5755  Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant

Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 18:11:40 -0700
From: Phil Seyer <professionalsguild@gmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant
To: tango-l@mit.edu
<b074f1780909061811r14a6bec1x20ed72e0c4246225@mail.gmail.com>

I'm planning to invite a lot of singles
(eligible bachors and maidens),
who know nothing about how to dance
tango, to a milonga with a lesson
from 7pm to 8pm and tango dancing
afterwards. I'll be inviting the
S.F. Bay Area tango community to join as well
via various local tango calendars. The venue
is an Italian restaurant with a small space
available for dancing and as well as a
bar and a few tables for dining..

I expect about 15 tango newbies to show up
for the lesson.

I was told that tango dancers
won't come back if there are a lot
of beginners.

On the flip side, I was also told that experienced
tango dancers might support the
venue since they would like
a place to dance tango locally.

Any tips on hosting the milonga?
Things to watch out for?

Phil
https://www.Argentine-tango.com

Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 08:44:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant
To: tango-l@mit.edu

--- On Sun, 9/6/09, Phil Seyer <professionalsguild@gmail.com> wrote:

> I was told that tango dancers
> won't come back if there are a lot
> of beginners.

Are you referring to the lesson or the milonga afterwards? Although experienced dancers for a beginner's lesson are nice to have, they are not a requirement. Newbies tend not to stay long after a lesson (usually an hour at most), so the experienced dancers shouldn't have any issues. Just make sure you have good music and a fun environment for the milonga. And watch that experienced dancers don't teach the newbies after the lesson. There's some leeway, but a milonga is a milonga and a lesson is a lesson.

Truth be told, if you have young female beginners coming to the milonga, you'll have the experienced guys coming, too. If the experienced guys are going, you'll have the experienced women coming, as well.

Trini de Pittsburgh

Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:46:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jack Dylan <jackdylan007@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant
To: tango-l@mit.edu

> From: Trini y Sean (PATangoS) patangos@yahoo.com

> And watch that experienced dancers
> don't teach the newbies after the lesson.?
> >

?
Trini, If you have any way of stopping this, please, please tell me :-)

Jack

Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:36:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant

I go up to the couple put my arms around both and say: Hey folks, No teaching on the dance floor, just have fun.

This puts both people on notice. The newbie is informed (usually it's a newbie and an experienced dancer) and the experienced dancer never does it again. Usually, the newbie replies, "Sorry, I didn't know about the tango etiquette", which sometimes saves face for the experienced dancer.

It works. My milonga. My rules.

Trini

--- On Thu, 9/10/09, Jack Dylan <jackdylan007@yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Jack Dylan <jackdylan007@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant
> To: tango-l@mit.edu
> Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 4:46 AM
>
>
>
>
> > From: Trini y Sean (PATangoS) patangos@yahoo.com
>
> > And watch that experienced dancers
> > don't teach the newbies after the lesson.?
> > >
> ?
> Trini, If you have any way of stopping this, please, please
> tell me :-)
>
> Jack
>
>
> ? ? ?
>
>

Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:01:20 +1000
From: "Vince Bagusauskas" <vytis@hotmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Subject: Re: Tango on a tile floor in Italian
Restaurant
To: <tango-l@mit.edu>

>It works. My milonga. My rules.

>Trini

>>From my experience, it is THE rule at all milongas I go to and the

organisers react similarly to Trini. Funny how people more experienced than
I seem to continually forget this. Wonder why?


V

Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:15:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sandhill Crane <grus.canadensis@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant

--- On Thu, 9/10/09, Trini y Sean (PATangoS) <patangos@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I go up to the couple put my arms around both and say:
> Hey folks, No teaching on the dance floor, just have fun.

Hmm, that's intriguing. Seems like a good idea, although
I've never seen organizers do that. I guess they're just shy.

Here's a related situation, which I've witnessed countless
times. Somebody who is "good" is doing the speedboat or
washing machine tango on a crowded floor. Even if they don't
crash into anybody, they spoil the mood. What should the
organizer do? What should I do? Is it even a problem? Maybe
that's just their personal expression, which I have to accept.

Are there any lurking speedboats who would like to speak up?

Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:24:50 +1000
From: Myk Dowling <politas@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant

On Sat, 2009-09-12 at 11:15 -0700, Sandhill Crane wrote:

> Here's a related situation, which I've witnessed countless
> times. Somebody who is "good" is doing the speedboat or
> washing machine tango on a crowded floor. Even if they don't
> crash into anybody, they spoil the mood. What should the
> organizer do? What should I do? Is it even a problem? Maybe
> that's just their personal expression, which I have to accept.
>
> Are there any lurking speedboats who would like to speak up?

Well, it might be best if you defined your terms, rather than leaving us
all to guess what you mean by "speedboat" and "washing machine". I mean,
I _think_ I can guess what you mean, but I can't be certain.

Myk,
in Canberra

Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:29:31 -0400
From: Noughts <damian.thompson@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant
To: Myk Dowling <politas@gmail.com>
Cc: Tango-L <tango-l@mit.edu>
<cb8208d0909181629w76733bc1o117602db23221be6@mail.gmail.com>

If they don't hit anyone, then they cause less issues than those that
block traffic.. and that happens a lot.

2009/9/18 Myk Dowling <politas@gmail.com>

>
> On Sat, 2009-09-12 at 11:15 -0700, Sandhill Crane wrote:
>
> > Here's a related situation, which I've witnessed countless
> > times. Somebody who is "good" is doing the speedboat or
> > washing machine tango on a crowded floor. Even if they don't
> > crash into anybody, they spoil the mood. What should the
> > organizer do? What should I do? Is it even a problem? Maybe
> > that's just their personal expression, which I have to accept.
> >
> > Are there any lurking speedboats who would like to speak up?
>

Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:01:36 +1000
From: Myk Dowling <politas@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant
To: Noughts <damian.thompson@gmail.com>
Cc: Tango-L <tango-l@mit.edu>

On Fri, 2009-09-18 at 19:29 -0400, Noughts wrote:

> If they don't hit anyone, then they cause less issues than those that
> block traffic.. and that happens a lot.
>

Who? What? You didn't say which group you were referring to. I guess
you're talking about "speedboats", which I guess is referring to leaders
who zoom around the floor, switching lanes, diving into any open gap,
and generally making everyone else nervous because you're never sure
when a space that you knew was there a second ago will still be there
for you to pivot and step into.

I'm generally far less bothered by someone slowing down in front of me
than I am by someone overtaking me along what I thought was the edge of
the dance floor, or suddenly jumping into a small gap in front of me,
especially if I've just turned to face contrary to the line of dance and
am about to wheel back into that gap that I know is there. If everyone
maintains position, dawdlers shouldn't be an issue.

It's not like it's hard to dance in place for a bit when blocked, or
stretch out when there's a gap in front.

Myk,
in Canberra

Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:36:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sandhill Crane <grus.canadensis@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango on a tile floor in Italian Restaurant

--- On Fri, 9/18/09, Myk Dowling <politas@gmail.com> wrote:

> Well, it might be best if you defined your terms, rather
> than leaving us all to guess what you mean by "speedboat"
> and "washing machine". I mean, I _think_ I can guess what
> you mean, but I can't be certain.

Well, it's probably just what you suspect.

Speedboat = careening around the floor much faster than
everyone else, swerving left and right and leaving others
annoyed in your wake.
Navigation? I'm GOOD, I didn't bump into anybody!

Washing machine = stay in the line of dance, but take
more room than anyone else, and use it to spin this
way, that way, this way again, that way again ...
Bonus points for rocketing back and forth between the
guy in front of you and the guy behind you. Hey, they're
not using that space! I'm GOOD, I can use it if I want!

I think I actually prefer the speedboats. At least they
zip through and you don't see them again. Well, not for
a few minutes anyway. But getting stuck behind a
washing machine is like being behind a big truck
in rush hour traffic ... hard to get away. It's curious
that despite their endless whirling, they don't
actually advance in the line of dance. I find, to my
annoyance, that even though I'm just walking forward
very sedately, I'm often overtaking the washing machine
in front of me.

A little anecdote. Once there was a couple speedboating
around and I happened to overhear a by-stander say to
her friend, "Oh, how lovely. They create their own space."
I should have interrupted to say, "They took that space
from everyone else, who are not happy about it."
But instead I just bit my tongue.