Tango Is a Language (II)

To communicate effectively, you need to speak the same language. If you use a different language, adopt an unusual accent, or employ self-invented words, understanding becomes difficult. This issue is prevalent in tango as well. Different leaders often lead the same step differently, and different followers frequently respond in varying ways to the same lead. Leaders complain that followers are not following correctly, while followers blame unclear signals from leaders. These happen often because dancers do not share the same tango language.

Many students fail to recognize the importance of standardization. They disregard instructions, overlook the fundamentals, and ignore established standards. This tendency is particularly noticeable among those embracing unconventional methods or seeking to dance in ways that deviate from traditional tango. Some tango teachers exacerbate the problem by introducing self-invented, nonstandard steps unsuitable for social dancing. While such innovations may work on stage—where professional performers rehearse routines with fixed partners—this approach becomes problematic in milongas. In social settings where partners are randomly paired, successful communication and harmonious improvisation hinge on adhering to shared standards. Without these common standards, dancers struggle to connect and achieve unity.

Social media further complicates tango's fragmented language. Many students mistakenly view the performances they see online as the standard for tango. However, these exhibitions often feature stage tango, which differs greatly from the social tango danced in milongas (see Social Tango and Performance Tango).

The tango most widely danced in milongas is social tango, particularly the milonguero style. This grassroots dance continues to flourish in Buenos Aires, attracting tango enthusiasts from around the world who come to experience the indigenous, authentic tango at over two hundred milongas throughout the city. No matter what tango language you speak at home, when you visit Buenos Aires you realize that their language is the tango language you must conform to. If social tango needs a standard language to become an international dance, that must be the language of Buenos Aires.

Examining the histories of other languages can provide valuable insights into this matter. The Chinese language, for example, has historically evolved into many local dialects due to geographical barriers, making communication challenging between people from different regions. Over the past century, the Chinese have endeavored to promote a standard dialect. This goal has only been partially accomplished in recent decades, primarily due to the widespread use of Mandarin in media broadcasting and school education. However, despite progress, many Chinese residing in rural areas still use local dialects incomprehensible to outsiders.

If you study Chinese, you want to study Mandarin and not a local dialect. Likewise, if you learn tango, you want to learn Argentine tango and not Finnish tango or American tango. If your purpose is to dance tango in the milongas, you want to study social tango and not performance tango, and you want to learn the milonguero style danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires, not some self-invented and localized style danced only in a university campus in North America. Some university campuses in North America are quite isolated. They rarely associate with other tango communities and seldom invite outside teachers in to teach. As a result, they developed their own tango dialect unfamiliar to tango dancers elsewhere.

Similarly, foreigners visiting Buenos Aires often find it challenging to dance with the locals because they dance differently from the locals. As tango gains worldwide popularity, the risk of it splintering into multiple dialects increases. If we are not careful, we may end up repeating the history of the Chinese language.

Here is how Argentinians dance tango in their milongas.