The 13 Things You Need in Your Milonga Dance Bag
Imagine this – it’s Saturday night and you’re preparing for a big milonga.
Before stepping out the door, you run through a mental checklist:
Shoes? Check.
Cash? Double check.
Milonga dance bag? Uh oh…
What is a dance Bag?
A dance bag is a portable collection of first aid and survival essentials you pack before a trip or anticipated event. It’s designed to be grabbed when you’re in a rush.
Why should you have a milonga dance Bag?
While a dance bag isn’t necessary when you’re at the beginning of your tango journey, it becomes more and more important as you progress.
Because when you progress in Argentine Tango, the dance becomes less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle, one with unique fashion accouterments and frequent trips to multi-day festivals and marathons.
Like with life itself, the tango lifestyle means encountering occasional mishaps; a curated milonga dance bag will equip you so you can respond to every curveball tango throws your way, without missing a step.
Milonga Dance Bag Essentials
1. Face Masks
You’re not alone if, despite caring about community health, you hate having to return to wearing masks in public…
Alas, until Covid transmission levels subside, masks are here to stay.
2. Mints
Freshly brushed teeth should be the first thing on your milonga preparation list, but that freshly brushed feeling sadly doesn’t last for more than a few hours.
That’s where mints come in.
3. Wardrobe Tape
Clothing specifically made for tango is the only way to eliminate the risk of wardrobe malfunctions.
Argentine Tango clothing, however, isn’t always budget-friendly.
For wardrobe protection on a dime, keep a roll of wardrobe tape in your bag.
4. Sewing Kit
For clothing mishaps that wardrobe tape can’t fix, keep a small sewing kit on-hand.
5. Aspirin
Sore muscles and aching feet are unfortunately part and parcel with multi-day tango events, especially in the days following the final milonga.
Nurse them with a pain reliever.
6. Tiger Balm
A downside to aspirin is that it masks pain. And at multi-day milongas, pain is a reliable metric for deciding when it’s time to stop dancing.
Tiger Balm, a topical pain-relieving pomade, contains cooling camphor and menthol for surface-level relief from aching muscles, with none of the masking effects from aspirin.
7. Menstrual Products
My period has the lovely habit of showing up at the most inopportune time. If yours is anything like mine, always be prepared to greet it with the menstrual product of your choice.
8. Beauty Items
Sweat, eating, and talking are the physical hallmarks of a great milonga. These hallmarks, however, don’t necessarily set your makeup up for success.
To ensure my makeup stays fresh throughout the night, I like to bring along a choice lipstick and a small decant of setting powder for on-the-go touchups.
9. Water Bottle
Milongas usually have water stations, but the small disposable cups organizers provide just don’t cut it sometimes.
Reduce waste and ensure proper hydration with a water bottle.
10. Blister Pads
Blisters are another unfortunate consequence of being a dancer. Stop them in their tracks with blister pads.
11. Folding Hand Fan
As someone who previously believed hand fans were the sole domain of church aunties, I was surprised to behold rows of fan-wielding ladies at my first milonga.
It didn’t take long, however, for me to join them with a folding hand fan of my own, as milongas get hot, regardless of the season.
12. Vaccine Cards
Though tango communities the world over have varying entry requirements in the age of Coronavirus, it’s still a good idea to keep a copy of your vaccine card on your person, just in case.
13. Contraception
Tango is about connection, and sometimes you click in more ways than one with a stranger…
What milonga dance bag essential is most important to you?
