It doesn’t seem fair–Argentina has the tango, and we have “the running man.” Well, OK, maybe we’re a bit better equipped on American dance floors now that the ’80s are behind us, but we’re also thrilled to have such a diverse community from which to steal moves. This annual dance festival glides into Chicago this weekend, and you’re invited to the milonga (loosely translated, that’s “tango party”).
If your hinges are a bit rusty to pull off the sultry moves necessary to tango like you mean it, take a lesson or two from 11 instructors on hand before busting out your skills–both dance and social–at a milonga that’s anchored by live music by the seven-piece Orquestra Bohemia de Chicago.
Throw dinner into the mix with the Uruguayan Gala Dinner Show on Friday (6:30 p.m.; $90). Or if you’d rather just watch the pros, get your study on by attending a tango performance (7:30 p.m. Sat., 3 p.m. Sun.; $35-$45. Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green St.; 312-327-2000.). Both the dinner show and performance are followed by a milonga.
You can still tango once the fest finishes, and keep your fun within city limits, with options such as the Tango Practice Class (7:30 p.m. Tue. and Fri., weekly; $15 per class, reservations required. TangoChicago Dance Centre, 1043 W. Madison St.; 312-850-1078.), Argentine Tango “Practica” (8:30-10:30 p.m. Thu., weekly; $10. Dance Connection, 3117 N. Clybourn Ave.; 773-575-6906.) or Milonga La Moderna (8:30 p.m.-3 a.m. Fri., weekly; $25. American Tango Institute, 325 N. Hoyne St., Ste. C-404; 312-810-0252.).
Thursday: 5-6:15 p.m. workshop, 9 p.m.-3 a.m. milonga. Friday: 1:30-2:35 and 3:50-4:30 p.m. workshops, 10 p.m.-4 a.m. milonga. Saturday: 1-2:15, 2:30-3:45 and 4:15-5:30 p.m. workshops, 10 p.m.-4 a.m. milonga. Sunday: 1-2:15 and 2:45-4 p.m. workshops, 6 p.m.-midnight milonga. $20 per milonga (workshop packages $200-$350). Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago, 163 E. Walton Pl.; 847-962-1879.
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Compiled by Fauzia Arain
