Every time I've come back to Buenos Aires it's been very different from the previous visit - and this has been no exception!  Perhaps it's because I first came here in 2002, just after a serious financial crisis had occurred.  This has led to a lot of changes in just about everything.  The world of Tango has certainly changed!

When I first came here everyone went to more or less the same Milongas - although some were more favoured by the older dancers.  Nearly everyone danced Milonguero, which had come to be regarded as the ‘real tango' by many people.  And the teachers either claimed to be Milongueros, or to have been taught by them.

Now nearly all the younger dancers - and quite a few of the older ones - dance the sort of modern style that DNI teaches.  It's a fusion of elements from traditional Salon, Milonguero, and Nuevo with strong influence from other dances.  There are an increasing number of "Practicas" and even Milongas where that is the style that nearly everyone dances.  (Practica X, El Motivo, and Tango Cool are some of the better known.)

The younger teachers and many of the dancers come from Contemporaneo (Modern Dance) and Jazz, and feel - and for that matter hear - their tango rather differently.  And why shouldn't they?  Tango is mainly about men and women and the relationship between them - and that has changed a great deal since the 1940s, which is where it felt as if Buenos Aires was located in when I first came here.

So what is it like learning tango in the Buenos Aires of today?  Well - it very different and in many ways a lot easier.  People are much less inclined to look for the magic teacher who can solve all problems - or take classes with "Milongueros" (who often aren't.)  There are now tango teachers who can teach the technique of the dance separately from the difficult questions of improvisation and musicality - and even feeling.  (Can this be taught, I wonder?  Perhaps only experienced!)

An awful lot of people simply go to DNI - which has a tremendously effective tecnica and a very systematic way of teaching it.  Students who follow the system (and they can follow it since classes are usually in both English and Spanish) all seem become competent dancers, and some move on to the stage of learning rather than being taught.

The more ambitious tend to get involved in fairly extensive "bodywork" to "prepare the body for dancing" as Pablo Villarazza puts it.  In DNI this tends to involve Yoga, Contemporaneo and Contact Improv, which can be studied in house.  Those who favour other disciplines will find that Pilates, Jazz, Alexander technique, RPG (literally Re-alignment of Posture Globally) and many other varieties of Contemporaneo are all available in Buenos Aires at reasonable prices. 

So does all this mean that Tango lost its roots?  Well I get the impression that if anything the developing style is a move back towards them, from pure Tango Nuevo.  The Tango feeling (that intriguing mix of sensuality and seduction, with a hint of conspiracy and secrets, of shady people from the edgy side of the night) certainly hasn't gone away.  It seems to be independent of style or technique - try a class with "El Pulpo" if you doubt me.

Some things really haven't changed. Gustavo Naveira - the master of masters - gives local classes here at least once and usually twice a year, as does Chicho.  The difference between these and most other "Advanced Classes"?  It's the difference between studying for ‘A' levels and a second year lecture at Oxford.  (In the case of Chicho by a visiting professor from a very alternative university.)

So should you still come to Buenos Aires to learn Tango?Certainly, if you have the chance, and for as long as possible.  This is perhaps more than ever the centre of tango - and it's a tremendous place to learn.   But if you can't come, or not for long, don't worry.  Regular classes with a good teacher and the excellent workshops we have in Hong Kong can go a long way to make up for it!

Related Items:

1. A Dream of Tango
2. Buenos Aires - The Start
3. C.I.T.A.
4. Helpful Tips on Women traveling Solo in Buenos Aires
5. It all begins with an embrace

Related Links:

1. HK Tango Studies
2. Tangazos

Last update: 20-01-2008 11:01

Published in : Blogs, Travel