The Tango Banter

Sometimes tango gives you a tanda… and sometimes it gives you a book that feels like a milonga: funny, tender, a little awkward, and quietly brutal in the most human way.

In this episode, I sit down with Juan Venegas, author of The Infinite Walk — a tango novel that made me laugh out loud and pause in that “wait… that’s actually true” way. We talk about what it means to write tango without turning it into cliché, why tango stories work better when they’re emotional (not instructional), and how you translate a world full of codes, desire, and community into something readable for dancers and non-dancers.

We also get into:
• why tango doesn’t work in “utopia” (and why humor matters)
• how you explain tango to outsiders without losing the insiders
• tango as a social ecosystem: who we notice, who we avoid, and what we misread
• the title story behind The Infinite Walk (it’s peak tango-community magic)

If you like tango conversations that feel like they happened at a milonga table - a little poetic, a little nerdy, and very real - you’ll love this one.

LINKS + EXTRAS (in the show notes):
• 🎧 Playlist: Songs featured The Infinite Walk - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6WSTVg76I45U7zoUlYgOOP?si=c4abcdbc465841ab
• 🎬 Book trailer (YouTube) - https://juan-venegas.com/the-infinite-walk/
• 📚 Get the book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G673YPT6 

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📌 Stay Connected
• Website: http://imsotango.com
• Instagram: @‌imso_tango
• Join the private FB group: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld
• Listen to The Tango Banter (Spotify/Apple/etc.): https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra.
Thumbnail picture courtesy of Constantinos Papachristidis.

Buenos Aires has a way of turning a casual tango chat into a full-on philosophical detour - and that’s exactly what happened when I sat down with my friend Marcelo Guttiérez.

What starts as “a few questions I’ve been carrying around” turns into one of those conversations you’d overhear at a milonga table: a little funny, a little spicy, and full of the kind of opinions that make you pause mid-sip and go… wait, is that actually true? We talk about tango stories people repeat as fact, how “tradition” gets edited once it travels, and what gets lost (or gained) when tango becomes something you can package, teach, and sell.

Marcelo came up in the Buenos Aires scene in the 90s and has been a competitor, finalist, and judge in the championship world - so he’s seen tango from the floor and from the inside of the machine.

If you like tango conversations that don’t resolve neatly - but make you think differently the next time you walk into a milonga - this one’s for you.

Find Marcelo on Instagram @marcelo.gutierrez.tango
Marcelo's website: https://tangocoffeeandchocolate.com/

Join my newsletter: https://unique-architect-417.kit.com/ba28095822

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com
📩 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:
imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto
Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

In this episode, I sit down with Eve for a candid conversation from Buenos Aires about what the city actually asks of you—physically, emotionally, and artistically—when you come here to dance.

We talk about what no one tells you before you land in Buenos Aires - the way the city rewires your rhythm, tests your nervous system, and quietly changes what you think you’re here for. Somewhere between the late nights, the “just one more” pull of the milonga, and the constant hum of possibility, a deeper question starts to surface… and it’s not the one most dancers expect.

And then the trip shifts. Not in a dramatic, cinematic way - more like a door opening that I didn’t even realize I’d been walking past. We get into what happens when you stop chasing a particular version of the Buenos Aires experience and start listening for the one that’s actually meant for you. The kind of lesson you don’t fully understand until you’re already on your way home.

✨ If you’ve ever felt drawn to Buenos Aires (or overwhelmed by it), this banter is for you.

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?
Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days: 👉 https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More
🌍 Website: http://imsotango.com
📩 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @‌imso_tango

💃 Join the Facebook Community: http://facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:
http://imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @‌louistangophoto
Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

In this episode I reflect on returning to Buenos Aires after eight years away - and how tango met me very differently this time.

I talk about the fantasies I carried with me, the quiet expectations I didn’t realize I still had, and the moment when something I once wanted began to loosen its grip. This isn’t an episode about doing tango “right,” or arriving at answers - it’s about noticing an inner shift as it happens.

Through personal stories and open questions, I explore what it feels like to stay with the dance when your reasons for being there start to change.

✨ If tango has ever felt like a mirror - especially when you didn’t expect it to - this banter is for you.

La Maleva Studio in Buenos Aires: https://www.instagram.com/la_maleva_estudio/

Renata Tagle: https://www.instagram.com/lamariposarm/

🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?
Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days:
👉 https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More
🌍 Website: imsotango.com
📩 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:
imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto
Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra

In this episode, I sit down with Gregory for a candid conversation about what it means to follow as a man in tango - and what that reveals about connection, gender, and friendship.
We talk about the early days of switching roles at UC Berkeley, the quiet rebellion of learning to follow “before it was cool,” and how intimacy between men can reshape the dance itself. From the awkwardness of cabaceo to the quiet beauty of letting go, this is a conversation about more than steps - it’s about trust, presence, and the freedom to feel beautiful.
✨ If you’ve ever wondered what changes when men follow - and how tango evolves when we let go of its rules - this banter is for you.
Join me at Queen City Tango Marathon Jan 2026: https://queencitytangomarathon.com/
🎧 Want support as you grow in your own tango?
Join me inside IMSO Tango School Online — try it free for 30 days: 👉 https://imsotango.com/online-school

📌 Stay Connected & Learn More

🌍 Website: imsotango.com
📩 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @imso_tango

🎙 Listen to The Tango Banter: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/DItT8LMWASb

💃 Join the Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/sotangoworld

🎶 Free Lesson – 5 Things Every Dancer Should Know About Tango Music:
imsotango.namastream.com/product/83152

💬 Have questions? Drop a comment or DM me anytime!

Photo courtesty of @louistangophoto
Music courtesy of La Santa Calavera Orchestra