In the late 19th century, Argentina needed manpower to utilize its vast natural resources. Thus, the door for immigration was open wide, and Buenos Aires was the gateway of new immigrants. Argentina indeed could get the much needed workforce, but there was one problem for the new immigrants – almost all of them were men. They came to Buenos Aires hoping to earn money and return to their home country. However, seldom could they achieve that dream, and most of them were left in Buenos Aires poor and single. Tango was born in this context, where men of the working class desperately needed feminine contact.

For many men in Buenos Aires, tango was the gateway to getting a date, meeting women, or at least having some contact with a feminine being, and this situation continued even in the early 20th century. Out of this special circumstance, tango was formed as a dance of manliness and caring for women. The man “marks” the steps and navigation during the dance, and the woman walks along the marks. She adds quality, attitude, and all the nuances to the dance by how she walks along the marks. The man was the director of the dance, but his directing was only for her pleasure. If he didn’t do a good job, he didn’t get another dance from her, and that meant his not getting a date. The brief period of dancing with a girl for a song was the test ground of the man’s everything related to romance. Just like in a real-world relationship, a man had to show how strong and skillful he was during the dance, but at the same time how much he cared for her, too.

Men in Buenos Aires practiced tango among themselves during the week nights, learning from their seniors in the neighborhood, and went to milongas (tango dance halls) together on Saturday nights after a whole day of preparation. Men on the floor respected each other, because disrespect could lead to an actual fight.

There is no such context these days. There are usually more women than men in any dancing event, and there are numerous other venues for socializing and getting a date. However, because of how tango was developed, tango still carries the marks of the past era.

One interesting fact is that, in the Northern hemisphere, the majority of the men who are serious about tango are from computer science, engineering, or some kind of technology department. There is a similarity between the men in Buenos Aires in the early days of tango and those in the technology sector these days. They both lack feminine contact, or even human contact in general.

Anyway, below is a video clip of a milonga in Buenos Aires these days.

In the past, there were many styles of tango. In different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and around, tango was danced in different ways. In the 21st century, three styles dominate milongas: salon, milonguero, and nuevo. The music played at milongas are of three genres: tango, milonga, and vals. So, there are 9 combinations of dancing styles and musical genres, and an example of each is below.

1. Genre: tango, style: salon

2. Genre: milonga, style: salon

3. Genre: vals, style: salon

4. Genre: tango, style: milonguero

5. Genre: milonga, style: milonguero

6. Genre: vals, style: milonguero

7. Genre: tango, style: nuevo

8. Genre: milonga, style: nuevo

9. Genre: vals, style: nuevo

You can see all of these styles in milongas, where all the three musical genres are played. When you enter a milonga, the contract for a dance is ideally done by making an eye contact. Three to four songs are grouped into one set called “tanda”. The end of a tanda is announced by a non-tango song called “cortina”. Saying “thank you” means “bye on the floor”, so unless you have a very bad experience you don’t say thank you in the middle of a tanda. At the same time, “thank you” does not mean “never tonight” either. How much the man and the woman embrace each other is determined by the woman. If she puts her arm around his shoulder or arm, she is allowing him to embrace her closely. If she puts her hand on his arm, she is allowing only that much closeness to her. Dancing couples move counter-clockwise on the floor following an imaginary line of dance. There can be several concentric lines of dance on one dance floor. Keeping the line of dance and navigating well, thus maintaining the ronda (the collective counter-clockwise motion of people on the floor), is men’s job. If collision or being kicked is inevitable, men should get the hit instead of her.

There are more “codes” in milongas, which I will explain at another time.

In the meantime, check out tango classes and events in the Washington, DC area at http://sites.google.com/site/dctangocalendar/. Also, if you are curious about or interested in dancing to the music I play, check out my DJing schedule.

Hopefully see you and (if you are a woman) dance with you at a milonga sometime.

Rick