Tango Milonga Dancing Style

Milonga has the following attributes:

• A very fast-paced dance.
• Can be either open or close embrace.
• Incorporates many of the normal tango steps, but due to its fast pace, the vast repertoire available to modern tango cannot be reproduced in full in the milonga (for example many of the embellishments, which require a pause).
• It is played and danced in 2/4 beat rather than the standard 4/4.
• Generally every beat (or sub-beat) is stepped on.

The are two distinct styles: milonga liso and milonga con traspié.

Milonga Liso

In milonga liso, or simple milonga, the dancer steps on every beat of the music.

Milonga Liso - Catania tango festival 2007

Milonga con Traspié

Traspié literally means "trip"... Milonga traspié is considered the next level of dancing beyond simple milonga. It plays with the space between the beats to syncopate the tango steps - finding the essence of the milonga. In milonga con traspié the dancer may use either traspié or contrapasos (changes of weight) to achieve double time, or even to step thrice over two beats (true syncopation).

Milonga con Traspié - Pablo Rodriguez and Noelia Hurtado

Milonga con Traspié - Gabriela Elias and Eduardo Perez

Milonga con Traspié - Gabriela Elias and Eduardo Perez