One of the best ways to decide where to go dancing at any particular night is to look out for performances the dancing salons have to offer. There was a time when I would plan where to go based on where famous dancers like Julio and Corina, Javier and Andrea or famous orchestras are performing.
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Best Place to Go: Porteno y Bailarin, is one street away from El Beso, at Riobamba 345. It is a peculiar little dance salon with a trademark two dance floors.
When you enter the door of the dance salon you will see one dance floor, usually where the good dancers sit and dance. Go towards the end of the room and to your left you will realise there is another dance floor. Straight away you could recognise the difference in the general level of dance. The dancers are not as good but the advantage is, it is less crowded and you are guaranteed a front row seat on that dance floor. On the dance floor where the better dancers are, usually the front row seats are for the regulars.
Porteno y Bailarin is one of the places where the well known milongueros love to hangout and have a chat. Come on tuesdays and sundays nights and you might even get to dance with Osvaldo Zotto!
But the best thing for me on a tuesday Porteno y Bailarin night is the presence of Alberto Podesta. Podesta is one of the last golden age singer who is still alive. He is around 85 years old and has sung with some of the most famous tango orchestras. He is often invited to sing on a tuesday Porteno y Bailarin. For those who do not know who Podesta is, just listen to Tu... el cielo y tu (You... the sky and you) and fall in love.
Dancers: Good level of dancing. Tuesday nights at Porteno y Bailarin is usually very calm and frequented by Portenos (Buenos Aireans) or foreigners who dance well. Although the main dance floor is smaller and relatively difficult to get dances if you are new.
The secondary dance floor with not so high level of dancing ia actually quite fun too. Due to a more relaxed atmosphere, one also has lesser pressure of trying to impress the onlooking milongueros.
And of course the same milongueros from other nights frequent the place. And even more when Podesta sings.
Floorcraft: Good. Even when it is crowded. There is a sort of respect demanded at places like this when the milonguero dances. It is considered very rude to bump into them.
The secondary dance floor however, pretty much anything goes. Still there is enough place for all the experimental dancers.
Music: Very good music. Carlos Di Sarli lovers like me will enjoy their night. Many Di Sarli tandas. One of the milongas that plays milonga music even till the wee hours of the morning.
What I Like Least: The fact that it is hard to get seats at the primary dance floor where the good dancers hang out. Also sometimes the dancefloor can be a little sticky and hard to pivot.
Memories: Definitely hearing Alberto Podesta singing live. He has aged and his voice has changed. But the emotions he is able to project into his singing is so powerful and natural; it is almost as though you do not listen to the quality of his voice anymore, but the emotions from his voice bypasses your ears and goes straight for the heart. The night I was there, all the milongueros were in tears after he finished singing!!
Other Nice Places: Salon Canning, which on a tuesday night is exactly same as Salon Canning on a Monday night. El Beso across the street is very good too.
