After more than a week of dancing in traditional Buenos Aires milongas, I’m reminded of some of the social niceties which contribute to a harmonious dance floor as well as an enjoyable individual experience. (Not a word about cabeceo here. That topic has already had plenty of coverage.)
Each and every dancer makes a positive contribution to the milonga by:
* taking care of personal hygiene beforehand & avoiding strong scents
* changing into dance shoes in the bathrooms or away from the dance floor
* when not dancing, ensuring that they aren’t blocking others’ line of sight. If standing to catch someone’s eye, then stand behind the tables
* entering the dance floor with care, with the man seeking and getting the nod of approval from the oncoming leader, and then entering before his partner, to protect her. Start to dance immediately, thus avoiding holdups
* not eating/chewing while dancing
* chatting only in between songs on the dance floor. Need more time? Then sit down to have a conversation. Chatting while dancing spoils the tanda for dancers around you
* dancing small, keeping feet on the floor, especially in a busy milonga
* dancing in the ronda, in your lane - neither tailgating nor holding up couples behind you
* avoiding contact with other couples. Any collisions, even minor, warrant an apology or at least an acknowledgement
* escorting ladies back to their table
* clearing the floor efficiently during the cortina.
I love how these small things - put together - add up to something greater than their sum. Congratulations to dancers at La Milonguita in Adelaide who do this so well!
Pat
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