From concept to reality:
We met at a milonga in Brussels, back in 2004. Both of us being very passionate argentinian tango dancers, the idea soon emerge to open our house to argentinian tango.
Wih a bit of luck and a few months searching, we eventually settled in a place « with great potential » (understand : requiring lots of works), in the middle of the Lille-Courtrai-Tournai area :
Mouscron !
Located at 350 meters from the french border, 450m from the belgian linguistic border (that delineates the flemish from the walloonian part of Belgium), it is easily reachable from A22 /A17 highway. Our milonga also benefits from the parking space of the former customs office at the place known as the « Risquons-Tout » , as well as the Lille’s undergrond station CH Dron.
The location of our house, at the border between France and Belgium mirrors our franco-belgian couple. It also reflects our taste for cross-border encounters
Our milonga very naturally became the meetingpoint of french, french-speaking and flemish-speaking belgians tangueros and tangueras and evidently became « Tango at the borders », which was formalised an non profit association since September 1. 2012.
The work
But to get to this, it took us a few years to refurbish the place into a proper milonga with the help of friends, entailing a few very festive moments.
With only limited means, we had to be creative. A former workshop was turned into a very unique milonga offering an open-air terrace, air conditinoning, a very comfortable oak-floor, with an authentic welcoming atmosphere, Our milonga respects the traditional code of tandas.
Every year during the first week-end of September, the « Grande Braderie de Lille » deprives the dancers from their open-air Sunday evening milonga at « La Vieille Bourse ». That’s how, back in 2010, we opened our first milona with a few friends who were impatient to dance.
End of December the same year Ozgur Demir et Marina Marques are the first guest professional dancers visiting our place. This initiated a friendship with them. Since then, they pay us visits regularly.
Opening milonga
On May 1. 2011, May Day, the current dancefloor was inaugurated and became the first of our « Bank Holiday Milonga ». Since then, May 1st has become the occasion of « asado collectivo », a typical argentinian barbecue renown for its conviviality.
Further dates add to the « bank holiday » milongas : the firth Saturday for a 10 h traditionnal milong with 2 Dj's, the first sundau of September and a very special one : the « Carnavashoes », at the occasion of the « carnaval » Spring break where people decorate their tango shoes. Twice a year: Tango Friends Meeting, kind of marathon for friends and friends of friends.
Now, our private room provides the argentinian- tango community with the only dedicated venue in the area.
Further developments are ongoing triggered by new projects, new encounters and new ideas. In line with the original spirit, we offer the visiting tangueros and tangueras a place where to practice their passion in a great atmosphere.
