TEN PRINCIPLES OF TANGO

Ten commandments of milonguerosJune 2, 2009 by jantango
After ten years of listening to men who are married to the milonga, I have compiled what I believe to be the ten commandments of milongueros.
1. Thou shalt always dress well. A milonguero bathes and shaves before the milonga. A pressed suit, clean shirt and tie are his uniform. Trimmed hair, shined shoes, and scent of cologne complete his attire for the milonga.
2. Thou shalt dance one’s own style. A milonguero is a self-taught dancer with his own style, who can dance elegantly with any woman and make her happy. A milonguero has learned by observing others, but he never copied them.
3. Thou shalt dance well or not at all. If there is no woman with whom he can dance his best, a milonguero is content to listen to the music and observe the dancing.
4. Thou shalt dance for yourself and your partner. A milonguero dances what he feels and transmits that feeling to his partner. He doesn’t dance to perform or for applause.
5. Thou shalt treat women with respect. A milonguero never approaches a woman at her table nor greets women while entering the milonga.
6. Thou shalt invite a woman to dance from the table. A milonguero uses either a tilt of the head or movement of the lips to invite a woman to dance. The invitation is subtle and not obvious to others in the milonga. Once his invitation is refused by a woman, he will not invite her again.
7. Thou shalt not dance with another man’s partner. A milonguero takes time to observe the floor for several tandas so that he knows if a woman he wants to invite has a commitment with another man. This is not always obvious since they are seated separately, but dance only with one another. A milonguero has learned patience.
8. Thou shalt dance in the floor space available. A milonguero dances compactly without interfering with others dancing. If he touches other dancers, he quickly acknowledges it by raising his hand.
9. Thou shalt not dance consecutive tandas. A milonguero dances only when he is inspired by the music. He can wait hours to hear his favorite orchestra or a certain tanda that inspires him to dance. A milonguero prefers quality over quantity.
10. Thou shalt not be seen leaving the milonga with a woman. A milonguero arranges to meet a woman on the street. He always leaves the milonga alone, just as he enters it.
Tags: milongueros