Afternoon Practilonga — La Cadencia Tango at Wild & the Barre

Why We Picked This Event

While I prefer to go to the places relatively closer to where I am, if my schedule during the weekend permits me, I am also willing to discover new places further for the community. I checked our San Francisco Bay Area Dance calendar and boom there was a monthly afternoon practilonga. Not practica not milonga - but a combination.

This practilonga was also organized by La Cadencia Tango, and Rena is the founder. She is also the co-organizer of the Bay Tango Festival & Marathon alongside life partner Sasha, that took place in Berkeley between November 14–16, 2025. We used to have the tango marathons back in the day in San Francisco, and this was the first in the East Bay Berkeley area. Rena is a full time Argentine tango teacher and organizer, someone who left her corporate job for tango love.

Rena was busy welcoming every guest while Sasha was helping her. I had the chance to speak with Sasha during, after a tanda and just before I was leaving. He mentioned that the festival was a great success and that's exactly what I heard from my tango dancer friends who attended the festival. Looking forward to attending the next one next year.

What Is "Practilonga"?

It is a combination of practica (tango practice) and milonga (social dance). It is less formal compared to milonga hence you do not have to follow the rules strictly or keep the ronda (the established counter-clockwise flow or line of dance on the floor) and you can have the party at the same time. Basically this is the event that you gather to practice and socialize while enjoying the music. Practice in the front, party in the back.

Event Details

About the Location

This is a fitness studio that offers barre and zumba classes. You can practice your tango steps in front of a barre – it is a rare opportunity. Practicing tango moves at a barre focuses on foundational elements like posture, balance and leg control (ochos, boleos), allowing solo practice to build core strength, flexibility, and precise execution without a partner, enhancing musicality and flow for partner dancing later.

Nothing got to do with the event but if you are wondering how you can practice without the barre since not most of us have it, you can use a chair and also the wall.

Ochos: Ochos (figure eight) involve rotating your hips to "send" the free leg out, stepping, transferring weight, then bringing the free leg to close, all while gliding on the standing foot. The movement gets its name because the dancers' steps on the floor create the pattern of a figure-eight or an infinity symbol.

Boleos: A boleo in tango is a quick, whip-like flick or throw of a dancer's free leg, creating a sharp, decorative flourish that often looks like the leg is "cracking the whip" or kicking the opposite buttock, happening when the dancer changes direction suddenly.

A Quick Guide to Feeling Ready for the Night

Shoes

If you are switching roles, you might be also changing shoes from flat/practice shoes to stiletto. I wore stilettos that day to work on my balance… because nothing tests your life choices like pivoting on a heel.

Dress Code

Wear casual or smart, yet at practicas I generally prefer more comfortable outfits/dresses.

Partner

Come solo or with a partner—everyone is encouraged to dance and connect.

Asking for a Dance

The only person that I asked for a dance was the DJ. So yes, you can ask for a dance at practilonga. But generally, the leader asks the follower with a cabeceo.

Skill Levels

Open to all levels – beginners are absolutely welcomed.

Snacks & Water (Food)

I am not sure if this was because of a Thanksgiving potluck event. But the food was exceptionally abundant. Hot meals, snacks, fruit, dessert, nuts, dips you name it. I wasn't sure if I came to a practilonga or accidentally walked into a Thanksgiving family reunion.

Vibe

Relaxed, casual atmosphere. This was my first time listening to DJ Saddam, he was playing traditional tandas and kept the energy steady throughout the afternoon.

Crowd Size

12 on the day of the event. I have been told that on average there are 20 attendees for practilonga. New faces, I only knew one person from the Beat practica.

Tango Clothing & Shoes for Sale

This is not an usual thing for practicas/practilongas. But you can bring your items to sell or discover new treasures.

Stories from the Dance Floor

Let's Take a Breath Together

The female lead asked me to dance with the cabeceo. I asked her if she was comfortable with the close embrace, and she said yes. I approached her and closed my embrace. We started to dance, I was feeling her heartbeat so strong, so fast, what was that? Should I be concerned? But the dance was so amazing, so smooth. Then the first song ended. I introduced myself. Small talk. We continued on to the next song, the same fast heartbeat. My brain is telling me I should do something, dance ends. I said you are doing great, she giggled, I smiled. I approached her for the embrace, and I whispered let's take a breath together, relax together. You are doing great, I am enjoying the lead a lot. She smiled, when we breathed together, her heartbeat settled – we shared the pure joy through dance. We thanked each other at the end of tanda (set of 3–4 songs) and continued our practice with other partners.

Multi-cultural Dancer – It Was Not as Scary as I Thought

His parents were from another country, he was born in another country, he was raised in another one, and currently cooking another country's cuisine as a profession. At this point I wasn't sure whether he was dancing tango with me or collecting passport stamps on the dance floor. He told me that I was a more advanced dancer compared to him, so he was very appreciative to be able to dance with me. In between tandas, he mentioned that he is sometimes scared of dancing with much taller dancers, I encouraged him to do. He took courage in asking a much taller dancer than him, then we reunited during another tanda and he said "it was not as scary as I thought" He was so enthusiastic and appreciative that he invited me to another event until I warned him that they did not have it that Sunday, Another appreciation for providing the correct data – thanks to My Events Bridge.

Summary

If you are living in south bay and close to the area, and if you want to improve your tango skills with practica, that's a nice option to have. La Cadencia also organizes milongas, and I am looking forward to checking their milonga nights as well.

Why My Events Bridge?

Approximately a year ago, someone that I had just met at the time, described me as the Illuminator. I asked him back – what did that mean? He said he had read a book by David Brooks "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen." The short definition of an "illuminator" is someone who truly respects a person's individuality and creates a safe space where that person feels genuinely seen. I read the book immediately afterwards. I'm still not sure if I'm an Illuminator or just someone who asks too many curious questions, but here we are, and I definitely LOVE to connect people. If they feel that they are seen through our dance, that just gives me joy.

My Events Bridge is my way of passing that courage forward. My Events Bridge combines event listings and thoughtful reviews as a way to guide dancers toward spaces where they can feel seen.

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