The much anticipated performance and Milonga of COLOR TANGO in Dallas finally arrived on August 4th. The concert was absolutely fabulous and it took place at the beautiful Latino Cultural Center. I was very impressed with the fact that the Cultural Center donated the beautiful facilities for this excellent performance. After the concert we went to the Mariposa Milonga presented by Laurie Vega held at the Plaza Arts Center in quaint Carrollton, TX.
Of course I need to mention that I traveled to Dallas with my tanguera friends B, Georgina and Margie.
On our second day, to ease our anticipation for the Milonga that evening, like all good tangueras we went shopping at the Galleria.
That evening before the Milonga we went to a very exclusive restaurant, Del Frisco to savor the mouthwatering Kobe steaks to reminisce about our wonderful experience with excellent steaks in Argentina during CITA this year. Dinner was accompanied with  wonderful Argentinian Malbec Wine.
After this sumptuous dinner we went to our hotel room to rest and glamorize ourselves for the evening.
What a thrill to actually dance once again to Color Tango, for I had once before   danced to Color Tango in Long Beach, Ca. What a treat to dance to their live music. What fun it was to see all my tanguero friends from around Texas.
Flash! Houston Chisme! We are waiting for the announcement of the grand opening of Café Tango Bar. Which will be dedicating 6 days a week to Tango and     featuring the yummy  Argentinean beer Quilmes. We will give you more information as it becomes available. We plan a Tango road trip for their grand opening. We are happy to support this new Tango venue in Houston.
More Chisme !!! There has been a break up between S.A. and A, which leaves two available Tangueros. Mas Chisme!, the S.A. “cachuchita” y una guerita bonita were seen in the social circles of Big D this weekend.

We want to let you know that Miss B is no longer our travel agent. She made a huge boo boo! Would you believe that she booked us a room in a “dry county”. Gracias a Dios I had my bottle of Milagro Tequila.

We are happy to report that we received a lot of support and enthusiasm for the 4th Annual Posada Milonga. This year it will be held on Saturday, December 16th.

Besos y Abrazos. Nos vemos en la proxima milonga,

Norma

Don't lose hope. A non-argentine can definitely capture some of that "tanguero" essence, but it takes a lot of observation, practice and yes, perhaps travel. The only way to really start dancing this way is to observe and copy great dancers. If you are lucky, you live in a place where there is a developed tango scene with lots of good dancers to watch and to dance with. It’s also beneficial (not to mention fun!) to go to tango festivals where all the best, most fanatic tangueros congregate for a weekend frenzy of dancing.

However, the best and most vibrant tango scene is in Buenos Aires and if you are able, at some point you should attend the milongas, dance/speak with milongueros, and experience Porteno life. As an American, for a long time I was reluctant to admit that Argentines do seem to have an advantage, but I will now say that they do. Of course it is not something that they are born into, but something they pick up because they are lucky enough to learn surrounded by good dancers and teachers and music. They may seem born with that certain undefinable, but definitely noticable, 'Tangoness'. But they learned it and it is something non-portenos can absolutely learn.

Porteno culture is an influence as well, but let's keep in mind Buenos Aires is not another planet. It is simply another city with its distinct feel, music, and lifestyle. I'll use the example of my hometown New York City. Take any normal human being, stuff them in a 200 sq. ft apartment, take half of their salary for rent, rush them everywhere they go and be rude to them most of the time, and see how they will start walking and talking. This doesn't mean that only someone born in NYC can act like a true New Yorker, but someone has to spend some time and feel the madness surrounding them. This particular environment has given a decidedly edgy feel and look to the movements of New York style salsa dancers that you don’t find anywhere else except in people that have spent time watching and learning from these dancers, or immersing themselves in the huge and highly energetic salsa scene here.

Interestingly enough, this also doesn't mean that every New Yorker experiences New York life the same way. The socialite living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan would probably have a different outlook and personality than the performance artist living in the East Village or the Nuyorican from the Bronx. There are plenty of Argentines who are not such great tango dancers, who just don’t ‘get’ what tango is. Furthermore, the classic "New Yorker" doesn't really exist anymore, the younger New Yorkers are much different than the older ones. This is something that many milongueros have said; that the younger generation doesn't feel or dance the tango the same way.

All that said, don't forget that wherever you are you need to PRACTICE and TIME. The longer and harder you practice the more it will sink into your bones and you will see your movements get that special tango essence. You don't need a partner to practice. Practice by yourself and practice in front of the mirror. Eventually you’ll have feet like little fish darting underwater too. The more you listen to the music, the more natural it will be. You need to log your miles on the dance floor. People can technically learn to dance proficiently in a few months, especially women, but that certain tango flavor only comes after a few years. Every year you'll see improvement. And I hate to say, but there's just no short cut around that, whether you live in Buenos Aires or Des Moines.

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!

The Hombre

a Tango Story  by        
             Robert Osbourne . . .    

The Hombre’s street-fighter skills with the knife have made him a legend in Buenos Aires and a prize among its women; they feel confident of his ability to protect them and they love him for the cruel sweetness of his tango. They are intrigued by his life, which vacillates between death and ecstasy, at the edge of the knife. But The Hombre is not a gentleman fighter: he would instinctively fall upon a disabled opponent and slit the throat of any man who threatens to steal his woman. These instincts have kept him alive, respected and feared in the back alleys of Buenos Aires. 

Ruby is his most recent acquisition. She is seated between the two of us at this barroom table. Under the table I feel her foot slowly climbing my leg: A difficult feat but tango dancers have unusual control; they can move their legs in pretzel-like contortions while keeping the upper body immobile and the expression calm. Her face shows no evidence of her foot's stealthy journey up my thigh, a movement more easily performed on the tango dance floor than under a barroom table. 

The Hombre needs a shave. His slick, black hair reflects the barroom light. His long sideburns fail to hide the knife scar running down the length of his cheek. The expression on his hard, square-jaw shows no sign he is aware of his partner's under-the-table explorations. Why? I asked myself. Why does she take such risks? Her Hombre would kill us instantly if he knew. I love his woman; it’s true. But is love worth a knife in the heart? It's as if she wants to be discovered; wants to hurt him; wants to be hurt by him. 

I raise my glass to my lips and look downward. Ruby’s stiletto toe protrudes from beneath the white napkin covering my lap. How can her hombre not see the pointed interloper, tapping its erotic message to the slow beat of the crimson tango playing in this cheap Buenos Aires dive. 
Ruby fondles the blood red rose at the center of the table. She lifts it from its long glass vase and places it against the hollow of her cheek. Her gypsy lips caress the soft petals and nibble its edges. "To violate the beauty of the rose is to discover its thorns…a gypsy proverb", she says and smiles at me. 

 
"Cochon, pig. Take your filthy hands from me!" She flings the words at him like darts. Her gold bracelets ring like angry chimes. Her earrings flash like summer lightning, as her Hombre thrusts his booted leg between her thighs and dances her protesting body onto the dance floor. "Now! Now, gypsy whore, you pay for your sins!" he hisses into her ear. The Hombre turns his eye toward the bar where lean men in dark, stripped suits stand with their feet on the bar rail, the talons of their shinny boots, tap tapping to the beat of the tango, their eyes lost in shadow under wide brimmed hats. They place their drinks on the bar and turn towards the dance floor, standing wide legged, waiting. The curtain will soon rise. An Hombre can never allow his woman to humiliate him. 
 
Ruby struggles in his arms. Her black mane sweeps the air, as her head darts from side- to- side. Her breasts fight the thin fabric of her dress and between her thighs the camel’s paw reveals her sex. Not a man in the room dares oppose him; no man in Buenos Aires dares stand-up to him. But here, in this darkened barroom, his concubine will not obey him, refuses to dance the sacred tango with him, refuses to submit to his brutal domination.

 (To be continued)

Tango-Chi

Part One

This is bringing us to some moves and positions in tango and their roots. The dance was born from the combinations of many cultures and their folk dances. We can see clearly, that one of the main influences came from Italian Fencing. This is how the 2 main positions of tango were danced: stop or “parada” and cut or “corte.”

Similar to Tai Chi, tango focuses on developing a relationship with your smooth, slow dance, as a walking meditation. As in Thi-Chi, Tango Walk comes from a lower center of gravity in the body, called the “tan-tien”. It is located two inches below the navel in the center of the pelvis.

Learning how well you can move from this center, while walking forward as a whole block, will develop sensory awareness and a nourishing energy; some relationship between your body and the world around you. Our special tango exercises with a balloon between the foreheads of a couple, rings on the floor and shawls in the air involve circular, elegant and soft movements, reminiscent of swimming in water. This fluidity gives definition to the body without the use of external weight and slowly and gently increases your range of motion. Coordinating arm, eye, and hand motions with the whole body creates graceful systematic movement without causing strain to the skeletal system. When our students are learning to Speak the Language of Tango Dance, they learn through some special exercises, steps & techniques, how to build flexibility and strength.

In tango we see several Stages of the learning process
Tango is a very intellectual and spiritual dance. Therefore, before coming to a Tango class, every person needs to prepare some available space inside his mind. The Tango special exercises that we give at the beginning of each lesson move our students through several cycles or stages of learning process. Each stage is designed to deliver specific results. While the basic moves remain the same, the students’ experience changes based on how they adjust the focus, speed, intensity, and overall intent. The ability of students to remain aware and responsive to their body's ever-changing needs will enable them to receive maximum benefit from each tango lesson with us, even though some would think that we repeat the same all over again...

The Body's Way reminds us that everything in nature moves in cycles/stages to maintain harmony and balance. Tango “Preparation” class is designed as a special workout lesson that has several stages, which will bring specific results.

Stage 1: Get ready physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually by centering and getting ready to learn a dance. Leave behind all distractions and activate your body's sensory awareness as the starting point for all action.

Stage 2: Choose a Focus and Intent. “Where is your Attention placed"
Your intent describes what you personally desire to achieve. Your focus defines where you will place your attention in order to achieve that intent. Example: "Today I will focus on the feet in order to enhance the sensation of stability in the body." For each class we provide the focus and intent. But people should also personalize it to fit their own specific needs.

Stage 3: Special exercises on tango techniques at the beginning of each class:

"Prepare Your Heart, Lungs, and 13 Joints"
At the beginning of each class, students engage in some special exercises to consciously activate the flow of energy in all 13 joints, increase body heat and respiration. These special exercises give people some awareness of how their body feels, how they adapt the speed, intensity, and range of motion, and how they work with the three planes and three levels of body movement.

Stage 4: “Cool Down - Calm, Harmonize, and Re-center"
Slow down to re-center, balance, and harmonize the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Prepare to move on the floor. Listen to the voices of your body that tell you what muscles and joints need more attention to bring balance and harmony to your body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

Stage 5: Tango is a combination of some strong, sharp, maybe even staccato steps, with some slow, legato movements. This special understanding of these combinations and contrast of it creates a special creative dance. Without such contrasting tango movement, a dancer looks like a cooked potato on the floor.

"Energize the Moves to Reach a Peak"
Energize and condition some tango steps according to the beat and character of the music. For example, in the “First Eight Basic Steps“ your “Back Start” is a very long, energetic and strong one, after which there could be a short pause, with a relaxation in the knee. If you skipped the “Back Start,” and decided to do “The Side Start,” or “The double side Start,”- it will be the strongest step in the basic, with the strongest energy, and relaxation with a pause after it. Next pause in the “Basic” will be only on the step number 5 (“Cruzada” for women), feet together (or one behind another, crossed) for men.

How to move in and through the space during the Tango.
Dance at a higher level of intensity will stimulate the heart and lungs. Also, using movement with strong energy and speed variety will help to condition the nervous system. Moreover, for people who want to lose some weight and get well faster, we recommend to use more dance variations with changing the level of elevations, Tango jumps, “sentadas,” “leans”, and “drags,” which include moving down and up from the floor.

Stage 6:
Imagine that your feet have roots, which go deep in the earth and hold you. You can think about your feet, also, as your hands that grab the land. Gravity and the energy of your feet keep you down, pushing to the floor, feeling it. At the beginning of this dance, historically, men could not express deep emotional feelings to an unknown woman, with whom he dance tango. But he could caress the floor, slide and play with it all the time. The best dancers still rarely lift the feet and only when they want to emphasizes something. The Dance Floor was and is a special Universe for Tango Dancers; “the object and purpose of the dance”. A woman comes after that.

Also, at the beginning, dockworkers in Buenos Aires (PORTENOS) and Montevideo, were poor and could not afford to buy new shoes. The soles of their shoes could have some holes. So they tried to keep their feet down and so as not to show the soles of their shows to anybody. From that perspective in mind, keep your heel almost parallel to the floor and never up. Moreover, since the dance often could end with a fight over the woman, while dancing gentlemen watched the dance floor all the time. A dance floor was small, and he tried to avoid the collisions, traffic jams, and other problems.

© LaVidaTango2004     Revised August 29, 2006