Ha, What Else? Tango - Milongas

[Cialu]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]I just posted this in women's forum, then realized that everyone, men and women, may have an equally valid and imortang [/background]viewpoint which would be nice to know. [background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]I am an american woman, 35yo, traveling to BA in Feb/March to dance, experience a new culture and see new things. I very much hope to meet new people and make friends as well. [/background][background=rgb(252, 252, 252)] I enjoy tango and dance milonguero salon style, can follow reasonably well to good, and respect the codigos; my ideal/reference is 40-50s in terms of culture, musicality and improvisation. [/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]I've read books and guides, incl 'Sally's happy tango" and 'tango lover's guide to dancing in BA' and many guidebooks, i've asked local friends, and browsed this forum and many blogs. They all contradict each other and it is impossible for me to form a cohesive picture. Information does not match. My hope is to make good choices, given my limited time here; out of 10+ milongas each day, to go to 1 and enjoy it. I would be very grateful for direct suggestions. we are mostly non-portenos here and thus possibly may share a similar experience in the beginning. [/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]So, those of you who dance: could you please share your recomendations about:[/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]-men who dance well go to ?? (obviously, i'm asking re men who can dance and do dance, not famous milongueros viejos who come to watch)[/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]-where would those men be more likely to invite a stranger?[/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]-earlier milongas for good milonguero dancing/more invitations - is it always true? [/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]- particular recomendations per day?[/background]


[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Thanks so very much!!![/background]

 

[southerner]

38 y/o beginner dancer here. I'll be in BA in March. I'm interested in following this topic.
Thanks for posting, Cialu!

 

[sylvie]

The reason your guidebooks and friends contradict each other is that there is no way to answer your questions. Where would men be more likely to invite a stranger? What kind of stranger? There are so many factors that affect whether you will get invited: your appearance, your height, your level of dance, the confidence you project, the warmth you project, your style of dress... and on and on. I go to two or three milongas a week, and at any one of them I might dance nonstop or I might never leave my seat. I'm the same person each time, but there may be fewer men I know one week... or maybe I'm projecting a different energy.

Where do men who dance well go to dance? Maybe the men you consider good dancers are not the ones I would consider good. My friends don't necessarily like the same leaders I do... we all have a different connection. In any case, it is not true that the afternoon milongas attract better dancers. I can't think of an afternoon milonga that has a level of dance that matches some of the better night milongas, That said, I dance with some great leaders at afternoon milongas. It is sooo variable.

Anyway, as a 35-year-old woman, especially if you are attractive and look younger than your age, you will get asked to dance often. Unless the day you go there happen to be dozens of other young, beautiful women... many of whom are already known by the men. That happens. The best thing to do if things look hopeless is to go to another milonga.

My best advice would be to not stress about it. You will get to dance. You will have a good time. You will be here for long enough to find your own favorites. Some little milongas del barrio are much more fun than the famous ones that all the tourists go to. (For instance, I wouldn't go to Niño Bien with a gun to my head.)

If you have any specific questions, post them and I'll try to help.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

I agree.
You should go to different milongas until you find yours.
El Beso on Sundays and Tuesdays is good, specially for women. You are going to feel young there.
Milonga 10 on Tuesday and Saturdays is another good place but there you might feel older.
La Viruta is good late, very late, but it is a place where you shouldn´t fish because there are low and high end and nothing in between. There you can dance only with dancers you already know. (Speacially if they look like "He-Man", go to La Viruta and you will understand)
Canning is good on Mondays. El Pial on Fridays. Villa Malcolm on Wednesday is the best night (fruto dulce). Grisel is a place were young women like you dance a lot (average over 55 years old).
So, try them and choose yours.
Regards

 

[Cialu]

My best advice would be to not stress about it. You will get to dance. You will have a good time. You will be here for long enough to find your own favorites. Some little milongas del barrio are much more fun than the famous ones that all the tourists go to. (For instance, I wouldn't go to Niño Bien with a gun to my head.)

If you have any specific questions, post them and I'll try to help.

Hi Sylvie, I LOVE your Nino Bien comment, so fun ok, i thought i was specific, how to be more so? what you mention is all absolutely true and understandable. ok, my goal, concretely: to dance with leaders (any age/social persuasion) who dance to the music and have a good embrace and dance fluidly and improvise with rhythm. not the coffee after, the actual dance is the goal here Myself: i dance reasonably well, am ok looking, yes younger than my age; will wear contacts or glasses so hard to cabeceo at a distance in half-lit room but easily do so in bright small room, dress nicely/somewhat classy-stylishly but tend to avoid sexed up look. In my past visit, have enjoyed early Canning on Sunday.
Does it help?

 

[Cialu]

I agree.
You should go to different milongas until you find yours.
El Beso on Sundays and Tuesdays is good, specially for women. You are going to feel young there.
Milonga 10 on Tuesday and Saturdays is another good place but there you might feel older.
La Viruta is good late, very late, but it is a place where you shouldn´t fish because there are low and high end and nothing in between. There you can dance only with dancers you already know. (Speacially if they look like "He-Man", go to La Viruta and you will understand)
Canning is good on Mondays. El Pial on Fridays. Villa Malcolm on Wednesday is the best night (fruto dulce). Grisel is a place were young women like you dance a lot (average over 55 years old).
So, try them and choose yours.
Regards

Hi and thanks - you mention some , like El Pial, which i did not know about at all. Yet you do not mention El Beso or Lo de Celia?
Not sure re La Viruta, a friend advised to go Wed, Fri, Sat, late (3.30 ) but you are saying one only gets to dance if you know people there? so it makes little sense to go otehrwise?
and no mention of LaGlorietta - is it too hot for that, or personal preference?
I wrote a more detailed description of what i'm hoping to find in post right up - does it help at all?


Thanks a million times!

 

[sylvie]

Cialu,

I need to understand what style of dance you're looking for. You mention in the original post "milonguero salon style," which is really confusing. Milongas here are increasingly breaking down by age/style -- unfortunate, but a reality. The young milongas are almost exclusively salon style... a more open embrace with more elaborate movements and adornments. Milonguero style is quite the opposite... very close embrace, with teeny movements (back crosses instead of ochos with pivot, for example) and almost no decorations. Since you liked Canning on Sunday, I suspect you are actually looking for close embrace, but not true milonguero style.

I would recommend Lujos at El Beso on Thursdays. There's a good level of dance, but you'll probably get to dance more than on Tuesdays at El Beso. The Tuesday milonga (Cachirulo) is very good, but so well known to tourists for its high level that there will be tons of competition. Try them both, though!

Bajo_cero mentions a couple of young, salon places... Villa Malcolm and Milonga 10. If you don't usually dance salon, you may find them a bit intimidating (not knowing anyone and facing a lot of stunning 20-year-olds). As he says, La Viruta is good only very late... and yes, the good dancers all dance with each other. I don't think it's what you're looking for.

I didn't mention La Glorieta because I live in San Telmo and it's a LONG bus ride for me. Where are you staying? It's a charming milonga. Also, do you know the website http://www.hoy-milonga.com ? It's new, and the only reliable source of schedules, because it's updated constantly.

Hope this helps. If not, let me know.

 

[Cialu]

Cialu,

I need to understand what style of dance you're looking for. You mention in the original post "milonguero salon style," which is really confusing. Milongas here are increasingly breaking down by age/style -- unfortunate, but a reality. The young milongas are almost exclusively salon style... a more open embrace with more elaborate movements and adornments. Milonguero style is quite the opposite... very close embrace, with teeny movements (back crosses instead of ochos with pivot, for example) and almost no decorations. Since you liked Canning on Sunday, I suspect you are actually looking for close embrace, but not true milonguero style.

I would recommend Lujos at El Beso on Thursdays. There's a good level of dance, but you'll probably get to dance more than on Tuesdays at El Beso. The Tuesday milonga (Cachirulo) is very good, but so well known to tourists for its high level that there will be tons of competition. Try them both, though!

Bajo_cero mentions a couple of young, salon places... Villa Malcolm and Milonga 10. If you don't usually dance salon, you may find them a bit intimidating (not knowing anyone and facing a lot of stunning 20-year-olds). As he says, La Viruta is good only very late... and yes, the good dancers all dance with each other. I don't think it's what you're looking for.

I didn't mention La Glorieta because I live in San Telmo and it's a LONG bus ride for me. Where are you staying? It's a charming milonga. Also, do you know the website http://www.hoy-milonga.com ? It's new, and the only reliable source of schedules, because it's updated constantly.

Hope this helps. If not, let me know.

Hi and again many thanks for this level of detail. So, sorry for confusion. here in Boston/New england 'salon' is meant anything danced at a milonga as opposed to fantasia/show or more open embrace nuevo style. Milonguero here is meant close embrace, small steps, musical and connection/embrace emphasized. Here we learn figures both ways - eg ocho cortado w tiny steps and ocho cortado into god knows what figure all over floor in open embrace. So yes, i'm talking close embrace and steps/figures don't matter, i would just follow whatever is led.

I'll be in Balvanera, very close to ElBeso/ Porteno Bailarin so would definitely make it tehre for classes/dances. If you are at all keen, would LOVE to meet up!!! in San telmo, there's supposed to be Pl Dorego on Sun, and Flor de Milonga? which are nice.

Lastly, music - DJ Dani Boreli is being promoted as one hot ticket, how do you know where/when he's dj'ing?

i did not know that milongas break down by age groups, i thought it's by style or neighboorhood in viruta, i know to come in very late, but you are right, if people truly dance only w those they know there would be no point for me even though i can do open and even parallel - close embrace changing into open embrace then opening into nothing and reconsiling into open, good for pivots and swirls and momentum but more like modern dance/ballet (eg my friend who is a tango teacher/performer goes tehre, i imagine she dances w men from shows she's been in)

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Hi and thanks - you mention some , like El Pial, which i did not know about at all. Yet you do not mention El Beso or Lo de Celia?
Not sure re La Viruta, a friend advised to go Wed, Fri, Sat, late (3.30 ) but you are saying one only gets to dance if you know people there? so it makes little sense to go otehrwise?
and no mention of LaGlorietta - is it too hot for that, or personal preference?
I wrote a more detailed description of what i'm hoping to find in post right up - does it help at all?


Thanks a million times!

La Viruta is full of vulpures who are awful dancers. Or outstanding dancers who were working during the day dancing and they go there for socializing and they might dance only if this is going to be an outstanding dance or night...

La Glorieta is the only place where if nobody knows you, everybody invites you to dance. Level is average and low. Buena onda is high.

I´ve never been at Lo de Celia.

I mentioned El Beso.

El Pial means La Baldosa on Fridays.

I think that the key is to understand and respect the codes. If I see a woman who stands up after a cabeceo and looks for the man, I just don t invite her: begginer and super banned.

If when the tanda finishes, she stays talking with somebody on the dance floor, banned, too easy and I don t want that milongueras think that I am fishing.

I also suggest you study the dancefloor. Its easy to see who is who. If nobody knows you, nobody want to take the risk. If milongueros see you dancing with somebody they respect, they are going to invite you.

If you don t want a coffe invitation, go home early at El Beso, after 1.30 nobody dances if there is nothing after because then is when they invite, they expect to be invited.

At La Viruta, don t go on Thurdays, there are no tandas. And never dance after 5.30. The lights are off for a couple of seconds just before la Cumparsita.

Basic but important, don t dance more than 2 tandas in one night with anybody. Since I have a family I prefer to dance only once per night so there is no missunderstandings at all.

You seat with women and if a man seats self invited you look at him as he is rapping his own mother.

We have two reasons for inviting to dance a new girl, she is an outstanding dancer or she is super cute.

I also suggest to take some classes with Yuyu, she has a really beatiful embracement and her students too.

 

[sylvie]

OK, so it sounds like you would enjoy a little of this and a little of that. Experiment with some salon places.

Flor de Milonga is long gone from San Telmo (see why hoy-milonga.com is so useful?). It moved to La Boca, and now I think is somewhere on Rivadavia. The outdoor milonga in Plaza Dorrego continues, but it has shrunk into a small, sad shell of its former self. The neighboring restaurants have captured some of the space, and the Murgas (the guys who bang their drums endlessly every Sunday night) now park themselves right next to the milonga, so you can't even hear the tango music.

A nice place, late on Sunday nights, is Torquato Tasso. They usually have a very good orchestra and the dancing is fun. I also love Cochabamba 444 on Thursday nights. A tiny, cool spot with good neighborhood dancers.