splicing the tangos in a milonga : tanda

Yesterday i was in charge of the music. As usualy, my programmation was made of tandas, cutted by cortinas but i had the feeling that some dancers doesn't like, or understand, this concept so i'll try to explain it.
the rules (as far as i know, it the way that milonga in Buenos Aires works):
- a run of 2 to 4 tango (usualy 3)
- of the same type (milonga, tango or waltz) and the same compositor
- between two cortinas (short break of somthing which has nothing to do with tango)

explanation :

why tanda ? because there is a lot of kind of tango and you must be in the mood to dance them, so you need to immerse slowly. You have to listen to the music, which not so easy, especially when it is a compositor you don't know so well, so three tango is not to much; You have also to adapt yourself to your partner (even for leaders) here again, three is not to much.

why cortinas between ? because by entering in a tanda, you are entering in the world of a compositor or a style and between two worlds, you need a break. More basically, it is good to change partner, especialy when the ration leader/follower is not even so cortina is the time for that. And last but not the least, sometimes you need to refresh and to pause and you don't want to miss the next tanda, so a break is welcome !

I feel that tanda and cortina are very important for enjoying the tango, this is my personal feeling about that :

first tango : When a tanda starts and (hopefully) i have fund a partner to dance it, i'm starting from the begining. Even if i know my partner and the music well, i try to rediscover them in a new way. So when the first tango of the tanda start i'm listening to the music, to be absorbed by the music and so fit it perfectly. Then we start the first step. Very often i start with very simple step (walk, salida, back ocho) just to feel my partner, how she react, on which step she is confortable, and which are pitfall for her (us). This is especialy important when i dance with someone for the first time, but it is also good when someone i know because the mood, the music and a lot of thing can change the way we dance. The first tango is used in the way : connecting together and with the music.

second tango : now we know each other well, we know the music (assuming the style is not changing suddenly) so it time to try something more audacious ! my second tango is dedicated to strenghten the link between us (and the music) and to try something, more complicating step, step i have to improve ... also it's time for her, if she wish so, to try fioriture and other embellishment of the dance. because during the first tango we have build a mutual trust, we can try some things. Of course we also take pleasure of dancing, it is not pleasant to thread step from step without pauses and this second tango is also a time for listening de music and playing game with it.

third tango : the best one. After trying so step we are now aware of what is pleasant, what we can do together and, above all, what kind of music we are dancing on. It is time to dance the best tango ever danced ! This tango is the true one, when we (me, my partner and the music) are playing together and doing something really nice. A show for the other (who would honnestly said that it is not pleasant to be look at while dancing ??) but, most of all, a time of perfect harmony for us. Here i do not try so much complex step, i rather prefere to dance those who works well and fit with the music, be they impresive or very simple. If i feel that my partner like them, then we'll dance them. This dance is also an "au revoir" because it is often the last of the tanda, so i give here all my heart and my soul for having a good time with my partner... until the music stop.

cortina : it is time to leave ! we had (hopefully) good time together, perhaps feelings that only belong to us for this short time, we land from our above-the-sky trip and thanks each other. She was mine, and i was hers, for almost 15 minutes. Now it is time to change (and make dance those who are waiting) and to find another partner, with who to share as great moment on another music.

As conclusion, i want only said, that, for me, tanda are entire part of the tango and i feel, i'm dancing much better when there is tanda. Tanda have a social role, to change partner, but most of all, tandas are the way to be really IN the music and WITH the partner, this is why i need them.

Nicolas