tango: walk this way

So you’ve decided that after a few classes, and a few lessons that you think you’re ready to go out dancing. GREAT! C’mon, its lots of fun and you’ll meet even more people than you thought possible. Tango is a great dance to make friends, and to make a life in. This is not a dance that you dance once in a while, it can be a life changing event for a lot of people for a lot of reasons. And for that reason I thought it was important to give you a few guides to help you along the way.

Where do I find classes, and practices ?

See the Resource List below on “Where To Dance ???”. You’ll also find my primer guide to the practica and classes.

What do I do at a dance ?

Well, hopefully, you’ll have a good time. However, for the first time dancer, a milonga (which is what a tango dance party is called), can be a little intimidating at first, ok for a while, but you’ll get the hang of things as time goes by. However, in the meantime I’ve listed a few things for you to think about while you are there, from asking for a dance, to things you should do and not do, what shoes you should wear, and so on….

For classes and practicas, wear loose fitting, and lite clothing. No jewelry or very minimal jewelry that doesn’t protrude, hang, or can get caught on someone’s clothing. No perfumes or glitter. No clothing that’s ‘frilly’ or that will get caught in other people’s clothing.

For milongas, same idea as above, but you can add to the list, act like you’re going out for a night on the town, because you are! This is an opportunity to dress up. Do so, but follow the rules above. You can wear form fitting or tight clothing, whatever you like, just as long as it doesn’t interfere with your ability to move your body or inhibit your motion in any way, shape, or form. And that includes clothing that is very skimpy. A note for the ladies, do whatever you want to do here but keep in mind that clothing that is not secured down, will get tosseled and tusseled especially in close embrace. The same thing with hair. Don’t expect that you’re going to keep that fancy new hairdo very long, because you’re not. Dancing at a milonga can be sweaty business. So expect that you will perspire and keep the hairdos to an absolute minimum. Which also brings up another piece for both ladies and men, hair styles: Any hair that can impede vision, or distracts from someone’s ability to embrace you in any way, shape, or form is probably a no-no. That’s just my personal opinion. Again, do what you want, but you’ll find that a lot of people that are dancing a lot keep their hair well trimmed or kept up. Also because this is a sweaty business, leaders, get yourself a handkerchief, or a dry washcloth, and keep it in your back pocket or jacket pocket. You’ll thank me later.

How much does it cost ?

Typically a class will run you about 10 to 15 dollars, a workshop from 20 to 50 (depending on which visiting teacher is coming), and a milonga will cost you anywhere from 10 to 15, and a practica anywhere from 5 to 15, depending on the city and who’s who at what practica. Some venues have a two for one deal, meaning you can take the class and stay for the practica or milonga afterwards for 5 dollars more.

So where do you go dancing ?

There’s usually a milonga in every major city in the nation (US), and around the world. So how do you find one ? Fortunately for you, there’s an international resource or two that can help you find classes, practicas, and milongas. One of them was a social research project developed by a few students at Yale, and that project is now going strongly and its called “KNOWTANGO“. The interface is pretty simple and clear and self-explanatory. However, in each regional city there’s a good tango resource website, these are a few that I recommend, there are others, this is by no means a complete or exhaustive list. I can, however, safely say, I’ve danced in all of these cities below, on a regular basis, for quite some time, and I can with reasonable certainty state that you will not have any problems finding some place to dance, or someone to dance with that is at your level of dance.