[Tango-L] Empty milongas

[Deby Novitz]

Lois,

Yes at times the milongas are not as full as they were.  Some nights are 
packed and others no.  What we see is more uneven attendance.  Why?  Let 
me tell you why, we can't afford it.  I just had this conversation with 
one of my guests.  I live in pesos.  The average Argentine makes about 
700 - 800 pesos a month.  The retired guys live on much less.  In the 
last year we have had rampant inflation.  Everything costs more. My 
guests don't understand why I can't go to 2 or 3 milongas in a night, go 
out to dinner, and then take taxis everywhere.  To them it is a 100 
pesos or a $30 night.  For me it is 100 pesos. 

You guys (not directed at you Lois) come here and talk about dinners for 
60 pesos.  For you this is $20.  In San Francisco the same thing would 
cost $150.  For us it is 60 pesos.  If you eat out every night for 60 
pesos it is no big deal.  You go back to the states and make more 
dollars.  We are still here living in pesos. Those 180 pesos tango shoes 
are $60 for you, at Nordstroms similar quality would be $200.  For us it 
is 180 pesos.  What am I leading up to?

The milongas are now 10 pesos.  Before they were 6 pesos.  The milonga 
is a luxury.  Yes, it is a passion, but it is still a luxury.  When your 
electric bill, phone bill, water bill, and grocery bill are now more 
money.  A milonga 5 - 6 times a week is something that gets cut.  People 
that used to dance 6 days a week now go 2 - 3 days.  When I see people I 
have not seen for awhile I ask them where they have been.  They tell me 
"no puedo" I can't. 

Some of the other dancers who work are now finding themselves with more 
"American" schedules.  They are working more hours to support the 
economy here.  They do not have time.  One of my favorite dancers is a 
clothing manufacturer.  New contracts have him so busy he is too tired 
to dance much.  In the past he would catch the end of the afternoon 
milongas, eat dinner, then go to dance at night.  He no longer dances at 
the matinee milongas and goes out maybe 2 - 3 times a week or even not 
at all. 

The other thing is that there are now more milongas.  More milongas 
means less people at each place.  If one place has live music or a hot 
couple performing then it means even less people at the other milongas.  
On rare occasions some of the better dancers have stopped going to 
milongas because of all the "new" and "foreign" dancers crowding the 
floor.  (Please no flame mail and arguments, OK?  I live here.) I left 
Gricel last Monday at 2:00 am because I could not take it any more.  I 
was getting stomped on, kicked, pushed, and shoved on the dance floor. 
It was not the regulars who frequent Gricel on Monday nights.  For the 
first time in a long time I had to apologize and not continue a tanda 
with a man who invited me to dance.  He was all over the place.  I had 
the same problem on Saturday at Maipu 444.  Foreign women were literally 
kicking up their heels.  I left early with my regular dancers begging me 
to stay.  The hope was the others would leave so that we could dance in 
peace.  Many of the regulars feel what is the point?  If they cannot 
enjoy their tango they would prefer not to go.  I find more enjoyment 
dancing in my apartment with Fernando, or with my friends who come to 
share a bottle of wine and a pizza.

Then the last reason is that many of the old guys have died.  Many can 
no longer dance.  Sigh......