Etiquette for Grand Milongas with visiting Maestros

posted May 16, 2016, 2:59 AM by Malevos Tango [ updated May 16, 2016, 2:59 AM ]

We are lucky to have so many maestros visiting Hong Kong this year. As we look forward to the grand milongas and the wonderful performances we are going to have the pleasure of watching in the next few months, here are just some kind reminders to take note of regarding some common gestures and etiquette when we have special guests present in our milongas.

- Greet the maestros, whether or not you are their students. To avoid the entrance of the Milonga being too crowded, unless you are already standing close to the entrance, it is best to greet them with a kiss on the cheek and a warm 'Hola!' when they have settled down at their table to show your respect and also make them feel at home.

- During the performance, please don't take videos, instead, enjoy the live performance with your eyes. Please also do not use flash photography or use cameras with noisy shutters as they may be quite disturbing to the performers and the audience.

- Don't be afraid to clap or make noises during the performance. Contrary to classical concerts, it is not necessary to keep quiet during a tango performance. Be engaged. The dancers will feel and feed off of your positive energy and put in even more to the dance.

- A normal set of performance consists of 3 dances plus an encore. After the 3rd dance, the host may come out to present flowers to the maestros and also to take photographs. Afterwards, if you would like to see more, it is time to shout 'Encore' or 'Otra'.

- After the performance, it is common courtesy to congratulate the performers, again, whether or not you are their students. Come to the maestros' table and give them a big hug and say 'felicitaciones' to them. If you liked their performance, let them know and show your appreciation! 😊

All in all, don't be too shy to approach any visiting maestro. Unlike in Chinese culture where we tend to keep distance to authoritative figures to show respect, Argentineans are used to having people approach them with affection, the lack of which may even make them feel disrespected. So, come to meet the maestros and make them feel welcomed and appreciated!!

Useful Spanish phrases:
Hola - Hello
Bienvenidos - Welcome
Mucho gusto - nice to meet you
Mucha mierda - good luck
Bravo! - Great!
Esa! - Great!(directed to the female dancer)
Eso! - Great!(directed to the male dancer)
Otra! - Another!
Felicitaciones! - congratulations!
Muchas Gracias! - thank you very much!
Que lindo! - How nice!
Me gusta mucho - I like it very much

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