Back to the days when I had regular classes with Ricardo Oria y Jenny Frances I remember lots of people that went religiously to classes and never set a foot in a milonga. I never understood them (I shall mention that I was one of the annoying kids that started learning how to dance in milongas because I had no money for classes... tuh tuh). What’s the point of going endlessly to classes if you don’t go to milongas? They told me with wise square faces, “So that we learn it properly and then, when we go to the milonga, we are good”.
I did try to tell them but they didn’t listen to me. I remember a guy that had been learning tango for two years, he was at intermediate level and a reasonable dancer, of course, in the class. And he went to the milonga. Reality set in very quickly for him. He had nobody to shout him which steps to do, his plans of doing a Pablo Véron impression were crushed the moment he realised he had 10 times less space in a milonga than in a class and i remember him telling me, “I have been learning for two years, for nothing!”
He actually never came to a milonga again but I think he moved out of town (hopefully not because of tango!). So if you’re reading this, my friend whose name I forgot, persevere, don’t give up. And if you’re reading this and starting don’t do as he did. Go to milongas, listen to the music, respect others while dancing and, above all, have fun. Tango without fun isn't worth dancing!
10 comments:
Ricky
really... it is hard to understand the drive of going to classes if you don't go to the Milonga! But you don't have to understand every thing in life and in TANGO!!!!!
Artur
That is absolute right, Artur, however, what I am getting at is that rather than having the milonga shock after you've been doing tango for quite a lot and getting depressed because it was all wasted you may as well get that shock early on...
Yep. It's better to dance really, really simple stuff socially as much as possible. The skills you learn by doing that are related to what you do in class, but they're not the same, and it's the milonga skills that make you a person that people want to dance with. People don't realise that no-one cares how simple it is, the followers are even in favour of simplicity, and beginner followers love it. It'll still look good and feel good if it's done more or less right.
You need some classes, so you can do the basic things nicely and don't steer with your arms or stare at your feet. But actually, not many.
Maybe I should write something about what a beginner leader needs to know. Can you write what the minimum basic things are that a follower has to deliver to be nice to dance with?
Sure, give me and koolricky a couple of days or so to sort our opinions out. Then we'll publish it as a proper post. If you like, you can send us your bit to tangowarwick@gmail.com and we'll add it to our post then reference it (2008, MsHedgehog) for you ;-)
My first proper milonga experience (full crowded floor) was about 8 months after I'd started learning tango and I have to say that it was actually a relief.
When confronted with the usually emptier class floor you have to make so many more decisions as to what you are going to lead next. Whereas with the crowded floor you can only do what the space available allows you to do. I would definitely recommend at least 'testing the water' at a milonga well before you think you are 'ready'.
Welcome Limerick Tango!
Well, you are probably one of the first that I know that got relieved about smaller spaces. Everybody that I talk to had the milonga shock of people moving around them unpredictably. I can't really say anything because I was practically born to tango in milongas... And in fact I was surprised on how much space you had in classes when I eventually decided to start doing them...
Supantheress and mshedgehog, let's do a post in each of our blogs and then cross reference it!
OK!
Done. My take on the leader is done - follower coming up, and then perhaps What to Wear! I'll enjoy reading yours too.
I had some classes for a couple of months but didn't practice at all after class. And I am very respectful of persons so I didn't want to impose my cumbersome on any other dancers. :)
Not practicing was a mistake but after a while, you just need to get the courage to go a milonga. Simplicity is kind if you're musical.
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