Utopia Encuentro Milonguero: Durham Edition No. 1

Join us in downtown Durham, North Carolina, for the warm embraces, friendly atmosphere, beautiful music and delicious food of a Utopia Encuentro. DJs: Michelle McRuiz, Mark Mindel, Marcelo Ros, Harvey Schwartz, Sohrab Soltani, Jonathan Yamauchi, Jae Youn.

February 16 – 19, 2023

Venue: The Armory, 212 Foster St, Durham, North Carolina

Schedule & Cancelation Policy
Local Hotels & Airport

At this time registration is open only to couples and leaders. Contact Jae if you are interested.

Description

  • For milonguero style dancers, only
  • Strict adherence to the “codigos” of a milonga (see below)
  • Role balanced
  • Separate seating for leaders and followers
  • Traditional music, specifically from the Golden Age (1935–1955)
  • Pre-registration required – no payment until acceptance
  • Wine, appetizers and snacks served throughout the weekend. 

Codigos (encuentro etiquette):

  • Invitation by cabeceo/mirada, only
  • Entering the dance floor with consideration to those already dancing
  • No teaching on the dance floor
  • Maintain a safe environment within the ronda: no high boleos, hard-hitting ganchos, jumps, leg sweeps, leg extensions, etc.
  • Clear the dance floor during the cortina
  • Please refer to www.siempremilonguero.org for a comprehensive list (with explanations) of the codigos

Pre-requisites:

  • Ability to stay connected to partner throughout the dance in a comfortable close embrace
  • Mastery of own axis and ability to track accurately partner’s axis – no pulling off axis
  • Focus on musical expression via compact dance figures rather than flashy moves
  • Mastery of floor navigation in order to create a safe dance environment and contribute to the constant and fluid movement of the ronda
  • Ease with all general vocabulary in both parallel and cross systems
  • Respect, experience and working knowledge of the codigos (above).

Milonga Schedule:

Thursday – El Respecto8pm – 1pmDJ Sohrab Soltani
Friday – La AmabilidadNoon – 4pmDJ Mark Mindel
Friday – La Humildad8pm – 1amDJ Harvey Schwartz
Saturday – GratitudNoon – 4pmDJ Jae Youn
Saturday – La Generosidad8pm – 1amDJ Marcelo Ros
Sunday – CuriosidadNoon – 4pmDJ Jonathan Yamauchi
Sunday – Gozo Total7pm – midnightDJ Michelle McRuiz

Local hotels

The Durham Marriott City Center is directly across the street from the encuentro venue.

The three hotels Unscripted Durham, 21c Durham and The Durham Hotel are all within two walkable blocks of the venue.

We have a group rate for a small block of rooms at Unscripted. Singles are $159/night; doubles are $174/night.

These four hotels are in the heart of downtown Durham. Many more options may be found on-line. Local hotels can fill quickly; we encourage milongueros to book early.

Airport

Our local airport is Raleigh-Durham International (RDU). It’s 16 miles from downtown Durham, about a half-hour by taxi/lyft/uber. If you are staying within walking distance from the venue, then you will not need a car – delicious food and cocktails are within easy walking distance.

Cancelation policy

Your admission is non-transferable.  If you cancel before December 31, 2022, you will receive a full refund.  If you registered as a couple, both registrations will be cancelled.