I arrived in Buenos Aires with only knowing two things: the name Tango and that it was famous in Buenos Aires. As a dance passionate, I made a deal with myself. I will try one class and if I like it, I will learn tango for one month. And as you can guess I fell in love with tango!

Tango

Introduction

Let’s start with a small introduction of tango. Tango is a couple dance that looks like waltz. Basics consist of walking on the dance floor and doing some ochos. Ocho is simply the name of a way of turning in tango. This video shows you how it looks basically. It is really representative as it is well performed and without fancy moves.

I won’t do a full description but for more information, this website tells about history and vocabulary of tango.

Different types

1. Classical Tango

The brace is quite close but you create more space for doing some steps. This style is the most common one and you the one you will see the most. I especially like it because the dance stays dynamic while still focusing on graceful moves. A fact to stress out is that you can easily recognize a stranger dancing as the distance between the couple is much bigger than an Argentinian one.

2. Milonguero Tang

This type of tango is faster than the previous one. The dance mainly focuses on small and fast steps. The embrace is even closer, both the chest and the head of the couple are in contact.

3. Vals style

The last style which is slower that the classic tango. I can’t speak more about since I haven’t practice, either seen it. I just heard that it is more like waltz and more formal.

Music

Classical tango

Here you can find my personal playlist Spotify, so you will have some music for practicing.

Modern tango

I have also discovered artists that are doing new styles of tango. Unfortunately, they are not on Spotify.

• El Cachivache Quinteto (Punk tango) a group I discovered in a milonga

• Calavera Acid Tango (Techno tango) a small group of a friend I met during the class

Learning

Introduction

I was initially a Salsa and Bachata dancer. However one should say it was useless. The way to dance is really different in tango. For leading the girl, everything is controlled from chest rotation, balance change and steps in specific directions. Your arms always stay align to the chest and don’t drag the girl in order to lead her. Thus, the arms are only used for keeping contacts and beauty of the brace. One you get this bearing, tango is going to be easier and more marvelous. It took me three weeks… Don’t be hurry!

Get the basics

The basic steps for dancing tango and to be like a milonguero quickly is to learn those four steps:

1. Caminata
2. Basic steps
3. Ocho adelante
4. Ocho atras

I found a playlist of videos which explains lots of moves on how to learn from the basics to the more advanced moves… It is also good to review what I have learned in class and to retrieve the name. Looks old but help me a lot.

Mariposita, my school of Tango

Why take classes

Even if practicing home help, overall if you have a partner that wish to learn as well, you will better take classes. Buenos Aires is definitely the good places. You will meet really good teachers and the whole for a good price (5€/group class). The teacher will show you the steps but overall will teach you the bearing that is everything except evident. At the beginning, you will struggle but later on, it will push you forward for dancing very well!

Private vs group class

I didn’t take private lesson since it was too expensive for my budget. Everybody that took some was not disappointed and told me it is the best way for improving, so don’t hesitate. However, if you have also a small budget, group class are enough for learning. The only requirement you have to be concentrated completely during the class and don’t hesitate to ask the teacher directly for whatever doubt.

The school and the teacher

Mariposita is the name of the school I chose since it was close to the place I lived. The address is at 950, Carlos Calvo in San Telmo. I found it from an American girl that did also one month of tango in Buenos Aires.

The teacher Patrick was fantastic. He taught me in a very well manner and is pernickety. I don’t regret it. Next, I added a video taken at the end of a class where Patrick showed the steps learned before.

Other things to know, it is possible to stay in the hotel. A friend I met showed me the place, looks very nice. She took also private class and did yoga and enjoyed it.

Personal advises

Some advice if you want to learn in a fast way.

1. Take a video of the steps you have learned in the class, if the teacher can add remark it is even better
2. Write down the steps you have learned, with your specific remark where you struggle or need to be more focused.
3. Dance with unknown, it’s could be frightening but it will help you to not overfit to a specific partner and see new faults to improve
4. Tango allows you te be lead as a man. That is not usual in couple dance but actually, this is useful. By being lead, I can feel how to lead well and what to improve in my lead.

The two first will allow you to practice between the class, to keep your bearing and skills up. Moreover, you won’t forget the moves you have learned and will be able to still use it after one month of learning. Whereas the two last will help you to improve your general skills for dancing with anyone and make her spending an amazing time!

Timetable

Level	Time
Initiating class	Wednesday / Friday / Saturday
Beginner	Wednesday / Friday
Intermediate	Monday
Advanced	Tuesday

I started the first week with only the initiate class and beginner class to be familiar with Tango. The second week, I switch to intermediate class but it was touch and keep beginner to practice the basics. The third week, I wasn’t much in Buenos Aires so I didn’t practice a lot and I keep the same schedule. During my final week, I did as many classes as possible. Since beginner classes started to be easy, I tried the advanced class. A really good one but intensive. Unfortunately, then I had to stop since I left the city.

Price

Number of class	Price
1	90$
4	300$
8	520$

Practicing

Dancing is the best for improving

My last time learning salsa and bachata, I have remembered one thing. If you want to dance well and in a quick way, you need to take your guts and dance on the dance floor whatever your skills.

Milonga

A milonga is the name of a place with a dance floor where people meet for dancing tango. Buenos Aires is filled with those places and in every day of the week. Most of the milonga open the dancefloor at 22 or 23. During weekdays, it closed around 2 or 3 am. But during the weekend, it is usual to close around 5 am. Welcome in Argentinian time!

Classes in milonga

Most of the time, the milonga provided class before that starts around 21. It a one to two hours classic with a specific theme. I like to take a class before dancing when I am a beginner in a dance as I can warm up and review my skills. That kind of classes is also good for learning new steps to practice directly with a partner later on. Last but not least, it allows me to have a different point of view tango since the class is not done by my classical teacher. Cost are usually between 50-100$ with the entrance for the dancefloor later on.

How to find one

The best way is to use the small app called Hoy milonga. Every day the app is updated with (almost) all the milongas open the current night in Buenos Aires. Just choose one. The app provides the page of the milonga (often a facebook page) and sometimes the address. If not, it is common that you need to send a message (email, facebook, WhatsApp) to the organizer for asking the address. As I met local friends, I always asked them where to go, so I don’t use the app directly but my friends do.

List of Milongas

I have been in many different milongas during my stay. Most of them are located close to the Mariposita school in San Telmo or in Palermo. I went until Palermo since I met local friends that lived there. I preferred to join them since they were also learning, so I was not alone. The journey to Palermo was quite far and complicated, overall for coming back by night, but affordable by taking my time.

• Catedral Club A place with a strange atmosphere but worth going there. It’s often full of tourists. A good place for beginners as well.
• Zonatango  An organization with milonga at different places at different days of the week. There is a milonga on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday. It is not formal and with many young people. I saw the punk band here. There are classes as well.
• Plaza Dorrego An open air milonga for free that I love. However due to public works the dancefloor is reduced, so you feel jammed.
• Marmeta A milonga with a cozy atmosphere. People knows each other and the teachers are good. They try to follow a theme over weeks so it’s better to go regularly.
• Club Premier A milonga for style milonguero style, the only one I try. While learning tango style, it was tough for me to dance but else I recommend it.
• El Tacuari A milonga with people older that seems more formal than the other one I have done. The class before was with a good level.

Un abrazo

Unfortunately, I haven’t take a video of my improvement. But after one month, I was able to dance quite well with another dancer from my class and more or less with a stranger. My only remorse is I finally started to play on the dancefloor and try more advanced stuff but I leave….

Last gift, a video of a couple playing on a table. This is a common performance in some milonga. Enjoy!