“A great DJ” was one of the most common responses to my recent post about what makes or breaks a milonga. Since preferences vary so widely, what makes a DJ great to you?

• What do you like?
• What do you dislike?
• What do you notice most?

I have been dancing for a bit more than three years, though the last year was quite sporadic due to life.

I feel kind of stuck in my tango, which makes me anxious going to Milongas sometimes.

I'd like to improve my footwork and general technique by practicing at home.

One thing I struggle with is expressing musicality. I hear the sequences and instruments and have an intention to move, but - my feet don't seem quick enough. They always feel very heavy, lazy, and stuck to the floor. I am envious of experienced dancers whose feet sort of fly over the floor expressing quick piano notes etc..

So my question: any drills or ideas how to improve this?

And also any other basic exercises or drills that helped you as a follower to improve?

(Besides repeating and repeating the same step again of course..)

"Viejo juguete" (Old Toy) is a tango by musician and colombian singer Luis Ángel Ramírez Saldarriaga (Pereira, June 17, 1917 – Pereira, August 9, 2013), known by his pseudonym "El Caballero Gaucho".

The lyrics are based on a real incident the singer experienced during the 1950s in Medellín (the same city where Carlos Gardel had passed away years earlier).

Children from a wealthy family were playing with their toys on a terrace; getting bored, they tossed one into the street. At that precise moment, a noticeably poor boy was walking hand-in-hand with his mother

Upon seeing the toy, he immediately ran to grab it and was struck by a bus.

The song describes how the last things heard were the screeching brakes of the vehicle and the boy’s fatal scream.

El Caballero Gaucho was so shaken by witnessing this tragedy that he wrote the legendary tango in just twenty minutes.

He was one of the first Colombians to popularize and perform tangos, boleros, and waltzes in his home country. Over his career, he recorded more than 2,000 songs, 180 of which he wrote himself.

He passed away in 2013 at the age of 96.

Listen to Viejo Juguete - El Caballero Gaucho

A weird fact: when El Caballero Gaucho went to the recording studio with his composition, everyone cried and postponed the song for several days to process the emotional impact.

This question arises from another post, and I got curious to know what the features are that can make a leader a creepy one?

One thing in my community that is considered creepy is to be corrected by leaders in classes and during milongas. Especially when the leaders are on your same level, or even have less experience. Another thing is when a leader "pretends" he wants to practice a little more during pair exchange (when attending classes), just to spend more time with you.

Has anyone else experienced this? The majority of the Argentine tango community in the US appear to be supporting Argentina. And everyone assumes that others should also root for Argentina. Come on, just because I dance "Argentine" tango (which has roots in many other countries and cultures, not just Argentina) doesn't mean I somehow must support their soccer team.

I’m interested in starting to learn tango and I would love to get advice on a couple of things- about me: I’m in my 40s, danced ballet seriously my whole life and continue to take a couple classes a week, but no experience at all in tango.

My questions:
I would really appreciate recommendations for private lesson instructors and group classes in Washington, DC. Who are your favorites? Which classes should I avoid? 

I’m a little nervous about the vibe of the men in the tango community- tango looks like it could be the most fun thing ever - if the man is respectful and has good vibes-but an absolute nightmare if the men are creepy or aggressive at all. I’d love to hear about women’s experience with that, especially in the DMV and in NYC.

I’d like to buy heels for my first lesson, as I would like to begin right away to get a feel for dancing in heels. I’ve been able to find some of the popular tango brands second hand pretty affordably. I’d appreciate any advice on favorite brands and styles for beginners and any sizing tips.

What does a timeline tend to look like from absolute beginner to competent enough to attend social dances and fit in? Is it like ballet and I should expect it to be pretty slow and take years and years before I can dance confidently? I’m totally okay with taking a long road, learning fundamentals and building up my skills, I’m just curious what to expect. 

Thank you!

So now in the summer i have noticed that my hair gets sweaty where the head contact is. The sweat is sometimes mostly from a leader but sometimes both of us. How to prevent and what kind of hairstyles to wear?

PASACALLE COMPLETO TAYTA SHANTI TAMBINO 2026

PASACALLE del XVIII Concurso de Santiago "Tayta Shanty Tambino 2026", en la explanada del Parque González el 17 de julio

¡Un despliegue de alegría, zapateo y orquestas en vivo que no te puedes perder! Ven con toda la familia a vivir la fiesta que hace latir el corazón del Valle del Mantaro.

Cartelera estelar: El escenario vibrará con Nataly Salazar, Carmencita del Centro, Pamelita Tejeda, Los Divos, Diana Ávila y las Hermanas Canchari.

\\#TaytaShanty2026 #SantiagoTambino #CasaDeLaCulturaDeElTambo #Huancayo #Shacatán #Santiago2026 #ValleDelMantaro #CulturaViva #IdentidadWanka #Herranza

https://youtu.be/AmT9TEPBGP4?si=AhHgp9WiLgEBKm3H

What makes a milonga great for you?

What is it about the venue, atmosphere, dance floor, music, DJ, dancers, or community that makes you want to return?

If you had to choose one thing you value most, what would it be? And what is the biggest “no thanks” that can ruin a milonga for you?

El músico de tango argentino Sergio Paolo tocando su bajo eléctrico en Vigo, España, alrededor de 1990. La fotografía puede haber sido tomada en el Castillo de Sobroso, cerca de Vigo, aunque la ubicación exacta no se ha podido confirmar por completo.

Los músicos de tango argentinos Ernesto Baffa y Sergio Paolo actuando juntos, alrededor de 1996. Se desconoce la ubicación exacta y las circunstancias precisas en que se tomó la fotografía.

As a tango DJ, I've always struggled with the surface noise on golden age recordings. So I built a web tool that uses AI to restore them.

Here's a before and after — Fresedo's Firulete (1922), one of the noisiest acoustic-era recordings I could find:

Before: https://tangorestore.hanmesoft.com/showcase/fresedo_firulete_original.mp3

After: https://tangorestore.hanmesoft.com/showcase/fresedo_firulete_v11.mp3

You can also compare different postprocessing options on the same track — stereo widening, compression, harmonic restoration, and more: https://tangorestore.hanmesoft.com/firulete_compare.html

To try it yourself, paste a YouTube URL or upload an audio file: https://tangorestore.hanmesoft.com/

⚠️ Processing takes about 30–40 minutes per track — the AI runs multiple passes. You'll see an ETA, and you can close the browser and come back later.

The showcase tab has 49 restored recordings from D'Arienzo, Troilo, Pugliese, Di Sarli, Canaro, Fresedo, and others, all with before/after comparisons: https://tangorestore.hanmesoft.com/#showcase

Feedback welcome — especially from musicalizadores. Which orchestras or recordings would you most like to hear restored?

I keep thinking how so much good stuff from classes gets lost because we do not share the information between us.

I'd love to make this a regular thing to share what we learned from workshops, especially from touring maestros like Chicho, Arce ...

It doesn't have to be polished. It could be a concept or exercise, any specific cues or phrases that stuck with you.

Even a messy paragraph is useful because sometimes one sentence from someone else's notes is the thing that finally makes a concept click for you.

Hello - I'm 30s F and a lifelong dancer who has always dreamed of learning tango. Circumstances have aligned so I will now be able to spend 4-6 weeks in Buenos Aires (Aug-Sept) and I am hoping to spend a bunch of that time learning and practicing the basics of tango. Figuring out how/when to start is a little overwhelming so I would appreciate any advice or pointers. I have of course read up somewhat, so have some schools/practices in mind but community matters so much in dance that I'd be remiss not to ask too.

I'm particularly interested in where it may be sensible to stay for good access to classes/milongas etc. any must have kit, experience from people who may have done similar or advice on avoiding common faux pas!

Some more info about me that may be relevant -

Dance - I danced ballet/jazz/contemporary/tap to a high competitive level/almost went pro level so have a decent background in classical technique. I also dance salsa (caleña & linear) at an inter/advanced social level which has taken me about 9 months (50 odd hours of private class/10+ hours socials/group classes per week based out of Cali, Colombia). I've done a little flamenco and bolero, and also studied folk dancing for years but have never done any tango.

Spanish - I speak good Spanish (b2ish) And am used to taking dance classes in Spanish. I'll also be working on that over the same period.

Learning stuff - I learn fast and am very used to applying criticism and taking on feedback. I appreciate a direct approach and teachers who blend strict technique and respectful class etiquette with a nice rapport and some shared laughter over the inevitable mistakes.

Time and Money - I have 4-6 weeks to spend in Buenos Aires. I will be working part time remotely, and can be pretty flexible with my hours. I have a weekly budget of around £100/200k pesos specifically for tango classes.

Other things: AuDHD - relevant as dance is a special interest/regular hyper fixation plus part of why I'm reaching out here. Not knowing the rules of a new space is always a big challenge for me, and this is such a lifelong dream that I want to do all I can to make it a successful experience and walk away at least able to have a pleasant dance!

Thank you all :)

Join us for our 16th annual 24-hour pass sale and be a part of one of the largest (700+ dancers) and most welcoming tango festivals in the United States. Study with word-class instructors, dance to the most in-demand DJs.

Save the date. The sale lasts exactly 24 hours.

The festival take place over Halloween weekend, October 29 - November 1, 2026.

AlbuquerqueTangoFestival.com

TANGO BA Festival and World Championship, the most important tango culture event in the world, is coming.

Application opens for dancers who want to participate in the grand competition taking place from August 20th to September 2nd, in the Tango de Pista and Tango Escenario categories. Register between July 13th and August 6th.

The Tango de Pista Final will be on September 1st and the Tango Escenario Final on September 2nd, in Buenos Aires.

More information will be posted on the official site https://tangoba.org or follow the official channels Facebook, X Twitter, Instagram

Hello!

I'm looking for someone interested in being a tango (follow) partner for an evening Argentine Tango class on 14.7 or 15.7 near Gleisdreieck. Beginner class is on 15.7, no experience necessary, the intermediate class is the day before.

A bit about me: I'm American man in my early 30s in town for the week. I used to dance Argentine and was hoping taking a class while on vacation would be a fun way to get back into it. My German vocabulary is very small, so we would be relying on your English to communicate. I do speak Spanish fluently, however.

I will cover your class fee, just looking for an interested person with a good attitude and an open mind to be my class partner for an evening!

Send me a message and we can chat a bit. I'm excited to see if this works out!

this is just fun. i've always thought stevie wonder's bass solo on 'sir duke' would make the coolest tango.

I always enjoy the odd little games, examples, and exercises various teachers come up with to explain different concepts in tango. Some are ridiculous, some are brilliant, and some are both.

I’ve had a teacher walk behind me holding me up by my ears to change my posture. Another held me back by my belt while I tried to walk forward. I’ve also had a teacher use stretchy bands to demonstrate elasticity in the embrace and another put tape on the ground to restrict the space I can dance in.

Most of the time, these shenanigans are memorable because they make the idea physical instead of abstract. So, job well done, I guess.

What are the most memorable teaching tricks, games, or strange exercises you’ve experienced in tango? What was the point of the exercise, and do you feel like you gained anything from it?

I am a follower, I am searching for partner in Dubai to practise together. Anyone?

Is there an official syllabus for American tango like there is for International.

My new painting, acrylic on canvas

Apparently this couple they climbed the Empire State Building with a message important for the world to see.