Saturday, 5 November 2016

Five milongas in eighty miles

There are quite a few milongas in the area around the milonga I visited in Pant; at least, it’s an "area" for someone as far away as me. That is besides the milongas in and around Manchester and Liverpool.

Milongas I know of (but haven’t been to) are, going roughly north to south:
  1. Eccleston has El Cafetín de Tango milonga (Ali Vale’s Viva Tango). I have heard the tandas are in threes. 
  2. Pulford, (Gresford Tango) - ?A monthly milonga in Pulford village hall run by Bob & Viv Finch.
  3. Gresford - I think this is a (sort of) monthly milonga in Bob & Viv’s home. They seem to run two milongas. 
  4. Pant - Sharon Koch’s monthly milonga in Pant
  5. Shrewsbury - Bomboncito milonga (new), Ali Vale again.

So in the 80 odd miles between Eccleston and Shrewsbury there seem to be five milongas. I think this is how dancing tango spreads. It is getting the first milonga in an area that is probably the hardest thing. There are also milongas in: 
  1. Stoke: (Tango Stoke) has a trad and an alternative milonga. Bizarrely, tango teachers get in free?!? 
  2. Stafford. Occasional tango weekends and tea dances by Geoff and Pauline.  Geoff shares the music.  I hear that the refreshments at the tea dances are good. 

5 comments:

  1. Felicity wrote: "Stoke: (Tango Stoke) has a trad and an alternative milonga."

    I don't see the organiser advertising that milonga as trad.

    On the contrary: "The music will be suitable for 'all steps'", suggesting the event is oriented to classeros.

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  2. If you're viewing as East as Stafford or Stoke - Newport Tango also an option

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  3. Chris wrote: I don't see the organiser advertising that milonga as trad.

    On the contrary: "The music will be suitable for 'all steps'", suggesting the event is oriented to classeros.


    This is the vexed question, anew, of what "trad" means, especially in advertising. A kind of music, a kind of dancing, an understanding about the way things will be or just a vague claim?

    Luckily, the code words in the advert - the ones Chris mentions and others - allow reading between the lines which in turn give an idea of what this sort of milonga might be like.

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    1. "Ah, I see you bumped into the same issue of what trad is yourself today! :)"

      And I found the source: magicroundabout.eu.

      "Tango events for people who like traditional tango music."

      With this sample of what they think is traditional music.

      Presumably through ignorance rather than any intent to deceive.

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  4. Ah, I see you bumped into the same issue of what trad is yourself today! :)

    Video

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