The tango...

Argentina is famous for tango but, like most things, Hollywood takes the tango and makes it flashy, a true bastardization of what it was.

Tango is subtle. It started with prostitution rings where men would enter a dance hall and dance with multiple women and then choose one to take home. It reeks of sex and closeness - the very opposite of Americanism. It is all about subtlety, about always moving and about following the lead of the man. If you see people dance tango it looks rather boring. Their body doesn't move up or down and if is just the complicated gliding of the feet that is impressive.

At Milongas (tango night clubs), couples dance 5 songs in a row together on a small dance floor. They glide effortlessly, not bumping or touching. After 5 songs, everyone goes back to take a quick sip of their red wine, find a new partner (men ask women) and then dance 5 more songs. And this starts at 10pm, at 4am the crowd switches from the old to the young. Punk hipsters, prepsters and others in their mid-twenties crowd the floor dancing until 7am.

It's beautiful and amazing and communal. I love it. But I tried it and was awful. totally awful.