Tanda is the name for a round of dances in Argentine tango.
This dance round (not to be confused with the ronda, the round of all dancers together on the dance floor) usually consists of three to four pieces by the same orchestra, which are also relatively similar.
The purpose of the tanda is, on the one hand, that the dancers can better adjust to the music that is being played and, on the other hand, that the round is officially over after these pieces of music and you have to/can/may look for a new dance partner .
That’s why you leave the dance floor after the tanda to give other dancers a clear view of potential partners for the next tanda (well, for couples freshly fallen in love who don’t dance with anyone else all night, there are definitely exceptions to this rule).
In any case, they swap regularly in this way so that everyone has the chance to dance with a new partner.
Also, if your dance partner hasn’t turned out to be sooo great, or you would just like to dance with someone else, you can stop dancing while saving face for everyone and without offending anyone.
A short insertion:
In a traditional milonga the tandas are separated by the “cortina – the curtain”
The cortina is a piece of music of a completely different style or genre, obviously no tango, vals or milonga. The cortina is not meant for dancing but signals to everybody that the tanda has finished and that everybody should clear the dance floor.
The cortina can be any kind of music for example classical music, rock´n roll, jazz, pop, chansons whatever the DJ wants as long as it is clearly no tango. It is played only for a minute or so (in big milongas with more people who have to look for a new partner also a little longer). If there are many dancers who like the cortina and start to dance the DJ might play it longer for the fun of it. But that´s rather the exception and in very traditional milongas that´s not very likely to happen.
Depending on what the Tango DJ’s “lay-on policy” is, a tanda consists of
- Three to four tangos (Concerning the tangos, this depends on the DJ, but you can expect a DJ to always play either three or four tangos at the same milonga)
- Three Tango Waltz (Valses)
- Three milongas (the tango polka, if you will)
With valses and milongas, which are usually a bit faster, there are normally only three in a row so that the dancers don’t sweat too much.
As a rule of thumb, the sequence of the tandas in a traditional milonga is always like this:
- Two tandas with tangos
- One tanda with milonga (or vals)
- Two tandas with tangos
- One tanda with vals (or milonga, depending whether the DJ started with vals or milonga)
Sometimes a tanda is also played with other music, such as salsa or boogie woogie, so that the milonga doesn’t get too serious. But that depends on the taste of the DJ or DJane.
This scheme is fairly reliable if you want to know which of the three rhythms of the tango (tango, vals, milonga) is to be played next.
Why is it important to know what music will be played in the next tanda?
Quite simply, because then, if available, you can choose the right dance partner for the next tanda.
After all, once you’ve had tango experience for a while, you don’t just invite anyone who’s available to dance no matter what the music is. Rather, if possible, you look for someone you believe will be a good fit to dance the next tanda with you particularly beautifully.
Argentines are particularly picky about this. But with increasing dance experience, I also have preferences when it comes to invite someone.
For example, I prefer to dance lively, swinging tango valses with dancers who have a little more experience, while I hardly ever ask an absolute beginner to do a vals tanda.
Not because I would generally not dance with beginners, I dance often and with fun with beginners. But I look for tandas with simpler music (e.g. slow tangos by Canaro), where even a lady with little dance experience can dance beautifully and enjoyably.
More complex pieces are simply overwhelming and confuse beginners (of both sexes) more than they are fun to dance to.
I have often heard in discussions among tango dancers that a really good dancer should be able to dance well with any lady to any music. But I don’t see it that way.
When it comes to the dancers who tell me this and claim that they can do it, I often have the impression that this opinion is due to their narcissism and/or lack of understanding for the music and the quality of the dance (or I am simply not a good enough dancer : – ).
Of course, there are also many tangos for which the choice of the “right” dance partner is not particularly important, which means that they are, to a certain extent, “suitable for the masses”.
WIth such tangos from my point of view, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to focus too much on a specific dance partner.
So, and now two more questions that I get asked again and again:
1. Do you have to dance a whole tanda with your chosen partner?
The answer to that is yes, unless that partner turns out to be really awkward, unkempt, or abusive. Then you can also break off the tanda prematurely (in some cases you should do that).
Otherwise, it is impolite to end the tanda prematurely. Even if the partner you choose doesn’t turn out to be the tango god or goddess you were hoping for, you can still dance three or four dances without that being the end of the tango world.
2. Can you still ask for the dance while the tanda is already running?
In principle yes (Argentinians, for example, often wait until they not only know which of the three tango rhythms will be played, but also which orchestra they will hear). However, it is considered impolite not to ask until the last dance of a tanda (in a four-tango tanda, for example, only at the fourth dance).
But you can also see that more relaxed among friends and good acquaintances.
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