The Tango: Oh what a dance
Dec 31, 2006, 3:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: NH
Posts: 5,720
The Tango: Oh what a dance
One of the highlights of our trip to Buenos Aires was a visit to a milonga (tango dance hall).
We were fortunate that my sister used to work with an Argentinian (or is it Argentine?) who, along with her sweetheart Carlitos took us to one of the most traditional called "Salon xxxxxxxx"
We were early enough at 11:30 pm to get a table for the 7 of us to just watch, and also early enough to try a few steps on the floor while there weren't that many people yet dancing. Fortunately Carlitos was a gentleman when he asked me to dance, and told me the clues he would give me with his right hand on my back so I knew in advance what he would want me to do.
But the people watching was what was so excruciatingly wonderful and beautiful.
As you've probably heard, most of the women in Buenos Aires are incredibly thin. At US size 12, I was one of the biggest women in the city. The dancers were all incredibly gorgeous as a result.
The tango is a contradition of sexy and pure. The upper bodies are locked together but the hips never touch. That's where all the manoeuvres take place.
What was also really interesting was how partners came together to dance, not to hook up with one another for afterwards. You could see good male dancers dancing with all the good female dancers and vice versa.
It was so impressive to see how good they were. How a man could guide a woman so beautifully, as if they had been dancing exclusively together for their entire lives, and then she'd go dance with someone else who seemed to have an entirely different pattern, and she'd dance with that person... again, as if she'd never danced with anyone else.
It seemed unimportant also, if the woman was tall and the man was short. It was all about the dance.
I think we were the first (wimps) to leave at 2:30 in the morning. That was after watching dancers dance first to recorded music and then 2 different live bands (9 or 10 pc bands each).
Oh, I think the cover charge was AR$1-$2 pesos. Also, when I went to the ladies room, there were two women inside selling tango outfits. They also, I might add... were selling the toilet paper for 50 centavos. I couldn't buy an outfit since they were all too small, but, well, um, I did buy the toilet paper
Please describe your experiences at different tango venues in the city.
OH, BIG QUESTION. The apartment my sister rented had a photograph taken early in the last century of the male butchers dancing the tango together. I've tried searching google images and can't find it. If anyone knows the photo I'm talking about, please let me know. I'd love to get one to frame as a remembrance of our trip.
Rita
We were fortunate that my sister used to work with an Argentinian (or is it Argentine?) who, along with her sweetheart Carlitos took us to one of the most traditional called "Salon xxxxxxxx"
We were early enough at 11:30 pm to get a table for the 7 of us to just watch, and also early enough to try a few steps on the floor while there weren't that many people yet dancing. Fortunately Carlitos was a gentleman when he asked me to dance, and told me the clues he would give me with his right hand on my back so I knew in advance what he would want me to do.
But the people watching was what was so excruciatingly wonderful and beautiful.
As you've probably heard, most of the women in Buenos Aires are incredibly thin. At US size 12, I was one of the biggest women in the city. The dancers were all incredibly gorgeous as a result.
The tango is a contradition of sexy and pure. The upper bodies are locked together but the hips never touch. That's where all the manoeuvres take place.
What was also really interesting was how partners came together to dance, not to hook up with one another for afterwards. You could see good male dancers dancing with all the good female dancers and vice versa.
It was so impressive to see how good they were. How a man could guide a woman so beautifully, as if they had been dancing exclusively together for their entire lives, and then she'd go dance with someone else who seemed to have an entirely different pattern, and she'd dance with that person... again, as if she'd never danced with anyone else.
It seemed unimportant also, if the woman was tall and the man was short. It was all about the dance.
I think we were the first (wimps) to leave at 2:30 in the morning. That was after watching dancers dance first to recorded music and then 2 different live bands (9 or 10 pc bands each).
Oh, I think the cover charge was AR$1-$2 pesos. Also, when I went to the ladies room, there were two women inside selling tango outfits. They also, I might add... were selling the toilet paper for 50 centavos. I couldn't buy an outfit since they were all too small, but, well, um, I did buy the toilet paper
Please describe your experiences at different tango venues in the city.
OH, BIG QUESTION. The apartment my sister rented had a photograph taken early in the last century of the male butchers dancing the tango together. I've tried searching google images and can't find it. If anyone knows the photo I'm talking about, please let me know. I'd love to get one to frame as a remembrance of our trip.
Rita
Last edited by rkt10; Jan 28, 2007 at 1:31 pm Reason: Edited in deference to nytango's desire to keep the salon a secret. PM me if you want the details.
Jan 3, 2007, 6:25 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, spg gold, hhdiamond
Posts: 1,594
Oh how i wish you didnt post this.. Somethings are better left quiet.
Tourists usually end up in the "tango shows" which are not real at all. Those shows are Tango for export or tango fantasia..
Oth, if anyone needs info on Canning or other milongas let me know. I spend lots of time in them....
In addition to size, age is meaningless, and the milongas get good around 3-4am, Hope there was a good performance the night you were there..
Tourists usually end up in the "tango shows" which are not real at all. Those shows are Tango for export or tango fantasia..
Oth, if anyone needs info on Canning or other milongas let me know. I spend lots of time in them....
In addition to size, age is meaningless, and the milongas get good around 3-4am, Hope there was a good performance the night you were there..