The Tango Banter

What happens when you've been studying tango - but you're still not sure you're ready to actually enter the milonga?

My guest Sevada has only been dancing for about five months. When we first spoke, he was fascinated by tango, deeply invested in learning it…and terrified of the social dance floor.

Then he went.

In this episode, we debrief what actually happened: the fears that disappeared, the things he wasn't prepared for at all, unsolicited feedback, navigating the ronda versus navigating the room, and the social codes you don't necessarily learn in class.

But what interested me most was what happened afterward.

Dancing with different people exposed Sevada to parts of his own dancing he hadn't encountered yet - and changed the way he showed up at his next práctica.

A conversation about being a beginner, taking the leap before you feel completely ready, and everything the milonga teaches us simply by being there.

Find Sevada on IG @tango.theartofsolace and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@tango-theartofsolace

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music: imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

What if knowing all the rules of tango still doesn't tell you what to do?

Gregory is back on The Tango Banter, and this time our conversation wanders into the wonderfully messy social territory of the milonga: men following, women leading, cabeceo, rejection, persistence, “saving” tandas, and those moments when the códigos that are supposed to make things easier somehow make things more complicated.

We swap stories about invitations that worked, invitations that went spectacularly wrong, and the surprisingly fine line between persistence and pushiness. Eventually, we land on an even trickier question: Do we ever owe something to the community when we choose who we dance with?

Because perhaps the códigos were never meant to give us an algorithm for getting the dance. Maybe they're just a framework - and the rest is the much harder skill of learning how to read another human being.

🇦🇷 Curious about the Buenos Aires Intensive I mentioned in the episode? You can read about the Chicas Buenos Aires Intensive and join us here: https://imsotango.com/chicas-ba-intensive

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More🌍 Website: imsotango.com📩 Email: [email protected]📸 Instagram: @imso_tango🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!Photo courtesty of @louistangophotoMusic courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

Sometimes tango music feels old because it is old.

And sometimes it feels old because we’re not actually hearing what’s inside the recording.

In this episode, I visit Christian from TangoTunes in their Buenos Aires space - literally below street level - to talk about shellac records, sound restoration, transfer quality, and why the music we dance to at milongas does not always sound the way it originally did.

We talk about how Golden Age tango recordings were made, why shellac is so fragile, what happens when old recordings are transferred badly, and why “removing noise” is not always the same thing as improving the music.

But this is not just an audio-nerd conversation.

It’s about listening.

Because when a transfer is done well, you can hear more: the bandoneon, the violin, the bass, the piano, the texture, the space between the musicians — what Christian calls “the air in the music.”

If you’ve ever wondered why the same tango can feel totally different depending on the version, transfer, or DJ — this episode will change the way you listen.

LINKS + EXTRAS:

🎧 Check out TangoTunes: https://tangotunes.com/en/

💃 Train your tango musicality inside IMSO Tango School: https://imsotango.com/online-school

Want to train your ear, understand tango music more deeply, and build a more musical dance body?

Inside IMSO Tango School, we work with orchestras, phrasing, rhythm, melody, movement quality, and practical musicality for social dancers - so the music becomes something you can actually hear, feel, and dance.

Start your 30-day trial here → https://imsotango.com/online-school

And if you’re a woman who leads - or a follower learning to lead - join us this October in Buenos Aires for the Chicas del Tango Buenos Aires Intensive at La Maleva, co-led by Yelizaveta Nersesova and Mariana Dragone.

Daily training, guided práctica, real nights out, community, context, and support for entering Buenos Aires with more confidence.

Details here → https://imsotango.com/chicas-ba-intensive

📌 Stay Connected

Website: http://imsotango.com

Instagram: @‌imso_tango

Join the private FB group: http://facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

Listen to The Tango Banter on Spotify/Apple/etc.: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra.

Sometimes tango gives you a tanda… and sometimes it gives you a book that feels like a milonga: funny, tender, a little awkward, and quietly brutal in the most human way.

In this episode, I sit down with Juan Venegas, author of The Infinite Walk — a tango novel that made me laugh out loud and pause in that “wait… that’s actually true” way. We talk about what it means to write tango without turning it into cliché, why tango stories work better when they’re emotional (not instructional), and how you translate a world full of codes, desire, and community into something readable for dancers and non-dancers.

We also get into:

• why tango doesn’t work in “utopia” (and why humor matters)

• how you explain tango to outsiders without losing the insiders

• tango as a social ecosystem: who we notice, who we avoid, and what we misread

• the title story behind The Infinite Walk (it’s peak tango-community magic)

If you like tango conversations that feel like they happened at a milonga table - a little poetic, a little nerdy, and very real - you’ll love this one.

LINKS + EXTRAS (in the show notes):

• 🎧 Playlist: Songs featured The Infinite Walk - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6WSTVg76I45U7zoUlYgOOP?si=c4abcdbc465841ab

• 🎬 Book trailer (YouTube) - https://juan-venegas.com/the-infinite-walk/

• 📚 Get the book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G673YPT6 

Want my tango playlists + weekly tango notes?

Join my newsletter here → https://unique-architect-417.kit.com/44cca968c5

📌 Stay Connected

• Website: http://imsotango.com

• Instagram: @‌imso_tango

• Join the private FB group: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

• Listen to The Tango Banter (Spotify/Apple/etc.): https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra.

Thumbnail picture courtesy of Constantinos Papachristidis.

Buenos Aires has a way of turning a casual tango chat into a full-on philosophical detour - and that’s exactly what happened when I sat down with my friend Marcelo Guttiérez.

What starts as “a few questions I’ve been carrying around” turns into one of those conversations you’d overhear at a milonga table: a little funny, a little spicy, and full of the kind of opinions that make you pause mid-sip and go… wait, is that actually true? We talk about tango stories people repeat as fact, how “tradition” gets edited once it travels, and what gets lost (or gained) when tango becomes something you can package, teach, and sell.

Marcelo came up in the Buenos Aires scene in the 90s and has been a competitor, finalist, and judge in the championship world - so he’s seen tango from the floor and from the inside of the machine.

If you like tango conversations that don’t resolve neatly - but make you think differently the next time you walk into a milonga - this one’s for you.

Find Marcelo on Instagram @marcelo.gutierrez.tango

Marcelo's website: https://tangocoffeeandchocolate.com/

Join my newsletter: https://unique-architect-417.kit.com/ba28095822

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:

imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

In this episode, I sit down with Eve for a candid conversation from Buenos Aires about what the city actually asks of you—physically, emotionally, and artistically—when you come here to dance.

We talk about what no one tells you before you land in Buenos Aires - the way the city rewires your rhythm, tests your nervous system, and quietly changes what you think you’re here for. Somewhere between the late nights, the “just one more” pull of the milonga, and the constant hum of possibility, a deeper question starts to surface… and it’s not the one most dancers expect.

And then the trip shifts. Not in a dramatic, cinematic way - more like a door opening that I didn’t even realize I’d been walking past. We get into what happens when you stop chasing a particular version of the Buenos Aires experience and start listening for the one that’s actually meant for you. The kind of lesson you don’t fully understand until you’re already on your way home.

✨ If you’ve ever felt drawn to Buenos Aires (or overwhelmed by it), this banter is for you.

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?

Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days: 👉 https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: http://imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @‌imso_tango

💃 Join the Facebook Community: http://facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:

http://imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @‌louistangophoto

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

In this episode I reflect on returning to Buenos Aires after eight years away - and how tango met me very differently this time.

I talk about the fantasies I carried with me, the quiet expectations I didn’t realize I still had, and the moment when something I once wanted began to loosen its grip. This isn’t an episode about doing tango “right,” or arriving at answers - it’s about noticing an inner shift as it happens.

Through personal stories and open questions, I explore what it feels like to stay with the dance when your reasons for being there start to change.

✨ If tango has ever felt like a mirror - especially when you didn’t expect it to - this banter is for you.

La Maleva Studio in Buenos Aires: https://www.instagram.com/la_maleva_estudio/

Renata Tagle: https://www.instagram.com/lamariposarm/

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?

Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days:

👉 https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:

imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

In this episode, I sit down with Gregory for a candid conversation about what it means to follow as a man in tango - and what that reveals about connection, gender, and friendship.

We talk about the early days of switching roles at UC Berkeley, the quiet rebellion of learning to follow “before it was cool,” and how intimacy between men can reshape the dance itself. From the awkwardness of cabaceo to the quiet beauty of letting go, this is a conversation about more than steps - it’s about trust, presence, and the freedom to feel beautiful.

✨ If you’ve ever wondered what changes when men follow - and how tango evolves when we let go of its rules - this banter is for you.

Join me at Queen City Tango Marathon Jan 2026: https://queencitytangomarathon.com/

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?

Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days: 👉 https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:

imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

Would you pay for a guaranteed tanda with anyone you wanted?

In this episode, I dig into the world of taxi dancers - a subject that never fails to divide opinions. For some, it’s a lifeline: a bridge to the tandas they dream about in communities where imbalance makes dancing scarce. For others, it feels like a line crossed, where the social fabric of tango gives way to transactions.

From Buenos Aires origins to festival token systems, from ambassadors to controversies, taxi dancers raise bigger questions: how much do we value access, and what happens when money enters a space built on cabeceo and mystery?

✨ If you’ve ever wondered how far we’ll go for the tanda we want - and what that says about tango today - this banter is for you.

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?

Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days: https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:

imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

What keeps us coming back to tango - even after the moments when we’re ready to quit?

In this episode, I sit down with Mitra Martin to explore the cycles of belonging, the archetypes we step into, and the surprising ways tango changes us over time.

From the first spark at La Viruta to creating spaces that welcome beginners, Mitra’s journey opens up big questions about growth, friendship, and how we keep the dance alive.

And yes - she even shares a new game designed to help dancers push past “just practicing” into something more playful, creative, and lasting.

✨ If you’ve ever wondered what keeps tango fresh year after year, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about the Tango Fairytale Game here: https://mitramartin.notion.site/tangofairytalegame

Use code IMSOTANGO to get $20 off: https://mitramartin.gumroad.com/l/original-tfg-deck

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?

Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days: https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:

imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!