For Milongueras

To me milonguera is an honorary title for a tango woman, even though she is not a professional performer but just a social dancer. Dancing with a milonguera is a great pleasure because she knows how to dance for her partner. Her prowess enables her to focus on him rather than herself. Her well-trained body and extensive experience allow her to maintain cohesive and harmony with her man during even the most complex movements, and her refined musicality turns dancing with her into an indulgence.

A milonguera has transcended the narrowness of egocentric popular ideas like individualism and feminism. She understands that tango is teamwork, that the gratification of tango comes from cooperation and sharing, that her own enjoyment of the dance hinges on her partner, and that unless he is happy she cannot be so. Therefore, she gives her undivided attention to him, just as he does to her. Tango is an altruist dance, and a milonguera is an altruist.

A milonguera connects to her partner by leaning into him with a gentle yet firm pressure of her torso against his, tuning to the signals emitted from his chest. She elongates her body upwards until it feels like the taut string of a violin that can vibrate at his slightest touch. With her head nestled tenderly on his cheek, she remains weightless, entirely relaxed and pliable in his embrace. Her weight rests on the ball of her standing foot, maintaining stability with the entire foot including the heel in contact with the floor. Her right hand lies calmly in his left hand without weight, while her left arm hooks over his right shoulder to secure a solid connection. But she does not rely on him for balance, thus she feels very light (see Raul Cabral, Driving and Synchronization).

A milonguera dances beautifully, but for her tango is not a show but an expression of music and feelings. Steps are the means she uses to stay connected, express herself, interact with her partner, and bring contentment to him. They are a part of what makes tango an inward-facing, intimate, loving, soulful, and comforting dance.

Her body is so well-trained that she can dance freely without causing any incoherence or discomfort to him. She twists her body in his arms in such a seductive way that it pleases to the senses of his body. She can dissociate her upper body and lower body to such an extent that the two partners are always seamlessly connected in even the most challenging maneuvers. For her, to tango is to pamper the man in her arms, and she is equipped with an educated feminine body to do that.

She has danced tango for at least ten to fifteen years and has amassed extensive expertise and experience. Her mastery is such that she can dance intuitively, without the need for conscious consideration of the steps. This enables her to focus on her partner and ensure his enjoyment. She knows all the tricks to please him - caressing him with her body when she twists it in his arms, letting her chest trundle on his torso when swiveling her hips, massaging his chest with her breasts in ocho cortado, wrapping his body with her body in molinete, and entangles his leg with her leg in sacada... She is a master of the art of seduction.

A milonguera knows the music inside out. She knows the story of every tango song. She knows how to express the emotions of each song with her every move. She is moody when the music is moody, passionate when the music is passionate, sentimental when the music turns blue, and affectionate when the music becomes tender. She accelerates, slows down, softens, reinforces, syncopates and suspends as the music tells her. She can express the sentiment of the music so well that you feel like you are dancing with the music itself. Dancing with a milonguera is a pure enjoyment of music without slightest disharmony.

A milonguera is versed in the milonga world. She follows the protocols about personal hygiene, dressing, seating, mirada, cabeceo, navigation, and all the dos and don'ts of the milonga (see Milonga Codes). She is polite, easygoing and charming. She greets everyone, respects everyone, is friendly to everyone, and does not have an attitude that scares men away. She always lets men know her appreciation and love for them. Milonga codes have been a part of her life for so long that they become her second nature. She might have been an egocentric, individualistic, independent, arrogant, aggressive, and feminist ultraist. She might have possessed all the attitudes, habits and imperfections many did when they started tango. But tango has changed her and transformed her into a marvel - a milonguera treasured by all milongueros.

P.S.
I've just returned from Newport News Encuentro, one of the milonguero gatherings I have enjoyed. The women that I danced with in that event inspired me to write something about them. My special thanks to Liga Losseva, Sherry Chou, Olimpia Stein, Eva VonEsse, Flo Woodreuff, Yemiko Yagui, Marina Aleshker, Sandra Angel, Emily Mooney, Shirley Putnam, Gloria Swindoll, Pamela Ruth, and many others whose names I don't know or remember. Special thanks also to Andy Stein, the organizer of the event, and to Raul Cabral, whose writings are always an inspiration and whose appreciation for milonguera women I deeply share.