That tango was born in Buenos Aires, that it is sensual, that it has been danced since the 19th century in Buenos Aires nights, everyone knows. What a lot What people don’t know is that Queer Tango also exists and that it is danced in queer milongas. A tango that leaves aside the marked gender roles that traditional dance has.
In the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Almagro, in The MarshallTwice a week, not only are classes taught but milongas are also organized. They are open to all people who wish to learn to dance. But they have a peculiarity: they are spaces where people can go dancing with others of the same gender with total freedom.
The LGBT community uses the term queer to differentiate itself from what being heterosexual and being within the normative socially represents. In dance terms, the man is the one who leads the woman and she is the one who lets herself be carried.
Augusto Balizanotango teacher, explains that the technique does not vary, the steps are the same. What is different is that instead of talking about leading and letting oneself be led, it is said that there is one person who leads and the other who is led. And any member of the couple can occupy this place.
Queer Tango is another Argentine invention, and was born in Buenos Aires more than 20 years ago. And, currently, it is also danced around the world.
On the spot. From the sidewalk of La MarShall you can hear the music that invites tango lovers to enter. People find a calm, pleasant and very intimate atmosphere. At 9 p.m. everything begins with a class in which the teachers teach basic steps, but each person can go at their own pace. That is another difference it has with any traditional milonga, in which if you don’t know how to dance well, it is better not to even go near the dance floor. That is why at El Marshall they give confidence, because beyond the technique that the dance requires, the atmosphere invites everyone to dare to dance. Once the class is over, people arrive at the dance to the rhythm of two by four.
Balizano and Mariana Do Campo They are tango teachers, and the organizers of La MarShall and the international Queer Tango festival, which has been running for 16 years. They are the pioneers of this type of spaces. He says with enthusiasm: “We started with this move because the possibility of same-sex couples dancing in Buenos Aires milongas did not exist in Buenos Aires.” From that moment on, it spread to Buenos Aires and other parts of the world, such as Barcelona and New York. He further says: “We create the possibility and a space, for people to enjoy dancing without the need for the role of the dance to be strictly related to the person’s gender.”
Man with man, woman with woman or changing roles. “From a technical point of view it is the same, the connection with the music should be the same, the interpretation and the way of enjoying it changes a little” says Balizano. And that is what people appreciate: not being attached to a code , even in dress, as strict but more calm and relaxed.
Note written by Paola Carrasco
