Codigos

Tango rules of behaviour, originated in the ancient times of tango, but often followed until today. Short overview of the most common ones:

if you don't want to stick together the whole evening with the person you came with (be it best friend or significant other), enter the milonga separately. If two are coming together, only if he asks someone else to dance, men (or leading women) are free to ask her. Of course, this is pointless in your home community, where everyone knows everyone...

do not ask people to dance, but try cabeceo. Obviously, this needs not be done when sitting around and chatting with your future dance partner.

as a follower: wait till he starts the abrazo, only then touch him
as a leader: you offer, she determines your distance (close embrace or not)
as a leader: bring her back to her place after a tanda
as a leader: don't pick her up from another man, but wait till she is back, has perhaps refreshed and then ask her
if the tango beat is not yet starting (found in old traditional ones and in surprisingly many electrotangos), do not yet embrace, but engage in conversation
stay together for a whole tanda; if you don't want that much dancing with a specific dancer (or, if an unexperienced dancer, you feel not up to it), simply ask in the middle of a tanda to start
say gracias, or thank you at the end of a tanda or when you feel you want to stop

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