How quilts are made


Where to Dance Tango in Buenos Aires

From the very beginning, Buenos Aires and thelarger amount of snobbery. Many of these
tango  have  been  inseparable.milongas will offer mini-shows with famous
dancers, usually at 1:00 or 2:00 am, as a
It was in the brothels of this burgeoningbreak in the middle of the dance session -
South American port city that, around thecheck with the show's organizers beforehand.
turn of the century, Italian immigrantMost of the same dance halls will also offer
laborers first invented the dance. By theclasses, normally in the early evening hours
1920s and 30s, with these brothel beginningsbefore  the  "milonga"  begins.
largely relegated to the past, tango reached
its golden age, a time of immense popularityContact information for these and other
for both the dance and the music alike."milongas" can be found on the official
During those years tango could be heard, inGovernment  of  Buenos  Aires  site:
both its sung and its orchestral versions, on
the radio and in dance halls around theFor those who don't yet have the skills to
world.take on Buenos Aires' best dancers, or who
are looking for a more relaxed or more
Tango, of course, remains popular to thisyouthful atmosphere, the "practica" or
day. And Buenos Aires is still the bestpractice session has recently been gaining in
place in the world to dance the tango or seepopularity on the traditional classic
it  performed  on  the  stage."milonga". A variety of these less formal,
even "underground", dance halls have risen up
Tango dance halls are called "milongas."to the task of providing young Argentines and
Even the uninitiated are welcome at aforeign visitors with a place to dance where
"milonga" - which is to say that anyone isthey won't be beholden to the constant
free to take a class or to watch from thepressures of tango-world snobbery. Some of
tables which encircle the dance floor. Butthese "milongas", like the more traditional
those with little experience should be awaredance halls, also have shows. Amongst these
that in the late evening, when the "milonga"places,  you'll  find:
is in session, you are expected to be a
highly proficient dancer before you shouldTango  Cool!  (in  Club  Villa  Malcolm)
think about selecting a partner (Ladies,
don't even think about it! According to theLa  Viruta  (in  The Centro Cultural Armenia)
tango code, only men may do the asking).
Stepping on toes is not appreciated andCatedral
anyone who does so will not be asked to dance
again. "Tangueros", as tango dancers areFinally, for tourists and for tourists only
known,  are  not  a  forgiving  lot.(most Argentines could scarcely afford the
ticket price), a number of places in Buenos
"Milongas" don't begin until 10:00 or 11:00Aires offer dinner - show combinations. The
in the evening and normally will not endfood is mostly forgettable, and the shows are
before 4:00 or 5:00 am., so make sure youof the Andrew Lloyd Webber variety, with
have  a  siesta  the  day  before.flimsily constructed plotlines, a random
selection of music, unfunny jokes told by
A list of some of the nicest "classic"garrulous MCs, and plenty of spectacle and
milongas  in  Buenos  Aires  includes:special effects - in one of the shows, a live
horse is brought onto the stage every night!
Bien  PulentaThe dancers are, however, true professionals
and, especially when more than one couple is
La  Confiteria  Idealdancing together on stage, the spectacle is
truly amazing. For that alone it may be
Salon  Canningworth paying the entry fee. The price for
these shows is, however, extremely steep,
El  Niño  Bienespecially by local standards. Expect to pay
around one hundred US dollars for dinner and
All of these are traditional dance halls,a show - more if inflation continues its
with marble or hardwood floors, chandeliercurrent course of eroding away the savings
lighting, gilded ceilings and black jacketthat tourists used to see from the devalued
waiters - places that are imbued with nopeso.
small amount of class, and perhaps an even



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