Ten Tips For A More Fun Milonga

Or How To Stop Worrying and Love The Traffic

Here are my top ten - no, strike that - my top eleven favorite tips for having more fun at the milonga.

Tip 1 - Arrive early.  Relax.  Stretch.  Change shoes at your convenience.  Chat with people.  Soak in the ambiance of the room before the crowd files in.

Tip 2 - Take the class if one is offered.  Take it even if it's for beginners.  It's a good way to warm up, plus you might meet some new friends.  The only really good reason to avoid the class is if it would tax you physically or aggravate an injury.

Tip 3 - Listen to the music.  Really listen.  Listen to more than the beat.  Listen to the melody and the orchestration.  Music communicates emotions, and those emotions change from moment to moment - joy, sorrow, passion, humor.  Synchronize the emotions of your dancing to the emotions of the music.

Tip 4 - Embrace your partner as though you were holding a baby.  Don't laugh.  Try it.  You'll like it, and so will your partner.

Tip 5 - Coordinate your movements with other couples.  Don't complain about traffic; use it as inspiration for your own floor craft.  Dancing is more fun as a team sport than as a couple versus couple death match.

Tip 6 - Take breaks.  Sit down and watch the other dancers.  Who is dancing musically?  Which couples have the best chemistry?  There's something to learn from everyone on the floor.  Plus you get to rest your feet, so you'll last longer.

Tip 7 - Dance with a sense of humor.  There's great power in laughter and great weakness in taking oneself too seriously.  When we laugh we're sharing our emotions without reservation, and that's what tango is all about.

Tip 8 - Dance with someone less experienced and make it memorable.  That means no instruction and no criticism, just acceptance and joy and positive vibes.  In a year or two that person will be a good dancer, and that good dancer will remember how nice you were to them.  Or how mean you were.

Tip 9 - Dance with someone more experienced and keep it simple.  Put feeling and connection and expressiveness and musicality ahead of the urge to execute fancy movements.   

Tip 10 - Be proud of your mistakes.  That's right.  You tried something and it didn't work.  Congratulations!  You're miles ahead of the people who are afraid to try anything risky.  No one in the milonga looks worse than the person who's afraid to make a mistake.  No one.  Even if that mistake-fearing dancer is 'advanced', they'll look stiff and tense.  You'll look relaxed and confident because you're not afraid of an occasional stumble.  You realize that it's all part of the dance, and you'll casually laugh it off when you do something silly.  So, loosen up and go for it.  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Trust me.

Tip 11 - Look as though you're actually having fun.  You're dancing, not picking up smelly dog doo.  Smile!  

This post is dedicated to Tony and Christina who embody the absolute very best spirit of the milonga.  Thanks so much for your enduring friendship and for being my milonga role models!

And, yes, in case you were wondering, that's her shoe.  ;-)

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

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