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Digest from 2 Aug 2000 to 3 Aug 2000

Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango          <TANGO-L  @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Date:     Thu, 3 Aug 2000 03:01:06 -0400
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango          <TANGO-L  @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Subject:  TANGO-L Digest - 2 Aug 2000 to 3 Aug 2000 (#2000-210)
There are 3 messages totalling 148 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. A woman's experience in Buenos Aires (3)





Date:    Thu, 3 Aug 2000 01:09:00 +0900
From:    astrid <astrid  @RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: A woman's experience in Buenos Aires

I was lucky.  Through the generosity of my friend Janis, whose partner is
one of these masters, I had introductions to some of the best dancers in
town.  Because one of them was kind enough to invite me to dance on arrival
at my first milonga, I was able to strut my stuff and so followed other
invitations of quality.  Without this introduction I would have had three
options.
 1.  Dance with just anyone.  Which almost always means only those who
cannot dance will meet your gaze.  (The good dancers aren't interested in
dancing with anyone they haven't seen dance and as everyone knows, you can
only dance as well as your partner)  So you may dance a lot, but
almostcertainly never have the experience of dancing with a real milonguero,
or as some say, entering tango heaven.
2. Sit on the sidelines forever.  (At least here you have the option of
watching and experiencing the best vicariously)
3.  Hire a milonguero to dance with you for a night.  (This is a discrete
method of getting known where only the two (or three if you use an
intermediary) people involved are aware of the arrangement.
4. Go home.

So, this means, a girl has to somehow find a variador, otherwise nothing
goes. A Japanese girl I know who dances well, is pretty and speaks fluent
Spanish, went to BsAs this January. The first evening she spent the whole
milonga on her chair. The second night she got a couple of smiles, that was
all. The third or fourth night somebody asked her to dance "because she was
already there the night before and the night before that and the night
before that ,too, so they thought it looks like she wants to dance and
doesn't have apartner". So far her report. Facit: Don't even bother to go
there if you don't have lots of time because it takes a whole week just for
people to notice you.
Question 1: How do you find a variador, a milonguero for hire, a guide or
whatever to introduce you?
Question 2: Is there another way? Nancy Ingle wrote about practising eye
contact but you say this does not work with the good dancers. Has anybody
had different experiences ?
 3: I heard going to the practica that happens just before the milonga in
some place makes it possible to make contacts. Of course the old masters
won't be there. I would appreciate it if other women shared their
experiences.





Date:    Wed, 2 Aug 2000 12:40:33 MST
From:    Judy Margolis <tangomas  @HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: A woman's experience in Buenos Aires

I believe that your experiences and those you tell about are normal in
Buenos Aires.  What I wish to address is the idea that men as well as women
think that they should be dancing with "good" dancers in the first place. In
general, women can dance with men above their own skill level better than a
man can.  It is very important that we all have a realistic self image of
our dancing skills.  I have seen dancers in the U.S. start teaching within a
year of learning how to dance themselves.  Teachers are telling their
students how well they are doing and visiting instructors are almost always
kind in their assessment of a students improvements.  Unfortunately this
leads to a general sense of over evaluation of our own skill level.  If
he/she can teach after 1 year of learning, certainly I can dance with the
"good" dancers in B.A.  NOT SO!  Dancers good or bad owe us nothing.  It is
our responsibility to work our way up the ladder.  This is tough, but it's
what makes us seasoned dancers over time.  It's doubly difficult when we
factor in going to B.A. for a 2 or 3 week vacation and we want to get the
very most out of these precious few weeks.  It's tough, but then so is life
and who promised us a rose garden anyway.  Anything you can do to help get
as much dancing in as possible is what you should do remembering that if you
are good, then all will be well in the end.  I recommend that you do not go
to B.A. until you are very confident in your skill level.  Tell all your
teachers your end goal and make them be brutal with their evaluation of your
posture, balance, timing, movements.  Keep a very high level of self
expectation, judge yourself honestly and above all, do not be discouraged,
do not quit, and practica, practica, practica.

Jon y Judy
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com





Date:    Wed, 2 Aug 2000 22:11:34 EDT
From:    Cherie Magnus <MACFroggy  @AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: A woman's experience in Buenos Aires

Hola List!

Leave it to me to disagree with the preceding conversation of Janis, Helen,
and Astrid! Oh well, that's what a discussion list is supposed to be, right?
I just want to reassure people who are thinking of going to Argentina on
their own.

Anyway, I've been to BsAs four times in a little over two years, and am going
again next month. During those trips I observed many other American and
foreign women at the milongas, who seemed to have the same experience as I
do: generally, we dance.

Of course there are requirements to be met by a woman alone in the milongas
of BsAs who wants to dance with the milongueros there.

First of all she must know The Code, and be aware of how the invitation to
dance is done with the eyes. She can't sit back and relax, she must be active
on her chair in looking for and at men she would like to dance with, with a
happy and animated expression. When a man looks at her, she must not be
afraid to meet his gaze. This is often very difficult for American women, as
we're accustomed not to stare at men and to be offended if they stare at us.
If we don't look at them, we won't dance.

She must be attractively groomed and dressed, short skirts and low necklines
preferred. (Sorry ladies, but it's true.)

It's better if she's sitting alone or with another woman, not in a large
group, and not with a man.

It helps if she's a good dancer, but I've seen men often invite beginners and
intermediates, especially if they are attractive.

The more milongas you attend, the more people will begin to look familiar.
Don't forget to greet them, women as well as men you've danced with. And if
you've seen them often, kiss them on the cheek Argentine style as you pass by
them on the way to your table or the ladies room.

She needs to appear warm, friendly and as confident as possible.

Learn that some milongas are easier to "break into" than others. Begin with
the Ideal in the afternoons, not Nino Bien on a crowded Thursday night.

Now I realize that not all people can do this right away in a foreign country,
 and perhaps want to ease their way into the milonga scene. And that's fine.
But if you follow the above suggestions, you won't need a guide if you don't
want one. And you'll dance with the milongeuros.

Have fun!

Cherie Magnus
Los Angeles

http://www.viveladifference.com





End of TANGO-L Digest - 2 Aug 2000 to 3 Aug 2000 (#2000-210)
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