Tango is a way of life, not taking some classes with the currently famous dancers and living like a gringo for some weeks in a different country.

Someone is putting some sense in the nonsense that has been going on for the last days (concerning nuevo dancers)!

There is nothing inherently wrong with nuevo. However, its culture is different from the culture of contemporary Argentine social tango. There is nothing wrong in separating them into different niches, i.e., separate events. Each can have its own atmosphere. Dancers can attend these different events and respect the environment intended by the event organizer. Just as they do in Buenos Aires. Some people may go to both types of events, adapting their dance to the environment they are entering. Doing this respects the unique characteristics of both and allows each its environment to flourish. It reduces the conflict between people who have different interpretations of tango.

Ron in Tango-L.

The more I go to milongas, the better I can see and appreciate a good social milonga floor craft. This means that I’ve started cringing when I see people switching back and forth between lanes, overtaking, and making everyone else in the dance floor cautious about getting hurt. Truth be told, I may even not dance if two or more couples of kamikazes are on the dance floor. It’s just not worth it.

I’ve been reading a bit on blogs about how you behave and respect others on the dance floor. This of course implies that you can dance small and are mindful of everyone else in the floor. I see a lot of debate about what makes a great dance which always include, obviously, how you approach and dance with your partner. You need to put your heart in it. I don’t – at least as prominently – see people talking also about how social dancing implies everyone else on the dance floor. It is totally different to dance in a smaller setting where you are totally relaxed, not worried about anyone hitting you or being less mindful and a more guerrilla dance floor where you want to have a great dance but you know some kamikaze may ruin it.

I get joy of respecting and sharing the same floor in a respectful manner with other dancers. They are my tango friends and peers. Why isn’t this respect more widespread and why isn’t tango culture doing a better job at cultivating the joy of a shared experience? It is real.

During a milonga, dancers on the floor tend to follow a bell-shaped curve. This means that at the peak time, there’s very few space for each couple on the dance floor. My ability to drive around the dance floor is still improving and I feel that my most common “mistake” (or less considerate action) is to not occupy the space left ahead of me as quickly as I should. Happens more often if I’m having a blast and doing very small and simple stuff on the spot.

But I’d like to bring your attention – and help – to another matter. Sometimes, I will get a couple that is right on top of me, just behind me. As in, 1 inch. I like to keep a small space between me and the next couple. Enough for him to setup a giro, 1-2 small steps, etc. At yesterday’s milonga, for a couple of times, the couple behind me was just right next to me, giving me virtually no space. Is this normal? What’s the best way to cope with this?

Deby Novitz posted on Tango-L a link to Clarin Tango Video. Check it out, it’s really nice!

Every once in a while, I contemplate at how my Tango experience has been. At the beginning, you just want to dance. Everything is good, new and fresh! But, helas!, as you develop your Tango, you find worries and get contemplative. You look back and see how your path has been. What was great, what was ok and what things you did you now find hilarious but weren’t at the time.

You specifically remember when a particular moment in time got imprinted forever in the memory. A great dance, the first glimpse of bliss or just a dance in a practica where you felt all of your dance skills were scrutinized with pity. I still remember a dance in a practica where I felt specially bad. The follower told me that she was taught to strictly follow the leader. Of course, that meant that I sucked. Well, thank you baby ! She was semi-cute and I was curious to see how it felt like dancing with her. I have never danced with her again. I have principles. And an ego to protect

Fast forward in time, and recently I was talking to a friend about how my tango lately just sucks. I was at a milonga and couldn’t connect with the music or with my partners. Everything felt old and cliché. I felt like a fraud in the middle of the dance floor. My friend went on about that tango is like an oscillatory process, goes up and down over time, in a steady fashion. I promptly said: “Nooooo, it’s not like that. It’s like an ECG!”. Here’s my Tango ECG. Enjoy it.