The tango meetings evenings start around 8 p.m. and the atmosphere builds up slowly as more people arrive. First, couples interested in polishing up their tango technique try new steps in the almost empty room. The crowd grows thicker and the bar serves drinks at full speed. Things heat up. Technique goes out the window as emotion and imagination take over.
Liaisons take place and some last beyond the dancing.
Aspiring newcomers look on from the sidelines, curious at the relaxed but volatile scene before them. At midnight, on the dot, the clientele leave in a cloud of all-pervasive tobacco.