[Tango-L] What Do You Think?

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

--- On Wed, 7/29/09, Peter Esser <peterwesser at oregonducks.org> wrote:

> In your post you make a distinction b/w tango salon and
> milonguero style.
>  
> What is the difference?
> 
> Peter

Hi Peter,

You should first know that there are some people who do not like to use the term "milonguero" to describe a particular style of dance.  However, the term is in broad enough use and recognizable enough that I find their protests ineffectual.  Dancers who choose to specialize in a particular style develop differently.  You can look at this website for a description of different styles.
http://www.tejastango.com/tango_styles.html

Although I just about always start my students off in milonguero, relatively few men stick with it enough to still feel milonguero.  It's more common for my male students to open up a little to accommodate turns and such, so they develop a salon feel and they eventually add in nuevo movements.

I think it's more difficult nowadays for people to understand the difference when they are given so many choices and teachers are trying to appeal to everyone.  When I started, there was no choice in the States.  There was only salon.  When the other styles began to appear, it was much easier to distinguish them and appreciate their particular qualities.

Hope this helps.

Trini de Pittsburgh