Does a real milonga still exist?

Before my serious interest in tango, I attended ballroom dance classes in Chicago where the studio owners held parties on a Friday or Saturday night for their students. We danced to a variety of recorded music. Everyone got dressed up. The parties had exhibitions by the teachers and their students. When I began teaching, I organized class outings and parties for my dance students as well. The focus was on practicing and socializing. Everyone got to know everyone else by name.

Those who have had social dance experience probably believe that a milonga is a dance party just like all the others they have attended with one difference–most of the music is tango. This is not true.

A venue was a milonga because there were milongueros present. That alone set it apart. It could have been a club de barrio like Premier in Caballito or a confiteria like Domino downtown. As long as there were milongueros, the term milonga was appropriately used. Today there are only a handful of places where the milongueros go. One outdoor venue which has no seating, no tandas, no use for the codes, and no milongueros is included on the list of milongas in Buenos Aires.

A milonga is where milongueros go to listen and dance to tango. A milonguero doesn’t talk while dancing. There is respect for tango. A milonguero doesn’t discuss his personal life in a milonga. Conversation between dances is brief and private. The main agenda is the music and dance; exhibitions, announcements, raffles, birthday celebrations, etc. are no part of a real milonga.

They call them milongas, but a real milonga doesn’t exist in Buenos Aires–they have become tango dance parties for socializing. The milongas as they were known by the milongueros are gone forever.
 
by jantango
http://jantango.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/does-a-real-milonga-still-exist/