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Why Tangochicos?
Tango Roots Club for Men?
The roots of tango go back to the early 19th century – the many men, emigrants from all over Europe and freed slaves from the Caribbean, who gathered in Buenos Aires. They lacked a common language, and they lacked their women. Dancing was communication without words, a pastime, and a way to compete for the few women around. The men trained with each other, learned to listen even in the following role, got better, and so their chances of a dance with a lady rose. Whoever was really good was a "macho" – for Argentinians, someone who genuinely had something to offer. Something positive!
Today, having more women than men can easily make us lazy. We no longer have to prove ourselves to find a dance partner. So many women want to dance, and we're often accepted without any real critique. That's sad for the women and a shame for us, because learning, getting better, testing yourself is fun – especially for us men among other men, because dancing with a man is different. We know how a man feels, and so we can relate to our partner in a completely different way. Practicing with a man also gets you further, much faster.
That brings me closer to the question of what it actually means to be a man in today's society – to stand your ground, to take a clear position and to be able to lead when it's called for, but also to be able to adapt to the person in front of you. Not just in the dance – in everyday life too! So, back to the roots: to dancing among men, with men, us men, what makes us who we are, and what makes tango what it is – fundamentals, movement, figures, communication, focus and enjoyment. Tango technique, discussion rounds, engaging with the topic of "being a man," and of course simply dancing. Being able to show ourselves as men – free, alone among men.
I've had the experience myself of training regularly with another man. It was incredibly fun and refined my dancing – especially my leading skills – considerably. On top of that, a men's club has always fascinated me. I have a vision of it, and I'm still curious how the idea will develop. In this club, all tango men are welcome. Including those who still want to become one! All levels, from non-dancer to fellow dance teacher. Come and have fun together – everyone has something to say. Bring yourself in. With your input, Tangochicos will grow and take shape. Playing with clichés, living them out, but also questioning them. Finding the child in the man, allowing it, integrating it, playing with it, laughing or crying about yourself … who gives a f…? Let's playfully refine our male energy together!
what do the participants say?
Inspiration for TangoChicos
inspired by Alex White
- This is for men:
- Men who want to step out of the shadows and speak plainly.
- Men who know a real, open smile and inspire others to feel their own.
- Men who also ask the ladies sitting on the sidelines to dance.
- Men who notice who's been sitting too long, and couldn't care less whether she's a "good" dancer.
- Men who dance with strangers too.
- Men who know their worth, who feel worthy enough to feel desire beyond their own minds.
- Men who dance their own sexy dance because it feels damn good. Playful, overwhelming, insanely good.
- Men who pay attention, who perceive the beauty around them and within themselves.
- Men who are emotionally centered and act & dance from that deep inner place.
- Men who come right back to themselves after being shaken and thrown off.
- Men who face their greatest fears and demand what's rightfully theirs.
- Men who aren't afraid to smile at each other on the street.
- Men who can embrace – really embrace – until they exhale and relax.
- Men who can say "forgive me" and mean it.
- Men who hold on to someone until dawn, and who can be held in return when the day comes to an end.
- Men who hold others accountable while holding themselves accountable too.
- Men who actually let go of having to be upbeat all the time … and can just be fully themselves.
- Men who can say "I don't know" and "You're right," and who get that they can't fix and manage everything.
- Men who roar, get a little wild, and make fools of themselves sometimes … and not just at a football match.
- Men who don't have to compulsively please everyone, and instead can follow the fire in their heart.
- Men who don't just follow tradition because that's how it's always been – men who get mocked for being exactly who they are, and keep going anyway.
- Men who show others something, and do it with real humility.
- This is for men who are okay with being different; who feel out of place in a "normal" system.
- Men you can trust – men who've taken off their masks, and who you can trust precisely because they're real.
- Men who have time AND claim time … in a healthy balance.
- Men who know that as they grow inwardly, time grows with them too.
- Men who are wild and shameless, full of power and fully focused … and still vulnerable and open.
- Men who pick up trash without wanting to be rewarded or praised for it. Just because it's the right thing to do.
- For men who value real conversations more than the addiction to so-called "social" media.
- For men who can love openly – not like in a Hollywood movie, and not according to some long-expired, outdated marriage contract.
- This is for the men who are so sensitive and finely tuned that you can feel them from across the street.
- These are the men I want to have in my life. These are the men who make the right, sensible, healthy decisions. Men who happily embrace pleasure and joy, but who can also swallow bitter pills.
- That's the TangoChicos Roots Club. We're redefining "desire." We're taking it back. We have provocative, challenging conversations. I believe in desire and its power to bring strength and energy into your life
Article by Geert Böttger about the Tangochicos
Tango Chicos Make Men Better
Sólo Hombres
Since 2017, the Tango Chicos have been meeting for tango training followed by a practica in Mönchengladbach, the club's current home base. Only men are admitted. Tango Chicos – Roots Club for Men – is not a variant of Tango Queer, nor a gay club; rather, it focuses on the role of the man in dance and in the tango community. Put simply, founder Iwan Harlan and the Chicos are about making men better from the perspective of social tango.
First, there's the component of improving dance skills – tango technique for men, so to speak. But the Tango Chicos aren't just about dance technique; they're also about a man's general posture and attitude in dance, at a milonga, and perhaps even in life. The tango training is designed holistically, which is why it also includes elements of body work beyond dance technique. "A man needs a clear sense of himself, so that he feels comfortable at a milonga with the women and the other men," says Iwan Harlan.
As a social event, milongas often have their shortcomings: women left waiting, show-off dancers, inexperienced milonga guests, in-groups, little communication beyond the dance, and so on. Some of that comes down to the men, who behave quite differently in mixed groups than they do among other men. With the "Roots Club for Men," Iwan has created a space where men experience and value each other as a community, rather than being dominated by competition. Here, it's about training together, exchanging ideas, and helping each other. Building the club also involves small rituals, like a shared greeting or a collective tiger roar that grows out of a breathing exercise. It's as liberating and motivating as a shared burst of laughter.
As befits a real club, people don't stay anonymous participants – they get to know one another. Iwan has managed to create a pleasant setting for open, trusting interaction between men. That matters, for example, when it comes to openly discussing the switch between leading and following, and what each role teaches you.
There's hardly anything more awkward at a milonga than a couple discussing steps, figures, and the feelings they trigger at length. At the Chicos, that's part of the training. Since it's men only, one partner in every pair is always in the unfamiliar role of the follower. "Whoever notices what the follower needs can lead better," is the Chicos' conviction. "Whoever leads should have a vision, should give a sense of security – in the dance too." This is worked on both as a detailed dance-technique matter and as a socially-oriented attitude. The men's milonga that follows the training – more of a practica, really – brings more shared fun over Club-Mate, wine and water.
As an experienced musician, body worker, tango dancer and teacher, Iwan Harlan has created a brilliant format that works for experienced dancers and beginners alike. In Mönchengladbach, the Chicos meet weekly. Beyond that, there have so far been regular Tango Chicos
weekends at the Proitzer Mühle. Iwan's vision is to multiply the format — ideally with other teachers in other cities, and around the world. A weekend with the Chicos is worth it for every man.
