of porten~os who attend milongas regularly is that they
learn to navigate. Foreigners who go to Buenos Aires often encounter a
high floor density they have never experienced before. However, with
generally better navigational skills and a truly progressing line of
dance, navigation in Bs As milongas is typically easier than in US
tango festivals with the same floor density.

With respect to the decline in the quality of dancing in Buenos Aires
milongas, I believe that is true. There are several contributing
factors:
- Older dancers with a lot of experience are no longer dancing
- There are many porten~os leanring tango for the first time who are
now attending milongas
- More foreigners who have not learned the skills and codes of
navigation are attending milongas

Despite all of this, there is no better place to dance tango than in
the milongas of Buenos Aires.

I believe it is also correct to say that the quality of tango dancing
in the US has deteriorated over the last several years.

Ron

Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:08:10 +0000
From: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Reports from Buenos Aires: Navigation et al.
To: <tango.society@gmail.com>, "tango-l@mit.edu" <tango-l@mit.edu>


Ron, enjoyed your perspective. Please expand on last comment:

> I believe it is also correct to say that the quality of tango dancing
> in the US has deteriorated over the last several years.

>>From my limited experience here in Portland and a couple of other West Coast areas, I think dance skill is continuing to improve. At the same time there is currently a high influx of new dancers, which unavoidably bring down the community average skill level until they get more experience.

But I'm interested in hearing why you think US tango quality has deteriorated.

J



Rediscover Hotmail?: Get quick friend updates right in your inbox.
https://windowslive.com/RediscoverHotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Rediscover_Updates2_042009

Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 06:50:33 -0500
From: Tango Society of Central Illinois <tango.society@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Reports from Buenos Aires: Navigation et al.
To: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@hotmail.com>
Cc: "tango-l@mit.edu" <tango-l@mit.edu>
<cff24c340904210450s6ad076cdia6b910425d2df48f@mail.gmail.com>

On Mon, Apr 20, 2009 at 12:08 PM, Jay Rabe <jayrabe@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Ron, enjoyed your perspective. Please expand on last comment:

>> I believe it is also correct to say that the quality of tango dancing
>> in the US has deteriorated over the last several years.

> From my limited experience here in Portland and a couple of other West Coast
> areas, I think dance skill is continuing to improve. At the same time there
> is currently a high influx of new dancers, which unavoidably bring down the
> community average skill level until they get more experience.
>
> But I'm interested in hearing why you think US tango quality has
> deteriorated.
>

I believe the overall quality of dancing at milongas in the US has
decreased over the last several years for the following reasons:

- The number of people dancing tango has increased. Anytime there is
an increase in population size, with entry at the bottom skill level,
the average skill level decreases.
- As the average skill level decreases, there is also less motivation
to improve because there are more dance partners who are less
discriminating in who they dance with.
- I have heard in some communities there has been an increase rate of
exit of experienced dancers from the community. The reason given is
that the predominant style of tango has changed. This seems to apply
mostly for tango fantasia dancers who have not adapted to the rising
tide of nuevo.

Skill in dancing tango is indicated by balance, partner connection,
connection with the music, and navigation, not by the number of
figures you have memorized. Factors that have worked against acquiring
these skills that have been more prevalent in recent years have been
the following:

- As tango popularity has increased, the number of milongas has
increased. From the reports I've heard, although the number of people
dancing tango in many communities has increased, the number of
milongas has increased such that the average attendance at milongas
has decreased. This has resulted in less crowded floor conditions at
many milongas, thus decreasing the opportunities for learning
navigational skills under crowded conditions. For example, in Chicago
about 10 years ago there were 3 milongas per week and it was common to
have milongas with over 100 people. Now there are about a dozen
milongas per week in Chicago (down from about 20 per week a few years
ago), with milongas having more than 100 people being rare, and 30-50
being commonplace. (This is based on personal experience and reports
from Chicago dancers. Someone living in Chicago could perhaps refine
these numbers somewhat.)

- The increase in frequency of non-tango and tango fusion music at
milongas has disconnected tango movements from the music.

- Tango nuevo: The emphasis on learning steps and figures, associated
with the introduction of tango nuevo into the US, which offers new
movement possibilities, has led to more dancers walking through steps
disconnected with the music. The large space used by some of these
figures and the lack of configuration of these figures to the line of
dance has resulted in poorer definition of a line of dance, i.e.,
poorer navigation.

There may be parts of the US where there are other factors operating
to improve skill level, but this is what I have observed and learned
in discussion with others in several parts of the US.

Ron