Villa Malcolm

What a great night! Tonight I had my first real Buenos Aires tango experience. Well, I've had some classes that have been good but hadn't been out dancing too much. Last week I went to one milonga (that's what a social dance party is called in tango) but it was a gay milonga where I wasn't exactly a hot commodity. Tonight I went to Villa Malcolm which was technically a practica (practice session) but functioned basically like a milonga with the benefit that it started and ended early--9:30 to 1am--compared to the milongas that go until 3 or later.

The evening started off well because, to my surprise, I knew people there. First soon after I arrived were Jennifer, Korey, and Mila, who all taught at Tango de los Muertos. Later a Swedish guy showed up who I'd met earlier today at a class, and then later in the evening 2 more people that I know from tango in NY and Boston came (Shorey and Michael). It felt really nice to see familiar faces. Also, Korey and Mila did a show that was really awesome; they always do something new that I've never seen anyone do before.

It was a pretty young crowd and today there was actually a surplus of leaders, so I pretty much danced straight through, and with lots of good dancers. Actually, more of the better people I danced with were not Argentine but other tango tourists. Also among the Argentines I danced with, I think a bunch of them knew each other and I must have made a good impression on one of them to make the others ask me. I got some nice compliments and at the end of the night various people asked if I wanted to go to one of the other milongas that were just getting going. I declined since I have spanish class bright and early tomorrow (well, 10 AM but still) but it's good to know that in the future I'll probably be making friends in transport from one milonga to the next.