Hola mi tangueros, 

Our "big event" of the year, LA POSADA/MILONGA, is approaching fast and furious. Space is limited to 200 people. I urge everyone to purchase their tickets as soon as possible as we have already sold more than what I thought could be sold by this time. Margie and I will be at Circa's Monday night (Dec. 5th) and we will be selling tickets at that time. I am very anxious to see all of you again, plus all the new people that I have had the pleasure of meeting in Dallas, Austin and Houston who will be attending our Posada/Milonga. There will be some wonderful  people I will be introducing you to at this "Gala Event". What a pleasant surprise I had at the Fandango Tango a couple of weeks ago (which was great as usual). I attended this event with my good friend Roberto Greenburg from Virginia and my tanguero friends from San Antonio, Texas, including my dear friend, Sr. Fiacro Salazar and la Sra. Margie Valdes-Shick who will be accompanying me early next year to Buenos Aires, Argentina to continue dancing our beautiful TANGO.  My long time dream is finally coming thru and I will be in the company of great friends, of course, we will be prepared with our good tequila to toast with all those handsome Argentine tangueros! Can you believe we are going to go for an entire month? Who else wants to join us, please emaill me if you desire to go.  I assure you we are going to have a ball!!!! email  Norma, "La Jacarandosa Tanguera" . Nos vemos en la proxima Milonga on December 16, 2005. con mucho carino.

From the Four Pillars of Tango an outline from the 2nd Pillar

  LEAD & FOLLOW,
                     EMBRACE &  ENERGY

Walking with a Partner in Tango:
• Focus the energy in the direction of the motion. If you are walking forward, walk along a straight line;
• Take the other person’s place as you step (walk foot-to-foot);
• Collect your feet (ankles together) at the end of and between each step.

The Three Stages of EVERY Step in Tango

1. Intention / Lead:
• Comes from a motion of the upper body in the direction of the desired motion. It never comes from the legs (“no probing” or “testing the waters”);
• Lead from parada and barrida also comes from upper body;

2. Extension:
• In response to the lead of the man, the woman extends her leg in the direction of the desired motion;

3. Completion:
• Both dancers transfer their simultaneously and complete the step together.

The Tango Embrace

Arms & Hands:
• Men position their right hand just below her shoulder blade (entire palm touches her back);
• The hands on the open side go between the dancers (NOT closer to one than the other), at the height of her lips. The elbows on the open side are relaxed and down;
• Women position their left hand on his right shoulder blade, never on top of his shoulder (entire palm touches his back).
• Flexibility of the Embrace and Relaxation:
• The embrace is fluid. The distance between the dancers can be varied (done by opening/closing the embrace on the closed side);
• Your entire body (and yes, that includes your arms) should be relaxed at all times;

 RULE #5: “If you leave a milonga more tired than when you arrived ,you are doing something wrong”.

The Three Lines of Communication of the Tango Embrace

1. Eyes:
• The man looks “past” the woman’s right ear. He needs to see/know where the couple is going;
• The woman looks at the area between the man’s sternum and left shoulder. This helps her understand the man’s lead;
• In Tango de Salon, this is an important line of communication. If the woman is attentive to the motion of the man’s upper body, it will be possible for the couple to dance together without even touching! (Try it as an exercise)…

2. Upper Body Contact:
• When seen from above, the shoulders of the man/woman should draw a “V” shape.

3. Arms:
• Should ALWAYS BE RELAXED, like the rest of your body;
• Maximize contact between the arms on closed side;
• Arms move with the rest of the upper body, not independently of it (except for leading over-rotations).

A few more Words about Tango

Lead/Follow
• The man leads by “creating” or opening a space where he wants the couple to go (no pushing!). “Women like to be invited, not pushed”…;
• Tango is improvised, there are many things you can do, many directions in which to step. A good lead is one where the man “eliminates”all possible movements for the woman, except one: the one he wants her to do;
• All motion (steps and pivots) must begin from and end at the NEUTRAL STATE.

Energy, Speed, and Size of Steps
• The intention/lead communicates direction and energy/speed.
• Height communicate energy/speed (walking lower means faster):
• Fast steps are usually small, while slow steps can be much longer;

RULE #2: "Don't just dance to the music,...BE the music!“.

Keep the questions coming, 
I love them! 
     Hasta la proxima tanda,. . tango on friends!   
         Eric Lanoix

Email eric@tangotango.us with questions, visit www.tangotango.us

Dear Maleva,
I've been taking numerous classes since I became interested in tango, about one year ago. But not having a regular partner to practice with (once they got a sufficient level to go to milongas, all women in my class lost interest for practice; and it took only weeks for them to reach this level), I quickly forget the sequences I'm taught, unless they're utterly simple. I tried to rehearse alone at home, but it doesn't seem to work, as afterwards in milongas the followers tell me they're not feeling any lead at all. In these conditions, shouldn't I consider giving up classes? Or giving up tango?

Dear Reader,
No, don't give up tango! Learning this dance is not easy, ESPECIALLY for the leaders. It is much, much harder for the men at first and they have so much more to think about than the followers do. A typical beginning follower can progress 3 times as fast as a typical leader and be 'milonga-ready' within a few months while sometimes it takes a year or more for a leader.
I have a couple of suggestions for you: First, what's wrong with the utterly simple steps? Concentrate on those, because actually the longer patterns are just the simpler steps strung together in an interesting way. Learn the simpler things, lead them well, and before you know it, you'll be able to make your own step patterns.
In classes when you are learning a new step, go ahead and take notes. A lot of people do this, I do it myself sometimes. Who can be expected to remember all that stuff? I have one student who even made a color-coded flow chart to help him remember all of the steps he was learning in our classes! (He's an engineer...)
A lot of leaders get caught up in thinking of 'steps' as what they need to make their feet do -- a followers doesn't care what your feet do, she is following the direction of your chest and center. When you learn something don't get so caught up in where you put your feet that you forget to give the follower the body lead that she needs.
In class, pay attention to what the followers part is and know where it is you are supposed to be sending her. If you only know your own footwork you will have a much harder time knowing whether your step is working and if the follower is going where she is supposed to.
If you can't find a follower to practice with you, maybe you could find a fellow leader who wants to learn and get better and you can try out new steps together. You might also want to consider taking a few classes as a follower. I think its usually very, very helpful for leaders to try out the woman's role. It will show him what the lead is supposed to feel like or not feel like.
And while its true that you can't really practice leading steps by yourself at home there are other things that you can do. One of the things that made a real noticeable difference for me was after I got a couple of CDs of music that I liked and started listening to them incessantly at home. The more I listened, the easier I found it to move to the music, stay on the beat, and express the rhythms. Make sure you have some good CDs (not ballroomy, not overly dramatic, not from a stage show, and not a trio or quartet - but a classic golden age orchestra with real 'compas'), put it on in your home, and dance around by yourself. Practice walking, practice rock steps, practice whatever - dance around like a crazy man! - just make sure the music gets in your bones.
Anyhow, I hope some of these suggestions work for you, and don't forget that tango is not easy and it takes a frustratingly long time to become good at it. But it can also be a lot of fun, and the fact that it was so difficult at the beginning will make it that much more rewarding when you do master it.

Costanera Sur: a day-tour at Buenos Aires southern coast

The centenary boulevard which extends about 20 blocks, from España Avenue's circle -on the southern dock- to Argentine Yacht Club -on the southern end of the northern dock-, crosses the Costanera, created in 1918 as a municipal beach. Its wide sidewalks and large parks are great for sunbathing, bicycling, skating or playing soccer. The park also hosts a vantage point to watch the Reserva Ecológica Costanera, the main attraction of the area.

Visit Let'sTanGO! for more information about porteños’ culture, including tours, sites of interest, restaurants, museums, milongas and tango shows in Buenos Aires. Enjoy it ! click here!

	3rd Annual   Posada Milonga   Friday, December 16 Contact Norma, Margie or B for tickets. For information go to : http://www.lavidatango.com/pm.htm
I met Carmencita Calderon several years ago on one of those very cold nights in July when everything seems to be gray and nasty, of course in Buenos Aires like in Paris or in any other beautiful city of the world bad weather is... just part of the spectacle. We were dancing at Sunderland, one of the most popular milongas of the Tango's capital. That evening we expecting to see, according to the announcement, a performance of Carmencita Calderon, the famous partner of "El Cachafaz" in a very special presentation, it was 1:00 AM already and Carmencita did not shown up. Even when we were disappointed not to see Carmencita dancing hers famous "cortes and sentadas" as promised. Everyone there was more than understanding that with that kind of weather that night and the late hour, Carmencita, at the age of 94 or 95, should most likely be at her apartment in Villa Lugano with all the heaters on to the maximum sleeping and dreaming hers years of glory when. At 1:30 a.m. we hear vivas, hurrahs and applauses. Carmencita Calderon was there, before us smiling and excusing herself for being late because she had a previous presentation. One of my own old times instructors, “El Pibe Palermo” had already spoke to me about the legendary figure of this singular women. He remembered, while explaining to all the class how to dance tango without the women crossing in at the fifth, that unforgettable night when Carmencita and himself danced with the orchestra of D'Agostino, at the Palermo Palace theatre. “The place was full up to the roof he said and everybody was screaming to see Carmencita dancing again". El Cachafaz had passed away several month before in Mar del Plata and Jose Maria Bana, "El Pibe Palermo" had become Carmencita's new partner in dance. CARMENCITA CALDERON  DANCING  WITH "EL CACHAFAZ"  IN THE 30's She was still a teenager when she started to dance with the world famous tango dancer Ovidio Jose Bianquet the legendary "El Cachafaz" (an important part of our Tango's mythology). In an interview at hers 100 birthday Carmencita remembers, "I met "El Cachafaz" at the club "Sin Rumbos" de Villa Urquiza, I was there escorting my younger sisters, under my care since my mother died. I used to seat among the mothers and old ladies taking care of their daughters when a friend of mine insisted that I should dance with "El Tarila" a popular milonguero, I did and after a couple of dances he asked me to be his partner and the partner of "El Cachafaz", when I heard “El Cachafaz” me prendi como abrojo", she said. The fact is, according to the history, that El Cachafaz was looking for a lady partner and somebody recommended Carmencita's sister Marta Calderon, when he saw Carmencita dancing, there was no need to see hers sister. They started dancing together at the cine-teather "San Fernando" with the orchestra of Pedro Maffia. Carmencita remembers at an interview some time ago: -"We used to rehearse every day at El Cachafaz's Academy in calle Callao and Lavalle, he was an steps creator and together we introduced a lot of "cortes" (new figures)". The truth is that they were the pioneers of the Tango dance spectacle, they used to dance in the intermissions at the movies theaters and their "orillero style" much admired by Carlos Gardel, took them in that 1940's belle époque of el tango,to tours and presentations without precedents in and outside of Argentina with the orchestras of Francisco Canaro and Pedro Maffia. The movies "Tango" in 1933 and "Carnaval de Antano" in 1940 were their lives legacy to all tango lovers of an unforgettable style and elegance that made our Tango famous all over the world.     Aurora Lubiz, Carmencita Calderon, Hugo Daniel at her 100 birthday celebration. Coca, from the couple "Coca and Osvaldo" winners champions in the 2004 World Tango Dance Championship said to me a couple of weeks ago, "We were with Carmencita celebrating hers 100 years in "La Baldosa" milonga and She looked full of vitality, elegant, always ready to smile, I remember when she was on stage telling the words of "La Cumparsita" and somebody try to whisper her one of the sentences, she got real mad. Aurora Lubiz used to take her everywhere and she was the one that made hers dress for this occasion. It was a great loss for El Tango, Osvaldo and I am very sorry about that". I had not see Aurora Lubiz, a fine and beautiful dancer, a tango shoes designer, a friend and one of the actual "Divas of El Tango", since I was lucky enough to have her teaching in Houston, Texas during my Metatango festival last year, I call her and she invited me for a "couple of mates" to hers very exclusive "Boutique of ladies Tango shoes" in San Telmo the Tango neighborhood. "Carmencita was "Una Diosa del Tango", Aurora started, "she was the first women that short hers skirt up to the knee and made "a tajo" (a knife cut) on the side to be able to dance better and more freely". I asked Aurora, what was her relationship with Carmencita? Well Orlando, she replied, admiration, only admiration, she was "muy tanguera y muy fuerte" and I will like to tell you a nice story about her. "El Cachafaz" was the star and in those times, the announcements and advertising for the dancer used to say: "El Cachafaz and his partner" (without mentioning the partner's name) so Carmencita faced El Cachafaz one day and told him "Don Benito I know you are the star but I want my name where it says partner! They fight and stop dancing together until Don Benito (El Cachafaz) sent for her. Since then Carmencita's name was in all the announcements. Great story, real nice Aurora I said while drinking my very tasty mate. I know that you have dressed Carmencita with your exclusive tango dresses in different occasions without charging a single penny and you used to escort her to all milongas and ceremonies, is that right? "Dear friend, she responded, it was a privilege for me to dressed her on 2 occasions. The first one was when the city of Buenos Aires declared her "Cultural Personality" and the other when we (all tangueros) celebrated hers 100 years in "La Baldosa". In regards to this Orlando, let me tell you another story, I called her days before the celebration for a dress fitting, when I dressed her for the fitting, she looks at skirt she said, "Aurora is beautiful ... but the skirt is too long!” Carmen, I reply, I made the skirt 10 centimeters down the knee..." well -she said firmly, I want the skirt 10 centimeters up the knee!". A little drop was falling down Aurora's eyes while bringing with her, like a Cinderella, a black small ladies dancing shoes covered all over with "lentejuelas" ... and show them to me, "This is one of my treasures Orlando, this are, believe it or not, Carmencita's old time dancing shoes. She gave them to me and, in hers honor and treasured memory, I' m going to make a brand new collection of Tango dancing shoes with hers brand name. Carmencita passed away last October 31, She was 100 years old on February 10th and celebrated hers birthday....  dancing in una milonga! ....  God Save THE QUEEN ! Until next time, Orlando

Hola fellow tangueros, 
Was that a great Thanksgiving week of tango or was I just dreaming? The Fandango de Tango held in Austin every Thanksgiving week (November 23-27,2005) by Ricardo Moncada started out with a milonga on Wednesday night followed by several days of workshops on Friday, Saturday and Sunday given by some of the best and well known Argentine dance instructors in the world; Carolina Del Rivero y Fabian Salas, Diego Di Falcon y Carolina Zokalski, Alex Krebs y Luciana Valle, Julio Balmaceda y Corina De La Rosa, Guillermo Merlo y Fernanda Ghi. These instructors gave group classes and private classes during the week covering multiple styles and movements to satisfy any dancers’ wishes. If that wasn’t enough they all gave an astounding performance at the Saturday night milonga at the Red Lion Hotel. The Saturday night milonga went from 9:00 p.m. till 6:00 a.m. 

I have never seen so many dancers dance for so long, it was mind boggling. The best part of the night was the dance performances by the fabulous dance instructors. Everyone waited patiently for their appearance and when they started no one moved as their eyes were glued to every movement of the dancer’s steps. Many “ahhs” and “ohhs” could be heard as the women in the audience squealed with delight and their male counter parts cringed. How can we ever attain such proficiency? With the inspiration provided by the Argentine experts, the milonga continued on after their performance. Tangueros came from all over Texas and of course all over the country. This year Fandango was a wonderful success and I for one can’t wait for next year’s event. Oh, did I mention all the beautiful women dancers; if I wasn’t dreaming then it was just heaven on earth

 Hope to see you all again next year. asta luego.

One of the great things about attending the Healers Conference in Hot Springs last month was that I renewed acquaintance with old friends from all over the U.S. We had the luxury of time and talk. It turns out that all of us are Tolkien's Lord of the Rings fans who have read the books and watched the movies many times. As we talked about our lives and The Lord of the Rings, I realized that individual paths of consciousness could be described by the characters in the story. In fact, part of the universal appeal of The Lord of the Rings is that it can be read as a consciousness guide.
For example, Tolkien's character, Aragorn, represents an interesting path. For many years he lived life as Strider, disguising his true heritage, destiny and name, atoning for the weaknesses of his fore bearers. Although Aragorn had won the heart and hand of the elfish Lady Arwen, the friendship and admiration of her kin, and the loyalty and leadership of the Rangers (the last of the Dunedain --- great Men of the past) this quiet, humble Ranger of the North refused to claim his rightful place as King of Gondor. He couldn't see his own nobility. 
He refused to step up to his higher destiny until fate and war forced his hand. Then, step by step, Aragorn rose to challenge after challenge revealing his greatness and kingship. Everyone --- Men of Rohan and Gondor, Hobbits, Elves, Wizards and Dwarves --- honor, respect and follow Aragorn, before his coronation. I have experience of many healers who could be great, but their fearful lack of self esteem causes them to never step up. I also know healers who already are great, but can't acknowledge it.
That led me to think about the times I've seen souls take a darker detour. They remind me of Saruman, that ancient wizard who should have known better, did know better, but who fell into the trap of selling out the real gold in his life for worldly dross. For all his wisdom, power and experience he loses himself to ego, pride, and competition. Saruman uses his all to serve the darkness, and because of his high frequency vibration, his karma is instantaneous and extreme.
I looked around and realized that a few of us were like Faramir, Captain of Gondor, who was constantly trying to "prove his quality" to his insane, vicious father, Denethor. Faramir strove mightily for even a crumb of affection or approval from his parent. What made it worse was that Boromir, his brother, could do no wrong while Faramir could do no right. How many of us were still trying and failing to prove our quality in desperate impotence, to insane, vicious parents, employers, teachers, spouses, inner voices, etc.? Somehow, Faramir seemed always to be apologizing for living, as if he didn't have intrinsic worth. Quite the contrary, Faramir, not Boromir, was completely honorable at all times, resistant to the evil Ring of Power. When Faramir (and everyone on this path) accepts his own worth it will no longer matter what Denethor (anyone else) thinks.
I know many people who seem to be playing the role of Sam, the hero's sidekick. They do the planning, the lugging, and the supporting for all the "Frodos" around them. Their role is crucial. Sam remained steadfast, no matter what. He endured the hero's journey, carrying a hundred pound pack, without the hero's acclaim. His repeated personal sacrifices in service to Frodo ensured the success of Frodo's quest. He didn't carry the Ring itself, but he did carry the ring bearer, thus carrying the Ring indirectly. Frodo could not have reached Mt. Doom without Sam. Sam held faith, hope, sanity, strength and vision for Frodo. Sam was also Frodo's only witness. Without Sam, Frodo's hero loneliness would be even more crushing. Outsiders can never know the extent of the loyal service the "Sams" of this world perform. Further, no one really knows or acknowledges the price they pay for this loyalty on all levels.
Finally, I noticed that one of my friends is ending a Frodo consciousness passage. She used to be care free and innocent of so much of the World. She happily tended her own patch of Earth with little understanding of the big picture. Then she accepted the burden of the Ring and the necessity of selfless service during war. She sustained a stabbing wound that time cannot heal. She struggled through a seemingly endless morass of dead marshes and rock walls, exhausted with little nourishment and no encouragement. Both her courage and her pain were breathtaking. She was not sure of her way ever, and caught only glimpses of the sun and its light, yet she was certain she was on a mission of great import for the greater good.
The Ring (megalomaniac symbol of the great mistakes and abuses of power and control, past and present) was a heavy, inescapable karmic burden dragging her down. She tried to hand off her burden and chore many times to people she perceived had more authority or power than herself, just as Frodo did. Ultimately, though, as the elfish queen, Galadriel, told Frodo, "This task was appointed to you. And if you do not find a way ... no one will."
Now, although she has helped to preserve the former, innocent way of life for those around her, she can never truly rejoin them. Like many veterans, she finds that no one on her old comfortable level has a clue to the turns her life has taken. Gratitude can't exist where there is ignorance. Her growth and irrevocable changes make it painful to try to fit into the framework of the past. She doesn't fit. Like Frodo setting sail from the Gray Havens, her consciousness has set sail from the dimension of Middle-Earth to higher dimensions of the unknown, reflective of the universal journey of consciousness.
Of course, Frodo, Sam, Faramir, Saruman and Aragorn are only a few of the multitude of wonderful characters to explore in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's masterpiece is incredibly rich and deep. These characters, however, represent some of the paths of consciousness that we found instructive at our conference. My "Frodo" friend told me that she finds comfort in the signposts of this great story. So do I. Maybe you will too.

For information  to contact Shirley visit  http://www.shirleyresler.com/contact.php