ABSTRACT
In the milongas (tango clubs) of contemporary Buenos Aires tango is referred to as a drug and the practice of tango, as an addiction. Tango, however, does not fall into the category of intoxicating products, the simple consumption of which generates an altered state of consciousness. Access to the tango ecstasy requires much preparation and much practice; a carefully crafted road that involves highly developed skills on the part of its practitioners. The tango 'high' is a paradoxical state of abandonment and full control, of bodily awareness and mental disengagement. Foreign female dancers are especially sought after, since they provide the necessary contacts for touring and teaching abroad. As a matter of fact, all women who approach the milonga scene must learn, sooner or later, that every time they enter a milonga, they will do so as a wallflower. A woman's wallflower position will be tested every single night at the milonga, no matter how good a dancer she is.
