Keeping schtum

The Digital Artist

A: One always suspects the bans one actually hears about are likely the tip of an iceberg. It is not far off the numbers I have heard banned from Eton and that some time ago. That is an entirely different thing though being for dangerous floor-craft which I think justifiable because it protects people from injury.

B: From general experience of milongas I think it being the tip of the iceberg is very likely. I believe the majority of people banned don't tell.

A: Perhaps they just assume they are in the wrong. It can be so hard to stand up to supposed authority, or just to someone on their own territory.

B: Those to whom I have talked indicate that they don’t think they are in the wrong, but fear that others will. I think this is because the accuser has teacher 'authority'.

A: But why would someone care what others might think if they believed they were not in the wrong?

B: They might lose dances.

A: If someone was to side with a teacher not ones own banned self, then you wouldn't want to dance with them anyway, so why fear what they think? It doesn't quite stack up.

B:  You wouldn't necessarily know.

A:  Oh, I think you can tell where allegiance lies. You just have to watch.

I suspect those banned might well want to know and, elsewhere, steer clear in dance and in conversation of anyone whose allegiance they weren't sure of.

B:  Unfortunately for many, that would lose most of their dances. 

A:  Well, perhaps some others would rather not know.  I think it comes back again to quantity over quality and also that people dance for different reasons. [Many different perspectives]

I've often found that it can be nicer to dance with someone when you don't know anything about them.