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John Lowry

Understanding Social Tango #5 - Milonga

Updated: May 2, 2019


Courtesy Tango Voice

Francisco Canaro “Milonga sentimental”

a. ‘El Flaco’ Dany Garcia (b. 1936) & Silvina Vals


Dany leads the dance with smooth, soft steps. He engages in considerable improvisation involving changes in timing (in conjunction with the rhythm of the music), varying degrees of weight changes, varying foot positions, including numerous changes of direction. He leads small radius turns. With the exception of a final high boleo, Silvina conservatively interjects soft, discreet, and relatively inconspicuous adornments (mostly taps) that accent the music. An embrace is maintained throughout the dance and, with the one exception noted, feet are kept close to the floor.

b. Chicho Frumboli & Eugenia Parilla


This dance is very dynamic, including changes in posture, the embrace, and the position of the feet. There is noticeable vertical movement of the torsos throughout much of the dance. Eugenia repeatedly lifts her feet off the floor in walking and often uses high kicks. Chicho’s left arm is active in shifting Eugenia on her axis, which does not always remain perpendicular to the floor; this results in vertical swaying of the shoulders and the hips. The dance begins in an embrace, but the embrace is opened about one-third of the way into the dance, at which point movements become larger and more varied, including rapid changes of direction at several points. In addition to high kicks by Eugenia, other conspicuous movements that are uncharacteristic in dancing milonga include an arrastre, a back sacada, a colgada, and a saltada. This is a dance designed for display not for close connection with one’s partner.

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