| From the very beginning, Buenos Aires and the tango | | | | am, as a break in the middle of the dance session - |
| have been inseparable. | | | | check with the show's organizers beforehand. Most of |
| It was in the brothels of this burgeoning South | | | | the same dance halls will also offer classes, normally in |
| American port city that, around the turn of the century, | | | | the early evening hours before the "milonga" begins. |
| Italian immigrant laborers first invented the dance. By | | | | Contact information for these and other "milongas" can |
| the 1920s and 30s, with these brothel beginnings largely | | | | be found on the official Government of Buenos Aires |
| relegated to the past, tango reached its golden age, a | | | | site: |
| time of immense popularity for both the dance and the | | | | For those who don't yet have the skills to take on |
| music alike. During those years tango could be heard, in | | | | Buenos Aires' best dancers, or who are looking for a |
| both its sung and its orchestral versions, on the radio | | | | more relaxed or more youthful atmosphere, the |
| and in dance halls around the world. | | | | "practica" or practice session has recently been gaining |
| Tango, of course, remains popular to this day. And | | | | in popularity on the traditional classic "milonga". A |
| Buenos Aires is still the best place in the world to | | | | variety of these less formal, even "underground", |
| dance the tango or see it performed on the stage. | | | | dance halls have risen up to the task of providing |
| Tango dance halls are called "milongas." Even the | | | | young Argentines and foreign visitors with a place to |
| uninitiated are welcome at a "milonga" - which is to say | | | | dance where they won't be beholden to the constant |
| that anyone is free to take a class or to watch from | | | | pressures of tango-world snobbery. Some of these |
| the tables which encircle the dance floor. But those | | | | "milongas", like the more traditional dance halls, also |
| with little experience should be aware that in the late | | | | have shows. Amongst these places, you'll find: |
| evening, when the "milonga" is in session, you are | | | | Tango Cool! (in Club Villa Malcolm) |
| expected to be a highly proficient dancer before you | | | | La Viruta (in The Centro Cultural Armenia) |
| should think about selecting a partner (Ladies, don't | | | | Catedral |
| even think about it! According to the tango code, only | | | | Finally, for tourists and for tourists only (most |
| men may do the asking). Stepping on toes is not | | | | Argentines could scarcely afford the ticket price), a |
| appreciated and anyone who does so will not be | | | | number of places in Buenos Aires offer dinner - show |
| asked to dance again. "Tangueros", as tango dancers | | | | combinations. The food is mostly forgettable, and the |
| are known, are not a forgiving lot. | | | | shows are of the Andrew Lloyd Webber variety, with |
| "Milongas" don't begin until 10:00 or 11:00 in the evening | | | | flimsily constructed plotlines, a random selection of |
| and normally will not end before 4:00 or 5:00 am., so | | | | music, unfunny jokes told by garrulous MCs, and plenty |
| make sure you have a siesta the day before. | | | | of spectacle and special effects - in one of the shows, |
| A list of some of the nicest "classic" milongas in | | | | a live horse is brought onto the stage every night! The |
| Buenos Aires includes: | | | | dancers are, however, true professionals and, |
| Bien Pulenta | | | | especially when more than one couple is dancing |
| La Confiteria Ideal | | | | together on stage, the spectacle is truly amazing. For |
| Salon Canning | | | | that alone it may be worth paying the entry fee. The |
| El Niño Bien | | | | price for these shows is, however, extremely steep, |
| All of these are traditional dance halls, with marble or | | | | especially by local standards. Expect to pay around |
| hardwood floors, chandelier lighting, gilded ceilings and | | | | one hundred US dollars for dinner and a show - more |
| black jacket waiters - places that are imbued with no | | | | if inflation continues its current course of eroding away |
| small amount of class, and perhaps an even larger | | | | the savings that tourists used to see from the |
| amount of snobbery. Many of these milongas will offer | | | | devalued peso. |
| mini-shows with famous dancers, usually at 1:00 or 2:00 | | | | |