What else would a tango dancer want to do on their birthday but dance with friends?  

One of my most influential teachers is Alex Krebs.  When a special event (usually with live music) was coming up he'd say, "If you have any friends left who don't dance tango, this is the event to invite them to."  

Do I have any friends left who don't dance tango?  A few.  You know who you are!

I am very blessed with many friends who put up with my tango obsession long enough to try it themselves.  Some discover they quite like it!  Some dance regularly and some haven't danced since my last birthday.  The best part about January 25th is that I get to dance with lots of friends, and those who are new to tango have lots of company!  At Milonga Brava, there are always a two or three people who have never tried tango before, but Birthday Milonga Brava has dozens of tango newbies!  How exciting!

Around this time last year, my good friend Beth hadn't really given tango a go.  She tried it at my birthday milonga and these days she's well known among many dancers as having the very best facial expressions.  She's also leading and following with the best of 'em!

Some other first-timers at my birthday milonga last year have become dancing fiends!  Others have gone once or twice.  Some have not touched it since.  Regardless, I am glad for every person who tried tango.  It is the best birthday gift that one could give.

If you're in the St. John's area, you are invited to my birthday milonga!  Here's what you should expect:

• Lots of people!  Beginners and the local milongeras/milongeros alike. 
• No judgement!  If anyone laughs at anyone else I will throw them out. It's my birthday, and no human shall be mocked.
• A foundations lesson from 7pm-8pm.  Great for any level of experience (including none at all).
• A birthday dance!  This is a song where as many people as possible try to dance with the birthday person before the end of the song.  Depending on the number of people in attendance, this often means each person only gets about 10 seconds to dance before passing the special person off.  Here's an example:

What else should I have at my birthday milonga?  What would you want at yours?  Send suggestions soon!  It's in a week!

I think my most recently asked question is, "What is a milonga?"  In fact, the majority of the questions I get are about terminology.  Keeping it short, I'm limiting myself to one topic: events!
For your reading pleasure:


Milonga - A social tango dance event

People come in their fancy pants (or their not-so-fancy pants) and dance with lots of fun people.  There are usually, but not always, food, drinks and a lesson to precede the event.  Some people choose to only dance with the partner they came with, but most enjoy dancing with lots of different people <- my preferred way of operating.  The next milonga in St. John's will be my Birthday milonga!!  I am extremely excited!

Practica - A practice session for tango dancers

A bunch of tango dancers get together and dance.  People often teach each other, although it is considered polite to ask someone before giving them advice.  Practicas in St. John’s are hosted by Tango on the Edge on Sundays (7pm) and Thursdays (8:30pm).  The music may or may not be organized in tandas.

Lessons - Pretty self-explanatory

The term is straight-forward, but in terms of tango history, lessons are a pretty new way of learning tango.  Back in the day, most people learned from going to practicas.  As I often tell my students, historically, most men would learn tango from going to practicas and dancing with other men.  It would be a long time (usually years) before they'd get to dance with women.  This means, if you're a man who gets to dance with women and you've been dancing tango less than 2 years, you are one of the luckiest men in tango history.

Did I leave anything out?
Next time: Birthday milongas!

I enjoy dancing Argentine tango.  I even teach it sometimes.  Whether I’m in class or elsewhere, I often receive questions about the same tango topics.  For a few months now, I’ve been thinking that it would be wonderful to have a platform for answering such questions and for telling the world about Argentine tango and its culture.  Oh, the beauty of the internet.  It has provided me with exactly such a platform - the blog.  

Since it is a new year, it seems like just the sort of time to start a blog.  So here is my resolution:

To create and regularly (every Friday, *fingers crossed*) post on a tango blog, intended for those who either don’t dance tango, or would be considered beginners.


That’s the goal.  Feel free to keep me accountable.


My good friend Peter Litster often posts on Facebook about tango.  He is both a tango dancer (example here) and a Lindy Hopper (example here - notice the dancer in common!) aside from making artwork during non-dancing hours.  Have a read of his latest status:  

Every so often at milongas, I run into into the odd tango-virgin; Not the ones who came to the lesson with the intention of learning, but the ones who literally just wandered in, either by accident or just to watch. Some of them wander back out after a few minutes, but every now and again I see an unfamiliar person standing by the entrance and watching the dancers with a look of wonder in their eyes.

I love meeting these people, and hearing some of their reactions: 

"How are they doing that without stepping on each other. . . ?"
"So its not AWKWARD being that close to a stranger?"
"Oh my gosh, she's dancing with her eyes closed?!"
"Their dresses are so beautiful. . ."

And inevitably: 
"Me? Out THERE? Heavens no, I'm too uncoordinated! I'll kick someone, I just know it. . . "



That last sentiment is something I encounter all the time.  Although I can most certainly empathize, it makes me quite sad because the thinker of the thought, “ME?  Out THERE?  Heavens no, I’m too _____” has at some point been given the impression that tango is some sort of elite sport that only the most coordinated people can do.  

“If you can walk, you can tango!”  

It's a common phrase used to counteract the common perception of tango as elite.  While there is actually a bit more to tango than walking, the idea is spot on - it doesn’t take any particular born-this-way talent to learn to dance.  All it takes is a little willingness.  It may also require the ability to suspend your self-consciousness long enough to enjoy yourself.  Either way, it is my firm belief that there is nothing particularly special in the genetic makeup of tango dancers.  YOU could tango, if you tried!

Do you find yourself thinking along the lines of the “tango-virgins” Peter described above?  Even if you’re not a tango-virgin yourself, please let me know what your thoughts and questions are.  I’d love to write about them!

Happy New Year!