Tango events, explained

New to tango, or just not sure what a listing means? Here's what each kind of event is, and a few words you'll hear on the floor.

Learning

Class: Regular lessons, usually weekly. Some are drop-in, some are series that build week to week. This is where most people start.
Workshop: A one-off lesson or short set of lessons on one topic, usually with a visiting teacher. Often a weekend of classes.
Seminar: Deeper, longer study: a multi-day intensive, a technique or musicality course, teacher training, or a talk about tango.

Festival: Several days of workshops by visiting teachers, milongas every night, and usually performances. Most are open to anyone who registers; some balance leaders and followers.
Marathon: A weekend of milongas back to back, with few or no classes. Registration is usually balanced between leaders and followers.
Encuentro: A marathon in the milonguero tradition: close embrace, traditional codes like the cabeceo, and often assigned seating. Usually by invitation or selective registration, with roles balanced.
Competition: A tango championship, judged in categories like salón (social style) and escenario (stage). We list them, but we don't sponsor them.

Open to the public: show up and pay at the door.
Registration required: sign up ahead. Some events balance leaders and followers, so a spot may depend on your role.
Invite only: the organizers invite dancers, or choose from applications. Common for encuentros.

If a listing doesn't say, check with the organizer.

Tanda: a set of three or four songs danced with the same partner.
Cortina: a short piece of non-tango music between tandas. It's your cue to clear the floor and find a new partner.
Cabeceo: asking someone to dance with eye contact and a nod across the room, instead of walking up to them.
Ronda: the line of dance. Couples travel counterclockwise around the room.
Close embrace: dancing chest to chest. Open embrace: dancing with more space between partners.
Role balance: events that ask leaders and followers to register in roughly equal numbers.
Leader / Follower: the two roles. Anyone can dance either one.

Still not sure where to start? Look for a beginner class near you, then try a práctica.