Hosting tango / salsa / bachata

I knew it was Colombian independence day on 20 July and wanted to learn more about the country and have a party so suggested to a local Colombian woman I knew through salsa we have just that, a party with food.  After initial enthusiasm, with the hassle of finding a venue, the idea died. Meanwhile, another friend had already found a venue. Well, why don't we just have a dance party anyway?, I said. Tango and salsa?  Dundee has more salsa dancers than tango.  T's venue was the local ashram. I was in France so he set up the event, advertising it as tango / salsa / bachata.  Although the local salsa DJ is not a bachata fan, he does the same - otherwise I'd only have about 10 people here, he said. T set the entry at £2 in donations for the ashram, asked people to bring things to share and asked me to co-host.

The mix of dancers turned out to be a great idea. About 28 people, mostly salseros, came including the local salsa / bachata teacher.  I had not seen the venue until that evening. The lighting was not soft and there was a shortage of small tables but even so, people stayed, most til 11PM, the stated end time even though there was a shortage of leaders.  Many stayed beyond.

Some people expressed scepticism about tango at first but after trying it changed their minds. I heard again and again that people had enjoyed watching others dance tango too.  That is the way in: for people to see what the dance is like, without pressure and then be persuaded to try it.

Sometimes, I have gone to salsa and tango dances and been totally ignored.  Most recently this was to a salsa event in Mango, on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow where Tango Bar is also apparently now held in its new incarnation. An individualistic group ignores new people.  A warm community dances with them, gives them an "in".  I like events where people are welcomed and new people and visitors are invited to dance.  I find it surprisingly uncommon but that is the atmosphere I enjoy and would want to be host to, because the atmosphere comes in large part from the host/s. 

A: I have to say I didn't expect the salsa people to get into tango that much

B: Yes, but that's what happens when you have a friendly atmosphere & good leaders.

A: Yes, exactly.

The great things about a free or nearly free event is that because you are not doing it for the money, you can be entirely authentic in your welcome.  Sometimes people have turned up to my free milongas and practicas to whom I have perhaps nodded rather than embraced, but then I don't have to pretend because I am not taking their money.  Money is still necessary, sadly but the freedom money buys is not necessarily the most important kind. Real freedom brings more peace and is probably lost less easily.

Advertising the DJ

Last year on the day the Edinburgh International Tango Festival started I asked who the cafe DJs were as they were not advertised.  Shortly afterwards they were advertised on the EITF site. This year with a month to go the festival DJs are still not advertised. The first time I wondered if it was an oversight, if a serious one. Now I'm inclined to think it's perhaps if not policy then simply that the organisers just don't think that the music is all that important. 

It says here from here only “Each evening will feature an international DJ and a dance performance from our world-class maestros”. This non-advertisement of the DJs is astonishing because the DJ line-up at any festival that attracts good social dancers is a prominent, probably the most prominent feature of a festival.  But then many good social dancers tend to avoid festivals where the home page features show dancers preferring events that seem to be more obviously about embrace and connection. E.g. Encuentro Porteño.  I heard over a month ago who the DJs will be at the EITF from a friend who enquired and was disappointed when local DJ Claudia Esslinger (who DJd here recently) was not one of them. But so far the message is: this festival is for people for whom the music isn’t really the main thing, for whom the music isn’t really important enough that you’d much care who the DJs are. No surprise though when it was only after public request (now hidden/deleted) last year to the Edinburgh Tango Society that the rotating DJs were at last advertised on their calendar.

On the other hand, the EITF is hosting the orchestra La Juan D’Arienzo, which is great news. So this mismatch between not advertising the DJs and this great orchestra feels like a right hand/left hand situation.

Ksenija's milonga

Ksenija's fundraising milonga in mid December was one of the nicest I went to in Scotland last year. Several people said how lovely it was. 

It all starts with the host and the tone. It is a necessary element though not sufficient, because great music and good physical conditions for dancing are also needed. But actually Ksenija's milonga was makeshift, not fancy.  It was a space in someone's office and I think it was organised fairly impromptu. Still, it had a good floor, there were chairs opposite one another and you could see to invite and though it was a smallish space people did still invite by look.   Those I think are the main conditions. 

December 2015

A:  I had such a great night! Finally, in Edinburgh! Did you? Amazing how different host, venue, atmosphere can change everything even with the same (or rather a subset of the same) people.

B:  My thoughts exactly! What a lovely host and a lovely evening!! It's nice when things don't feel oppressive. 

A:  What a relief when a milonga like Ksenija's can change so much.

B:  She was so happy, sunny and welcoming! 

A:  Yes. And attentive to everyone's needs. She is an ideal host.

B:  Yes I think the key to a good milonga is a good host. 

A:  An essential element, I agree. Like attracts like when it comes to organisers, I feel.

*

March 2016

A:  I was chatting to someone yesterday about who/why certain people get asked to dance... He reckoned it could be summed up as "warmth".

B:  I agree with that. For me dancing has much less to do with skill, technique even experience, than it has to do with  character.

*

December 2015

It was just lovely. It was the best night I have had in Edinburgh since...I can't remember. Iain had offered a room at his office for free. He's born to host too.  They are ideal hosts together. It was the warm tone that was so nice. I commented on that to a partner & he said yes, warm & cosy which is exactly the sort of event I'd've expected Ksenija to run. 

Juan was the DJ. The music was lovely if high energy. Biagi then fast Laurenz - No me extrana (dance video with Ismael Heljalil)  & friends; fast vals, fast milonga. Most of the tandas were great except (another) poor Pugliese. There was a not so great OTV at the start with Coqueta (dance video in Lo de Celia)  & Viento Norte - I'll take Coqueta at a push but never Viento Norte. Video [or "how to tramp a tango"].  There was another poor "early evening" tanda next to it I'm not sure I even knew the orchestra. But overall it was very nice. Tricky perhaps to DJ for such an intimate milonga. I wish Juan had varied the speed of the tandas more is all. He did a great trad set at the Counting House in November though was more variable the once or twice I heard afterwards.

We were only between 15 & 20. Of the guys I only danced with one guy swapping 2 & 2 tracks because he is tall & amazingly good as the girl. It was very nice. I had all nice girl partners & good dancers.

With the Forth Road Bridge closure it was three hours travel for three hours in the milonga but it was worth it.

*

Ksenija, who I think is an anthropologist, has gone to Nepal now but if you need a great host or just someone warm, attentive and welcoming - that's the chica!