From 1955 to 1983, except for short breaks, Argentina underwent a militar government with effects that unfortunately we all know. During this period, Tango was forbidden, and almost all milongas were closed.. It was also impossible to meet, and as a consequence, nobody was thinking about dancing. One of my friends make me notice that this political situation created an anomaly in the tango dancers: In Buenos Aires people that dance tango, ( Obviously without considering exceptions) are almost old or really young: The first group finds again the pleasure of dancing as they did in their youth, and on the other side, young people, discover tango again, after a period in which other popular dancings, like salsa, disco were popular.

For this reason we can find two different ways of thinking: the first one is connected with the traditions of the past, while the second one is connected with the new generations. This second idea was born probably from a romantic idea of tango that belongs to the parents, but delevoped in a completely different manner. So in this period tango survived thanks to all the companies that brought their shows around the world, to the exiles that taught it for passion or for necessity, and later also thanks to good teachers ( and enterprising american investors) that registered tango lessons on videotapes to sell them all around the world.

At a certain point, around 1997, some teachers started to wonder not only how to carry out a good tango step, but also why that step was working well in that way, and on which dinamical movements and equilibria it was based. They didn't get satisfied in repeating something already known, but they started to create new ways of dancing, new ways of doing also the same steps.

From this new study, they understood that tango figures work well only if they are in equilibrium, and for this condition to be realised, they need to be contained in a triangle.

From this triangle they then develop a new concept based on circles. They turned the triangle in the vertical direction, and this was the basis of the dinamic of circular figures.

In a few years these concepts brought to the application of destructuration of movements, ( sistematic scomposition of each single movement) followed by their recomposition, indeed already in 2000 circular dynamics and sostenidas were taught at CITA with jumps and acrobatic figures.

Only in a second time, people gave a name to all the work they were doing, giving names to the new movements and to the style in general, called from that moment on “tango nuevo”. But it's just a name, tango nuevo is just the deep study of single movements of tango argentino, considered each one alone and then recombined together following the improvisation and the interpretation of dancers, without a fixed sequence.

It's quite easy!! Usually people behave in milonga as in their real life... when they want to invite somebody and seduce him/her.. but with some adding rules.

So.. imagine this situation..a nappy atmosphere, kind and a bit detached...at the beginning also a bit cold...these are milongas at first impact. Then you start to dance and to have fun, and you start to meet nice people, but there can also be moments of exclusion for those who come in milonga for the first time or those that behave in a quite unusual way.

It's better to know at least how to dance and to move some steps among other couples, but you don't need to be an advanced dancer. Beginners and unknown people must always be respected. If you are at the beginning but you have already done some classes in your course, you can through yourself in practicas and milongas, but keeping with you the modesty that belongs to those who are beginners.

It's also better to come, for the first time, with somebody of your class, in such a way you'll not isolate yourself too much and you'll dance even if “habituees” of milonga don't invite you.

Next time, you should try to make them accept you using diplomacy, capability of observation and don't forget.. patience..:)

Don't be shy, nor too much confident in yourself. Look at people dancing, talking, look at the bodies dancing, listen to the music. Start a first contact with your neighbours, asking some questions, and presenting yourself. The main element in an invitation is the look, the glance. Let's start to play with it, and remember it's a game.