Adventures in Tango with Kayak Hombre and Capitan Frog: Tango Minneapolis

If anyone from the Lehigh University Tango Club is wondering where Dario went to, wonder no more! He is in Minneapolis via Germany via Brazil. I found him at the Four Seasons Dance Studio downtown. Dario and I started dancing tango in Bethlehem, PA, under the tutelage of Sharon Hillman. I must say that he has found himself a nice home with plenty of tango to satisfy his wandering soul.

I’d heard about the Minneapolis tango scene from many milongueros and was anxious to check it out for myself. When my employer transferred me to Fargo, ND, a.k.a. The Town Without Tango:-( I just had to make the long drive to the Twin Cities.

It really is a long drive: 240 miles! All interstate, so I guess that makes it not so bad. I won’t be going down there every weekend like I did in New Mexico. I traveled from Farmington to Albuquerque on the first six weekends after my arrival.

After driving 1300 miles from Durango to Fargo earlier in the week, I was beat by the time I reached the studio but it was definitely worth the trip! It is easily located off Interstate 394, on Hennepin Avenue. The dance studio is not actually on Hennepin Avenue. It is down a quaint alley next to Café Lurcat which is on the corner. There are valets there who can direct you to the alley if need be.

The first night, and my inspiration to make the drive, was the live tango band. It consisted of a guitarist, cellist, violinist, pianist and a singer. They played short sets with DJ music in between presentations. Surprisingly, there were not many people in attendance for such a treat of live music for only $15. I'd guess there were no more than thirty dancers there when I left around midnight. My friend said more people showed up later and that he didn’t leave until 4 a.m.

It was an unexpected surprise to run into Dario and get the rundown on this city’s tango community. Wine was included in the price of admission. We talked for nearly an hour, drinking wine and watching the dancers move around the dance floor.

After my second ‘glass’ of wine, actually a 5 ounce Dixie cup, and my third tanda, I was ready to call it a night. The second night drew a much bigger crowd even though the band was replaced by a DJ who played fine renditions of classic tango hits.

There were at least 60 people there by 11 p.m. on Saturday.

The line of dance here is loosely followed and I don’t think this bothered anyone. It was not a stuffy crowd and most dance invites were verbal. The dance floor was extremely congested between 10 p.m. and midnight and most couples just moved onto the dance floor when there was an opening.

Closer to midnight, I noticed that the skill level vastly improved although no new dancers had arrived. They also paid more attention to the codigos, the codes of tango. I attribute that to good wine, good music and great people! Dancers entering the floor waited for an opening, making eye contact with an approaching leader to get a nod before moving into the line of dance.

I sometimes have difficulty dancing close embrace. This was not the case in Minneapolis. Most of the people I saw dancing were in open embrace, yet they danced close embrace with me. I guess I’m so fat that I must feel like a hug-able perri bear:-D

Ladies, I’ll have you know that Friday’s event was 'minus 2' most of the night, meaning there were two more guys than gals. Saturday night was gender balanced although it is difficult to tell with such a large crowd. Suffice it to say that all the ladies who wanted to dance were dancing.

Also, I didn’t see any women ‘routing’ men to the dance floor. This is done by superficially engaging a tanguero in conversation until he gives up and offers an invite. A lady could also move to a spot directly in his line of sight so that a guy feels compelled to dance with her.

I think it would be helpful to tangueras if I mentioned where to sit. This is not so important for leaders yet it is a vital fact for women at a milonga to know. Upon entering, there is a small desk to register or pay. Directly behind that is the ‘dead zone’. If you are here then you effectively don’t exist except in the eyes of your stalker. Next to that is an open square of couches. Here, you are not dead but it can be assumed that you may be dead tired.

Next to the couches there is a narrow platform big enough for two cocktail tables and a row of chairs. The place to sit is on the wide step leading up to this tiny balcony. Early in the evening, I saw as many as five chicas perched here. After 11 p.m., the step was vacant as long as the music was playing. By this time the leaders were relaxed and hungry for followers. If a leader didn’t have a partner before the cortina stopped, then he might not find one to dance with for the next tanda.

This community is incredibly diverse with sizable numbers of Asians, Turks? and African/Americans. My friend Dario is from Italy and I danced with a woman from Argentina who I guessed was Russian. It’s almost like New York City but I don’t think it is fair to compare Minneapolis to any place else. It is unique.

I enjoyed myself immensely at the weekend milongas in Minneapolis. It reminded me of a gathering in Collegeville, PA, that I attended almost every Sunday: good food, good friends and great dancing. If you get a chance, you should drop by, I know you won’t be disappointed.

For regularly scheduled tango events in the Twin Cities, check out their website: http://www.mntango.org/tsomcal/