Illustrations of tango codes. The following sketches are relevant to the folk scene: 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 6.1 & 7.1. (c) Drawings Véronique Paquette – Les Pas Parfaits http://lespasparfaits.blogspot.be/p/illustrations.html
Practical tips for dancing
Inviting someone
In general, we encourage each other to dare dancing. We do our best to dance with everybody and therefore to invite and to accept invitations to dance from everybody. That said, sometimes we don’t want to dance and then we should feel free to refuse, while respecting the feeling of the person who invited us, but without having to justify our answer. When somebody refuses to dance with us, whatever the reason (given or imagined), we accept it graciously: it is not a tragedy and happens to everyone from time to time.
Entering a collective dance
During the balls, there is a wide variety of collective dances, many of them requiring specific codes or constraints. Since it isn’t possible to explain everything here, we suggest the following guidelines. When we want to enter a ronde or a chain, we quickly check – usually non-verbally – with the dancers already in place whether we are welcome, and if yes, where in the set-up. Entering uninvited in the dance may separate two dancers who wanted to dance side by side, alter the number of leaders and followers and therefore disturb the dance, deprive the dancer on the left of their role of leading the chain, create space management issues (too many dancers, too long chains, too big rondes), be perceived as an abrupt intrusion or disturb the dynamics of the dance, especially if the dance has already begun.
Offering advice during the balls
We want everybody to improve at their own pace and according to their wishes. We support those who want to make progress, but also accept that sometimes we only wish to dance. It is however difficult to refuse advice when offered spontaneously, especially from more experienced dancers. Furthermore, offering advice, even when well-meant, increases the gap between “good” and “bad” dancers in a negative way. For these reasons, we do not offer or give advice, explanations or lessons during the balls, unless they have been explicitly requested.
Space management, risky moves and collisions
We adapt our moves depending on the space available. We do not allow ourselves to make risky moves (for example making our partners twirl during a jig or a scottish) without checking first that they can be carried out without risk for our partner or for the people around us.
We avoid bumping into each other, by taking into account our blind spots, as well as the blind spots of others (during rondes, bourrées, moving backwards, …). For some dances (rondes, bourrées, etc.), there might not be enough room to accommodate every dancer. In this case, the last ones to arrive will have to refrain from entering this dance. When we are not dancing, we remain on the side of the dance floor in order to give as much space as possible to the dancers.
In case of unintentional contact with another couple, no matter how soft, we try to make eye contact to make sure that everything is all right and to show with our mimic that we regret the collision, whether we are responsible for it or not. In case of injury, pain or strong emotion (fear, barely avoided fall, …), we apologise explicitly during or after the dance.
Circulation during balls for couple dances
During couple dances, we circle around the dance floor in the direction of the dance (generally anticlockwise). For waltzes and polkas, the flow is generally quite fast and constant. It is possible to dance on the spot in the middle of the dance floor, without disturbing the flow around.
Hygiene
It is obvious that good hygiene is very important. Given the proximity during dances, we smell everything: cigarette or blue cheese breath, excessive perfume, old sweat in yesterday’s t-shirt… and nobody will dare tell you. This is why we are reminding you of this.
Noise and conversations
We avoid noisy conversations in the ballroom, especially when it disturbs the musicians and the dancers, depending on the acoustics and on the music. We don’t impose elaborate conversations while dancing, to prioritise a non-verbal connection and immersion into the music.
Leading and following
Some moves (e.g. twirls) or positions (e.g. a closed embrace or when the leader puts their partner out of their axis) can be uncomfortable, both physically or emotionally, or involve risk of injuries or collisions. We therefore pay attention to the way we lead and follow: we lead and follow smoothly, we accept that a move may not be followed, even if it was clearly indicated, we ask explicitly if a move or position is wished for, etc.
Conclusion
The main guideline of this text is respect, not only respect for the other dancers and the musicians, but also respect for our own needs and boundaries and to a certain extent respect for the dances themselves. These general guidelines and practical tips clarify what we mean with respect, which can otherwise remain quite vague a concept, often subject to various interpretations.
We go beyond plainly refusing unacceptable behaviours we strive to become aware of the impact of our own behaviour on everyone’s well-being and dancing pleasure. We also aim to accept imperfections in ourselves as well as in others.
