[Tango-L] Milongas (or Practicas) in Denver

[Tom Stermitz]

On Jan 26, 2007, at 2:55 PM, Chris, UK wrote:
>> A better Colorado website is put out by Tango Colorado:
>>
>> http://TangoColorado.org
>
> Can this really be correct? Colorado state has only two weekly  
> milongas?
>
> Yet over twenty weekly classes/practicas? I wonder where all these  
> class
> students go to actually dance...
>
> Chris



The question is: "What REALLY is a milonga and what REALLY is a  
practice?".

One big clue: It is NOT necessarily about the label or name chosen by  
the organizer.

The first issue is that Milonga means party, which has expectations  
of certain kinds of social encounters (e.g. meeting friends and  
strangers for dances) and not others (e.g. teaching on the dance floor).

Second, I'm of the opinion that you can't truly have a milonga with  
fewer than 50 or 60 people, i.e. 25 couples. This is relative and  
depends on a few other factors. In a small space you could have a  
great party with fewer people; a large space eats up social energy,  
and may require 100 or more people.

Third, I note that milongas in Buenos Aires are arranged in a  
particular way. They have chairs for everybody so they can sit  
between tandas, and a dance floor delimited by tables, so you don't  
get people walking across the dance floor to the bathroom or bar.  
Lights are relatively bright so you can watch the dancers and easily  
catch an eye for a dance. DJ plays tandas with curtinas for changing  
of partners. There is an expectation of meeting people for a dance,  
not working out new moves.

Fourth. Practicas in Buenos Aires are often "guided classes". I guess  
that is different from a practice space where people just come to dance.

Fifth. Is the DJ a paid professional, or just running scramble on the  
ipod?


Denver (not Colorado):

Denver, a metro area of perhaps 3 million people, has tango dances  
every night of the week, with lower or higher attendance. Some events  
are labeled milongas others practicas. Three nights (Tues, Fri & Sat)  
regularly go over 60 or 80 people. We don't really have any "guided  
practicas", to the best of my knowledge, all the weekly dances are  
for dancing not teaching.

Which events in Denver could reasonably be called Milongas, and which  
are really practicas?


In fairness you can call the three largest events milongas:

TUESDAY. Paid DJ. 120 - 160 or more people show up at the Tuesday  
"practice" produced by Tango Colorado in a large ballroom in the  
center of Denver. Even though it is called a practice, the event is  
really a milonga if you look at the attendance, high social energy,  
and expectations of the attendees. You have a large crowd, dance  
floor surrounded by tables and chairs, music usually organized in  
Tandas, circular flow of the dance floor, decent navigation (for the  
most part). The room is split in order to keep the milonga energy on  
the North half of the room. The South half is available for people  
who want to practice. It keeps the stoppers and tricksters from  
disturbing the flow of the dancers on the other side.

FRIDAY. Paid DJ and/or Orchestra. 100 - 150 people show up every week  
at our Friday milonga at the Mercury Cafe. This event is without  
question a milonga. It is located in a funky, bohemian sort of  
nightclub, where swing dancers meet on other nights. We sometimes  
have a DJ; other times a tango orchestra. People show up with the  
special intention of dancing tango, not practicing moves or talking  
on the dance floor.

SATURDAY. Organizer DJ. We usually get 50 - 100 people on Saturdays,  
which rotates between Denver and Boulder. Both events are labeled  
milongas, which is a fair label based on social energy and peoples  
expectations. Special circumstances will drive attendance higher or  
lower than normal


Here are a couple events that aren't really milongas:

THURSDAY. Paid DJ. In comparision on Thursday Tango Colorado produces  
another practice in a studio in Boulder, without any seating, with  
mirrors on the wall and the DJ usually doesn't play tandas. This only  
gets attendance of 30 - 40, so you really have to call it a practice.

WEDNESDAY. Organizer DJ. In the same nightclub (the Mercury Cafe) as  
Friday, I put on a "milonga" after my classes. The space says  
milongas, but it usually feels more like a practice because the crowd  
is casual and small. Over time, I hope to evolved it to a "real"  
milonga, but I have to admit a visitor wouldn't label it a milonga.  
Sure, I always welcome visitors, but to be fair I normally steer them  
to the bigger events on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

So, we have some "practicas" that are more like milongas and some  
"milongas" more like practicas.


I'll bet it is the same in pretty much everywhere.