TangoBarrio

Chronicle of an ordinary milonga (from a female point of view) by Celine Allard

And the good energy of that dance, you will be able to pass it on to your next partner, a baton that will link together the participants of the wonderful event a milonga can become. As I have once heard Tom Stermitz (from Denver) say, a milonga is a success, when people can say at the end of the night: There was the music (above me), the woman (in my arms), and the energy of the crowd (around us).

At the end of the tanda, you're both still dizzy from the fresh emotions, the same kind of feeling you encounter when you wake up from a sweet dream. Almost self conscious of what he triggered, he bows respectfully, the shy glow in your eyes is more intense for a second, and you part.

This guy is twice your age, well, he will have wisdom you can benefit from; that guy could be your young nephew, he probably has energy to transform your feet into those of a ballerina; you don?t even understand what language this other one spoke when he stuttered 'vooduuleiketodance', well, tango is a universal language. And that occasional beginner who spent the last three tandas to muster enough courage to walk to you and ask for a dance, you may wonder what you will get from him. True, he may not send you to seventh heaven (but you know, sixth heaven is not bad either, for a change). After all, you too were a beginner at some point, and you were grateful you got some dances then. Don't think about what you can get from the dances-- how he'll make you look, and how well it bodes for future dances--, think about what you can give to your partner, that reassuring presence, the encouragement, the recognition of his effort....You'll end up looking even more gracious.

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At the end of the tanda, you're both still dizzy from the fresh emotions, the same kind of feeling you encounter when you wake up from a sweet dream. Almost self conscious of what he triggered, he bows respectfully, the shy glow in your eyes is more intense for a second, and you part.

This guy is twice your age, well, he will have wisdom you can benefit from; that guy could be your young nephew, he probably has energy to transform your feet into those of a ballerina; you don?t even understand what language this other one spoke when he stuttered 'vooduuleiketodance', well, tango is a universal language. And that occasional beginner who spent the last three tandas to muster enough courage to walk to you and ask for a dance, you may wonder what you will get from him. True, he may not send you to seventh heaven (but you know, sixth heaven is not bad either, for a change). After all, you too were a beginner at some point, and you were grateful you got some dances then. Don't think about what you can get from the dances-- how he'll make you look, and how well it bodes for future dances--, think about what you can give to your partner, that reassuring presence, the encouragement, the recognition of his effort....You'll end up looking even more gracious.