The Elegance of the Milonguero Style

In contrast to some tango styles that remind me of a bustling casino, the milonguero style of tango reminds me of a Zen garden - an oasis of austerity, serenity, peace and natural beauty for quiet contemplation. The style prioritizes inward experiences, so the look becomes less important. In fact, it is danced in simple and natural steps, very little adornments are used in order to avoid complication and distraction, enabling the dancers to focus inwardly on feelings.

That, however, does not reduce its aesthetic value. On the contrary, the style possesses a natural, simple and elegant beauty second to none. The following is an example.

Dancing with cadencia
The key element responsible for the elegance of the style is cadencia. The woman leans on the man with her chest pressing against his chest, enabling him to use the connection to swing her torso, causing her hip and leg to dangle in a chain reaction. Notice that the woman does not use her thigh to move her leg, but lets her leg follow the torso and hip to sway. Her attention is on the lateral motion rather than the vertical action of stepping down, so that her body can sway gracefully with every step.

Dancing with hips
In doing so she needs to swivel her hips to allow her free leg to take advantage of the inertia to either swing in roughly the same direction, or reversely in the opposite direction. She needs to swivel her hips in order to dance around him while her torso is attached to his torso. She needs to swivel her hips when she does front ocho, back ocho, molinete, planeo, boleo, etc. In short, hip rotation is used all the time in her dance, highlighting the flexibility and beauty of her feminine body. The milonguero style does not emphasize footwork, so she can focus on making the rotation of her hips graceful, refined and noticeable, adding elegance to her dance (see Dancing with Hips).

Dancing slower
In order to infuse elegance into the dance, it's essential to moderate the dance tempo. Racing to keep up with the beat can result in the loss of grace in dancing, a prevalent issue often encountered in our tango. Instead of chasing the beat, the man should provide the woman with ample time to execute each step, while the woman should focus on crafting her movement with poise and sophistication to heighten its elegance, as demonstrated by the couple above. The following is another example.

Dancing with simple and natural steps
Another element pertinent to the elegance of the style is using simple and natural steps. Some tango styles are known for their fancy footwork and showy figures, which, although may be beautiful in some way, lack naturalness and elegance. The following is an example.

As you can see, impressive may be by some standard, a display like this relies on intricate figures, exaggerated movements, excessive embellishments, and elaborate choreography. It looks busy, garish, farfetched and beat-chasing, but lacks the confidence, serenity, ease, simplicity, naturalness and elegance of the milonguero style, and it does not match the melancholy mood of the music (see Dancing to Melody - Poema).

In contrast, the first two couples use austere steps to allow themselves focus inwardly on quiet contemplation. The man leads by swinging the woman's body. The woman keeps her body tall and straight while swinging it gracefully, letting its intrinsic, natural beauty manifest itself.

Audrey Hepburn Said, "Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." I am convinced of that (see Embracing Elegance).

Partner-Centered Leading vs. Self-Centered Leading

Leaders are either self-centered or partner-centered. A partner-centered leader dances for his partner. He leads her to dance in a thoughtful, gentle, patient and attentive way. A self-centered leader, on the contrary, focuses on his own performance and tends to compel the woman do things beyond her comfortable zone. For example, he leads her to take very big steps, which a partner-centered leader would break into smaller steps; or leads her to chase the beats, whereas a partner-centered leader would allow her time to finish her steps; or leads her to do arbitrary figures, whereas a partner-centered leader would use simple steps to display her natural beauty; or shows off his skills and uses her as a foil to his own exhibition, whereas a partner-centered leader would accommodate her, pamper her, shine her and let her be the center of attention.

Here is an example of self-centered leading.

In this example, the man focused only on the routines and failed to display the woman's beauty. He prioritized his personal performance while neglecting his responsibility to make his partner feel good and enjoy the dance. He hastily chased the beats and rushed the woman to do awkward steps and drastic turns regardless of the lamentable mood of the music. As a result, his self-exhibition overshadowed her performance.

In contrast, a partner-centered leader dances for the woman. Here is an example of partner-centered leading.

In this example the man didn't force the woman to take awkward steps, as being the case in the first clip, but led her to dance in simple and natural steps. He didn't just focus on his routines and forget about the music, as being the case in the first clip, but let her enjoy, resonate with and dance to the music. He didn't coerce her with the arms and hands, as being the case in the first clip, but kept her in the comfort of his embrace and led her very gently with his torso. He didn't lead her without thinking, as being the case in the first clip, but carefully maintained her axis and led her by inertia to make the movement easy for her. He didn't force her to rotate on a tilted axis, as being the case in the first clip, but adjusted his position to accommodate her turns on her own axis. He didn't rush her to chase the beat and take drastic actions, as being the case in the first clip, but danced slower and used more pauses to reflect the melancholy mood of the song while giving her time to finish each step before he took the next lead.

These made it possible for her to concentrate inwardly on feelings and the quality of her dance. Because the woman dances around the man, she needs to swivel her hips and pivot her lower body with one leg in order to step to his side with the other leg. After each step she also needs to pivot and turn back her hips to get ready for the next step in a different direction. This technique, known as dissociation, complicates her movement and takes more time for her to complete each step. The man must understand that and allow her time to finish the step before taking the next lead, as exemplified by this man in the video. We can tell her appreciation from the way she looked at him at the end.

Please watch the video again in playback speed 0.75 in full screen to see how beautiful a woman's dance can be when she has a good leader. I recommend using this video as a teaching tool. Every tango man, novice and veteran alike, can learn something about how to lead the woman from this video. (See The Elegance of the Mionguero Style.)

The Issues on Cabeceo

Last week I attended En Tu Abrazo - Encuentro at Grand Geneva, Wisconsin, a mesmeric tango event with experienced and like-minded dancers, a friendly dance environment governed by the milonga codes, excellent DJs, golden age music, and a high level of dancing, all reminiscent of a Buenos Aires milonga.

The event was held in a rectangular room with fixed seats. Men and women sat separately on the opposite sides of the room, so they had to use cabeceo to find the partner. This arrangement created a coherent atmosphere since the participants must pay attention to each other and be emotionally engaged even before the dance started.

Doing cabeceo from a distance, however, is proven to be a challenge. First, the woman you try to invite is sitting among other women who may also want to dance with you. Second, when two or more women respond to your cabeceo, how do you make them know whom exactly you are inviting? Third, if two men nod at the same woman, how can either man tell that she is responding to him and not the other? Finally, her response may be too subtle that it could be overlooked.

Because cabeceo is a relatively new practice in our milongas, I made more mistakes in this event than I have ever made in Buenos Aires, even with such an experienced crowd. I learned later that some women tried to cabeceo me, but I failed to recognize. In one occasion I walked to a woman who did not respond to my cabeceo but I thought she did. In another occasion the woman who accepted my cabeceo did not look at me when I was walking towards her and I ended up danced with the woman sitting next to her who kept her eye on me. Two times I walked to someone only to find that they had accepted other's invitation. There were also occasions two women stood up when I arrived their table, both thought they were the one I was inviting.

In retrospect, I believe I should be more aware that cabeceo is difficult to detect from a distance and should be made more clear and less ambiguous. I should not only let the woman I cabeceo at but also the women sitting next to her know whom exactly I am inviting. I should stand up to do cabeceo with the woman sitting behind other women. I should look around to make sure that she is communicating with me and not someone behind me or next to me. I should move closer to the woman sitting far away from me before I cabeceo her. I should gaze at the woman who accepted my cabeceo while waking towards her and avoid making eye contact with any other woman to avoid confusing both.

There are also issues on women's part. I must mention that, in the miongas of Buenos Aires, portena women behave very differently from women in this country. Unlike our women who often talk to each other and pay no attention to men, Argentine women all participate in the invitation process by actively making eye contact with men and being responsive to men's cabeceo. If they are not sure about your cabeceo, they would tilt their head, lean sideways or stand up to let you see them more clearly. They would point at themselves with a questioning facial expression, look around to see if someone else is responding to your cabeceo, or use lip or sign language to communicate with you. Argentine women do not wear a blank face, as our women often do. They will smile, nod or wink to let you know they want to dance with you. They will gaze at you intently when you walk towards them so that you know the two of you have an unmistakable agreement. In other words, Argentine women are much more proactive and expressive, which makes a huge difference because that helps to prevent errors not only by the two parties in question but also by the third party who may also be involved. Also, such enthusiasm will lead to a more intimate and satisfying dance.

Here again we see the influence of culture on tango (see Tango: Historical and Cultural Impacts). American culture puts too much emphasis on the self. We tend to be egocentric, arrogant, indifferent, or even hostile towards others. Many of us have a strong ego and do not like to show that we need others or beg others for a dance, and we are easily hurt when we do not get the expected response (see Tango and Individualism). In contrast, the Argentinians are much more friendly and approachable. Portena women often find ways to let me know they want to dance with me and where their seats are, so I could cabeceo them. Obviously, in a culture like that dancing tango becomes much more enjoyable.

A Dance that Teaches People to Love

We use the word love to express many different feelings. To love tango is to be fascinated by and addicted to the dance. To love a country is to feel deeply attached to the country. To love a child is to adore and pamper that child. To love a friend is to feel very close and appreciative to that friend. To love someone of superior physical attributes, intelligence, talent or character is to hold great respect, admiration and reverence for that person. To love someone of the opposite gender is to be sexually attracted to that person.

None of the above alone completely expresses the true meaning of love. True love is an intense combination of all these feelings. It is the deepest appreciation, admiration, adoration, veneration, attraction, affection and attachment for someone for whom one is willing to give up everything. True love is altruist. It has no ego and pride. It is selfless, kind, generous and patient. It trusts, devotes, surrenders, obeys, gives, supports, yields, accommodates, tolerates, endures, forgives and protects, just like how a mother cares for her children and ideally how tango partners treat each other in order to enjoy each other and work as a team.

Young people often mistake possessive desire for love. Many hold an egocentric view of love. Many think that love is only a feeling. Many believe that a person himself or herself should be loved for who they are with no obligations attached. Such ideas are the cause of countless failed relationships. The truth is, love is altruist. It is not receiving but giving. It's not just a feeling but more important actions. It is not an unrequited affection but a bilateral relationship in which both parties must be and do their best in order to bring out the best of the other person. It is not only a gift but also a responsibility. It should not be taken for granted because the synergy of love, like the synergy of tango, ceases if the two fail to reciprocate and cooperate. People often compare tango to love because the two share a common theme. They both involve a relationship in which the two sexes play different roles but complement each other. They both require submission, commitment, understanding, agreement, forbearance, cooperation and accommodation. The concept of tango has a universal value because it reveals the way to achieve unity and harmony in all kinds of relationships.

Men and women play different roles in love as they do in tango (see The Gender Roles in Tango). Men are physically stronger and more goal-oriented. For men, love means providing, supporting and safeguarding - perhaps is too much in a physical than emotional sense from women's perspective, and that is also how men expect from love. A man cannot feel loved if he is not appreciated, revered and respected. Women, on the other hand, are more delicate and emotional. For women, love means being adored, pampered, protected, and particularly being romantically, adventurously and heroically pursued. A woman cannot feel loved if her fantasy and emotional needs are not met. In other words, men need to learn to be more romantic, considerate, and thoughtful in their relationship with women, and women need to learn to be more respectful, appreciative and agreeable in their relationship with men. Men and women are different, and they assume different roles in life and tango. Learning tango helps us to understand these needs, to play our respective roles, to cultivate team spirit, and to achieve oneness and harmony through mutual commitment, respect, submission, cooperation, accommodation and compromise (see Tango and Gender Interdependence).

The gift of love, like the gift of tango, makes us better spouses, friends, coworkers, citizens and tango partners. We all need and depend on each other; therefore, we must love one another, and for our common good there is no better option than for people to love each other. Like hatred, love is reciprocal. You do good to others and others will reciprocate the hospitality. In that sense, love is determined kindness and the consequence of the efforts. Contrary to ideologies that preach egoism, self-interest, aggression, antagonism and hatred, love is the proposition of achieving unity and harmony through altruism, kindness, compassion, cooperation, accommodation, yielding and giving. It is a different philosophy from individualism and femininism alike in dealing with others. Love is also a vital skill that every member of society must have because, like we need to acquire skills in order to achieve oneness and harmony in tango, we need to acquire skills in order to achieve oneness and harmony in relationships and society. Of all the skills essential to a healthy, functional, stable and harmonious society, love irrefutably is the most important one. This philosophy and skill must be taught to our young in all levels of education (see The Lessons of Tango).

Unfortunately, the American education completely failed in this respect. Our schools are dominated by capitalism, egocentrism, liberalism, individualism and feminism alike that teach young men and women to be greed, individualistic, independent, self-seeking, strong-minded, disagreeable, competitive and aggressive, i.e., everything that is opposite to love. The result is disastrous. According to an internal Department of Homeland Security report dated March 1, 2017, most foreign-born terrorists operating in the United States do not become radicalized until several years after entering the country. This means that our own extremist ideologies have contributed to the radicalization of young minds. These ideologies are also the root cause of the dissension, disunity, hostility, polarization, antagonism, uncooperativeness and dysfunction in our government, the rapacity, competition, conflict, intolerance, hatred, tension, brokenness, divorce, violence and crimes in our society, and many problems in our tango today.

Nothing has done more harms to America than narrow-minded radical ideologies that teach people to be egoistic, selfish, greed, individualistic, disagreeable, resentful, antagonistic, hateful and hawkish. This country is desperately in need of love, and tango, a dance that teaches people to love (see Tango and Individualism).

Dancing to Rhythm and Melody in Milonguero Style

Rhythm, the duration and accents in music characterized by regular and interrupted beats, is the most essential element in music, which can exist without melody, as in the drumbeats of primitive music. Rhythm is what causes us to dance because we naturally step on the pulses of the music (see Tango Music and Its Danceability).

But music is more than rhythm. It also has melody, the sweet, continuous and flowing tone that adds feelings, beauty and fludity to music. Melody is what makes our movement emotional, smooth and graceful, as we try to express the feeling, fluency and beauty of the melody.

Some tango songs, such as Di Sarli's and D'Arienzo's, are more rhythmic and easy to dance to. Others, such as Pugliese's and Troilo's, are more melodic and difficult to follow. Rhythmic music is best for the milonguero style of tango danced in close embrace because it facilitates the pulsatory and synchronous movements of the two connected bodies, generating a sensation that is both intimate and pleasurable, which makes the style popular among feeling-oriented dancers.

Melodic music is best suited to the Villa Urquiza style of tango danced in a loose embrace in favor of flashy performance, because it facilitates improvisational rather than rhythmic movements. The style, often being described as stylish, fancy and showy, appeals to movement-oriented dancers (see The Styles of Tango).

The milonguero style is the dominant style in Argentina, Uruguay, Span and Italy due to the cultural ties between these countries (see Tango: Historical and Cultural Impacts). In recent years it is also gaining popularity in other parts of the world. The following video is a good representation of this style.

This video has been used by this blogger before, so you may have watched it already. But for the purpose of explaining how the milonguero style is danced, I want to call your attention again to the fragments highlighted below.

17:24 - 17:50 (26 seconds)
This fragment is a classic example of how the milonguero style is danced. It is danced in simple and rhythmic steps. Please note the rhythmic pattern used by the couple. It sounds like: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, 5 6 7 and 8 9 10 and, or: slow and slow and slow and slow and, quick quick quick and quick quick quick and. The steps are simple, but the speed, direction and length of the steps are varied. Most steps are small, occasionally a big step weaves in, and forward step, side step, back step, rock step and turn are blended to make the choreography interesting.

As you can see, although simple, the dance is mesmeric. The woman obviously is intoxicated with it. She snugs in his arms and dances in complete agreement with him, totally comfortable with everything he leads her to do no matter how simple it is, and does not act in excess of her role to cause complication, noises and disharmony. Her steps are simple and inconspicuous. No adornment is made to impress. Her attention is on the music and feelings. One can tell from her facial expression the power of such simple and rhythmic motions.

1:10 - 1:38 (28 seconds) and 13:40 - 14:04 (24 seconds)
Here are two more examples, also danced in rhythmic, simple and synchronized steps, focusing on the cohesion and harmony of the team, not the performance of the individual.

If these are the representations of the milonguero style, then our tango, although danced in close embrace, is not the milonguero style. The tango that most Americans dance is too fancy, less rhythmic, less coherent, and not synchronized. Even the music played in our milongas is often too melodic, reflecting only our perception of tango.

I don't think myself, or even a milonguero, can dance the milonguero style with most women in this country, because that degree of coherence takes a woman who is well versed in synchronization (see Driving and Synchronization). In order to dance as one body with the man, the woman must overcome her independence, ego, habit of acting on her own, and desire to show off, surrender herself to the man and follow him unconditionally.

I mention this because many women in this country hold a different philosophy. They do not buy the idea of surrender, obedience and submission, and are not comfortable with intimacy with men. Their femininity, or "gentle and quiet soul" as the Bible put it, has been corrupted by ideologies that encourage women to be self-centered, rebellious, independent, individualistic, disagreeable and aggressive. They only know how to be themselves, but don't know how to be one with another person. They try too hard to impress but overlook the one thing that a woman must do well first in tango dancing: surrender. Consequently, they miss out the magic that tango can offer them.

5:45 - 6:13 (28 seconds) and 18:40 - 19:15 (35 seconds)
The milonguero style is a rhythmic dance, but it can also be danced to melody, as demonstrated in these two fragments.

Songs suitable for the milonguero style of dancing generally have lucid beats, accompanied by sentimental melody. The beats are strong, steady and easy to follow. But sometimes emotions take over and beats weaken or hide into melody. In such case the dancers need to adapt to the changing mood and dance melodically. Dancing to rhythm, the movement is vertical, sudden, short and interrupted. Dancing to melody, the movement becomes horizontal, emotional, graceful, and continuous. Slow motion and pause are often used to suspend a step in order to match the lingering note or to wait for the next phrase to start. It is a moment of emotional display and exchange.

My personal take is that many women in this country do not follow melody well. When beats are fading and melody takes over, they feel lost. There are certain impatience and anxiety in their movements when the music tells them to slow down or wait, because they still struggle to catch the beat. This is not surprising given that most people are only taught to step on beats and not trained to follow melody. But dancing to melody is an essential skill a tango dancer, especially a woman, must have, for melody expresses the emotion, fluidity and beauty of the music, representing the feminine mood of tango (see The Characteristics of Classic Tango).

In conclusion, the milonguero style is a rhythmic dance. It appeals to sensations pertnent to the pulsating motions of the body. It is danced in small, simple, rhythmic, compact and synchronized steps, and is fully enjoyed when the partners surrender to each other, immerse themselves in the music and feelings, and move together as one coherent body. It is best danced to music that is rhythmic.

Given the intimate nature of the style, it is also good at expressing the emotions of the melody. But dancing to melody in the milonguero style is different from that in the Villa Urquiza style. The latter uses fancy steps, intricate figures and stylish footwork. The former uses natural steps, pause and slow motion to maintain the simplicity and soulfulness of the dance and avoid distractions. As the milonguero style of tango becomes increasingly popular, we need to learn the correct way of dancing it in order to fully enjoy its magic power (see Dancing to Melody - Poema).

The Gender Expression in Tango

Unlike in the US where gender expression is deemed politically incorrect, in Argentina it is a cultural emblem, which is evident in many aspects of their lives and particularly in their dance.*

In chacarera, for example, the man deliberately demonstrates his masculinity, as saying to the woman, "Look how strong and brave I am!" And the woman deliberately displays her femininity, as asking the man, "Do you like my suppleness and beauty?"

Such unconcealed gender expression is evident in their tango also.

For Argentinians, male strength and female beauty are positive qualities that the opposite sexes use to allure each other. Masculinity and femininity are gender traits resulted from millions of years of evolution, allowing the human species to sustain and flourish. Opposite, different, mutually attractive, interdependent and complementary, men and women are created for each other. From their union comes children, family, society, and moral principles that hold the family and society together, such as love, teamwork, role play, cooperation and agreement. The sustenance, stability and harmony of society would be impossible if the two sexes do not attract each other and love each other. Therefore, gender expression is not a sign of gender inequality or sexist display, as feminists claim. Rather, it is a binding force that unites the two sexes and strengthens the society (see Tango and Interdepence between the Sexes).

Feminists only think of men and women as independent individuals with conflicting self-interest, but fail to see them as a team in which the two sexes rely on, need, and complement each other. The feminist proposition that "the history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man towards woman" is a rabid and false argument. Human history is not a history of gender animosity. All men are sons of their mothers and brothers of their sisters, and all women are daughters of their fathers and sisters of their brothers, who love each other by nature. In fact, for a period much longer than the recorded history the human societies are matriarchal, and the love between the two sexes has been documented throughout the recorded history as well. While inequity is a fact of life, it is more a socioeconomic phenomenon than a sex issue (see Mammonism), and the solution to that is not to repudiate gender differences, gender roles and gender expression, or to incite hatred and animosity, masculinize women, imitate men, reverse roles, assert women's independence, women's emancipation from family and women's self-reliance -- even in their sex life, and promote lesbianism and same-sex marriage, etc. The attempt to uproot and reconstruct the world according to radical ideas never has made the world better, as attested by the disastrous consequences we are facing now, because such wishful thinking conflicts with human nature (see Tango and Gender Issues).

"If we want to achieve the perfect degree of human nature, or at least close to this level of perfection, then all rules and regulations of mankind should be adapted to human nature. Because experiences prove that we cannot use rules and regulations to bind human nature without destroying their happiness. The attempt to obey rules and regulations that contradict human nature is the main source of human suffering. Any attempt to promote human wellness will not have any result until there is no radical reform in this respect." - On Human Happiness by John Gray

The true solution to gender equality and harmony is to embrace gender differences, gender roles, gender expressions, love and cooperation, which is nature's way to unite the two sexes in contradistinction to the arbitrary culture of individualism, feminism, antagonism, hatred and power politics. Thanks to tango we have a living testimony of how nature works. "Tango is based on the ideas that men and women are interdependent rather than independent, that masculinity and femininity complement each other rather than un-equalize the two sexes, that being a masculine male and a feminine female is attractive, beneficial and desirable, that the harmony of the two genders is arrived at through mutual respect, submission, accommodation and cooperation rather than antagonism, animosity, confrontation and power struggle, and that love triumphs over hostility. While individualism and feminism focus on the individuality and independence of the individual person or gender, tango focuses on the oneness and harmony of their union. It asks us to be friendly, submissive, humble, adaptive, cooperative, agreeable and yielding. Tango proves that the two sexes can form a harmonious relationship by conforming to these values. Despite the challenges that tango faces in the West, it continues to have a positive impact on our lives, because unless we adopt these values, we are unable to fully enjoy the dance and the relationship with the opposite sex (see Femininity and Feminism in Tango (II))."

Gender expression is crucial in tango also because tango is inherently a heterosexual rather than a homosexual dance, characterized by the integration and interplay of contrasting elements, with each gender brings a unique emotional quality that complements the other. Tango music mirrors this duality, with a rhythm that is masculine - robust, steady, and forceful, and a melody that is feminine - soft, emotional, and graceful. The two contrasting moods interact fluidly, reflecting the dynamics of the two sexes. In tango, the man and the woman are akin to different instruments, each producing distinct sounds and emotions. One is like the bandoneon, the other the violin; one is the passion of the drums, the other the beauty of the melody; one is philosophy, the other poem... Both are indispensable and irreplaceable, and they must complement and collaborate harmoniously in order to create a beautiful dance (see The Characteristics of Classic Tango). The attempt to make tango a homosexual or gender-neutral dance would only nip the vitality of tango because without gender difference and gender expression, tango will lose its richness, beauty and charm.

______________________________________

*I was dancing at Club Gricel and suddenly my partner uttered a scream. She was struck by someone. As I wondered how that could happen, the man of the couple who clashed with us said something reproachful to me, like a male goose protecting his female partner. Perhaps it was my fault, I apologized. We moved on and forgot about the incident. On my way out of the venue, I was approached by that man, who appparently was there waiting for me. He shaked my hand and said he wanted to apolagize because it was his fault. The man had to be virile in front of his woman, but privately he admitted his mistake. That was an Argentine man, not flawless but good in nature. I had no problem to forgive his being manly.

Revealing Her Beauty in Tango

The fact that more women dance tango than men may have something to do with their beauty. I don't think it's a coincidence that a large percentage of women who dance tango have elegant figures. Tango is well known for its fitness effect. It gives women an opportunity to display their beauty. Women's relying on their chest to receive the lead in tango helps them form a tall and straight posture. And their highly developed aesthetic sense certainly contributes to the beauty of this dance.

Because women dance around men in tango, they need to swivel their hips in order to step around men, resulting in a twisted body posture (TBP) that highlights the flexibility of their body. TBP is different from contra-body movement (CBM) in that CBM is turning the right side of the body towards a left moving leg or turning the left side of the body towards a right moving leg - both are frequently used in dancing. But in tango the woman also has to dissociate her upper and lower body - turning her upper body without turning her lower body, or turning her lower body without turning her upper body, or combine dissociation with CBM - turning her upper body in one direction while swiveling her lower body in the opposite direction to project even more the suppleness of her body.

TBP occurs in the following scenarios:

While keeping her torso connected to the man, she swivels her hips to the left and stretches her right leg forward to the right side of the man.

While keeping her torso connected to the man, she swivels her hips to the right and stretches her left leg forward to the left side of the man.

While keeping her torso connected to the man, she swivels her hips to the right and stretches her right leg backward to the right side of the man.

While keeping her torso connected to the man, she swivels her hips to the left and stretches her left leg backward to the left side of the man.

These scenarios occur in many tango movements such as front ocho, back ocho, ocho cortado, rock turn, walking on the side of the partner, molinete, zigzag, enrosque, planeo, boleo, gancho, back sacada, etc. TBP is the reason why women's feminine beauty can be fully displayed in tango.

This gives us a clue on how to make her look stunning in the dance. For example, we can display the suppleness, pliancy and grace of her body by using steps that involve TBP and hip rotation. We can make her step to our right and left, frequent the change of direction, alternate front and back ochos, increase turns, use zigzag to make her rotate her hips continuously, making her twist her body more in back ocho by stepping to the side, have her move forward with the back ocho, or move backward with the front ocho, combine different steps to increase the variety of her pose, suspend her TBP with slow motion, or pause when she is in a twisted body position to highlight her curves, etc.

Keep in mind that women's body is much more flexible than ours and can do amazing things if we know how to lead them. But beware not to overdo, as tenderness, comfort and soulfulness are equally important to women. In fact, feminine beauty is shown more in small movements than in big movements that in some cultures women are taught to walk in tiny steps. In ancient China, for example, women's feet were wrapped from a very young age to prevent them from growing bigger so that they had to walk in that way. Women's wearing high heels serves the same purpose. In other words, we can reveal women's beauty regardless of how small the steps are, because that beauty lies in their femininity, and perhaps more so in small movements. That is why milonga, which is danced in smaller steps than tango, is so good at displaying the feminine beauty of women.

Therefore, dancing tango is not doing big ochos and turns endlessly, which is a common delusion in American tango. Rather, it is using a combination of conspicuous and inconspicuous movements, big and small steps, fast and slow motions, fluxing and suspension, pause and pose, etc., to express the music and feelings. The number one reason why women love tango, I believe, is their sentimentalism. Tango is a soulful dance and women are particularly emotional, susceptible to intimations and capable of expressing feelings. Tango gives women an opportunity to release and express themselves. Feminine beauty, therefore, lies more in a woman's psyche than in her appearance. Relaxing her, letting her resonate with music, stirring up her feelings, letting her let herself go, and bringing out her inner beauty are the leader's most challenging and rewarding test (see The Conceptional Beauty of Tango).

Dancing around the Man

Tango masters Alberto Pas and Valorie Hart discussed this important concept back in 1998: the man dances around the dance floor and the woman dances around the man. But many students today still don't know what that means. Simply put, it means that in his responsibility to follow traffic the man may need to step away from the woman, and it's the woman's job to stay close to him.

Many women think they dance close enough to the man but in fact they do not. Women who are shy about intimacy often use an open dance hold to replace the embrace, or lean back to distance themselves from their partner. Women influenced by feminism want to maintain their independence and refuse to surrender to men. Women who like to show off tend to dance with great strides, which take them away from their partner. Many have never learned to dance in close embrace and don't know how to move around the man in a compact way.

Tango is an intimate dance. To truly enjoy tango the woman needs to dance really close to the man. Close does not mean within an arm's length. It means integrating into his body and being one with him. The man who dances around the dance floor has to follow traffic, the woman who dances around the man must stay close to him and not separate from him.

To do that the woman needs to keep her torso connected to the man's torso and swivel her hips so that she can step on the side of the man or around him (see Dissociation and Gear Effect). A woman who cannot dissociate her lower body from her upper body tends to turn her whole body instead, causing the rupture of the embrace and the incoherence of the movements. That's why dancing with a novice woman often feels uncomfortable.

Here is a good example of how a woman should dance around the man.

Dancing around the man also involves molinete, a routine in which the woman revolves around the man who serves as the anchor for her rotation. Since their torsos are connected in the embrace, the woman has to swivel her hips side to side to make a front step, a side step, a back step and a side step, circling the man. Every tanguera knows this figure but executing it flawlessly so that it feels smooth, comfortable and musical is not easy. In fact most women can't do molinete well because of the lack of training in dissociation.

Where she places her foot is also crucial. A common problem is that she places her foot too far away from his foot to avoid touching his leg. In fact, touching is what she should do to make the movement compact. The woman must not be afraid of touching the man's leg when dancing around him. However, she needs to imagine a circle around his foothold with a radius of about half to one foot and always place her foot on that imaginary circle when she rovelves around him, because while stepping too far apart from his foot will take her away from him (see 6:20-8:00 in the following video), stepping too close to his foot will cause her to lose the leaning position when the turn is completed.

In short, four things are critically important regarding to dancing around the man. First, understanding that the woman's job is not to dance around the floor but to dance around the man. Second, maintaining a good embrace in a slightly leaning posture to secure the torso connection and mutual support while dancing. Third, spending a lot of time to practice dissociation in the molinete sequence until you are versed in swiveling your hips side to side in that leaning position. Finally, focusing on being one with the man rather than on your own performance, and being careful about how to keep the movement compact and where to place your foot so that the two of you may always remain a coherent one in the dance. For a woman, learning tango is not primarily learning steps but learning to be one with the man. Tango is an intimate dance. How you dance it can make a big difference.

For Milongueras

To me milonguera is an honorary title even though she is not a professional tango performer but a social dancer. Dancing with a milonguera is a great pleasure because she knows how to dance for her partner. Her refined dancing skills allow her to focus on him instead of herself, her well-trained body and extensive experience enable her to make him feel comfortable in even the most complex movements, and her exceptional 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 soft yet firm pressure of her torso against his, tuning to the signals emitted from his chest. She elongates her body upwards until it likes 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 an exhibition but an expression of music and feelings through intimate interaction with her partner. Steps are the tools she uses to stay connected, express her emotions, communicate with him, and bring contentment to him. They are a part of what makes tango a loving, soulful, intimate, and comforting dance.

Her body is so well trained that she can dance around him freely without upsetting the embrace or causing discomfort to him. She can twist 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 perfectly 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 more than ten 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, allowing 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, etc. 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 emotion 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.

My Two Cents on Music Selection

Among the many factors that make a milonga successful, music stands as one of the top three, alongside a friendly environment and a well trained crowd. Great music deeply connects dancers, stirring emotions, synchronizing movement, and sparking creativity. Without good music dancers are not able to fully enjoy the dance no matter how good other conditions may be.

Unfortunately, the music played in our milongas is not always good. Many DJs play songs that are not of the highest quality and leave the best pieces rest in their computers. I've heard the theory that dancers like to try new songs, that they don't like to dance to the same old pieces again and again, and that they'd rather take risks than be bored, etc. Such arguments aggravate the tendency to seek novelty at the cost of the quality of music.

It's true that new tracks are adventurous to dance to, but that is not the main thing tango dancers are after. In fact, most dancers prefer familiar, danceable classics over unfamiliar tunes with erratic or unpredictable rhythms. Familiar and danceable songs heighten their desire to dance because, like singing and playing music instruments, they can perform better with pieces they know well. DJs should resist the urge to be unique and novel, and instead take a balanced approach to cater to most dancers.

Too often, DJs get stuck in their own preferences. Some lean too heavily on fast songs, others on slow. Some favor rhythmic music, others lyrical. Some prefer vocals, others play only instrumentals. Some stick to traditional, while others contemporary. I believe most songs played in the milongas should be Golden-Age, and should be combined with different tempos, moods, flavors, orchestras, eras and styles to avoid boredom. If all the songs sound similar, dancers will grow bored. A balanced blend caters to most dancers and helps maintain their enthusiasm. The majority of tracks should be at a comfortable walking pace, which is most suitable for tango dancing.

When selecting music, I believe danceability should be the foremost priority. DJs should know that not all tango music was made for dancing. In Argentina's history, from 1955 to 1983, tango as a social dance was discouraged by military regimes, resulting in a lot of tango music produced primarily for listening and not dancing. These tracks often have undanceable rhythms or jazz elements that are hard to follow. Such songs should not be played in milongas no matter how novel and creative they may be (see Tango Music and Its Danceability).

I believe the best songs for tango dancing are those juxtaposed with opposite moods. Good tango music is heterosexual rather than homosexual in nature. Its rhythm is masculine - strong, steady, firm and forceful, and its melody is feminine - sweet, beautiful, sentimental and evocative, reflecting the two sexes in the dance who in essence are playing music with their bodies. Men and women are different instruments, each with a distinct sound, expressing a different mood. Both are indispensable and irreplaceable and they must complement each other and collaborate harmoniously to create a beautiful dance. The absence of either mood makes the music less symphonic, gender expressive and satisfying (see The Characteristics of Classic Tango).

I believe tango as an intimate dance is best danced to music that is moving and inspiring. DJs should select songs that are beautiful, sentimental, soulful and rich in syncopation, and avoid songs that are dull in emotion, plain in melody, and monotonous in rhythm. In fact, high-quality, danceable songs are much smaller in number in comparison to songs of mediocre quality or songs created for listening and not dancing. A DJ should be able to distinguish them and play only the most beautiful, soulful and danceable tracks in the milonga.

I am a firm believer that only the best songs should be played in the milongas, so fervent that I deleted all songs that are not suitable for tango dancing and only kept the top-tier, danceable songs in my computer. The truth is, you do not need thousands of songs to play for a milonga. For a three-hour milonga, you need just 15 tandas or 60 songs. If you carefully select 600 exceptional tracks, you can play for ten milongas without repetition. It is the quality and not the quantity that counts.

I always feel indebted to good DJs like Tine Herrman, Paul Akmajian, Burak Ozkosem and Julia Ingram, to name a few. Every time I hear their music, I feel worth the trouble to travel a thousand miles just to enjoy the music. But the fact is, such pleasure is rare. I believe event organizers should be clearer with DJs about music expectations. I believe DJs should make their playlists available to the public so dancers can have a choice. I hope, with the growth of our tango, the music played in our milongas will also improve, so wherever we go we can always enjoy the very best dance experience.

Tango and Equality

Tango is created by people living at the bottom of society. Their imprints still remain in the dance. The original tango is a lowbrow dance. It is raw, simple, sensual, soul-searching and comforting, touching the heart of one's humanity. Dancing that tango reminds Beatriz Dujovne of a birthing mother's ecstasy, struggle, agony, sweat, pain and joy. Whether a maid or a queen, she wrote, the birthing experiences of all women are identical, just like that in tango. "Tango is all of us in life's common places. It is who we are at the core, behind our social masks (see The Tango in All of Us)."

That shared humanness is a huge source of sublimation for people struggling at the bottom. Tango liberates them because in tango they have regained the dignity of being on the same footing with others. All tango dancers are created equal whether they are taxi drivers or company executives, servant girls or first daughters. You enjoy the person dancing with you for who they are as a fellow human being regardless of their social status. Tango is where Cinderella and Prince Charming fall in love. "It melts down differences by zeroing in on our commonality," Dujovne wrote, "it feeds our hunger for being on a level with others."

Equality has been a dream of the American people since the creation of this nation. When the early immigrants to America were unfairly treated by the English King, they argued for equality. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1776: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." This document, The Declaration of Independence, laid the constitutional foundation for this nation.

After 240 years, however, the gap between rich and poor has not been narrowed in America. In fact, it is widened in our times. Power corrupts. When we were under the oppression of a despot, we called for equality. When we gained the control of our own destiny, we started to do the same thing to others. Self-interest and compassion are juxtaposed in human nature. When we keep a balance between the two, we do fine. But when we lose that balance, when we only think about ourselves and disregard others, when we formulate theories like individualism, personal freedom and individual rights to legitimize selfish behaviors (see Tango and Individualism), when we misinterpret the founding documents from a narrow, individualistic perspective in favor of the self rather than society, the rich rather than the poor, and the villains rather than the victims, when we allow ourselves to pursue self-interest at the expense of others, when we permit tycoons to use unfair competition to establish their monopolies, when the rich are given the privilege of using their money to influence legislation and policy-making, when the law becomes the means to protect and advance the interests of the privileged class, when freedom is used to promote arms sales, violence, doping, obscenity, homosexuality and alternative life styles (see Tango and Gender Issues), when personal liberty is used to undermine traditional family and family-centered values, the very foundation of society (see Tango and Family Values), when divorce, irresponsible sex, single parent family and same sex marriage become the accepted norms and are sponsored by the state, etc., we get ourselves further and further into the mess we are in now.

Ours is the lesson of freedom lost for the vast majority of people when we only seek for personal freedom (see The Freedom in Tango). Only a few can be the winner in the competition if equality and justice are not prerequisites for all other human rights. True freedom is freedom from being violated by others, not freedom to violate others. It is the right to act within the limits of law necessary to public good, not that to harm society. It is a self-restrained human right under the principle that all men are created equal, not the right to do whatever one pleases at the cost of others. It is freedom from poverty and fear, not freedom to prey and shoot. In other words, a free society is an equal society based on compassion and cooperation, not on self-interest and competition. It is where individual rights are subordinate to the collective rights of mankind as a whole, where no one's freedom will be deprived by another's freedom, and where brotherly love, coexistence, compassion and sharing are common values of all people. It is a society consistent with the spirit of tango.

The following video is relevant to this subject. It is well-directed, thought-provocative, and with many humorous details like the responses of the crowd, the looks in the girls' eyes, and the old lady being carried away, etc. The dance is of the highest quality with excellent musicality and choreography. I especially appreciate the ending where the elegant dignity of the heroic nonentity won over the arrogance of the social elites. Watch in fullscreen.