Tango in Torquay 2012... Four: overall

21st January 2012

Tango In Torquay One | Tango In Torquay Two | Tango In Torquay Three | Tango In Torquay Four

Introduction

So, I've talked about getting there and the venue, I've talked about the classes, I've talked about the milongas. This last entry is, hopefully, an "overall impressions" bit.

The (Also) People

Arthur Dent:: "The people...the things..."
Ford Prefect: "The things are also people,"
Arthur Dent:: "The people...the...other people..."
~ The Restaurant at the end of the Universe

It's interesting to attend a Tango weekender with a group of people who come predominantly from a Modern Jive background, with that background's associated cultural expectations.

For example, I think it's fair to say that by and large, people are more relaxed, less intense, and less worried about things than in a "normal" Tango weekender. They don't see it as a way of life - it's a dance, which is there to be enjoyed and experienced. Obviously, this is both good and bad; it means that people are more relaxed generally, which means the atmosphere is lighter.

This is great for general relaxation and enjoyment; but it's less great if you want to lose yourself into the intense atmosphere of a pure milonga.

That said, it's very rare to lose yourself into the intense atmosphere of a pure milonga anywhere in London anyway, so you may not be losing out much.

The atmosphere

Again, similarly, the atmosphere was, I think, "lighter" than at a traditional AT weekender. This is probably most noticeable in the milongas, which were much more "relaxed and casual" than you'd find in many traditional venues.

That doesn't mean it was difficult to have some great, intense dances - I had some lovely close dances, with some gorgeous and experienced dancers. But overall, I'd class the atmosphere as a little more "fun" than "intense".

This is great if you want to relax, and it's also ideal if you're less experienced, I think - you don't have to stress too much about cabaceos or other codigos. So it's a lovely way to get started with the scene. It's arguably less-suited for the more experienced "hard core" tangueros and tangueras - but then, I'm not a beginner and I enjoyed it...

It's also fair to say that the organisers made a big point of this - emphasizing the difference.

However, the downside of this approach is that it's obviously then more difficult to reach out to the "purist" tango crowd. I mean, there were top-flight teachers there, teaching serious tango techniques, there was no real reason why this weekend could not have been marketed to straight tango dancers. And whilst the classes were rammed, I think it'd be nice to have a few more attendees at the milongas. Marketing "milonga-only" tickets to locals might be worthwhile - say, at £10 for a Saturday night - might have been helpful.

When you consider it, there's a lot of Tango events and classes in the Southwest of England - there's Tango Oblivion, Vida De Tango, Tango Tangk, and many others. All of which are within 1-2 hours' drive of Torquay at most. So it seems strange that none of those people were there.

Personally, I'd have liked to see a few more tangueros at the event - even if it meant softening the "Evil Snooty Tango" rhetoric a little, and occasionally making some compromises in terms of music and atmosphere.

Would you go again?

"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." ~ Terry Pratchett, Diggers

Last year, I said:
"I would definitely consider going again. Whether I definitely would go again next year is another question - I think the answer is "it depends", mainly depending on what I'm doing, when I'm doing it, and so on."

This year, I'd lean more towards the "would go again" than the "maybe". I enjoyed it, so why not? It's a lovely - and yes, a unique - atmosphere.

And, as last year, I'd absolutely recommend it, to anyone, at any level, as worth attending. The crew do a fantastic job, it's a great venue, and the rota of teachers is first-class.

~ David Bailey, 21st January 2012