Re: [TANGO-L] Floor navigation

[Tom Stermitz <Stermitz @RAGTIME.ORG>]

> The 7th Annual Portland TangoFest was over a few weeks ago and since
> then I have received nearly 100 evaluations.  I have tallied all of
> the comments and it's interesting to note that the #1 complaint was
> about poor floor navigation at the milongas!  To address this issue
> at future events, and because this a universal problem that extends
> beyond just the Portland TangoFest, I would like to open a
> discussion about this topic.  Specifically I would like to get feed
> back about who exactly are the guilty culprits.  Are they primarily:

I agree with Razor Girl and The Octopus that you can't blame style or
level. Good navigation is a responsibility (let's not call it blame)
required of ALL the dancers in the room, no matter what style or
level.

Obviously there are a few who don't adhere to it, but most of us can
agree that collisions, injuries, racing about wildly, leading huge
boleos and long-strides are not appropriate when things are crowded.

The problem is that most people have a "mental concept of tango" that
functions only when the floor is wide-open, and it is difficult for
them to adapt to crowded conditions. And, they are habituated to that
kind of tango.

Only when they go to Buenos Aires or to one of these popular
festivals are they faced with the requirement of changing their
concept of tango.


Mental Construct of Tango

The problem of decent navigation does not relate specifically to a
particular STYLE of tango, rather to the dancers' MENTAL CONSTRUCT of
"what it means to do tango". People need to be capable of choosing a
concept of Tango APPROPRIATE to the conditions, and to be able to
change habits.

For example:

(1) Performing on stage is a CONCEPT (not style) of doing tango where
the goal is to project externally to an audience, use exciting
vocabulary, and to manage the floor in a way that the audience is
entertained.

(2) Doing tango at a wide-open practice is a CONCEPT of doing tango
where you can walk with long-strides, work on 6 or 8 step figures,
zig-zag around the room without hitting anyone, practice the fancy
material from your last workshop, etc.

(3) Tango in a crowded milonga is a specific SOCIAL ACTIVITY consisting of:
 (a) Meeting and dancing with old and new friends
 (b) Seeking a tango trance
 (c) Lanes that progress around the room; no zig-zagging around the middle
 (d) Smaller 2-3 step sequences and rock-steps
 (e) Moderate strides and cautious boleos
 (f) MAYBE we tolerate occasional brushes with other dancers

These are all VALID ways to do tango; each is appropriate in the
proper situation. I think the CONCEPTS of doing tango in a practice
vs a milonga are not well-differentiated by most teachers and
dancers, at least here in the US.


Who is to Blame?

This lack of awareness mostly has to be laid at the feet of the
teachers and event organizers.

How many teachers really provide an awareness of dancing the way it
is done in a crowded Buenos Aires milonga or at a popular festival?
Or do they only teach fancy figures appropriate to stage or open
practice space?

How many organizers set up the room for a Milonga with a perimeter of
the dance floor, tables and chairs for socializing, tandas for
trading partners? Or are they really setting up the room for a
practice where people zig-zag around the open middle of the floor?

How many DJs use tandas, and create the atmosphere of a
milonga...varying the music, managing the social energy, paying
attention to the emotional content of the room? Or do they just pop a
couple CDs into the player and press random?


Changing people's awareness.

In Denver we have all varieties of tango, big, small, acrobatic,
trance, stage, social, salon, nuevo, milonguero, etc... We have tango
performances, classes, practices and milongas.

People in Denver tend to adapt appropriately. Even those who most
prefer big movements, and showy vocabulary are aware of which
situation they are in. So they work on fancy things at the practice
or in performance, and change to a milonga concept of dancing when
they attend a milonga.

In fact, the Denver Tuesday practice is in a very large room, divided
by the DJ table & sound system into two parts one for practicing, the
other for social dancing.

The practice side is less crowded, and you don't have to move
line-of-dance. Often people are trading moves from the last workshop,
or working out something with their favorite partner.

The speakers point to the social dance side, which has tables and the
bar. This side is more like a milonga, where everyone moves
line-of-dance, most change partners after every set.

This set-up helps everyone understand and learn to differentiate
between different mental concepts of tango.

--

Tom Stermitz
http://www.tango.org/
stermitz @tango.org
303-388-2560