Is there a clear definition of what tango milonguero is? And, if there is, can that explain what makes it different from other ways of dancing tango?
When I published my article about why I dance milonguero, it became quite obvious that the idea of “tango milonguero” means different things to different people. I was aware from my previous interactions with fellow milongueros that it’s like a cloud of shapeless meaning without clear boundaries.
In his reflections about the nature of time, St. Augustine said, “If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know,” and I think it perfectly matches what I’m talking about.
“Ivica, it’s simple: tango milonguero is the style of the old milongueros from the Golden Age,” one may say.
This is true, but it’s not a definition. Merely stating that the old milongueros danced tango milonguero does not provide a clear explanation of what defines ‘tango milonguero.’ The questions ‘How did they dance? What did they do differently?’ still remain unanswered.
Milonguero is tango meant to be danced (and first developed) at milongas of the Golden Age. Enthusiasts continue to refine this tradition to this day.
Given its origin in milongas, I believe it must meet certain requirements:
- It must accommodate crowded dance floors (showing respect for other dancers).
- It must facilitate elegance and a strong connection with one’s partner.
- It must express the music effectively
So, based on these requirements, using all my knowledge and experience, I came up with these points which I think are the closest definition of tango milonguero.
Milonguero Musicality
If you ask me to point out just one single thing that differentiates tango milonguero, it’s the musicality. As I pointed out in my article about the myths surrounding milonguero, there are many things that milongueros do that make them quite different from each other. In that, it’s hard to find what makes their dancing similar? What is it that you can still say they have in common?
Watching them dance and analyzing what they do, I think the most important thing that connects them all is the way they listen to and interpret the music.
If you see a show dancer or performer, they will most of the time find an audible pattern in the music and express it with their movements. That includes things like musical bridges, passages, musical phrases, or distinctive ideas, something that a general audience or even non-dancers can notice without delving deeper.
That is usually the part of the music that touches the ear, the sounds!
Here is a short example of what I mean:
On the other hand, milonguero dancers focus on the deeper structures. They exist, but they are not always audible. The best way for me to describe them is as the abstract mathematical structure behind the music.
Let me illustrate this with a violinist: while he plays a melody, his feet will tap the rhythm like a metronome. The listener will not hear the tapping, but it exists as an abstract structure that holds the melody regular.
It’s this regular pattern that I notice first when I see a milonguero dancing – or better, it’s focusing on the surface of the music that I notice in stage performances.
The mathematical structure of the music is regular and predictable. This means that dancers who follow it are moving in a smooth and predictable way. One doesn’t need choreographed movements to dance musically, so it can be improvised in an elegant way, focusing on the connection, and not the steps.
Maturity and Social Intelligence
I strongly believe that having perfect technique or a bad-ass repertoire of steps is not the primary prerequisite to dance social tango. It’s good to be good, of course, but it’s more important to have some emotional maturity and social intelligence. One must dance with respect and wisdom, not trying to prove anything to others.
Tango exposes people’s flaws and gives them a great platform to work on them and become better versions of themselves.
Trying to show off, to compete with others, disrespecting the context… it all comes from insecurities and ego, which are the main roadblocks to becoming better dancers (or even better people).
A social tango dancer enters the ronda and is not a separate entity anymore. First, they become a dancing couple, they become one, in other words “one animal with four legs and two beating hearts”. Second, and that is more important here, they become a part of the ronda, together with all the couples that dance on the dance floor.
When couples communicate with other couples, the ronda suddenly becomes a living creature, a network of units that move in unison, taking care of others and trying to distribute the equal amount of space available to every unit.
All of that becomes obvious when one understands how much emotional maturity and social intelligence helps a social dancer to connect with their partner and other fellow dancers on the dance floor.
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Ivica
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Repertoire that perfectly fits with Tango Music
Many people may not fully understand why social tango is traditionally danced to music from the Golden Age.
In my view, social tango (milonguero) is tightly integrated with tango music. It’s not simply about executing steps to match the rhythm and melody; rather, there’s a rich history of integration between the dance and the music. Questionably, performing social tango steps to any music may not truly be considered dancing tango at all.
Why do I say this?
During the Golden Age, dancers and musicians shared the same space, creating an intimate connection. This wasn’t just about physical proximity; it was about mutual influence and shared emotion. Musicians could observe how their music was interpreted by dancers, and dancers could absorb the sentiment of the music, expressing it through their movements. The symbiosis between music and dance was real – they were inseparable. Separating them creates an undeniable void; without this connection, I’m not sure I see it as social tango.
But why not innovate?
Yes, it’s possible – but new music requires a new approach to both music and movement. All of that seems to me like some new dance – it’s not tango anymore.
Dancing milonguero to music from the Golden Age isn’t about difficulty or showcasing talent; it’s about effortless elegance and deep connection. The music serves as a guide, enabling dancers to express their musicality and connect deeply with their partner. Ultimately, it’s this connection that truly matters.
Personality of the Dancer
Social tango isn’t a standardized dance; there’s no wrong way of doing it. If it works for you and your partner, and as long as it doesn’t disrupt others on the dance floor, it’s good. My personal preference aside, what truly matters is whether other partners enjoy dancing with you.
It’s an evolutionary process – successful approaches endure while ineffective ones fade away.I completely agree with Rick when he says that social tango evolved and stage tango was intelligent design:
“Stage tango is the result of conscious planning. It’s made up mostly of figures and steps that were intentionally designed by people for the purpose of entertaining other people. Social tango, on the other hand, is the result of natural selection. Like organisms that exist in the natural world, social tango has been shaped and polished over the years by the conditions that surround it. Social tango was shaped by the environment of the milonga, and you can’t separate them. Social tango and the milonga are meaningless without each other.”
Tango and Chaos in Buenos Aires
I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I see performers and stage dancers they all look alike to me. There’s something that makes them similar… the way they keep their posture… the way they walk… the way they interpret the music… In my perception, it all leads to one standard, one “right way” of dancing.
On the other hand, when I see milongueros, I can see imperfections which give their dancing a personal touch. It’s like when I tell my friends I like those little imperfect houses in the old part of Porto more than huge white stone buildings in Vienna. I like both Porto and Vienna, but there’s something warm, human, personal, comforting in the imperfection – and there’s something cold, inhuman, distant, official, and formal in perfection. As one of my college professors used to say – perfection is totalitarian!
No wonder, there are millions of music aficionados around the world who prefer to listen to music from old vinyl records, not despite the imperfections of the noises they produce, but because of it. Imperfections and personality are what make tango rich, and insisting on perfection and standardization is what reduces it.
Tango Milonguero is defined by its connection with music, movement, and social interaction. I think that rigid definitions are impossible, but if you’re able to recognize those key features, it’s clear.
Old milongueros used to say that the best compliment a dancer can get is that they dance elegantly. Although it’s not a clear definition, it pretty much grasps what milonguero is – elegance could be found more in the simplicity, in ease and in the character, rather than in the appearance.
I have understood milonguero to mean that everything else is subservient to the deeper emotional connection between the dancers, firstly with your own partner, and secondly with other couples.
In a way, I feel it is less “four legs, two beating hearts” than “four legs, one beating heart”.
Codigos, musicality, step repertoire, maturity, capability of dancing in small spaces etc. all contribute to a better emotional connection. Even the embrace contributes to it, because emotional connection is between the heart chakras, and physical connection at that point contributes to that.
They all contribute to a better connection, but they are not the “it”. It is like organizing a party. You can play great music, invite interesting people, cook wonderful food, have a nice venue. But you may still have a boring party. And you can have a great party when some of these ingredients is missing. But we still take care to add these ingredients, because they contribute to a great party.
I sampled the teachers in my city and decided the ‘milonguero’ philosophy was right for me. The key difference is that rather than continuously add to my repertoire of figures, I keep a minimalist approach. So my tango progresses not by adding movement, but by removing it. I feel I dance better by removing, subtracting and simplifying, giving a window to feeling, force and efficiency.
As much as I enjoyed reading this… I wonder… if it makes sense to see milonguero as a style?
For me… I think of milonguero not as a style (because everyone has their own) but as a whole mindset of a dancing that focuses on communication with your partner, musical expression and respect of the other dancers.