Argentines have been dancing
Tango for more than a century. This has
given them time to figure out what works and what doesn’t in a social dance
environment. Out of this has grown unwritten
codes of conduct which they take very seriously. The “codes” are continually evolving and have
subtle variations from one milonga to another.
At their heart seems to be the Golden Rule – dance next to others as you would have others dance next to you –
as well as the notion of equal opportunity, that is, everyone gets to use the
same amount of space.
Tango dancers move in a
counterclockwise direction around the floor in lanes much like lanes on a
highway. The experienced dancers typically dance in the outside lane and
beginners move to the inside. Some of the codes that apply to the dance floor
and are generally observed in all milongas are:
- Stay in one lane.
- Do not pass other dancers in your lane.
- Adjust your dancing to the space available and don’t
take more than your share.
- Do not impede the line of dance.
- Never take a back step against the line of dance.
- Keep the
follow’s feet on the floor.
Leading ganchos or high boleos in
a good milonga would be considered grounds for the follow to walk off the floor
or the organizer to ask you to leave.
We encourage everyone to follow
these simple rules for safety and to provide an environment conducive to the
quest for the transcendent experience of tango.
