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Getting the Most Out of a Practica

How a practica differs from a milonga, the two formats (guided and open), and what to actually do when you go.

Practica

Oct 11

How it differs from a milonga

MilongaPractica
PurposeSocial dancingPractice
InvitationWith the eyes (cabeceo)
Asking out loud is fine
Stopping, retryingNot doneAllowed — encouraged
TalkingQuietlyFreely
DressDressed upComfortable

A practica is a place where it is fine to fail. If a step tangles, stop and start again.

Two formats

  • Guided — an instructor is present and gives feedback. Often follows straight after a class
  • Open — no instructor, self-directed practice. Dancers coach each other

Start with guided. Practice works when someone tells you what went wrong.

What to do when you go

  1. Pick one thing — today, only the ocho transitions, or only walking. Too many goals means no practice
  2. Rotate partners — every body is different, and feeling that difference is the practice
  3. Stop and retry — this freedom is the point of a practica. You cannot do it at a milonga
  4. Ask — the instructor if guided, your partner if open

From practica to milonga

At a milonga, do only what you already know. Take a new step to the milonga after it has become familiar at a practica. The order is always practica first, milonga second.

One line to remember

Even good dancers stop and start again at a practica.

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