Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau began working together as youngsters with Francisco Canaro on numerous musicals, and for many years they have been one of the most popular tango dancing couples in the world .

They performed with the critically acclaimed musical Tango Argentino from 1985 to 1992. They were choreographers and headliners of the original cast of Forever Tango in San Francisco from 1994 to 1995. With their Japan tours with their shows Tango, Tango and Corazon de Tango, they paved the way for many shows that followed.

BUT Eduardo is also one of the great milongueros of his generation--the guys who grew up dancing in the milongas in the early-mid 1950s. He is one of the teachers most responsible for the worldwide popularity of "club" style tango (or milonguero style, confiteria style, close embrace, apilado--whatever your preferred term is). Eduardo has taught this style, which is once again the predominant style in today's crowded milongas of Buenos Aires, all over the world. The style is very rhythmic, very close and VERY FUN. (And ladies--if you get the chance to dance with Eduardo you can then die a happy woman. It is heaven!)"

Tango Libre brought Eduardo to Montréal in 2000 and 2001, when I took workshops with him for a week. I loved it. He is a great teacher (well, you have to not expect he will explain everything to you personally). And he can teach you anything you want - Tango Fantasia, Tango Salon, Club Style, Vals, Milonga. Great Milonga style.

Gloria and Eduardo believe that to teach what they have learned, is to really foster their culture. Their exclusive teaching videos have been used by Dance Schools and Tango Academies all over the world. They are the only living masters of the orillero style, and their performances are thrilling.

Here is what Linda reports Eduardo had to say recently in Los Angeles:

"First, he had a different definition of tango styles (based on his more that 45 years dancing tango in the barrios of Buenos Aires, as well as on the stage).

He stated that salon tango was the old style of the walked tango--no figures, not even ochos--just walking steps done very elegantly. Tango of the '40s encompassed many more figures and turns, done either close or with some separation (as Eduardo said, the man in '40s style tango has a "brazo elastico" that opens and closes, thus creating the space he need for dancing whatever figure he wants).

Tango of the '50s (what we variously refer to as club, milonguero, apilado, close embrace, etc.) is danced without separation, using the "contra-tiempos" and lots of "playing" with the rhythms. It does not pause and does not use a lot of complicated figures and adornos, because they simply don't work with the music that is used most commonly with that style. He also distinguished between "fantasia" and "tango show." He says that fantasia is an elaboration on '40s-style tango that added steps that required a complete breaking of the embrace and separation of the partners. It also added extended stops and pauses for adornos by both partners. "Tango show," according to Eduardo, further elaborates on fantasia, adding jumps, lifts and elements of other dance styles, e.i, ballet, modern, etc.

In Eduardo's opinion, it is all tango. The problem is that there is a confusion about WHERE these different types of tango are appropriately danced. According to him, the social dance in the clubs of Buenos Aires was and is limited to the styles of the '40s and '50s, depending on the club you're dancing in, the space on the floor and the music being played. It involves no ganchos and limited, low boleos because you must strictly respect the other couples around you and the line of dance. Tango Fantasia and what people are calling "tango nuevo" were, according to Eduardo, born in the practicas and remain there, as that is where it is appropriate to experiment, play around, etc., and where you do not have the strict codigos of the milongas. According to him, Fantasia, Tango show and "nuevo tango" are appropriate for exhibition, but are NOT done in the milongas, as just about anybody who has had a lot of experience down there can tell you.

Frankly, although I may have my personal preferences, I don't care whether people do '40s style or '50s style or some of the more "primitivo" forms of tango, i.e., Canyengue, in the milongas, as long as they dance to the music, follow line of dance and don't crash into the people around them. If you wish to do fantasia, show tango or nuevo, who cares? But just do it in the practicas, on the stage or in exhibitions where it's appropriate and doesn't interfere with everybody else's dancing. Why is this so difficult to understand?

The other observation that Eduardo made is the tendency for Americans to mix styles within one tango, which he thinks looks really bad. He (and other teachers I've spoken to) believe that it's fine to dance more than one style, but that you dance only one style within one tango, depending on the music. If you're dancing to D'Arienzo, for example, you don't start off dancing '50s style and then start throwing in elements of '40's style."