As we acknowledge and pay tribute to the master who has moved on — Steve Jobs, in his own words, expresses his philosophy of death elegantly:

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

The world has lost one of the great visionaries in history and the Thomas Edison of our times. Yet he continues on as in inspiration to all of us that seek innovation, perfection and success.

As Slate’s Farhad Manjoo writes about Jobs following his death, so too, does he characterize tango so eloquently,  ”The major touchstones of the Jobs aesthetic are obvious — … he believed in elegance and minimalism.”   Steve, we will miss you … and we will tango on.

“Most dances are for people who are falling in love. The tango is a dance for those who have survived it, and are still a little angry about having their hearts so mishandled. The Tango Lesson is a movie for people who understand that difference.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, film review, December 19, 1997

This post is long overdue and my massive apologies to my faithful readers.  Here it is – a post bringing closure (for now) to my discussion of códigos and floorcraft.  And while I still believe that the  Códigos from Cachirulo that I talked about earlier on these pages, are all that is needed for experienced dancers — and yes, they remain prominently posted in multiple languages at Cachirulo’s new location at Villa Malcolm —  these same códigos  don’t necessarily work for beginners.   They leave too much open to personal interpretation.  So to compliment the simple, but effective list I already shared here, I’ve developed a separate list for beginners and the uninitiated who should be able to comfortably dance tango at any milonga simply by paying attention to the following.  No list is ever perfect, but at least this is a good place to start.

First, here are some tango definitions for beginners:

Milonga – A word used to describe two different things: (1) a tango social dance event in general, and (2) a specific style of tango music that is a lively, syncopated eight-beat rhythm (an ‘excited’ habanera). At a Milonga (tango social dance), music is usually played in tandas or sets of three or four songs. Dancers typically stay with the same partner until the tanda is finished. On the other hand, the milonga style of music is usually played along with the other two principal styles of traditional tango music — tango and vals.

Tanda – A set of tango songs — usually three or four songs — of a particular style and usually from the same orchestra and the same period, lasting 10-12 minutes. At milongas, couples typically dance a complete tanda together, before returning to their tables to prepare for the next set of songs (tanda).

Cortina – A break song or transition song of an entirely different musical style lasting at least 30 seconds that signals to the dancers that the tanda is over and the next tanda will begin shortly.  During cortinas, couples thank each other for the dance and return to their seats so they can prepare for the next dance. Cortinas can also be viewed as “palette cleansers” to help dancers transition their bodies from one style of music to another.

Códigos – Tango ‘codes of ethics’ or floorcraft guidelines for a milonga. These guidelines govern people’s behavior throughout the evening at a milonga — entering, being seated, chosing a partner, dancing, watching others dance, and leaving the dance.  Respecting the tango códigos provides some discipline on the dance floor, and allows everyone to more fully enjoy their time at the milonga.

Tango Códigos:

Typically, the man asks the women to dance, instead of the woman asking the man.

If possible, use the cabaceo method to find a partner, which helps people “save face” when choosing a dance partner.  (The cabaceo is agreeing to dance through the subtle inclination of the head, through eye-contact or a wink.)

After two people agree to dance, the man should approach the women while she remains seated. The man stops near the edge of the dance floor closest to where she is sitting, the woman stands up, approaches her partner, and they prepare to dance.

If the floor is crowded, the lead should make eye contact with the lead approaching his spot on the dance floor, before he enters the floor,  so the couple can join the line of dance with minimal disruption.

More experienced couples dance around the edge of the dance floor.  Less skilled dancers dance in the middle.

When dancing, don’t confuse the social dance floor with a stage (details below).

At the end of a tanda, the man accompanies the women to her seat, before chatting with others or returning to his seat.

Milonga Floorcraft  (or how to respect the line of dance)

All milongas have a line of dance, where couples slowly circulate around the outside of the dance floor in a counter-clockwise direction.

Everyone should stay in their lane and maintain their same position in the line of dance where they started the dance, until the end of a tanda.  No zig-zagging in and out of the line of dance.

Avoid passing the couple in front of you.  Never pass a couple on their right side.  If a couple stops in front of you or is moving slower than you’d like, dance in place with your partner until the other couples starts moving again.

Leads should not teach at a milonga, follows should not ask for tips and no one should ask for suggestions from their partner.  Milongas are social events for enjoyment and pleasure, while practicas, workshops and classes are places to learn how to dance and for tips or questions. Milongas are not places to call attention to what others are doing wrong.

During a dance, particularly on a crowded dance floor, keep your feet on the floor.  No boleos on a busy floor.  That helps avoid injuries to other dancers with a mis-directed spiked heel.

Respect the space of others in front of you and others behind you in the line of dance. There is a small amount of space around you – perhaps a 2’ to 3’ circle – that belongs to you, while the rest of the space is shared space and access is negotiated in the moment with other dancers around you.  It is up to you to understand the difference.

Don’t disrupt the dance of others.  Your responsibility is to keep circulating without bothering other dancers on the dance floor.  If you want to stop talk or work on something, either leave the dance floor or go to the middle.

Practica – A guided tango practice session where dancers can work on new steps and where they can iron out problems with their dance. Music is usually played continuously during a Practica and someone is usually available to assist dancers, as needed.  Milongas, which are more structured, should not be confused with Practicas.

“Tango is the dance of feelings.”

“Tango is what happens between steps.”

“Tango is what happens when you take everything out and all you have left is feelings.”

“On earth, we are all angels with one wing. Only when we come together can we fly.”

from Milongueando 2010 “Homage de Carlos Gavito” film and book launch, La Mansión Dandi Royal, Buenos Aires — August 9, 2010.

I climbed the stairs from street level to El Beso at around 10:30 pm on Thursday; I should have known better. It was a great night with the Lujos milonga and excellent dancers, including some of the old milonguero, but everyone was leaving when I got there. I should have known better with this being my 4th trip to Buenos Aires in three years; the had started at 6:00 pm. Some of the wonderful milongueras I had studied with were heading out the door after already dancing for a few hours, so I missed tandas with some of my favorite partners in Buenos Aires. And I missed a wonderful tanda with my primary teacher because of a communication mix-up using the cabaceo. I thought she declined a dance with me, when, instead she declined a dance with someone seated nearby and wanted to dance with me. I should have known better; after all, haven’t I been dancing for a number of years? Haven’t I been successfully using the cabaceo for a while? Oh well, they say … everything for a reason. Chill — relax and enjoy! It was 45 minutes before I got my first dance. But meanwhile I watched, I listened, I observed and absorbed. It was probably a good thing.

The dance floor was packed. After warm greetings from a number of teachers and friends, I was seated and immediately noticed something unexpected. There was a pulse on the dance floor I hadn’t remembered, perhaps something to do with the embrace, the steps, the music and the overall energy of the room .. tbc