Tango Milonga Dancing Style

Milonga has the following attributes:

A very fast-paced dance.
Can be either open or close embrace.
Incorporates many of the normal tango steps, but due to its fast pace, the vast repertoire available to modern tango cannot be reproduced in full in the milonga (for example many of the embellishments, which require a pause).
It is played and danced in 2/4 beat rather than the standard 4/4.
Generally every beat (or sub-beat) is stepped on.

The are two distinct styles: milonga liso and milonga con traspié.

Milonga Liso

In milonga liso, or simple milonga, the dancer steps on every beat of the music.

Milonga Liso - Catania tango festival 2007

Milonga con Traspié

Traspié literally means "trip"... Milonga traspié is considered the next level of dancing beyond simple milonga. It plays with the space between the beats to syncopate the tango steps - finding the essence of the milonga. In milonga con traspié the dancer may use either traspié or contrapasos (changes of weight) to achieve double time, or even to step thrice over two beats (true syncopation).

Milonga con Traspié - Pablo Rodriguez and Noelia Hurtado

Milonga con Traspié - Gabriela Elias and Eduardo Perez

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Quote of the Day

Tango can be danced in a thousand different ways, but lets step on the ground first, because that is where the energy comes from. Therefore this is where we ought to dance to the music. Without the music there is no dance, no tango, no teacher, no student. A true teacher can only transmit the teaching the music has left him. -Pedro Rusconi

Today in Tango

Tango Milonga Dancing Style

Milonga Liso

Milonga con Traspié

1937, February 22 – ROBERTO RAY RECORDS “SOLLOZOS”

1954, February 21 – BIRTH OF RAIMUNDO ROSALES

1983, February 20 – “CHANY” DEAD AT 28

1881, February 19 – BIRTH OF GABINO C. PENALOZA

1923, February 18 – VALENTINO DANCES AT TRIANON BALLROOM

1886, February 17 – BIRTH OF GENARO ESPOSITO

1861, February 16 – BIRTH OF ANGEL VILLOLDO

1940, February 15 – ROBERTO RUFFINO RECORDS “ALMA MIA”

1885, February 14 – BIRTH OF “EL CACHFAZ”

1891, February 13 – BIRTH OF IGNACIO CORSINI