These are two dances that are closely related to tango, and if you attend a 'milonga' (a social dance), you will hear milongas and valses played alongside tangos. They are different from tango primarily in terms of their rhythm: milonga has a specific syncopation, and vals is composed in 3 / 4 time, similar to a European waltz. If you listen to the music carefully, you will quickly be able to distinguish between milonga, vals and tango.

There are certain steps that have been created for these two dance forms, and milonga in particular has a distinctive style that distinguishes it from tango. However, you can also adapt your tango steps to them – all you have to do is alter the rhythm (and ideally the style) of your steps in keeping with the rhythm and style of the music. In our regular weekly classes, we focus primarily on tango. However, we run regular special classes and workshops on milonga and vals, and we try to make these classes open to all levels of dancers, so if you would like to know more about them, do check the timetable of classes, or ask us.

Please don’t be confused by the dual meaning of the word ‘milonga’. A milonga (social dance) is not dedicated to the particular dance of milonga. At a milonga, you will hear mostly tangos, mixed with some milongas and valses.

Page updated August 2008