Below are just a few pointers. We encourage you to review the Códigos from Siempre Milonguero.
If you are joining us, we hope you are familiar with the milonguero style of dancing and the encuentro setting. Short of enforcing all conversations to be in Spanish and peppered with lunfardo or feeding you mate intraveineously, we aim to emulate the environment of a traditional milonga in Buenos Aires.
In a nutshell, we dance in close embrace throughout the event. The music is organized in tandas separated by cortinas, and always traditional—if you ever hear Gotan played at our event, rest assured that the DJ will face the firing squad at sunrise.
It is a point of pride for encuentro dancers to be able to navigate a crowded dance floor with respect and courtesy to everyone else around you.
Please use mirada and cabeceo to extend and accept all invitations to dance. This practice ensures that no one is obligated to dance out of politeness. It is also a graceful way to avoid rejection and hurt feelings. In traditional milongas, it is considered rude to directly ask someone to dance by walking up and extending a hand. Please respect this basic tradition and do not reward bad behavior. To facilitate the process, leads and follows will be seated across the floor from each other, with separate areas for couples.
An extra tip for the leads. Be patient. We know how thrilling it is to get a dance. Still, use caution when walking to your partner (without tripping over anyone). If there are already people on the floor, go around instead of cutting across the floor.
An extra tip for the follows. Be patient. Don't get up right away from your seat. Make sure the cabeceo is for you (and not someone behind you) and wait for the lead to come to you.
Remember that you are not just dancing with your partner, you are dancing with everybody else in the ronda. We dance as a group—everybody's comfort and safety should be kept in mind. Dancing safely allows us to focus on our partner and the music. Otherwise, we will be spending our time protecting our partners and avoiding collisions. A few reminders:
