Tango - Buenos Aires - page 80

The Real Tango - Milongas
Tango's popularity is booming at both amateur and professional levels, and among all
ages and classes. And milongas are the dance events where people strut their stuff. The at-
mosphere at these venues can be modern or historical, casual or traditional. Most have
tango DJs that determine musical selections, but a few utilize live orchestras. The dance
floor is surrounded by many tables and chairs, and there's often a bar to the side.
At a proper, established milonga, choosing an adequate partner involves many levels of
hidden codes, rules and signals that dancers must follow. After all, no serious bailarina
(female dancer; the male equivalent is a bailarín ) wants to be caught out dancing with
someone stepping on her toes (and expensive tango heels). In fact, some men considering
asking an unknown woman to dance will do so only after the second song, to avoid being
stuck for the three to five songs that make a session. These sessions (known as tandas ) al-
ternate between tango, vals (the Argentine version of the waltz) and milonga ; they're fol-
lowed by a cortina (a short break when non-tango music is played). It's considered polite
to dance an entire tanda with any partner, so if you are given a curt gracias after just one
song, consider that partner unavailable for the rest of the night.
Not easy to describe, tango needs to be seen and experienced for its full effect. The up-
per bodies are traditionally held upright and close, with faces almost touching. The man's
hand is pressed against the woman's back, guiding her, with his other hand and one of
hers held together and out. The lower body does most of the work. The woman swivels
her hips, her legs alternating in short or wide sweeps and quick kicks, sometimes between
the man's legs. The man guides, a complicated job since he must flow with the music, dir-
ect the woman, meld with her steps and avoid other dancers, all at once. He'll add his own
fancy pivoting moves, and together the couple flows in communion with the music.
Pauses and abrupt directional changes punctuate the dance. It's a serious business that
takes a good amount of concentration, so while dancing the pair often wear hard expres-
sions. Smiling and chatting are reserved for the breaks between songs.
Your position in the area surrounding the dance floor can be critical. At some of the
older milongas , the more established dancers have reserved tables. Ideally, you want to sit
where you have easy access to the floor and to other dancers' line of sight. You may no-
tice couples sitting further back (they often dance just with each other), while singles sit
right at the front. If a man comes into the room with a woman at his side, she is con-
sidered 'his' for the night. For couples to dance with others, they either enter the room
separately, or the man signals his intent by asking another woman to the floor. Then 'his'
woman becomes open for asking.