tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post9117746521437042951..comments2023-05-17T13:22:26.321+02:00Comments on Melina's two cents: Quo Vadis Encuentro Milonguero?Melina Sedohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08727388535288424558noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-32644304442627805052012-08-16T13:17:49.455+02:002012-08-16T13:17:49.455+02:00Well I am happy to read your post, mostly because ...Well I am happy to read your post, mostly because the organizers seem to agree that those meetings should be be small that intimacy is not lost. I was in one of those large meetings you mentioned. <br />I notice this lack of intimacy very much, also I notice that about 40 % of people were not milongueros (important point to me). When they ask for feedback I suggest for next year to cut by half the size of the dance-floor. Why I suggest this?<br />Those 40% are people that circulate between mostly in tango marathons with semi-open V embrace, needing more space (all the space, in my view) to dance. Cutting their space or they adapt or they leave. A milonguero always manage well the small space, I do guess…. <br />DSThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209898301540768592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-70330263358451298882012-08-11T01:25:07.876+02:002012-08-11T01:25:07.876+02:00Dear Melina,
Dear All;
Melina put one main quest...Dear Melina, <br />Dear All;<br /><br />Melina put one main question: "But which of the strategies (BIGGER, MORE, EXCLUSIVE) are for the better and which are for the worse?", and I completely agree with Melina's answer: <br /><br />"Maybe it‘s the combination... and maybe there are more options and I am just too blind to see them."<br /><br />Regular (weekly, monthly, annual, ...) milongas, festivals, festivalitos, marathons, encuentros (smaller or bigger), dinner + milonga, milongas with more than one room/DJ, milongas in close spaces, open air (in exotic venues) milongas, public(ized) milongas, private - or even secret! - milongas, 'milonguero' milongas, 'nuevo' milongas ou 'mixed' milongas, different simultaneous milongas with the same DJ, thematic events, etc, etc... are different ways people find to *get together* and share "Tango abrazos" - these different ways are the result of the understanding and efforts of different persons acting in different contexts.<br /><br />In my opinion, there is no a "better strategy", and I fully agree with You - as You pointed out in Your text, all the options have pros and contras - in this case, the "best strategy" is the combination of different events - probably, if You are able to organize events of different type, You *should* organize different type of events - a BIGGER event (annualy?), some MORE (open) events during the year, and some EXCLUSIVE events) in order to fulfill the demand.<br /><br />Sure, we are blind to see the *other* options - 10 years ago people organized Festivals (Maestros, Orchestra, exhibitions), and nobody thought about (Tango) 'Marathons' - these options came later (when, in Europe, Tango atracted a critical mass of 'younger' people)...<br /><br />The 'hidden' options will naturally come out as a result of the reflection of different persons in different contexts - thanks for your 'two cents', and keep on the nice work ;-) !<br /><br />All the best,<br />GMilongAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437205841775188437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-84727269615930367172012-08-06T14:39:45.752+02:002012-08-06T14:39:45.752+02:00Further refinement:
Two rooms, two DJs of similar...Further refinement:<br /><br />Two rooms, two DJs of similar reputation but different styles.<br /><br />Women stay in one room or the other (not being sexist here, but women seem to prefer a go back to specific seat, men seem to be more mobile, could just as easily work the other way, don't shoot me!) Men can drift between rooms at will to make it feel like a single event. DJs will swap rooms later in the fest so all people get to hear all DJs at some point. This might be the best way to balance the rooms, but it still might not work.<br /><br />As for me organising an event that works this way Melina, perhaps one day I will, if I can find a building with two appropriate rooms walking distance from Heathrow airport! ;)<br /><br />If this works (and a massive IF it is too) it may even scale to 3 or 4 halls and 3 or 4 DJs...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12475704890911265647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-19442135740897094032012-08-06T06:03:41.883+02:002012-08-06T06:03:41.883+02:00That's an interesting idea, Rob.
But I am not...That's an interesting idea, Rob.<br /><br />But I am not sure, if it would work.<br />You cannot split the people by date of registration, because then you would have two events, just at the same time.<br />And if you let them roam free, there is always the chance, that ALL group around one room/DJ, just because they like the DJ better, or the most desired dancers go there, or... I dunno, there are sometimes events with a second floor with Nuevo music. Almost no-one goes to the nuevo room, even the most nuevo dancers stick to the traditional DJ.<br /><br />But then: it might work. I have never heard of such an approach so far. <br />Ok, so: YOU invented it, YOU organize an event for Milongueros running that way. I'll DJ against Andreas. ;-)<br /><br />M.Melina Sedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08727388535288424558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-87796114255193524452012-08-06T01:40:28.530+02:002012-08-06T01:40:28.530+02:00So about 180 in a hall with a DJ works, but 450 pe...So about 180 in a hall with a DJ works, but 450 people in one hall with one Dj is too much. The problem becomes how to scale up.<br /><br />Has anyone tried two halls, two DJs and 180 people in each? There are problems of course, you'd need two DJs of roughly equivalent reputation but differing styles to avoid everyone wanting to be in one hall at any given time. Also how do you cross pollinate your halls to mix the dancers, if you don't so this you may as well have two events roughly running in parallel... maybe the first 100 to sign up can use either hall, the rest are limited to one or the other. This two tier ticket business is hard to police of course and maybe there are other issues with it too. Are any events run this way?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12475704890911265647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-14026245571721015292012-08-03T11:40:59.431+02:002012-08-03T11:40:59.431+02:00Hi Evaldas,
I think the definitions are not so fu...Hi Evaldas,<br /><br />I think the definitions are not so fuzzy it is the usage! <br /><br />But that's not such a terrible thing, usually you get more additional info than just the name and can decide on an informed basis.<br /><br />Even our FCA's name is a little misleading nowadays: It started out as a Festivalito with classes and Milongas in different venues.<br />Today it is more an Encuentro: all Milongas in the same place, no classes, only some very short demos to honour some guests.<br />But it does not make sense to change the name after so many years, as it has become a brand!<br /><br />And the Tangokombinat's "Abrazos -Encuentro Milonguero UK" is really a Festivalito with classes and demos. But it will be a pure Encuentro one day - or so it is planned.<br /><br />So, names... what can I say! ;-))<br /><br />M.Melina Sedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08727388535288424558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-1205139468885038412012-08-03T11:16:40.039+02:002012-08-03T11:16:40.039+02:00Thanks Melina and msHedgehog!
now I know I'm ...Thanks Melina and msHedgehog!<br /><br />now I know I'm not a "marathoner", as I don't see any reason for non-stop dancing around the clock :) I feel it is kind of childish, immature attitude. And it is somehow against the tradition, because milonga has it's cycle and social logic, which disappears if you dance without beginning and ending. <br /><br />But I know events, series of milongas, which nevertheless call themselves "marathons". It means the formats and definitions are still fuzzy.<br />EvaldasAlterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822125772015535703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-81096907582253211422012-08-02T19:45:12.662+02:002012-08-02T19:45:12.662+02:00For me, the most important difference is the forma...For me, the most important difference is the format - the 'encuentros' have a series of successive milongas that start and end at specific times, the 'marathon' goes on nearly continuously. What choice you make along that line mostly just changes how it works socially, so it depends on your personality whether you have a strong preference, or not.<br /><br />It might well not make any difference at all for what Melina is discussing here.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-84381442901590970762012-08-02T13:58:16.547+02:002012-08-02T13:58:16.547+02:00Hi Evaldas!
The difference between Festivalito/En...Hi Evaldas!<br /><br />The difference between Festivalito/Encuentro and Marathon?<br /><br />Marathon: a non-stop dancing event, usually targeting the a little more nuevoish crowd (non-stop really might include a short break in the early morning hours, but basically it is one loooong Milonga)<br />Encuentro: a series of Milongas, usually targeting the Salon/Milonguero dancers<br />Festivalito: A series of Milongas sometimes combined with demos and/or classes, usually targeting the Salon/Milonguero crowd<br /><br />So, this is the simple definition. of course there are many mixed forms nowadays and Salon/Milonguero dancers may go to Marathons as well, but that's about the core of it.<br />All events focus on social dancing, good DJs and will not invite orchestras. It has also become the custom, that most of these events only sell festival-passes, no single-Milonga tickets.<br /><br />Have a nice day,<br /><br />MelinaMelina Sedohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08727388535288424558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-7092694273766353102012-08-02T08:15:15.488+02:002012-08-02T08:15:15.488+02:00probably a bit out of topic, but can anyone explai...probably a bit out of topic, but can anyone explain me what is the essential difference between "marathon" and "encuentro/festivalito" ?<br />EvaldasAlterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822125772015535703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9183577605666117106.post-70097401869314139392012-08-01T12:50:00.227+02:002012-08-01T12:50:00.227+02:00Yes. I think the whole thing will evolve - these e...Yes. I think the whole thing will evolve - these events will influence other totally different ones, and people will be motivated to take the ideas back to their own communities and make better, regular and frequent events there, based in (relatively) local communities and very cheap and accessibler. I think I see that happening already. It's producing some good things. In the meantime, as you say, there's still room for more events in different locations, so that people can pick and choose what suits them best. That might take a bit of the pressure off.msHedgehoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719152265628932122noreply@blogger.com