'MILONGUERO' STYLE REVISITED

By Daniel Trenner

La Cadena No. 26 - Juni/Juli/Augustus 1996


Op de discussies naar aanleiding van het artikel 'Milonguero Style' dat Daniel in november '95 plaatste op de Tango-List en in geredigeerde vorm in het maart-nummer van La Cadena verscheen, volgde een reactie van zijn hand op 25 december '95 waaruit het volgende is overgenomen:

 (...) I have stated my observation that the reason "milonguero style" has gotten that name lately among today's generation of tango dancers in BA, that's both older and younger dancers, is that "salon" has already come to distinguish the style of Villa Urquisa. Also, it should be restated that, as examples, Lampazo of Villa Urquisa is still completely comfortable with refering to what he dances as "milonguero", and that Tété is happiest refering to what he does as "salon". Yet both are aware of how the language is evolving around them, whether they like it or not.

(...)Now I'd like to write some more about the Tété led revolution in milonguero style dancing, and it is a revolution as well as a revival.

Nice to see his name (by the way, for you history buffs, it's Pedro Rusconi. Tété was a family nickname that stuck for life, a relatively common occurence in Argentina.) getting so much attention. He deserves it. His style of dancing the close hold is both indicative of the variety of social dance that existed in the previous generations of Argentine social dance culture, and of an individual's taking of one such style to new heights of creativity.

Some years ago in BA, when I first started noticing, Tété's and Maria's dancing it was notable for how different it was, in an inexplicable emotional way, and for how impossible it was to copy. Thank the fates that he decided to teach before he leaves this world, for like many of his generation he is a chain smoking, late nighting, meat eating, hard liver. But he has started to teach, and through his students has helped to assure that this close-hold social tango will remain a part of the lasting tango vocabulary.

A milonguero named Cacho, many know him as one of Suzanna Miller's inspirations in this style, once came up to me late at night, or early in the morning, at Azucar, a club in BA, and volunteered the following. It has been a gem of wisdom that has influenced both my dancing and teaching of tango. Here goes:
"No man will ever like completely what you dance. He will always find fault with your technique, and have a better step than the one your doing. But, that is not important, the only thing that matters is that she says yes the next time you ask her to dance."
Here-in lies, for me, the essence of the milonguero's truth. Each one in a very personal search for the sensual elements that will make him atractive to his partners.

I have never met a dancer or teacher more loyal to this idea than Tété. His emphasis on feeling and musicality, his ability to transport his partners. His resume is best understood by seeing the who's who of young female tango superstars, both Argentine and foreign, who love to dance with him at the milongas, and how well they all are able to adapt to him even though most of them have been trained in and perform other styles.

For the men it's another story. Copying Tété from the outside is next to impossible, although there are several young milongueros in BA who are trying, and Tété's teaching technique is daunting in it's inscrutability. There are emerging a group of us who have paid the dues necessary, that is danced the miles, and perhaps studied with Tété, Suzanna's group (for she has drawn out an assortment of old non-teachers of this style), Eduardo, or perhaps some teachers I'm leaving out.

But our numbers are still few. That's because, far from "tango-lite", as characterized by some, the degree of difficulty is as high as any dance I have ever attempted learning. But fortunately for me the rewards are not in the approval of self-appointed tango judges, but in the arms of some of the most talented women, and men, I have ever met dancing tango.