You're warmly invited to our next Milonga SoFeliz on July 25
Other dates for 2026: Aug 29 - Oct 24 - Nov 28
Click below for more details:
Theme for this term: Salida 40, Americana and Adornos
Course Dates: May 20 | June 3, 10, 17 | July 1, 8 (No classes on May 27 & June 24)
Introduced Salida del 40
The Salida del 40 is a classic Argentine tango sequence that originated in the 1940s. It is a turning movement that combines walking, dissociation, pivots, and changes of direction in a highly musical way, allowing dancers to incorporate pauses, changes in speed, and dynamic variation.
This is a beautiful way to begin your dance. Leaders, make sure you are angled slightly towards the outside of the floor when initiating the movement so that you naturally finish aligned with the line of dance. It is also an excellent sequence for navigating corners of the dance floor smoothly and musically.
See the video below. Remember, you can adjust the playback settings on YouTube to watch the movement in slow motion for a clearer understanding of the technique.
Drill for in between classes:
To practice your musicality, over the next week practice walking and crossing (Parallel Cross) to some instrumental Di Sarli (see list below). Here's an example:
Song suggestion: Organita De La Tarde by Carlos Di Sarli. This can be found on Spotify
Spotify
Check out Sophia's Spotify lists:
Tango (Trad) Best for practicing musicality - walking to single, double and half time.
Tango (Neo) contemporary songs (good for practicing technique)
'Steel vs spaghetti': Your standing leg is like steel - dynamic, strong and grounded, your free leg is like spaghetti: light and loose without tension.
Your free leg hip is loose and level (this removes tension from your free leg)
Never lock your knees: Your standing leg knee is softly flexed (not locked) - this gives you better contact with the floor.
'Collection' - Thigh or ankle (as you prefer) connection as you walk
Push off the floor as you walk - to make your walk more dynamic.
Look forward as you walk (down diagonal is fine but don't look straight down at your feet as this distorts your posture.