[Tango-L] Social Tango: A Cultural Perspective

[Tom Stermitz]

On Jul 12, 2006, at 9:43 PM, El Mundo del Tango wrote:

> Ron...If  you  understood Argentine culture as well as you claim  
> to, you
> would know that "Milonguero" is simply someone who goes partying  
> and dancing
> all the time, for social purposes, whatever style he or she dances.
>  The word is used all over Southamerica , is not exclusive of  
> Argentina and
> it may have nothing to do with Tango, depending on context.

Gabriel, you need to travel more.  Get out of San Diego. Southern  
California is a trap, and it eats at your soul.


Obviously (if you have spent any time in Buenos Aires), the word  
milonguero is the most common term for the rhythmic, close-embrace  
style of dance typical of numerous milongas in Buenos Aires. I have  
sometimes heard this style refered to as apilado (?), or confiteria  
(?), or estilo del centro (Lapadula), or club style (Arquimbau), but  
those seem to be personal names for the same thing, not generally  
accepted ones.

I've never heard of the tango style you call "Buenos Aires Style".

To me, apilado is more of a descriptive than a style. Maybe it is  
similar to the english term close-embrace.

Contrary to your claim, the term "Milonguero Style" is definately  
used to name the style useful for crowded floors with fewer pivoting  
ochos and frequent use of ocho cortados. Tango de Salon in Buenos  
Aires pretty much means social style tango (without reference to  
specific details) while Salon Style Tango in the US usually means the  
slightly open style emphasizing pivoting ochos, circular molinetes,  
sacadas, etc.

It may be that Susana Miller coined the term Milonguero Style, but it  
is quite widespread these days. For example, see the teaching  
advertisements in all the Buenos Aires tango magazines. Whether you  
like it or not, Milonguero Style is one of the more common names given.

While you see every style in Buenos Aires (especially from  
foreigners) it is a bit hard to find milongas in Buenos Aires that  
are not predominantly milonguero, i.e. rhythmic, close-embrace. I  
have asked Sergio several times to supply a list of milongas where  
classic salon (contrasted from the rhythmic, close-embrace with lots  
of ocho cortados) is the majority style, but he hasn't reported on them.

Likewise, how many milongas in B.A. have a majority of nuevo dancers?  
There must be a few?


> I think you know very well that you should be calling what you teach
> "Apilado"  o "Del Centro" but you desperately hang on to the  
> "Milonguero "
> label to imply that you are the "real thing", "the authentic one"  
> and the
> next guy is NOT .
> Others like you do the same thing with the labels "Close embrace"  
> or "Buenos
> Aires style". Shame on them and you. You are excluding and offending
> millions of milongueros, who never danced such style. Not  now, not  
> in the
> Golden ages, not in Buenos Aires, not anywhere . Anybody who doubts  
> this,
> can refer to Pepito Avellaneda's videos or discuss the issue with  
> living
> legend milongueros Facundo Posadas or Julio Balmaceda, to name just  
> two.
> Salon and Nuevo,  like it or not, are also "social ", were also  
> created
> (Salon, half a century before the so called "milonguero") and are  
> danced in
> Buenos Aires, depending on which Milonga you attend, and  can also  
> be danced
> in close embrace, even closer.
> ...
> Gabriel


You are QEO: Quite Easily Offended by Ron's use of the term Milonguero.

I'm not sure who or how the word milonguero offends. I don't know  
about the rest of Latin America... which countries are you thinking  
of?  In Buenos Aires the term historically has had a pejorative  
connotation, as in a layabout who sleeps all day, doesn't work and  
spends all their nights dancing and chasing women.

Julio Balmaceda is a great tango dancer, but I don't think legendary  
is the appropriate adjective. I would reserve legendary for tango  
dancers like Juilo's father, Miguel Balmaceda. This isn't a criticism  
of J.B. It is a criticism of the excessive hyperbole used to  
advertise various teachers. It sometimes seems the lesser the dancer,  
the greater the superlative, and JB reputation is quite sufficient;  
he doesn't need excessive superlatives.

Nor would you call Juilo a milonguero, by lifestyle (as you defined  
the word) or dance style (as so many others define it). Yes, Julio  
goes out performing and teaching all the time, but not necessarily  
partying, dancing and wenching all the time. I don't think Julio  
would call himself a milonguero.


> I agree with you and Tom  that we all must use judgement  to   
> adjust to
> circumstances and context, but that has absolutely nothing to do  
> with style.
> Horrendeous navigation come in all styles and is more a matter of  
> attitude
> rather than skills or lack thereof.
>  To lift your partner over yor head or have her hanging around your  
> waist I