I go to a milonga to dance, but if I can’t hear the music, what’s the point? That was the case one night last week at a large salon filled to capacity (400). I watched how quickly the floor filled every tanda even though there was no room to dance. It was difficult to hear the music over all the twitter from those who were dancing.
An hour or more passed before I danced. A partner couldn’t protect me from the kicks and bumps I received from those around us. It wasn’t pleasant to dance. There was a tanda of Di Sarli, but it was the first time I didn’t enjoy it. He agreed that it was impossible to dance, but he was dancing every tanda. Why do so many people show up where they can neither hear the music nor dance well? It’s sad that this is occurring in Buenos Aires.
The DJ turned up the volume for the tropical tanda of salsa and cumbia music. I had to use earplugs. There is nothing that will motivate me to return to this milonga. I felt robbed of a listening and dancing experience that night. There have been other nights when one tanda was enough for me to leave feeling completely satisifed. That certainly was not the case last week.
Tango Chamuyo 
December 9, 2010 at 7:09 am
Well, at least the milongas are not deserted as I was hearing only a couple of months ago. I’m just hoping that they are still there by the time that I get there late next year..I would rather too many people going to milongas than too few. And now that certain nights are mobbed, won’t there be competition opening up in other places or at least the dancers spreading out to other venues?
December 9, 2010 at 7:38 am
Let me guess, Nino Bien?
December 9, 2010 at 1:45 pm
@Mario
Foreigners come during the warmer weather months, and this year is no exception. They support the growth of tango and the milongas in Buenos Aires. There are 23 milongas for Friday and 27 for Saturday. People often say that there are more milongas than dancers to attend them.
@Michael
Almost. Entre tango y tango at Centro Region Leonesa.
December 9, 2010 at 7:43 pm
I’ve experienced this at Canning on a Saturday, where we were just crushed into immobility and I was thinking, I can have a better time dancing tango at home in the kitchen.
December 10, 2010 at 8:20 am
I read this and thought you had finally gone to El Beso. Sometimes it is hard to choose between an almost deserted milonga and one where you cannot move.
I am lucky, I always have the lovely Viv to dance with, but can well understand those who choose the crowds simply to get a dance. For me though, it is much better to have some space to move in, and even better when it is free of the flying heels of those who know only the show moves.