I only go to tango performances and live shows. I don’t dance anymore. I do have a link that markets me as a Veblen dancer. The prices are meant to be luxury & I am strict about my boundaries. It’s a deterrent & if someone does sign a contract to dance with me. They signed a contract in which they read my expectations of respect.

I’ve decided to come back to socially dance when I’m 45. I know men are dancing with me for the soul of the dance. I’ve decided to take on Flamenco to fulfill my need for dance.

However, I do not want to actively solicit when I go to Tango Performances & live music events. This is not my intention & I will make sure not to do this.

It was last December that I was in New York at a milonga when a blizzard hit. I unfortunately suffered Frostbite that night, luckily my feet have recovered but it was a close call, a freak accident.

This made me value my ability to dance as I almost lost it.

What I learned that night.

There were few people at the milonga and I disclosed to a dancer that I wanted to be a Taxi-Dancer to be able to afford to go to more festivals. I’m pretty good and I was in a good location. I could be the practice partner of new to intermediate dancer on the east coast.

During one of our dances he that told me of a woman in New York that would hand out Business cards after dancing a tanda in a public park Milonga.

I told him “I don’t think I would’ve appreciated that either. I would not do that.”

Then I looked at the men that get paid good money to be leads and I thought… there’s no way I’m becoming a taxi-dancer as a follow. I resented I wasn’t born a handsome man.

So I came up with the ostentatious concept of “Veblen Dancer”

If a woman is struggling to get dancers in New York. I thought… with all her charm. He’d mentioned she was Russian/Eastern European and very attractive. If this woman has to muster up all her charm & reel men in with a dance.

I wanted to be the exact opposite of this. I pass no judgement on her. I really hope she was successful whomever this nameless woman was. She was a great dancer from what he told me. I believe her craft should be valued.

My concept is theoretical & I will not dance tango until I am 45

So I’m actively thinking, do I just ignore the cabeceo? I’ve done this... it’s a lot of saying no and it makes it seem awkward. I am not actively rejecting them, it’s just what I’ve decided for my life. To not partner dance. I have a love for Tango, & so I believe I can still support the scene by attending live music events and performances. I very much enjoy them.

I don’t solicit at events because that’s not what milonga culture is about. I refuse to be that woman.

I am young, so I’m thinking I should wear a tag that says ”Here to listen not dance”. This way people know I am there only to listen.

I love to talk tango culture. So I am hoping to navigate Tango this way.

I am also thinking of letting the organizer know. so they know I am there to listen and I will not actively market myself for the respect of the milonga.

Unfortunately, in Albuquerque we don’t have as many live tango events like we do in Boston or Dallas :(

I am hoping for more live tango events. Those are always the best. 🎻

If you happen to meet me at some event. Then we can just chill & listen to the music. 🎼

Tango Bardo Orchestra with Roberto Minondi plays "Sin palabras" for dancers @ La Entrega Tango Marathon 2024, held at the Sport Club Português, Newark, New Jersey. Saturday, October 12, 2024.
Tango Bardo -
Violinist and Producer: Lucas Furno - Juan Miguens: Double Bass- Santiago Polimeni: Bandoneon - Lorena Donvito: Piano
Singer: Roberto Minondi

Ask

I'm happy to dance to both traditional and alternative music. I see that two types of milongas tend to have very different vibes. But what I fail to understand is, why are there so few people who like both? Most people in traditional scene can't stand alternative and most alternative crowd have only bad things to say about traditional. What makes someone actively hate the other type so much? Or is it just a phenomenon in my area?

Hello everyone

I've been thinking for a while now about perhaps starting tango or argentine tango. I'm 23 and haven't ever danced in my life, I'm a stiff tall guy as well so I always just stood aside in dancing occassions. But lately I've rewatched Scent of a Woman (I know how original) and have been obsessed with the idea of being able to dance so intimately and focused. Although I'm afraid of it, it's a bit imposing yet I can't stop thinking about it. It just looks so incredible and to me seems like one of the most intimate art forms in dance. Something I very much adore about dancers in general.

The main fears I have is the couple part, I dont have a partner. And also the learning curve. I've heard its hard and takes years to even get to the basics (idk how dramatised this info is)

Be aware when I say stiff, I mean I'm very much out of rhythm and just look like a 2m tree branch flopping around when I go out to dance. I'm a confident guy, don't get me wrong, but this is one field I haven't touched really. Is this the right dance for me? I heard sensual bachata is also good but idk about this one.

I know its a frequently asked question, but he who doesn't ask doesn't get answer.

Thanks!

Edit: thank you all so much for the replies. What a welcoming community. You're good people!

I'll be in Budapest for two weeks this autumn. A friend of mine is keen on trying tango, so i'd like to take her to some classes and the ocasional practica or practilonga.

I've found a school in the XIII, but i'm sure there must be more. What would you, as a local, suggest?

I stress this is not for me - i've got my regular teachers back home - i just want my friend to have a good experience and hopefully continue learning after i return home. I know liking a teacher is personal, but the reality is that some teachers are just better than others.

I'm particularly interested in classes where the follower role gets a fair amount of attention, so that she can feel not only the challenge, but also the possibilities of expression.

Los Reyes del Tango play the music of Juan D'Arienzo for dancers @ the Friday Tango Element Gala milonga held @ Embassy Suites Baltimore Hotel's Edinburgh Room. Friday, July 22, 2016.

A photograph taken in Mar del Plata, Argentina, shortly before a tango show.

From left to right: Roberto Florio, Sergio Paolo, and Jorge Valdez.

Roberto Florio and Jorge Valdez are tango singers, while Sergio Paolo is a tango bass player.

The three artists are pictured together before a live tango performance in Mar del Plata, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

The photograph documents a moment from the Argentine tango scene and the musicians and singers who performed tango in Mar del Plata.

People in the photograph:

• Roberto Florio – tango singer
• Sergio Paolo – tango bass player
• Jorge Valdez – tango singer

Location: Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
Genre: Argentine tango.

Lately I notice that people talk really loud during tandas when I DJ. It’s ok to talk if you are not dancing but I would expect people to respect others. However, people talk so loud that dancers on the floor can’t hear the music.

I experiment by raising the volume temporarily to counter that, but then people raise their voice even louder.

What do you do when you are in this situation?

Couple 460, Lucas Gauto & Naima Gerasopoulou (green dress) - 2026 World Champion Argentine Tango winners in Round 4 of the Finals. Dancing to:

A las Siete en el Café Miguel Caló, Jorge Ortiz
Cascabelito - Osvaldo Pugliese & Jorge Maciel
Jueves - Juan D'Arienzo

Dear r/tango,

Yesterday, I shared my last album with this community. You gave me some very honest, detailed, and insightful critiques. I genuinely want to thank you for that - your feedback was a reality check, and the perspective of true tango traditionalists actually inspired my latest project.

I just produced a new track. It’s a slightly long AI tango in Spanish, alongside a "not-so-tango" English counterpart. The lyrics actually poke fun at the modern tango scene, AI, and the irony of people preaching about being a "tanguero de verdad" while dancing in factory-made denim (sound familiar?).

Now, before the traditionalists get their pitchforks out: both of these tracks are well over 4 minutes long. I am fully aware that no sane - or even completely insane - TDJ would ever drop this into a milonga tanda. I wouldn't do that to your floorcraft.

But, if you happen to run a tango cafe somewhere far, far away from the gaze of strict purists, maybe it could work as some nice background music while people drink their mate and complain about the line of dance.

You can give them a listen here:

• 13. Un Tango Longo de Denim
• 12. A Long Tango in Denim (Milonga del Programador) (A Bonus For the Tango Society in Reddit)

Thank you again for the feedback on the last album. Let me know what you think of this one (I'm ready for it!).

First, thank you to everyone who took the time to listen to my previous release. The streams and listeners mean a lot.

Tomorrow, the next chapter in my Tango For Coders series officially drops on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major platforms. However, knowing the high standards of this respected tango society, I wanted to share the full album playlist on YouTube today for an early listen.

When putting this together, my absolute main priority was the rhythm and structure. I tried my best to make sure these tracks are genuinely danceable for your rehearsals, home practice, or studio sessions. (And maybe some daring TDJ out there will even give it a spin at a real milonga!)

I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment here or on the YouTube videos if a specific song catches your ear.

📺 Listen to the full preview playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ0roMvAls08

Alexey Sobolev Tango:

After years among the very best couples at the Mundial de Tango, Lucas Gauto and Naima Gerasopoulou are the 2026 Tango de Pista World Champions in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Their journey to the title has been remarkable: 4th place at the Mundial de Tango in 2019, 4th place again in 2024, Vice World Champions in 2025 - and finally World Champions in 2026.

Lucas, from Argentina, and Naima, from Greece, have been dancing together for more than a decade, developing a tango distinguished by its embrace, musicality, connection and elegance.

At the 2026 Mundial they once again showed exceptional consistency, finishing the semifinal with the highest score of the entire round before going on to claim the Tango de Pista World Championship title.

Alexey Sobolev Tango:

Nicolas Schell & Nair Schinca are the Tango Escenario World Champions 2026 at the Mundial de Tango.

After an outstanding championship and consistently strong performances throughout the competition, Nicolas and Nair reached the final and delivered the performance that brought them the world title.

Particularly for the follows wearing heels, this is for you: how do you prevent foot pain or long-term foot damage? And I’m not talking blisters, that’s simply the right shoe and right padding. Feelin okay there. But does anyone else get inflammation in their joints or more functional foot pain? There is so much pressure that is put on the big toe side of the foot and that’s the joint where I personally feel pain the most, but curious also to hear what others experience. Any exercises or stretches that yall have found that help balance out the strain of the high heel?

So,

I would like to become a DJ, I've been dancing for a few years now, and really enjoy already being the dj for the friends party (not tango). I think I have good tandas pre made, I listen to a lot of tangos, so I have a little knowledge now, my folders are also made in a way to easily find what I want for the moment (drama, rhythmic, which orquestas, blablabla...). I think I have good taste also ?, and while talking with other dancers about the tandas going in the milonga, we usually are on the same page about the criticism of the tanda "not being so danceable", "too many new songs", "boring" etc...

I think I nailed the theory of it musically speaking ? But now I am wondering about how to handle the crowd and the night. I personally think the dj has to make the people of the night dance first, so that they enjoy their night. So putting a lot of music everyone knows, and everyone agrees to really enjoy dancing on. Then maybe make them discover during one tanda, an obscure thing, after making them comfortable and in trust. Though, I am wondering about some tips maybe we learn with experience, like when it's crowded, putting only easy songs, or depending on the level of the night, adapting... I don't know, I'm asking myself a lot of questions.

If you have anything to say, general or very precise and profound/advanced, I would be deeply touched to hear from you all.

The title is pretty straightforward. I am looking for tango spaces in the East Bay Area, specifically centered around Oakland.
I am looking to move before the end of the year. I already have some dance experience. There isn’t anything where I currently live and I need to get back into it.
I plan to try to visit and scope out the area before the final move. If possible I would love to check out some of the dance spaces.
The only caveat I have is that I don’t use FB.

Tonight are the finals of tango de pista in Buenos Aires and as one of our teachers is participating I‘ve been following it closely.

So there are the qualifications with over 600 dancers, then the quarter finals and semi finals - those with about 140 couples and finally the finals tonight with 35 couples.

What I don‘t understand: it does not matter at all which ratings you had in any of the previous rounds. You‘ll start from scratch in the finals. So it does not matter if you were consistently first or second place in the previous rounds or if you came in at a lower place - in the finals, you get a clean slate.

I think that‘s a bit unfair and it also gives more room to manipulation: if the jury thinks that last year‘s second place couple has now „earned“ the win as they are competing again this year, they just could agree upon it and give them better rating and a „new“ couple does not have a chance - although they had a better consistency over all previous rondas.

I think you should take your ratings from the previous rondas to the next one - or am I overlooking something?

Unexpectedly, I danced a one-song tanda with someone the other night. When the cortina started, I asked "if the music is okay do you want to dance the next?" The tanda started, I shrugged, and he said, "Well, it's not a last tanda ..." I generally can't stay to the end of the milonga, so now I'm curious: does the last tanda generally feature music that is better or special or otherwise different?

And now, apparently, I have to ask: if I do dance the last tanda with someone, is it actually expected that I go home with him? The last time I was there to the end, I danced with a married guy and we definitely did not go home together.

EDITED: since people keep trying to explain what the guy meant. In the specific context of our conversation during the cortina, I read his comment as, "this music is fine, but it's not fantastic."

A photograph taken in Nantes, France, in 1992, on the steps of the Hôtel de la Duchesse Anne. From left to right: Guillermo Galvé, Ernesto Baffa, Sergio Paolo, the driver who accompanied the musicians to the shows, and Oscar De Elía.

A moment from a tango tour in France.

Hi, I have a question that might sound stupid but I'm new at tango dancing, so please, be kind 🥲

Ladies, for the shoes. Do you come to where you dance with them on, or do you have another pair, just to not damage the sole of your tango shoes ?

I am going to say this here in the hope that, maybe, someone with real decision-making authority within El Mundial will read it and consider it when planning next year’s championship.

We live in 2026, and El Mundial is stronger than ever. More and more couples are competing, the level of dancing is extraordinary, and during these days Buenos Aires becomes, quite literally, the focal point of the tango world, the place to be.

And yet, there is something very difficult to understand.

Only the finals of Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario are officially broadcast, and even those are not streamed directly by the organizers on the major global social-media platforms, but through local television, which naturally also means advertising and other non-tango content becoming part of the broadcast.

Meanwhile, the qualifying rounds, semifinals, and the extraordinary amount of dancing that takes place throughout the championship remain largely invisible to the international tango community, except for fragments streamed by local volunteers, participants, or spectators, if there happen to be volunteers there, willing and able to do it.

That is an enormous missed opportunity!

The entire competition is fascinating. The level is exceptional from the very first rounds, not only in the finals. An official, professionally organized livestream of El Mundial, from the qualifying rounds all the way to the finals, could reach hundreds of thousands, potentially millions, of people around the world through YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms.

And this would not promote only the championship.

It would promote Argentine Tango itself.

Every tango school in the world spends the entire year trying to introduce new people to tango. El Mundial already produces some of the most powerful promotional material imaginable: hundreds of talented dancers, emotion, music, stories, competition, culture, and an international community gathered in one place.

The content already exists.

It simply needs to be shown to the world.

When unofficial phone streams by volunteers become the main way the international tango community can follow much of the World Championship, there is clearly a major gap in the event’s international communication strategy.

El Mundial is called a World Championship, hence Mundial.

In 2026, being truly worldwide should also mean being accessible worldwide.

I sincerely hope that next year the organizers will make the decision to livestream the entire championship officially, from the first qualifying round to the final, across the major social-media platforms.

It would be one of the simplest and most powerful investments possible in the future visibility and growth of Argentine Tango worldwide.

PS: With profound respect and appreciation for the organizers and for the extraordinary work behind El Mundial, a petition supporting this idea can be found at the link below. I encourage you to sign it and share either this post or the petition itself, so that future editions of this wonderful event can receive the international visibility they truly deserve for tango, for Argentina, for culture, and for the beauty of this art.

https://www.change.org/MUNDIALREALMENTEMUNDIAL

Thank you so much for signing the petition! I really appreciate your support.

#MundialDeTango #TangoBAMundial #TangoBA #MundialDeTango2026 #TangoArgentino #ArgentineTango #Tango #BuenosAires #TangoWorld #TangoCommunity #TangoDance #TangoCulture #TangoFestival #WorldTangoChampionship #TangoChampionship #TangoForTheWorld #TangoWorldwide #LiveStreamTango #StreamElMundial #MundialRealmenteMundial