Let’s talk about milonga dancers.
If you’ve ever been in a gym, you’ve probably heard the joke about “skipping leg day.” Guys love building their upper body, but many hate working on their legs. That’s why we have the cliché of the “chicken legs bodybuilder” – strong arms and chest, but skinny legs. This meme is so strong that I even once saw a 404 error page (the one that tells you the webpage doesn’t exist) that read: “This page has skipped leg day.”
Why am I telling you this? Because I can’t help but think of that joke every time I see a mostly empty dance floor when the DJ plays a milonga tanda. In my opinion, skipping the milonga tanda is the tango version of skipping leg day.
It happens more than you think
I’ll admit, I’ve done it too. Yes, sometimes it’s because I don’t like the DJ’s choice – but more often, it’s just an excuse.
Two things usually happen when a milonga tanda starts: the dance floor empties, and the bar suddenly gets crowded.
When I’m DJing, I dread that moment. Especially if the mood is already low – putting on a milonga can clear the floor even more. Sometimes I break the rules and play a vals instead, just to avoid the risk. It sometimes works. But when I do, I know I’ll hear about it from the few dancers who love milonga. They remind me I “forgot” it – or ask if I skipped it on purpose.
Well, I dedicate this article to those people.
In almost every milonga I’ve been to, there are always a few dancers who jump to their feet the moment a milonga tanda starts. These are the dancers I respect.
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Not all of them are technically great or have special skills – but they love milonga. They feel its unique character. And there’s something else: just by watching how someone dances milonga, you can understand a lot about them – their musicality, their improvisational skills, their sense of rhythm, and their ability to connect with their partner.
Milonga is not tango or vals
It’s disappointing to see people dance milonga the same way they dance tango or vals, as if the music didn’t change. Yes, there are similarities – but they are also completely different. The milonga sentiment has something more to it.
For me, milonga is the one that keeps the spirit of the roots of the dance. If tango shows the European influence – elegant, refined, even a bit dark – then milonga reflects the African and South American influences: playful, grounded, raw and full of life. You can hear where it comes from – the candombe rhythms that echoed through the streets of Buenos Aires, and the habanera that arrived from Cuba and never quite left.
Dancing milonga well isn’t about going fast and chasing every beat. It’s about knowing when to accelerate, when to hold the tempo steady, and how to do it all without breaking the connection with your partner. And while you’re doing all of that, you have to be able to improvise.
Milonga is different. And for me, those who love dancing it are special. They are the ones who remind us that tango isn’t just about elegance – it’s also about joy, playfulness, and rhythm.
So when I see a dancer light up during a milonga tanda, I know I’m watching something special. These are the dancers who didn’t skip leg day. These are the dancers I respect.
Most DJ’s play non danceable milongas. It might be because they themselves have no idea on how to dance it. Ideal milongas for traspié ere Canaro’s of the 30’s, Típica Víctor, Donato, maybe others, byt slow beat. BPM between 140 and 200 are ideal for traspié, where BPM is given by the timing of the Taran-Tan-Tan.
I always loved milonga. It is so fun Quite often DJs skip them which is so disappointing.
Milonga does not make much sense without traspié. Knowing salsa casino WELL, gave me an intant first place in the milonga con traspié lessons. I basically learned one firulete each day of group lessons.
Not all milongas are apt to dance with traspié. Similarly not all salsa songs are apt to salsa casino. It depends on the beat. Beats per minute. Fast beats are not for traspié. Milonga lisa is ok, but somewhat boring. Unfortunately 90% of the people you see dancing milonga have no idea how to dance it traspié or lisa.
Very few instructors know how to dance and teach milonga with traspié or lisa.
I am and will always be very thankful to Oreste, the ex consul of Italy in La Plata, Argentina, who brought me to the master of milonga with traspié lessons in Buenos Aires in 2008 in Gricel, Ricardo Viqueira. .
It is extremely difficult to find a woman capable of following milonga with traspié firuletes. Some I have tried and could not catch it, ended up angry at me, so I do not try much anymore.
I struggled with milonga for years not because of steps or rhythm, but because milonga demands groundedness, stability, feel, and a real embrace. And abvoe all ‘low latency dancing’ ; which is to be able to feel and transmit movement in almost real-time with no delay. Once those qualities integrated, milonga became simple. Now I can’t stop dancing it! And interestingly, learning to inhabit milonga has deepened my tango and vals immeasurably as well.