Comments on: How to organize a Milonga

By: Simba

Simba — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:38:36 +0000

Thanks Cherie, I love the Leonesa, too! We have a venue where I live which resembles the Leonesa a bit, but it’t too large for the small crowds that are possible to draw here on a regular weekly milonga, unfortunately.

By: Cherie

Cherie — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 18:35:34 +0000

One thing that is so wonderful about milongas in BsAs is that there are so many of them, and just like your own “tango style,” you can choose what suits you most.

What suits Ruben and me is a great wood floor surface, a high ceiling, a rectangular floor, and of course, friendly people. Exactly like your photo of the salon in the Region Leonesa that opens your post. Los Consagrados there on Saturdays has been our favorite milonga for years.

But others prefer more “cozy” spaces like El Beso, or Maipu (which is now gone forever.)

I really enjoyed this post and agree with you completely!
Besos!

By: Organising milongas

Organising milongas — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:26:04 +0000

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By: Organising milongas

Organising milongas — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:18:18 +0000

[...] On a more serious note, I recommend highly to anyone contemplating (or even if you are already organising events) to start a milonga to read: “How to organise a milonga”. [...]

By: links for 2009-07-21 | dekay.org

links for 2009-07-21 | dekay.org — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:01:58 +0000

[...] How to organize a Milonga | Simba tango (tags: tango milonga organization howto reference) [...]

By: Simba

Simba — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:44:32 +0000

Maybe I am drifting off a little here, but I would say that on the crowded floors of Bs As, the dancers follow the shape of the floor, without cutting corners and creating an oval or circle. But that only reinforces you point.

I have heard about a milonga that did the pot plant thing. Supposedly to improve circulation and I think influenced by the open air milonga La Calesita in Buenos Aires. I don’t remember where it was, but I think maybe that milonga too was called La Calesita.

By: Ms Hedgehog

Ms Hedgehog — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:22:16 +0000

I also prefer a rectangular floor in most rooms; in BsAs I have no doubt a square floor is good, perhaps even best. But where the dancers are much less experienced and many have difficulty forming a line of dance anyway, I have the impression that an oval line of dance is easier to create than a circular one. I’ve often wondered what would happen if you put a couple of giant pot plants in the middle – just one if the floor is square, two if it’s rectangular.

By: Simba

Simba — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:16:25 +0000

Thank you Tine, good point about the shape of the floor. I tend to prefer it too, having those long sides to walk uninterrupted can be so nice. I would never suggest Salón Canning to change their layout, though

By: Tine

Tine — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:22:44 +0000

Great post. I organize and I know I do all this as much as possible. As a DJ at other people’s events I try to tell the organizers about walkways behind the tables, and adequate lighting. Usually they don’t listen though.
I feel a rectangular floor is better than square, because the middle is much smaller. The middle being where the crazy people play boxcarts. Also, the circumference (outer lane) which is the best place to be, is longer on a rectangular dance floor of the same surface area. Longer outer lane means more prime real estate. So place the tables in such a way as to turn a square room into a rectangular dance floor. Also seating areas should be contiguous.
Thank you for your efforts! Tine

By: Simba

Simba — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:36:35 +0000

Thank you for the kind words! I would be delighted if this post can help someone start a milonga or improve an existing one