The Milonguero Turn

The Milonguero Turn was a very popular turn in Argentine Tango for almost 70 years however was largely supplanted when Gustavo Naveira developed the Follower’s Molinete. As a result, it is rarely taught anymore.

The Milonguero Turn is one of the most straightforward turns to perform in Argentine Tango. This turn allows the couple to stay connected with each other during the turn which is quite different from the follower’s molinete where the leader and follower have to relax their close and embrace and disassociate. The partners stay facing each other during the milonguero turn and the turn takes very little energy. Most importantly, this turn is very functional, especially in a crowded Milonga.

From the follower’s perspective, the Milonguero Turn consists of only three steps: A back cross, a side step, and then a forward cross. Let’s take a look at a video demonstration:

Some important points to note:

• There is no hip rotation;
• There is no disassociation;
• The crosses have to be clean

The Milonguero Turn is a challenge to lead. The main reason for this is that the leader may be fighting the Follower’s default behavior to perform a follower’s Molinete in response to the lead’s Giro. The best way to avoid this problem is by leading a series of Milonguero Ochos into the Milonguero Turn.