Milongas in Buenos Aires 2025 & the economy

How does the average Argentine citizen manage in a country where the cost of living appears to have doubled in 12 months?  Wherever you look - public transport, groceries, eating out - prices have skyrocketed.  Heaven knows what their power bills are like!

For a long time, since about 2002, visitors to the country could count on very affordable - dare I say - cheap prices.  No longer!  Think Australian prices for meals and coffee.

We expected milongas to be a lot quieter this year.  With less money to spare now, it would be reasonable to expect attendances to suffer.  Many milonga regulars in Buenos Aires would normally go dancing a few times per week, but we imagined that they would be tightening their belts.  How wrong we were. Milongas are full!

When chatting with a regular local dancer, he pointed out that the milonga remains an affordable night out - cheaper than eating out or going to the theatre.  With a milonga entrada of around 6,000 pesos (US$6) plus a drink 3,000 pesos, public transport (perhaps a shared taxi to go home) going to the milonga was still a relatively affordable way to have a great night out with friends.

PP

I remember when ...

Looking back on annual visits to Buenos Aires since 1999, it's clear that the city and tango have changed a lot - some things for the better, others not so.

I remember when ...

... milongas were held in the iconic Maipu 444, the magnificent Club Espanol and the gorgeous Confiteria Ideal (pictured)

... garbage littered the footpath each night, pedestrians constantly had to dodge dog droppings, and Avenida 9 de Julio median strip was a no-go zone resembling a rubbish tip

... AU$1 would only buy 50 centavos, and it cost 5 pesos to enter a milonga

... La Viruta milonga (then known as La Estrella) attracted hot-shot milongueros.  Men wore jackets and ties to milongas, the standard of dance was high, and the milonga codes were strictly adhered to

... the only coffee available, including in the grand old confiterias, was not good at all

... Flabella was the go-to place for tango shoes

Now ...

... a number of the dance venues have closed - some converted into office space or gyms - but at least efforts are being made to renovate Confiteria Ideal

... the City of Buenos Aires has made a big effort to clean up and beautify the streets, including a campaign to educate dog-owners.  9 de Julio is now more functional for traffic and pedestrians, and has been landscaped beautifully

... May 2019, AU$1 buys around 30 pesos and going up!  Entry to Lujos milonga is 200 pesos, and other milongas 140 - 180 pesos

... La Viruta/Estrella changed its persona some years ago and now appeals to dancers interested in dancing non-traditional tango.  The standard of dancing and respect for the codigos has declined.  Many of the old milongueros have passed away, taking their example and authority with them.  Many dancers now find they can afford to attend only one milonga each week, while others have stopped attending completely

... there are many small, specialty coffee shops in the city & suburbs serving coffee to satisfy even the most demanding coffee-snob

... tango shoes are everywhere, but it's hard to beat Katrinski cushioned, hand-made to order shoes that cost around AU$150

Bob

Diaries of BsAs - How do I dance at a milonga & why?

Almost two weeks of this stay in Buenos Aires have already passed, and attending various milongas (all traditional) makes us reflect on tango experiences here and at home.  Here is the first musing, with more to come:

I rarely dance more than half the tandas at a milonga, and wondered what determines my milonga experience.  Some aspects are very practical, others are personal.

• Venue - Does it inspire and invigorate?  Or is it boring and lacking in energy?
• Hosts - Do they welcome you, ensure you're seated comfortably and make you feel that you belong?  Or are you ignored after paying your money?
• Set-up - Does the arrangement allow those sitting a chance to engage with the ronda?  Or is there a separation between dancers and those seated?

I have barely sat down, but already these things are influencing my mood.

• Dancers - Do they dance well, connect with the music and navigate with consideration to other dancers?  Or is the dance-floor a struggle, not allowing me to relax and dance intuitively?
• Partners - Are there dancers there that I want to dance with?
• The milonga - Does it run smoothly with high energy amongst the dancers?  Or are there some long interruptions and a generally low energy pervading?

And an absolutely fundamental issue:

• Music - Does it call me to the floor?  Or is it often uninspiring, or even irritating?

Even before any of this has an impact, another question is how I am feeling when I arrive.  Am I physically tired or mentally drained?  Or am I energised?  The factors above may turn my mood around - for the better or for worse.

Casting an eye over these factors I notice that many of them can be heavily influenced by the milonga organisers.  Others rely on the dancers having put effort into developing their dance.

A good milonga with lots of good dancers will get people on the floor with the energy at a high, but that doesn't mean dancing every tanda.  For me, there needs to be time to watch, listen and reflect (all enhancements to learning) and, of course, time to socialise with friends.  And then there are the tandas that are unmissable, and have to be danced, no matter how tired I may feel. That might mean dancing half or at most, two thirds of the tandas, but they will be to music that I love and with partners that are meant for this music.

How you respond to a milonga is very subjective.  What suits you may not suit me.  In Buenos Aires, our favourite milongas tick all the boxes, while others tick only some boxes. In those cases, my response may very well depend on how I feel before I arrive. The good milongas will carry me along regardless ... but I'll still only dance a certain number of tandas.  I need watch-listen-reflect time ... and to rest a little, so that I can give my next partner my total focus and energy.  She deserves no less!

Bob

Favourite milongas

Great music, a good standard of social dancing, respectful & harmonious dance-floors and friendly organisers. That's what we look for when attending milongas in Buenos Aires.

Thanks to Carlos Neuman of Milongas Buenos Aires, you can get a taster of what to expect.  It will help you decide where you would feel comfortable. He has thoughtfully put together videos of many of the popular milongas for the entire week!

They're all delightfully different in character. Venues vary. Some cater more to solo dancers (cabeceo skills required), whereas others, especially the outer-suburban milongas, are more group-oriented. DJs play a big role in attracting regular dancers. You may see the same faces in more than one of them.

Here are a few of our haunts:

El Beso (Thursday) - watch out for the cabeceo at the start of the video

La Milonga de Buenos Aires (Friday)

La Baldosa (Friday)

Lujos (Sunday)

El Maipu (Monday):

PP

What tango tales these walls could tell!

Recently a friend came across photos of some historic cabarets & nightclubs of Buenos Aires - haunts of many great tango bands. Sadly, they were demolished in the name of progress. One, eventually replaced by a supermarket!

Ever wondered what Pabellon de Rosas, the popular D'Arienzo vals, was about? Well, this collection of nostalgia is also thoughtfully peppered with videos of compositions dedicated to these legendary venues.

On a more recent note, many will remember the milonga venue Maipu 444 with great nostalgia - demolished just a few years ago to make way for yet another bank. It didn't have the architectural merit of those old venues, but oh, what memories those walls held.

PP

Ebb and flow in Buenos Aires milongas

Do you arrive at a milonga with high expectations?  Who will be there, the quality of the music, the venue, the amount of dancing you will enjoy, etc.   Will everything just be as it was before?

One of life’s lessons is that high expectations can lead to disappointment.  On the other side of the coin, it is good to be open to pleasant surprises. 

Things change - nowhere more so, than the milongas of economically-challenged Buenos Aires:

Last year, Milonga de los Consagrados (Saturday) was not hugely popular.  Probably, it was a financial struggle for the organisers.  Recently, I was told that they had had to quickly replace their regular DJ who had called in sick one Saturday.  Dany Borelli (one of the best!!) stepped in the breach.  Apparently the response was so overwhelmingly positive, that Dany now has the gig.  Attendance has probably doubled due to his excellent music. Venue is lovely.  Level of dancing and navigation: average.

Lujos on Thursday at the intimate El Beso venue continues to be a personal favourite, where the music is very good, the level of dancing high, and I can usually count on several of my favourite dance partners attending.  Yet, as they say, timing is everything!  Last Thursday, a critical football match between arch-rivals Boca & River put a spanner in the works.  Attendance was down.  Fortunately, however, there were enough playmates in the sand-pit.  Let’s see what happens this Thursday when Boca and River have their re-match.

Lucy and Dany’s El Maipu on Monday is also a long-standing favourite for the same reasons as Lujos.  Lucy and Dany create such a warm and welcoming environment.  Despite the crowded dance-floor, people are very considerate, and collisions are a rarity.  Yet, even there, things have changed.  Although, there are new faces, numerous familiar faces are absent.  Is it due to increasing entry costs?  Maybe that’s why some of my regular partners now dance less often – some only once a week.   El Maipu on Wednesday is a fairly recent, brave and very good addition to BsAs milonga options.  However, at this early stage in its life, it’s struggling to get enough dancers to guarantee its future.  

Friday night at Obelisco Tango has changed a lot.  Last year, the floor surface was dodgy and the lighting made the cabeceo difficult.  But a couple of locals recommended it this year.  Sure enough, the floor has been replaced and lighting improved.  Great music is provided by DJs Vivi La Falce and Dany Borelli. Numerous dancers I know and like are regulars. 

So, what’s the take-home message from all of this?  Things change constantly here, for a host of reasons.  If you come to the Mecca of Tango, do your milonga research.  And when you choose a milonga, go without rigid expectations.
PP

What does it take to dance in Buenos Aires?

Thinking of visiting the Mecca of tango? 
Are you ready for the challenges which await you? 
Are your expectations realistic?

Here is one person’s opinion – not expert, not comprehensive, but coming from a lot of observation and personal experience.   Visitors to BsAs need as many assets as possible to break into the local milonga scene – and I’m talking about the traditional milongas here, such as La Nacional, El Beso, Plaza Bohemia, Lo de Celia, etc.  So here’s my list: 

•  Make an effort with your personal hygiene  and  appearance  (for a man, that can include wearing a jacket). 
•  A good embrace is a must, and the first step you take is a defining moment – make it count. 
• You need to dance well if you are to be noticed, and then desired as a possible partner
• And you need to appear interested and confident – look like you belong in the milonga

Now some basic codes that should be respected: 

•  Using the cabeceo is essential …. and for ladies, that also means remaining in your seats until the man arrives
• Good navigation skills must be used to avoid embarrassing collisions, or disturbing the dancers around you. This means following a tight line-of-dance and respecting neighbouring dancers’ space.
• It is important to dance appropriately and conservatively. No big figures, gentlemen. Nor feet off the floor, ladies.  Everyone sees everything in the milonga  - dancing that doesn’t fit in, is quickly condemned in people’s minds  
• When dancing, there needs to be maximum concentration on your partner – it’s not about you, it’s about them.  Add to this, musicality that reflects familiarity with the music, and how to respond to it.

So will breaking into the scene take a long time?  There are a number of factors to keep an eye on, quite apart from the above list (e.g. don’t sit as a couple if you expect to dance with other partners).  Here are some extra tips: 

•  Stay for a reasonable period in BsAs (no, two weeks aren’t long enough), attend the same milonga regularly, and return to BsAs as often as you can to re-connect with partners you have met
• If you get a couple of dances on your first night, and your partners liked what they felt, then they will probably look out for you next time  ..... when you may then find a couple more new partners
• Have patience, and an understanding of social pressures – local people go to the milongas to see and dance with their friends, so there is an element of wanting to dance together first.  You may have to wait and persist.  And while you may not get many dances in your early visits to the milongas, there is lots to interest the true tango lover, such as listening to the music, and watching the dancers.

These thoughts are the product of 15 years of annual visits to BsAs, when in the early years, lack of competence, ignorance ... and  a reasonable dose of fear, meant that we only danced as a couple.  No-one had told us anything about how to fit in, about the codes, about dancing that was appropriate.  Then there was a period of ‘dipping our toes in the water’, until we had eventually developed our skill, understanding, and confidence enough to fully embrace the ‘singles’ scene at the traditional milongas mentioned at the start, and to look forward to making local tango connections.  Above all, we came to utterly respect and enjoy the codes and customs of the milongas that belong to the people of BsAs.

There’s probably more that could be added to my list. What do you think?

Bob

PS. If you’re thinking of visiting BsAs for the first time to dance tango, and your teachers haven’t prepared you for what awaits, then make sure you talk to people who know.

Diaries from BsAs #4 - How to say "No"

From her:

While explaining the cabeceo to a non-tango dancing porteña, I realised that while a lot has been written about the cabeceo (especially strategies on how to initiate and accept invitations), not much has been said about what to do when you DON'T want to dance.

The current music may not inspire you to dance.  You may not have had a chance to see the available partners dance yet, and don't want to take a chance of an unpleasant experience.  Maybe you've just danced a particularly satisfying tanda and simply wish to bask in the glow for a while.  Or, perhaps you wish to avoid a certain person with whom you feel uncomfortable.  These are a few of the reasons why I might not want to engage in the cabeceo at any one time.

I found myself explaining a few different approaches to"No" to this fascinated local woman.  The strategies for NOT engaging in the cabeceo invitation in a traditional milonga are ideally subtle and highly effective, but occasionally one has to resort to more direct methods:

Invisibility:  At traditional BsAs milongas, the men I have no desire to dance with are effectively invisible to me.  I hardly direct my gaze at them, because to do so would suggest to them that I were interested in dancing with them sometime.  Consequently, they generally won't look in my direction seeking to dance.

Focus elsewhere:  If I simply don't want to dance at all for a while, I find the best strategy is simply to watch the activity on the dance-floor.  That takes the pressure off trying to avoid any inviting gazes.

Gaze away:  The tricky part, I find, is when I want to dance and am therefore looking towards a potential partner, but a different man (sitting close to my intended target) tries to gain my attention by looking at me intently.  People are seated very close to one-another in these busy milongas, so meeting the gaze of the right person can be problematic at times.  To avoid confusion, I ensure that I don't hold his gaze and  I look away.  The "wrong" man should immediately see that I'm not interested in dancing with him.  He would normally get the message at this point.  (Most of the people here understand that there's no pleasure in dancing with someone who doesn't really want to dance with you. They also respect the woman's role in choosing a dance partner.)  Shortly after, I may try looking again at my intended target, if he's not already dancing, of course.

Direct refusal:  As a foreigner, I occasionally have been approached by a local man asking me to dance.  In my opinion this is a very bad sign, as it means that the man is unable to secure a dance using the preferred cabeceo  method, hence is probably an inadequate dancer.  Yet, his intention is to pressure a woman into dancing with him.  It shows a lack of respect for the woman, as his behaviour assumes that she will accept.  He completely deserves the refusal he gets, albeit with a smile.  He won't try that on me again. 
Luckily, the direct approach to invitations doesn't happen too often in traditional milongas, but it's best to be prepared!

I refuse to be the victim depicted by In Search of Tango  and would love to know about other helpful strategies.
PP


From him:

 ....... and the same strategies apply equally to male dancers in search for partners, and in avoiding others. 

However, should a man, with all his gentlemanly history forever on the surface, refuse a direct request from a woman?  Well, at a most traditional milonga in Buenos Aires the other night, my worst case (milonga) nightmare happened - a local woman, complete stranger, tapped me on the shoulder and roughly asked, "quieres bailar?" 

All my thinking regarding the issues above came to mind, but I was particularly conscious that, in this milonga, the codes of behaviour were totally respected.  The lady should have known better, and anyone watching would have been judging the situation, and assessing my response.  I felt that to say "No, gracias" was the only appropriate response, but to soften it, I said "No entiendo".  She repeated her question, this time in English.  To that I said, "yo tengo que bailar con mi pareja y mis amigas".  She accepted that, went away to talk with some friends, and that was that ...... except I was left knowing that I had refused a woman's request to dance with me.  Not a good feeling, but under the circumstances, the right thing to do.
Bob

Diaries from BsAs #3 - Breaking into a milonga

From her:

Newcomers to tango often ask how long it will take them to be able to dance effectively. The only honest answer has to be that "it depends" ...... on many factors.

The same applies to how long it takes to break into a milonga to which you are new.  Recently we returned to a milonga which we hadn't attended for several years.  We sat separately, as usual.  Despite being a newcomer, I was surprisingly given a good seat.  I was close to the dance-floor and in open view of the male dancers.

Watching the dancers, I quickly realised that I hardly knew any of the men. I was an unknown quantity to them, as they were to me.

Fortunately, one of my favourite local partners happened to be there and we enjoyed a lovely tanda early.  At least, it was obvious to the men observing that I could dance well, and a number of them started looking my way for the next tanda.  But, I didn't know how they danced.

So, I followed my tried and true policy of not accepting invitations until I'd seen that they could dance well.  Trouble was, there were quite a number of capable male dancers swirling around.  For some time it was hard to identify and target the ones I wanted to dance with.

In the meantime, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the excellent music chosen by DJ Dany Borelli.  Watching the dancers was also captivating - like staring into the flames of a fire.

Yes, I did have a few more lovely dances.  Next time, I expect there will be a few more.

As a newcomer to a milonga, patience is definitely essential, particularly if you are choosy.  After all, the local men have a circle of friends with whom they enjoy dancing.  It would be unreasonable for a newcomer to expect to immediately gain their attention.

So, how soon will you dance in any particular milonga? It depends on many things, but here are just a few:

• does your level of dancing match the general standard of the milonga?
• do you already know potential partners there?
• how selective are you?
• where are you positioned in the milonga?
• how effective are your cabeceo techniques?
• how do you present yourself? 
• how regularly do you attend that particular milonga?
• how patient are you and how much persistence do you have?
• ........

PP

Diaries from BsAs #2 - Thank goodness for friends

From him:

It appeared that G only danced with the local milongueros, but somehow I managed to dance with her twice last year … and she was good!

I hadn’t seen her in my first week here, then she appeared on Monday, and I hoped that we’d dance again.  As much as I tried, she wouldn’t return my cabeceo, so I greeted her as I went past; still no result.

Eventually her friend S nodded; I’d never danced with S, but I’d seen her over the years and knew she danced very well.  I made sure I gave the tanda everything, and during one of the chats, S remarked that she thought I had looked ‘lost’ earlier, but I said that I had been trying repeatedly to catch G’s eye.  I also decided to slip in that I suspected that G had forgotten me, then watched their table during the Cortina.  Yes, they immediately talked …….. and with the start of the next tanda, G looked my way and nodded!  Thank goodness for friends!  

The tanda was great, and later, to finish the evening on a good note, S & I danced again.

Bob

Diaries from BsAs #1 - The price of honesty

From her:

During recent visits to Buenos Aires, I’d noticed him appearing at milongas, tall and usually clad in a suit. He’d dance with a few ladies, then disappear again into the night. His style of dancing impressed me and it looked like his partners enjoyed the experience, but I’d never been able to catch his eye.

Then on our first night back in BsAs, he looked my way and we danced a tanda of tango (Calo, if memory serves me correctly). Later, we also enjoyed a tanda of milonga together. After three hours that night, I decided to leave the milonga. Jet-lag had been playing havoc with my body-clock. I needed some dinner, which I mentioned when he asked why I was leaving so early. I should have seen it coming, but I’ll blame the jet-lag.

He, of course, asked me to join him for dinner.
What I said: I breezily declined the offer, saying I was dining with my partner.
What I should have said: “Thankyou, but I’m very tired after the long journey.  I enjoyed our dances. Hope to see you again at another milonga."

Well, I saw him again at several milongas thereafter.  Did he even glance my way? Of course not! I suppose I’d injured his pride with the direct refusal.

Moral of the story: Keep ‘em guessing gals!
PP

Update (1 May):  Looks like I've been forgiven, as he's invited me to dance at a couple of milongas since my initial faux pas.  But things appear to have changed.  He seems to be exhibiting some interesting bits of territorial behaviour since establishing the identity of my partner .... but not winning!

Territorial tendencies

Have you ever been dancing, blissfully transported by the music and your partner, only to be rudely shaken by another couple colliding with you? They appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, moving out of the line of dance. Adding insult to injury, they made no sign of apology and danced on oblivious.

Humans are, by nature, territorial animals. They can exhibit aggression when someone tries to muscle onto their patch. Milongueros in Buenos Aires protect their partner and their space in the ronda.

Of course, they are not immune to feelings of annoyance when subjected to an intrusion. In the early days of tango, knife fights reportedly took place, perhaps over a woman or due to lack of respect on the dance-floor. Nowadays, the milonga tends to be a more civilised environment - on the surface, at least.

Codes of etiquette in traditional Buenos Aires milongas evolved to prevent violent encounters, and to curb other anti-social behaviours associated with the primitive part of our brains.

When even a minor collision happens on the dance-floor, the male dancers immediately signal an apology to each other.  This happens even if the dancer was not responsible for the collision. It keeps the peace.  It shows respect.

I suspect that those who don't do this in BsAs are considered no better than barbarians.

So, how do you deal with such mishaps on the dance-floor?

PP

I like to watch ...

More often than not, I dance no more than 7 or 8 tandas in my 3 hours in milongas in Buenos Aires. I do that partly to conserve my energy for a) the music I really like, and b) the women I really want to dance with. Any single tanda is both physically and mentally taxing, so when I dance I want to put all the meat on the fire.

So how do I spend the rest of my time in the milonga apart from sipping on my mineral water? I listen to the music and I watch the dancers. Sitting at a table at the edge of the ronda, I feel part of the milonga, even when not dancing. But as I watch, I also learn. Of course, I watch the ladies’ pivots, their embraces, their responses to their partners, in order to guide my ‘cabeceo’ in future tandas. But there is more.

I watch the men – their rhythms, changing dynamics, playfulness, intensity; how they protect their partners, how they move their bodies with their partners; and I note small variations in movements that I regularly employ. I notice how their dancing changes with different orchestras, with the emotion of the singers, with the ‘light and shade’ in a piece of music. Not all men dance this way, but those that do are worth my intense scrutiny.

I often wonder about men, and women, who dance every tanda. Might they be missing an opportunity to observe and learn from others?  My advice: STOP. LISTEN. LOOK. LEARN.
Bob

Survival of the fittest

Buenos Aires milonga organisers are facing significant challenges due to closure of major venues, paired with high inflation. Last night while walking from the Subte to La Nacional, one of the local dancers was remarking that a popular Friday night milonga at La Leonesa (Entre tango y tango) was discontinued, effective this week. This was due to further increases in the venue hire. She had heard that this would have raised the milonga entrada to a ridiculous 40 pesos, quite beyond the pale for locals.  However, later through a reliable contact at La Nacional she discovered that the crisis at La Leonesa had been averted, presumably through a compromise. In fact, the organisers of Entre tango y tango were distributing discount vouchers at La Nacional to boost their flagging attendances - not the only good milonga which has experienced an attendance downturn due to forced increases in entry costs.

So what are the characteristics of some of the current survivors of these tough times? Lucy and Dany, organisers of the successful El Maipu (Monday nights at La Nacional) have certainly captured and maintained the formula. It’s all about consistently delivering a quality milonga experience with a personalised high care factor. This seems to have a magnetic effect, attracting discerning dancers who value the quality experience.  They know where to get more “bang for their bucks”, especially in these difficult economic times.   However, the consequences for other milongas are unfortunate.

When the budget is tight, experienced dancers don’t want to risk wasting time and money. They value quality above quantity.  If a milonga is too expensive, has inconsistent music which changes mood mid-tanda, or bizarre musical choices,  inconsiderate/unskilled dancers with poor floor-craft, indifferent or unwelcoming organisers, then it may not survive the current climate. One of these factors alone may be enough to turn people off, and the word spreads.  

Perhaps milonga organisers elsewhere in less challenging circumstances should take heed of the hard lessons being learned here in the Mecca of tango.

PP

The times they are a changin'

Buenos Aires milonga venues continue to undergo involuntary change and attendance patterns fluctuate. So we’ve been talking more about the factors which can make a milonga succeed or fail. Maipu 444, formerly home of Cachirulo, El Maipu, Lujos (on Sunday) and Sentimental y Coqueta, was sold off and closed over a year ago. It is now the stuff of legends. People who experienced those heady days sigh with regret at the loss. Just over a week ago, the intimate El Beso was closed down due to the absence of an emergency exit. Certainly understandable, but that competitive, hot-house atmosphere will not easily be replicated elsewhere.

These organisers all succeeded in finding alternative locations, relocating mainly to larger venues in Alsina, as well as the bizarre choice last year of Villa Malcolm for Cachirulo (Saturday). However, the timing of these changes has been unfortunate. Milonga entradas have not been quarantined from local inflation (Subte fares rose from 1.1 to 2.5 pesos overnight, taxi flagfalls that not long ago were 3.4 are now 8.7 pesos, quality ladies’ tango shoes from 400 to 650 pesos in the last year). Paying 25 – 35 pesos just to enter a milonga is making locals, in particular, think twice about how many milongas they can afford to attend.  It seems that the combination of price increases and venue changes may be taking their toll, at least for some milongas. On the other hand, others are thriving. The question is why.

By the way, this one continues to be one of our favourite milongas:

Some holiday viewing

Got a few days off for the festive season? Like to indulge yourself in some videos?

Thanks to Irene & Man Yung, I've just found the Tangotradicional Youtube channel. If you've never seen social tango at its best, this is a must. As for those of us who've experienced some of these great milongas, you'll want to book your next flight to Buenos Aires asap.

PP

Tango your life - the doco

The trailer of Chan Park's film Tango your life shows tantalising clips of our favourite Buenos Aires milongas with lots of familiar faces.

It's now an entry in the ArcLight Documentary Film Festival where the 10 entries with the most "likes" will be accepted into the festival. So visit this Youtube link, enjoy and vote. 

Asi se baile el tango! 

What’s in a name? Comme il faut

What is comme il faut? No, it’s not the shoes!

The literal translation from the French (according to our French-English dictionary) is "How Things Are Done," but that doesn't begin to describe it.
It's about manners, and behaving properly in polite society, and keeping your cool under provocation (both verbal and physical).
It's behaving like a lady, or acting like a gentleman.
It's that very rare quality in today's self-promoting, blame-shifting, tell-all society known as class.

When we named our new milonga Comme il faut just 4 years ago, it was very much a case of our belief in “how a milonga should be”. From spending a month in Buenos Aires every year since 1999, we have come to embrace the style of milonga that we believe to be typical of the ‘Mecca of tango’.

We wanted to cultivate some of the important elements that we value at the more traditional milongas in BsAs. Many hours spent in Maipu 444 watching and dancing, while absorbing the music of master DJ Carlos Rey, have provided a thorough education in what makes a successful milonga.

Consequently, we chose a venue which has character – a 1920s golf club – with a relatively small salon, accommodating around 55 people. With the tables arranged tightly around the dance floor, those who watching are always in close contact with those who are dancing. It also makes possible and encourages the use of the cabeceo. The size of the dance floor requires dancers to have good navigation skills, respect the line of dance, and dance appropriately. So it follows that elaborate performance figures and activities that disturb other dancers (eg. high boleos) are not welcome …… and we haven’t been shy in asking ladies to keep their heels close to the floor. We are delighted that there seems to be an understanding that good floor-craft and care for other dancers are the norms at Comme il faut.

The other guiding influence is has been the DJ culture of Buenos Aires. Pat’s music is largely the best of the Golden Age, with playlists influenced by the likes of Carlos Rey, Mario Orlando, and Dany Borelli. Persistence with this wonderful music at Comme il faut, has meant that local dancers are now saying that they have come to love the music of that period.

So why do we, in Australia, want to promote a milonga modeled on our favourites in Buenos Aires? For a start, it’s what we love, and we want to share what we believe is a genuine tango experience with local dancers. There’s also the reality that many dancers of all abilities are holidaying in Buenos Aires, with the intention of dancing tango there. What we offer is a snapshot of what to expect. As a result, dancers may recognize the changes they may need to make to their current style of dancing in order to fit in. After all, many milongas in BsAs are much more crowded than here. Good navigation skills are essential. Sacadas, volcadas, & colgadas are rarities in the traditional milongas. Better to learn this before arriving in BsAs than experiencing a rude shock.

Should all milongas be modeled on the traditional BsAs ones? Well, if they were, we would love every minute of them. However, other people insist that home-grown milongas should not try to copy BsAs, but have their own local style. What do you think?

Bob.

Buenos Aires milongas – life as a single.

Our recent stay in Buenos Aires led me to reflect much more on the milonga experience, particularly to compare the “singles” and “couples/groups” milongas.

When a couple enters a predominantly ‘singles’ milonga in Buenos Aires, they are usually placed in a back corner and become invisible. Tango in BsAs for me is, despite visiting with my partner, largely about dancing as a single – then the full essence of tango has a chance of being experienced.

It’s not about the figures and the display on the dance-floor; it’s about people and about tango music, and how they can achieve a connection. It’s about social communion and an expression of the temporary relationship with our partner through the music & dance.

The milonga is a unique socio-cultural experience that begins with entering the salon. As a foreigner, it’s more difficult to be accepted, but you need to enter believing that you belong there, and it needs so show – it’s confidence, not presumptuousness or arrogance. I always accept that I am a guest in their milongas and I am going to respect that by adhering strictly to their codes.

It helps to get to know the organizers – more easily done by regularly attending the same milongas each week (rather than a trying to sample too many) and expressing thanks for the efforts which the organisers put into staging each milonga – and it is a huge effort & increasingly expensive to stage. Developing a relationship with the organisers does help in being seated favourably in the milonga – which means having good visual access to potential partners.

The use of the cabeceo is non-negotiable in reputable milongas. For someone new to a milonga, it can be hard work – particularly getting that first dance. However, once others have seen the quality of your dancing & musicality - and your observation of the codes - it becomes a little easier (for leaders, good line-of-dance is essential; for both leaders & followers, dancing in the considerate and understated style of the locals is admired). Getting a dance with the best & most popular dancers in the milonga takes persistence, and may require several visits to that milonga to achieve. But that’s part of the challenge of dancing as a single – the unknown.

A defining moment always comes when taking up the embrace. It tells your partner a lot about your technique, your confidence, your physical connection …. and that creates a mentality that can underpin the whole tanda; the very first step is also significant in communicating who you are and how you will relate to your partner– it needs to exude certainty ….. and for a leader, masculinity, …… for the follower, responsiveness.

During the dance, the music permeates the body and the bodies communicate constantly. We are dancing for each other, not putting on a show for those watching. This suggests that while we should make an effort to be well groomed for our partners, the concept of beautiful/handsome is irrelevant.

It follows that we become different dancers with different partners – different interpretations of the music (by both leader & follower), different emotions expressed to our partners through the dance, quite apart from the variations in embrace, timing, and technique that we feel.

The attraction of returning to the same milonga includes the anticipation of dancing with some of the same partners, knowing what to expect on the next encounter, knowing what to build on to further enhance the connection …. with that person and with the music. It’s a creative and personal pursuit.

The greatest compliment for a foreigner at a milonga is for an old milonguero or milonguera to say, “you dance like one of us”. The glow lasts well past that evening!

Have you experienced “singles” milongas in Buenos Aires? What was it like for you?

Bob