Vancouver Tango Milonguero

West Coast meets Buenos Aires in beautiful Vancouver. The best music of Buenos Aires fills the air; couples convene on the dark hardwood floor. Soon they begin to move in harmony, whirling and flowing in the ronda, navigating skillfully. Come and enjoy Tango in Vancouver!

We offer:

Private lessons - up to two people; to improve your dancing or to get ready for a special event such as weddings
Semi-Private lessons - to study a particular tango topic as a group or for corporate functions
Choreography - for stage performances including theatre or movie, or for special events
Gift certificates - for any activity we offer
Participation in Charity Events - we would gladly offer our talent for free at charity events that support a good cause

Volunteer program - You can learn tango quickly for free, contribute to our vibrant tango community and open up new opportunities by becoming part of the Vancouver Tango Milonguero team.

We have been playing a very active role in building our community by regular lessons, practices, milongas and workshops since 1996. Would you like to benefit from all these offers and help strengthen our tango community by helping us organize our events? The help can be in any various shape and form: Marketing: promoting our events by flyer design or distribution or web site updates or by other innovative ideas Organizing: help set up practices, milongas, workshops Or, any other way you can think of We are constantly looking for help and the opportunities from this program is endless. Please Contact US

Tango Music

The origins of the tango music dates back to the late 19th century. Rhythmically it is a blend of the habanera (Cuban), and the polka, the mazurka and the milonga (Argentine) with influences from the waltz and the candombe (African).

The main instrument of a tango band is the bandeneon, the acordeon like instrument originated in Germany. As the story goes a german sailor sold the first one to a porteneo (Buenos Aires native) for a pint! In the early days, a typical tango band was a quartet of bandeneon, guitar, bass and the violin. Later on, the big bands of the 1950's also included the piano and had up to 4 bandeneons and violins.

Most of the recorded music we play to dance today comes from the “Golden Age” of 1940 – 1955. Juan D’Arienzo, Carlos DiSarli, Anibal Troilo and Osvaldo Pugliese lead the four of the greatest bands which symbolized the era. Other names to note are: Alfredo DeAngelis, Francisco Canaro, Miguel Calo, Ricardo Tanturi, Julio de Caro, Angel D’Agostino, Pedro Laurenz, Roberto Firpo and Alfredo Gobbi.

The contemporary tango music owes its existence to Astor Piazzolla who brought tango to the concert halls. Born and raised in New York, he played (a bandenoen maestro, he was) and composed for the great D’Arienzo band in the "Golden Age". Having studied in Paris, he blended the classical music and jazz with tango. The result is known as the "Tango Nuevo" (New Tango). His music is great for listening, but not necessarily for dancing.

Tango Dance

Tango started and flourished among the early immigrants of Buenos Aires (yes, it was in brothels!) at the turn of the century. The “rough” African candombe figures mixed with “milonga” was originally danced by “compadritos”, the urban cowboys, of Buenos Aires.

With the Euopean, mainly Italian, influence later on evolved into “Tango Liso” (Smooth Tango), the tango we are more familiar today. With its acceptance in France and England, which later became the Ballroom, or American Tango; its initial rejection in the Buenos Aires society turned into a triumph.

In the Golden Age, tango was danced to big great bands by the thousands in huge halls. When the military regimes of the later times banned tango, it survived in small clubs in secret. With the success of the fabulous show Tango Argentino and worldwide concerts of the great musician Astor Piazzolla in 1980's, it has become very popular again all over the World. The Tango dance styles today reflect this “history” of tango. The “Club Style” is still the most popular in Buenos Aires whereas the “Tango Salon” outside Buenos Aires. The “Exhibition” style belongs to the stage and the older “Canyuenge” or “Orillera” are almost lost...

“Milonga” and Tango-Waltz are two “siblings” of the Tango. Milonga (also means the “Tango Dance Party”) is a more rhythmic and “cheerful” dance with slightly different (and simpler) steps. The Tango-Waltz is the tango danced to waltz rhythms.

Tango came to Vancouver in 1995 and first regular tango dances (aka milongas) started in January 1996. Now we can dance every night of the week!