FAQ

On the one hand, there is the dance and Argentina’s cultural heritage – generations of maestros have spoken on the subject – mostly in enigmatic, stilted language, behind which a philosophy seems to lie. In any case, there is a depth to be felt in the music and in the shared experience of dancing that never lets many people go.

And then on the other hand there is the musical style/genre: songs in 4/4 time. Of the three ‘genres’ – tango, milonga and vals – played in Argentine tango, this is the solemn, dramatic music that one recognises as tango on the radio.

A milonga is a tango dance event where people dance socially according to distinctive Argentine rules. Under no circumstances should you practise or suggest to your partner that they are doing something wrong. No, here you take your partner in your arms with complete mindfulness and respect, listening to the music together and moving to it. In the final stage, it’s like a body with four legs or two bodies with just two legs – whichever you prefer. At the milonga, the three types of song are played in a fixed sequence: 4+4 tangos, then 3 waltzes, then 4+4 tangos, then 3 milongas. And so on.

Ah, so milongas are played at the milonga? Yes, because there is also this second meaning: the musical genre ‘milonga’ – very rhythmic, playful and cheerful songs to dance to.

You don’t ask that sort of thing in Vienna, 3/4 time, come on. Keep it lively, but stay grounded.

This is where you arrange to meet a dance partner to practise.

Exactly, the dance floor. You’ll spot it straight away. When people are dancing, you can’t walk across it or over it just because you want to get to the bar. You have to go round it.

It’s only natural that this question comes up. Essentially, what you want is to be able to maintain your balance as long as possible, whilst also keeping your partner more or less in line with you and in his axis.

This is an extremely important question in tango. I’ve been told that when you turn, your whole body should ideally be balanced over the pivot point on the floor, so that you don’t get ‘thrown off balance’. In the same way, you can knock your partner off balance or push them during a turn 'out of axis'. It's a spectacle, but you shouldn’t do that.

When it comes to drinking and the axis, there’s also the Ronda to consider. On the dance floor, you have to stay neatly in your lane, measured from the outer edge. So, for example, the outer lane. And you mustn’t get too close to the couple in front of you. And you mustn’t overtake them. And under no circumstances should you ‘push back’ too far, otherwise you’ll bump into the couple behind you. After all, it’s not about getting around the dance floor as quickly as possible. Navigating means moving along with the crowd in the right spot in a way that’s comfortable for everyone in the hall, especially your dance partner. Inside, within the embrace, a story can be told and heard without moving a single metre further. The whole thing is more like a song than an opera.

You stand at the edge of the dance floor and try to make eye contact with the passing dance couples, or more specifically with the lead dancer. Once you’ve made eye contact, you can use small gestures to get their consent to join the circle. Under no circumstances should you simply walk onto the dance floor and start dancing, as this would be disrespectful to the dancers, who need to be able to rely on a certain amount of space. If the dancing couples know that another couple is joining them, they can adjust their movements accordingly and make room.

Three or four songs played back-to-back, which you dance with the same partner, last about 10–15 minutes, then there’s a cortina – that’s a different piece of music – and you stroll back off the dance floor.

With leather soles, so you can turn/pivot easily. In fact, women’s tango shoes are pretty much the most intricate and beautiful shoes our civilisation has ever produced.

Because dancing is such a lovely experience, people usually make an effort to look their best for it. And they make sure they smell nice and everything, because you’re in close contact with your dance partner for a good fifteen minutes. And this for hours.

You want to dance with someone, so you pluck up the courage and look at them. This exchange of glances (cf. Tristan and Isolde) is called a ‘mirada’. You have to do this from a minimum distance of 2 metres. If your eyes meet, the other person then has a good 2 seconds to react. Either look away with a friendly smile – which means ‘I don’t want to dance right now, please do try again in fifteen minutes! I might not be in the mood, or my feet might hurt, or I’d like a drink, or I don’t like the music at the moment. Even if I’m dancing with someone else who’s just visiting, I don’t mean any harm – we’ll dance another time!’ Or simply, after 2 seconds, the confirmation...

This is the nod or the gesture of agreement and greeting after two seconds of eye contact, perhaps a wink (please, no eye-rolling) – the signal that you both want to dance this tanda together! Then one person approaches the other – the person sitting down should ideally continue to wait patiently – until you both head out onto the dance floor together.

The closing song – is played at the end of every milonga.

If anyone knows, please get in touch!