Salon Canning is a popular traditional milonga centrally located on Scalabrini Ortiz in Palermo. I recently checked out their Monday Night milonga with a couple of tango-dancing friends from Canada.

Like many milongas, tango classes are offered before the dance begins. On Mondays, the classes run from 7 to 11, but you can check out the current schedule here at the Milonga Parakultural website.

Entry costs about 15 pesos. Once inside, a host will seat you. The best tables, those immediately surrounding the dance floor, are reserved. You’d have to call ahead to book one of those tables. Otherwise, tables along the outer ring of the milonga are first come, first served.

The dance floor isn’t huge and on this night it was crowded. You won’t see “nuevo” dancing here, strictly elegant, closed-embrace tango.

On this night, a strange thing happened around 1 in the morning. Out of nowhere, the place started to fill up with young dancers, even a few tango instructors from DNI, and suddenly the dance floor was vibrant and alive with dancers aged from 18 to 80.

Someone at the table next to me said that the younger dancers arrive after they finish a practica at nearby Villa Malcolm.

I love the way the music and dance of tango bridges the generation gap and brings people together. I felt the heart of tango on this night.

Salon Canning is located at Scalabrini Ortiz 1331.

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