Life Moves: Tango in Thessaloniki adapts to the times
By Andriana-Anna Tsiotsiou
Tango is not just a dance, it’s a dialogue between two people. Its rules may seem strict, but in reality, they are very open. Just as in every language people speak in their own way, often using slang, so, with tango, dancers have their own way to express themselves. Once you learn tango’s language, you can understand the many ways in which people dance, whatever “accent” they may have.
The sunny port city of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece, where I come from, is part of the worldwide tango community, and offers plenty of options of where to go dancing. Many milongas (tango social events) take place, often at the small and picturesque Tango Bar, which seems to have sprung from a dark cobbled street in Buenos Aires.
Going to a milonga is never just about tango. It’s your night out. It requires preparation. You put on some nice clothes, and, of course, take your dancing shoes with you, those you only wear on the dance floor. Among other things, the milonga is where you see friends, chat, have a drink, enjoy the music, and dance. Or you don’t dance. Even then, the milonga is never wasted.
For many of the city’s tangueros, milongas are a big part of their social life. Until, in March 2020, everything changed because of COVID-19, which led to many restrictions on social gatherings. The first activity that was banned as dangerous for spreading the virus was the hug.
The first thing you have to do when you dance tango is neither be led by nor follow steps. The most important thing is to embrace!
For more than a year, life changed. Quarantines and curfews were introduced. These led to online courses, online performances, and online coffee meetings with friends becoming part of our everyday life. Tango went on a long hiatus. Not only were the opportunities to dance lost, but, in some cases, even the will or motivation. Many not only lost touch with tango but, also, were forced to keep apart from others because of social distancing.
The last time I remember dancing tango before the pandemic was at a milonga in March 2020. The next time was fifteen months later at a spontaneous open-air milonga with an unprecedented number of people attending.
It had been awhile but, tentatively, we tangueros decided to try tango outside of the usual bars, where it was prohibited. We took it to the streets, to the parks, to the museums… and it worked! Although we hadn’t danced for such a long time, through word of mouth we started to meet at least once a week at the Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki. It was on one of those nights, in the museum’s courtyard, where I found myself dancing a promising, as it turned out, tanda (a sequence of four songs) in June.
These improvised milongas gave the opportunity for passersby to interact with tango, and brought a different and very pleasant touch to life in the city. And we tangueros had the opportunity, once again, to prepare for our tango night out. We were able, after so many months, to enjoy the music, socialize, and, of course, dance.
By the end of September, though, it started to get chilly, so the open-air milongas stopped. Some tango schools started organizing their own events where only vaccinated or recently tested people were allowed to participate. Tango Bar also has strict rules regarding entry and participation in the milongas. But being tested before every milonga makes tango an even more expensive hobby. Also, it’s not easy wearing the obligatory mask while dancing.
Despite all of these restrictions and obligations, tango classes have restarted. And even if going to milongas is still complicated, I have to admit that I get really excited every time I go.
