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Hola Queridos Tangueros,
I am still ecstatic about the great success
we had with our 3rd Posada Milonga at the beautiful Granada
Ballroom in San Antonio, TX on December 16,'05. The evening was
magical and festive. The exhibition of the 4 couples was
exquisite. George y Jairelbhi Furlong or Dallas, Martin y Natia Peleaz
of Houston, Monica Caivano and Partha Roy of Austin and our own San
Antonians Loreen Alvarez and Josue' Vasquez- Garcia. And
also,
thanks to Chachis Ramon who guided us though the lovely ritual of the Christmas Posada. Thanks to all
of you, it was possible to have OUR Posada Milonga and I say
OUR, because without your help and support we would not have
been such a success. A special thanks to all of you
tangueros from Houston, Dallas, Austin ! During
our New Year of 2006 we hope to improve our Posada Milonga to
make it a better tango event for you. We have several events
planned for 2006, I hope I can count on your help and support so
that we may continue dancing tango and our tango community in San Antonio continues to grow.
Monday the 30th of January was a lovely milonga
at the beautiful Circa1900 Restaurant. We were celebrating Roy Montejano and Fiacro Salazar's birthdays.
Norma, B. Fiacro, Nargie and Dell
Many
colorful balloons were hung with pretty ribbons all over
the place and the ambiance became very, very festive. Of course
we had two cakes. One a delicious chocolate and the other, Tres
Leches, yum, yum. We sang the "Happy Birthday" song to
both Roy and Fiacro and of course the famous "Las Mananitas"
to which Daniel Monserrat accompanied us.
Roy Montejano and Frank Christian
We also enjoyed a
song from Frank, WOW what a voice! The evening
was a lot of fun and I believe both Roy and Fiacro enjoyed it
tremendously.
We were fortunate to have Alberto and Valorie Paz visit us this
same evening, Originally from Argentina, now they are residents of New
Orleans. Things have been pretty rough for them since
Katrina.
Norma and Alberto Paz.
They performed a tango
exhibition, it was delightful. Valorie and Alberto are fabulous
tango teachers and will be back in S. A. March and October this year, watch
for dates at www.satango.org/
Our trip to Buenos Aires,
Argentina (CITA 2006) is approaching. My friends Fiacro Salazar and Margie Valdes-Shick
will be joining me on this most exciting adventure! We will meet
many tango dancers whom we will invite to San Antonio. Thanks for attending
my milongas at Circas on Mondays. I continue to see new faces
of people who are interested in Tango. Oh yes, don't
forget to come to Circa for the bon voyage party Monday the 20th of Feb.
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Ask
Maleva |
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The Tango Advice
Column |
Dear Maleva,
I think I need your advice.I read your advice to Desperate
Tanguera.
I am planning a trip to Buenos Aires later this year for the first
time. I have heard from couple of women who have been there to
watch out for smooth talking, smooth dancing, Argentine men at
milongas because they are only after money and sex from
unsuspecting American and European women. Are there really such
men lurking in milongas? And if true, how can I avoid them?
Should I go with a tango group tour which is kind of expensive to
avoid getting into a sorry situation? I don't want to become
another Desperate Tanguera, at the same time, I don't want to lose
my money or taken advantage of. I can follow so-so but nowhere
near Argentine tangueras, I'm sure. Can you help?
Unsuspecting Susie
Dear Unsuspecting Susie,
It's funny but many of the
recent questions people have sent to me concern men, women and
tango - it seems that tango relationships are much more difficult
than actually dancing!
As for your question, would you
sleep with or give money to men you did not know well here in the
US? If not, then don't do it in Argentina either. Don't let the
rules that apply in 'real life' suddenly slip because you are in
the seductive world of the milongas or in a romantic foreign city.
Yes, it is true that there are
smooth talking (Argentine) men in tango who are just out for money
and sex. But my dear, those men are lurking everywhere, not just
in the milongas! Go out to a bar in any city, in any country and
you will meet any number of men who will try to sweet-talk you
into bed without any intention of calling you again in the
morning. You must deal with the rogues that you meet in tango the
same way you deal with the players in 'real life' . Don't take
them seriously unless you are just out for a good time too. Accept
their dances - and their free drinks ;) - and leave it at that.
Argentine men don't have special powers that will make you loose
all rational thought and take off your clothes just because they
ask you to.
In the milongas of Buenos Aires,
as well as the milongas in other parts of the world you need to
use your common sense. If you decide to have 'coffee' with someone
after just meeting him, and maybe having a few well-connected
tangos, then that is your choice (there is absolutely nothing
wrong with it). But just realize that it will not turn into
something more than what it is - a one night stand.
Also, you will have the power to
say yes or no to men with or without other members of a group tour
around you. There are many reasons for choosing to go with a group
tour to Buenos Aires, but I don't think that 'protection from the
lurking men' needs to be one of them (although that would be
interesting claim for the brochure!) . If anything, being part of
a group tour may just make you stand out more as a tourist and as
someone who might be easily-wooed. Being with other people is not
necessarily going to protect you from the advances of strangers. I
did not go to Buenos Aires with a group, but I did go with a
boyfriend, and I was asked out for coffee none-the-less. But if a
man makes an advance and you decline him politely, he's going to
leave it at that. Heck, Argentine men won't even come over to a
lady's table to ask for a dance for fear of their rejection
becoming public! Turn them down nicely and they are not going to
make a big deal of it.
And of course, most of the men
in the milongas in Argentina are not going to make passes at you
anyhow. I think most of them are there simply because they love to
dance. Either way, if you are concerned, why don't you just make a
promise to yourself that - no matter what - you will not to get
together with any strange man beyond the friendly level while you
are there? Unless of course, he's really cute....
Ask Maleva is
published courtesy of
www.close-embrace.com
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a
note
from
the
editor . . .
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Dear Friends,
I received an email this week about a new tango calendar...
Sounds like a valuable tool for those who travel and tango.
It is called Tango World Wide and currently offers a world-wide tango
calendar on the web. It can be read and updated by anyone
for FREE, by using a computer, PDA or cell phone to
find out from another dancer, where to dance tango anywhere
in the world, plus view multimedia posted by dancers....
pictures, video, audio and maps. Postings of members of
Tango World Wide who pay $2.95 per month or more are
permanent. Free postings are only temporary. The calendar is
a database of tango events for the world. Professionals can
also use it to post their complete class schedules for every
day of the week, hour by hour. Explore its benefits at
http://www.tangoworldwide.com
Have you've had a "tango moment"
? La Vida Tango is interested and would like to hear about it. A
paragraph or two about went, where, what it meant to you and how
often it occurs for you? Do they happen with regular partners or
with strangers? Does it depend on the caliber of dance, your mood or
the moon? What do you think causes these phenomenon? Please email
to me, publisher@lavidatango.com
with the words TANGO MOMENT in the subject line. Please include
permission to publish it in the email.
Here are some happy tango faces
wishing you a tango moment . . . I love this photo!
Valorie Paz, Judith Foster and Gwendolyn Diaz
Looking forward to seeing all our Houston friends at the
Continental Club Feb. 12 for the VALENTINE'S MILONGA. Glovertango
and Tosca String Quartet will be playing.
May you have many "tango
moments" this Valentines Day . . .
tu hermana tango. B
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Hola Tanguero’s
In January our very own Daniel
Monserrat orchestrated a soiree at Circa 1900 Bar and
Restaurant recognizing individuals who have given
freely of their time, effort and financial resources
advancing, El Baila de Tango, in San Antonio. Their
labors have not been overlooked. Optimistically, Tango
in San Antonio will persevere due to these efforts.
The people recognized consisted of
organizers, dance instructors, promoters, and of course
the dancers. Lists of people mentioned are as follows:
Instructors-
Angela Avila, Kathleen Robertson, Dr. Terry Bauch, Frank
Huddleston, Loreen Alvarez. Jose Vasquez-Garcia,
Aaron Bussey, Jose de Lara
Promoters and Organizers-
Norma Valdez, Jose de Lara
Web Publication- B
Clifford,publisher La Vida
Tango E-zine
Dance Organizations- S.A.
Tanguero’s and Puro Tango
Particular mention goes to Rogelio
Trejo who can be counted in support of milongas and
other responsibilities. Frank and Harriet Christian were
chosen as the couple of the year for keeping alive the
classic 2 by 4 rhythm of the dance.
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Norma Valdes and Frank
Huddleston
Angela Avila and Gwendolyn Diaz |
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Jose Garcia and Josue'
Vasquez-Garcia with Daniel Monserrat
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| Also in January San Antonio
got a visit from a young dance instructor from New York named Carlos Yannacanedo. Mister
Yannacanedo dance style was more hip than
traditional but really fun to watch and for some
of the ladies fun to dance with. We plan to have
him back for a dance workshop possibly in late
March or early April. Pictured here with Kathy
Robertson a local San Antonio instructor.
> |
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<
January was busy with instructors from New
Orleans too, Alberto and Valorie Paz,
who gave a workshop while in San Antonio. We are
looking forward to seeing them again also. |
Now on the 31st we really celebrated! What
did we celebrate at Circa? Well, it was my birthday, I got to spend another
year making new friends and spending time with old ones.
We celebrated with song, wine, cake and of course
some Tango dancing, what a great evening. How old am I?
Hmmm . . . like a lot of other things . . . I forget.
All Photo's by R.
Montejano
Contact Roy via email ...........
r.montejano@grandecom.net
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Communication
in
Tango
By Elena
Pankey
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Tango
is a relationship therapist! Tango
was born at the end of 19th century in Buenos
Aires and Montevideo from combinations of many
dance elements from different cultures. At that
time millions men from all over the world came
to Argentina looking for work and new
opportunities. They were strong, adventurous and
courageous people; some of them were criminals
escaping from justice in their homelands.
At the beginning Tango was a
communication for people experiencing the lonely
life of immigrants. It still is a way of silent
dance communication. Men (porteños)
would work hard at the docks on the Rio de la
Plata, save some money, and then go to a dance
hall or brothel to buy some time or a dance with
a woman. For some men at that time two minutes
of a dance could cost a fortune. This dance was
around a woman and for her. It was expensive,
and it was a challenge. Competition between the
men often led to fights. While dancing, they
held their woman tight with the right arm,
protecting her. The left arm was not important
for the dance, men could drop it down and a
woman never relied on it.
Since women danced with many
different men without set patterns (like we have
now) they were led by watching the chest of
their partner. Women were looking over the man’s
left shoulder giving him a signal if somebody
was approaching from behind. This still is the
etiquette of milonga! All
men were looking for consolation, comfort, and
excitement; for a woman. There were not enough
available women; some were pricey and spoiled.
Men practiced with each other some moves from
their national dances in order to improve their
skills. For example, Europeans brought from
fencing the most common movements in tango: “corte”
and “parada.” These 2 positions every
Tanguero still needs to recognize in many steps
because they are crucial for authentic
expression.
Only much later the dance took
a specific form and became more elegant. Tango
became more acceptable to the middle class, and
men could take their own wives to dance on
Wednesdays at a dance hall. At the beginning of
this new dance, a little orchestra tried to
accommodate, please and help people to move with
the music. Two or three musicians should have
been very skilled and fast to improvise, and
their improvisation was dictated by what a
dancer did with the legs. This is why tango
music is changing all the time. It is a life
story in sounds. Unfortunately, this first “Tango
music” was not written down, but there might
have been some masterpieces. Later the record
companies brought some echoes from the original
versions of that music to our days.
| Tango never
ends, nor does the process of learning
it. It does not matter whether you are a
teacher or an advanced dancer; you just
go from one level to another. We think
that our private lessons are the most
effective approach to fast progress in
Tango-life, because we use a very
particular way of teaching
communication. Also, we feel that some
special people with fire in their
hearts, with dreams in their eyes, with
love for this life, will always learn
tango faster. |
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Tango is like traveling: the
more you know about it, the more it opens to you
that you are at the beginning of your road.
Moreover, dancing tango is like writing a book:
nobody can hide his or her personality while
doing it. When we read something, we see the
vocabulary and usage of the words, the style and
structure of the paragraphs. We see the author
behind the description of the subject. The same
happens in tango.
There are many different
styles in tango, different teaching techniques.
When a teacher has some good knowledge and clear
understanding of Tango history, development and
Tango techniques, such teacher would have very
pleasant and clearly structured lessons. As some
would say in ancient times, with
clear thinking comes clear teaching. Whatever
we do in our lessons or shows is for the joy and
pleasure of all. Sometimes, with apologies to
Shakespeare, I would say, “Tango is life; life
is a theater. Tango is a theater of your life.”
We like to tell some jokes during the lessons
and watch people laughing and enjoying
themselves. This is the best reward for a good
teacher.
Since tango is a relationship
therapist, we like to teach couples with
established communication, and help them to
improve it. When couples are learning,
practicing and dancing tango together they have
a way to a better, longer, and more beautiful
life! We would say to them: Tango is just a walk
with LOVE in your heart. It means that a leader
needs at all times during the dance to think
about the comfort of his lady. But it is a
two-sided coin: a lady needs to listen to the
energy/ impulse that he sends (as a part of his
lead) to her.
Tango is like making love: a
man is never in a hurry! He leads, then waits
for a woman to finish her move, and then he
leads her to other things again. If people
listen to each other during the dance, they will
learn more about each other. Ladies
(even some who like to control) are looking for
a confident man--a leader. They don’t like men
who doubt, either in life or in tango. If the
gentleman understands where he is going, if he
is not confused with his own decisions, ladies
would enjoy dancing with him.
A recent student, who began
to learn to dance in Vienna in the forties wrote
to me: “Elena, you are teaching with such
joy and enthusiasm! It is a joy to be
in your class. I am telling you that
because I see also that you both are tremendous
business people. I love your way of teaching
that is why I come. Thank you”. People
come to learn tango for many different reasons.
Most of them are motivated by the incredible
images from some tango movies, by the beauty of
the music, or by an atmosphere of romance and
nostalgia… We think that the passion
for Tango is the
hidden, unconscious desire for eternity.
And once again, we are teaching
some special people who feel the music, and
deeply understand the powerful present moment of
our life!
Until
next time, Elena
Please
visit Elena Pankey online at WWW.TangoCaminito.com
or contact at EPankey@Juno.com
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THE WOMEN OF EL TANGO IN USA
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I'm very well aware of the leadership roll that women
have played from the beginning of Tango in USA, unique
roll that many of them continue to play today and
they will be (I'm positive) playing tomorrow. To me,
women in the USA have been more than instrumental to
introducing and spreading authentic Argentine Tango all
over this country and I want that fact to be public and
recognized. So I' m now in the process of gathering
information to write an article may be a book about
"Las Minas del Tango en USA".("The Women of El
Tango in USA") If you, dear tanguera or anyone
you know has made and/or is today doing something
relevant for the Argentine Tango in the USA, please send
all the information or history in tango to: orlandobudini@yahoo.com
The rules are easy:
a) Have been involved in tango for 5 years or over
introducing, teaching, organizing, dancing, reporting or
spreading Tango in USA.)
b) Whatever they have done must have to have made a
significant difference in the cultural asimilacion of
the authentic original dance from Argentina in the
USA.
c) Suggested candidates must live permanently in USA
and be known and recognized.
All information will be confidential until its
publication. References about myself can be found in
www.metatango.com
or www.lavidatango.com
Muchas Gracias, Orlando
Budini
Contact Orlando
Budini at orlandobudini@yahoo.com
Visit his web site http://metatango.com/index.html
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Valentine
for Tango
We are thankful that tango has come into our lives. Tango is
a great unifying force. People of diverse backgrounds,
beliefs, professions and cultures come together to do tango
and to share the one thing that we all as human beings have
in common: LOVE. A few years ago Teo was very sick for a
while. One thing about being sick surprised him. "I
noticed that all of my concerns about differences of opinion
immediately disappeared. When my life was in jeopardy, it
was clear to me that all that really mattered was the love
of family and friends."
| Tango, danced from the heart
has the quality of unifying us all. When we are dancing from
the heart we don't really care what somebody does for a
living, or what kind of car they drive, the color of their
skin or what beliefs they hold. Those petty differences fade
in the radiance of the loving human being that you are
embracing. At the core, we are the same, we ARE this
radiance! |
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The tango community is a big loving family. In
this family, everyone has their own quirks and
personalities. We accept that there are differences. But
love transcends all and makes these differences
insignificant. So let us all embrace and merge in a
heartfelt tango together!
Teo and Marsha
Visit or Contact Teo and
Marsha at Tango From The Heart: http://www.gainesvilletango.org
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Buy Posters at AllPosters.com
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