A tango weekend ...

Wow, this weekend was ALL tango. Saturday the Longamilonga in Providence, Sunday the milonga at Yale (New Haven) and Monday the practica in Providence.

Let's start with the beginning, the LongaMilonga. We got there around 10 and it was already full, maybe not packed, but full. Since Thuy & Ben are leaving for BsAs soon, it was their last LongaMilonga and people came from all over to celebrate.

Until that night, it was a while since I had a memorable dance, so when I stepped in I was hoping for something really good, but I was not holding my breath. A bit into the milonga I asked for a dance from of the women I've never seen before, she seemed really good, but you never know how you click with someone until you dance with them. WOW! She is one of those really calm dancers, she was getting ALL the nuances I was putting into the dance and at the end of the tanda I was really giddy (on the inside, one needs to keep composure, you know). As we were dancing it was immediately clear to me she was one of the best followers in the room, so when she kept talking through the (what seemed to be an interminable) cortina I was waiting for the "thank you" ... which didn't come! So there we went, on the second tanda. And then on the third, and then a forth! When we finally stopped, I felt like skipping around like a little girl! The Gods were smiling in all sorts of ways because they delayed the milonga tanda (milonga still being my nemesis, although I'm getting better at it) until were were done. Thank you kindly dear Gods, I really appreciated that!

In the past year I've been getting my share of dances from really good followers, but it always felt like they did it as an ... "investment", since I'm promising, you know. I've been a "good dancer for someone that's been dancing for n months". This time, the amount of time I've been dancing only came up after the second tanda, which in some way was the first sign that I'm graduating from "good dancer for someone that's been dancing for n months" to just "good dancer", that really make me feel warm and fuzzy inside! ;)

Then, later in the night, I got to dance with a few more great dancers, like C and J, some of them even sticked around for then one tanda. Yes!

By 4AM I was exhausted, and knowing I was going to Yale in the afternoon, I called it a night. What a night!

Sunday I sent an email to a few people to see if they'd like to go to Yale together, P responded and he offered to drive, so around 2:30PM off we went. The drive was uneventful and around 4:45 we made it there. After walking up and down the block for a few times looking for the building, another dancers "rescued" us and we went in. The place is really cool, check out my review. I uploaded all the pictures I took to my website at http://www.bostonphotographs.com (navigate to "travel/2007-02 Yale milonga" from the main page).

Once I got in, the first really pleasant surprise was to see R, my favorite Princeton follower. It was going to be a good day. And it was. My first dance was with R and it was even better then the last time we danced together which was fantastic! She also brought with her a few friends, all of them exquisite dancers, with whom I danced throughout the evening. I don't know what they feed them in Princeton, but whatever it is, it works! ;)

As I was sitting on the sofa resting, I noticed a couple dancing, they looked magnificent. I've seen the leader before, and he's really good, but I've never seen her, so as soon she became available I went and asked her to dance. And yes, it was fantastic. Well, the first song anyway which was a song I really like, after that I kind of lost my inspiration as I didn't like the music that much and my exhaustion was starting to take a toll. But don't get me wrong, it was not her, it was me that lost it. She did dance with me a couple of tandas despite my less then stellar performance which was awesome for me, but I doubt was as much fun for her. As we were chatting between songs, I found out she started the Yale community years back and now she lives in NY where she DJs regularly. I'm looking forward to dancing with her again when I'm not exhausted. One more reason to go to NY soon!

I pretty much danced until 11PM, and even though my dancing suffered due to exhaustion, people still seemed to enjoy the dances, which was great! Toward the end of the night R wanted to lead a bit, and despite the fact that both of us are absolute beginners at the other role, we had a blast as we were changing roles back and forth mid song. I really wish I could do this well (following that is), as it would be a lot of fun.

Monday I went to the Providence practica and the highlight of the evening was following R. She led me for a few songs, and I can get used to that! In absolute terms I definitely suck at it, but relative to my experience (which amounts to about half an hour as a follower) I do rather well. I need to take some private classes, so I don't develop bad habits which are so difficult to break.

So after this tango weekend I feel much better about my dancing, I think it's still improving and I'm very happy about that, as I would hate to plateau ...

Travel mug ... finally!

I finally found a travel mug (Oxo) that is spill proof. And I don't mean spill or splash resistant, I mean SPILL PROOF! I fill it with hot coffee, use the click button to close it and then I just drop it in my bag. Sideways, upside down, it doesn't matter. The stainless steel version (which is what I have) is a vacuum sealed, so it insulates a lot better then any other plastic mug I ever had. (They also have a plastic one, it's just as spill proof but heat retention sucks). The lip on the side you drink from is thin, making it very comfortable to use (I hate drinking from fat lipped containers).

I love it!

Hosting for festivals?

I'll host you for the Boston festival, can you host me for any of the major US/Canada festivals?

In an effort to lower the damage tango inflicts on my finances, I'm looking for people who are willing to host me (and potentially my girlfriend) during 2007 festivals in exchange for me hosting them for the Boston/Providence festivals. Anyone? I should say that as far as sleeping arrangements go, I only need enough space on a floor to put an air mattress (which I can bring with me). I'm well known in the Boston/Providence tango community, I can provide references upon request.

I live 15min drive south of the Boston, 30 north of providence, a 5 minute drive to the Boston's subway red line (which goes to MIT where I suspect the June festival will be held). But since I'll be attending all local festivals, you would definitely get rides to/from all milongas and potentially some workshops.

Anyone?

Dangers!

At 9pm last night I pull in the parking lot at Springstep, looking forward to dancing after a long day at work. But, the whole building is dark. There is a sign on the door, "Due to the storm, the classes are canceled".

Hmm. The storm? You mean the two inches of snow we got in the last 24 hours? The 10mph wind? Yeah, the government should've declared a state of emergency, after all, one can't be expected to function when the ground is barely covered with this white substance so unusual in the New England's winters. But I think people missed another danger, since anthrax is apparently a white substance, the terrorists could've taking the opportunity to camouflage large amounts of the deadly substance in plain view. I think would should instate a curfew every time it snows. Because one cannot be too careful.

Good thing we spent almost a million dollars to make sure a bunch of LED ads are not bombs. Money well spent! Those people asking for money to look for cures for cancers and AIDS or people asking for money to feed starving children are just idiots. We all know that terrorists kill a lot more people then all of these things combined. The US government already told us that almost 2000 people were killed in 2006 by terrorists worldwide. So spending 400 billion dollars for the war in Iraq was nothing. But, I believe the government is not cautious enough. I mean, there are all sorts of things along the highways and bridges that could conceal bombs. Haven't you seen along the highways tires, cardboard boxes, old shoes, even PARKED CARS! I mean, cars are already used to blow shit up in other parts of the world. Oh my GOD. Every car can be a ticking bomb! We need to ban all the cars! Because we can't be too careful!

But wait, the terrorists strap explosives to their bodies and walk around and blow them selfs up! Damn, we need to be more careful. So, maybe we need to make a law that no one can get closer then 50 feet of nobody else. Because we cannot be too careful, it's a dangerous world out there.

I think I'm going to run home, dig myself a bunker and wait until Bush makes the world safe again. Yeah, I'll get right on it!

On dancing tango on "alternative" music ...

For the most part I don't like dancing on what is usually referred as "alternative" music. Just to be clear, to me there is a big difference between nuevo tango music and alternative music. I call nuevo tango music the music that was intended to be tango, regardless on how it actually sounds. I call alternative the music that was not composed with tango in mind, but it's being danced tango on regardless.

Why don't I like dancing on (most) alternative music?

Because most of the music played as alternative is boring to dance on. Either boring or painful. Mind you, I didn't say difficult, I said painful. I'll explain in a bit. But let's get back to the "boring" part.

Tango music has a number of things happening at the same time. It has a main beat but it has so much more. No matter how advanced one is in tango, there is always something challenging in every song, yet it's simple enough to be danced by beginners. As one gets better at feeling the music, it becomes possible to dance on several layers at once. Maybe your feet dance on the main beat and your upper body dances on the violin. Or the other way around. Then there are the little playful sounds the piano makes. Tango music is written for dancing tango. Non-tango music isn't.

I enjoy moving on any music, and on occasion, I have fun dancing on some non-tango piece using tango vocabulary. But it doesn't feel like tango, because it's not.

Some pieces are simply painful to dance on. There is no main beat, or if it is it's drowned in a cacophony of other sounds, it has random sound effects that are impossible to lead on, as one can't predict them without being VERY familiar with the music. I've been known to apologize to my partner and get off the dance floor when one of these songs is played. So, DJs, please remember, you are not DJing to showcase your music, you are DJing so we can dance!

New tango events review website ...

I'm in the process of creating a new site for tango event reviews. Temporarily is organized as a blog at http://milongareviews.blogspot.com

Here readers can comment on tango events they attended, hopefully the organizers would read the comments and use the information to improve the event. I will soon post my own reviews to the events I attended.

Please feel free to submit your milonga/practica/tango festival review as a comment. If you'd like to review an event that is not listed yet, please email me the info about the event along with your review and I'll add both the event and the review.

While so far I only listed Boston events, the plan is to make this a global site, so please feel free to submit your own favorite events.

Give it all you have or say no ...

In my opinion, but I doubt any leader will think otherwise, when you, a follower accept an invitation, you owe to your partner (and to yourself) to give to that dance ALL (the attention and emotion) you are capable of giving.

I've danced with some really advanced followers and it was heaven. Then I danced with some other real advanced followers and it was ... disappointing. Not because it was a bad dance, but because it was not as fantastic as it could of been.

Look, while I am a pretty good dancer, especially for the amount of time I've been dancing, I understand that for a very experienced follower dancing with me will not be an earth shattering experience. But thinking about your laundry while dancing or working on your posture or saying hi to your friends that just came in WILL NOT contribute to the quality of the dance. It will certainly make it disappointing for me.

You see, because I am not very experienced, my lead, while there, might not be as clear as it can be. But if you REALLY pay attention, you can "hear it". If you're just going through the motions, while your checking out the rest of the dancers or thinking about what you're going to make for dinner tomorrow, you WILL miss it, I don't care how good you are.

So, please, do me a favor. If you don't think you can tune out EVERYTHING but the music and the connection while dancing with me, don't accept the invitation. Just say, "I don't think I can give you my best tonight". I'll know exactly what you mean and not only I'm not going to be upset, but I will be grateful.

things that piss me off when I drive

* people who drive too slow on left lanes.

Dude, if there are cars passing you on the left AND RIGHT, you are going too slow, I don't care if you're going "the speed limit". MOVE TO THE RIGHT! Unless you are a cop, it's not your job to police the highway. If you're going on a single lane road and there are more then 4 cars close behind you and none in front, YOU ARE GOING TOO SLOW. Go faster or pull over so the traffic can move!

* people who merge in highway traffic expecting the other drivers to slow down to "let them in".

When you are on the ramp, ACCELERATE TO CRUISING SPEED! Trust me, it will be easier to merge in traffic if you are traveling at the same speed as the other traffic! If I have to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting you when you merge in, YOU ARE NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH!

* people doing other things when driving, when they obviously can't!

Look, if you can't chew and drive at the same time, DON'T! If you drink coffee, make sure you do it in such a way that the cup DOESN'T obstruct your view. Seeing the road and the other cars is sort of important when you drive. When you drive, that's where your attention should be, if you need to pacify your kids, PULL OVER, don't turn around to yell at them as you're flying down the road at 75mph.

* people slowing down to gawk at accident scenes.

I absolutely love to be stuck in traffic for 30 minutes just to get to the "source" and see it's an accident ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY! Let me try to make it easy to understand, if there are no cars in front of you and many behind you, GO FASTER! DO NOT SLOW DOWN TO LOOK AT ACCIDENTS.

* LOOK before you change lanes!

Using the blinker doesn't mean you don't have to look, before you change lanes, MAKE SURE THERE IS NO ONE COMING ON THAT LANE asshole!

On group classes ...

I would like to hear what others have to say about this topic. I would appreciate any comments you may have. I am hoping that this info would ultimately reach teachers and maybe the group classes would improve.

Lately I've been taking less and less group classes because I'm getting increasingly frustrated with the experiences I'm having in the class. Here are my sources of frustration.

1) skill level

it seems to me everyone is grossly overestimating their level. I've attended intermediate classes where followers did not have BASIC following skills (like waiting for the lead, having the ability to maintain their own axis while pivoting, having a presence, being able to disassociate (or even knowing they are supposed to) their upper and lower body, being able to walk in a straight line, etc). I'm sure leaders sucked in equal amount, I just didn't have any experience dancing with them.
It seems like everyone judges their skill level by how many years they've been dancing. In my opinion, that's just as accurate as judging one's skill level by the amount of money they paid for their shoes.

As a result of wildly different skill set, either the teacher is lowering the difficulty of the class to the lower common denominator which will make it boring, or they don't and I don't have anyone to practice with and it's frustrating.

2) gender imbalance
for whatever reason nearly all the classes I've even attended are "leader heavy". Spending half the time "practicing" a figure with an imaginary partner is too frustrating for me.

3) the switching partners nightmare

I wholeheartedly agree that people should dance with as many people they can to refine their leading/following skills, but the process of "switching partners" is always a bloody mess. There is little I hate more in tango classes then that moment where everyone is looking around confused trying to figure out who's changing and who's not, trying to figure out if they are "desperate" enough to RUN to a decent
follower/leader or risk doing another round of dancing with an imaginary partner or worst, "dancing" with someone lacking basic skills.

Now here are some suggestions on how to address some of these issues :

1) Registration required with payment in advance

The teacher should accept registrations in such a way that the leader/follower ratio is always 1/1. Asking for payment in advance would increase the chance the attendance is better. Also, it will allow the teacher to build on elements taught in prior classes.

2) Pre-vetting students.

The teacher should not accept students who's level is not at the level required for the class. Period. They should rather encourage those to attend a lower level class if available. They should judge the people's level by dancing with them, not by how many years have passed since their first lesson.

3) Have a system for changing partners.

There was ONLY class I've ever attended that had a decent system of changing partners. They asked all the couples that are not switching to go in a corner. They ask all the others to partner up and form a circle. Then they asked the leaders to memorize that spot in the room where they were standing. When "changing" partners was requested, all couples that were not switching were to go to their corner, all leaders where to take their current follower to their "spot" and then the followers would rotate one to the right. This way, everyone danced with everyone and there was never that awkward moment of trying to figure out where do you go.

4) DO ask people to change partners but not every 2 minutes and more often then every 15 minutes.

5) Less lecturing and more practice time

It seems like most teachers like to hear themselves talk, so in a lot of cases I spend up to 60% of the class time listening to the same thing 5 times. Say what you have to say succinctly, have people start working on it and then go individually and address the issues they have.

6) Dealing with unequal skill level

Do not slow down the class if a few people cannot keep up, move along, we ALL paid for the class, I have no reason to subsidize the training of the few that can't hack it. Spend equal time with all the students, just because some can do better then most doesn't mean that they don't need input. If they were perfect they wouldn't attend the class.

Following ...

Yesterday I followed for the first time. Yes, I did follow on occasion a couple of steps, when somebody was showing me a specific figure or step, but I never followed for more then 5 seconds.

Yesterday though after I lead S for a few tandas and getting a lot us really useful feedback, she asked, "do you follow a little?". Uhh, "yeah, but very little, I'd love to learn though". She said, "relax, step decisively, don't think". Hmm, rather familiar suggestions, I'm usually the one saying that though ...

So we got into the embrace (close) and off we went. WOW! That was fantastic. I'm sure I misread 50% of the steps but what a rush. I had no idea what steps were we doing, where I was in the room, who was around me, none of the things I'm usually dealing with. It was just the connection and the music. Awesome. S said it was more pleasant to lead me then a lot of other (I assume she meant beginner) "full time" followers. Oh? Well, apparently I can keep my balance, I support my weight, I step decisively, I have a good embrace and I wait for the lead (even though I'm mostly misreading it). Hmm, yeah, I'd dance with me ;) I think I'll ask some of the better leaders at the next practica to lead me for a while. It would be nice to dance with S again and actually be able to follow the lead.

I wish more women would learn how to lead. It would be nice to experience this more often. Yes, I know I can dance with men, and I will, but it's not the same. Tango is a sensual dance and while it can be completely non-sexual, I'm not comfortable with that level of intimacy with another man.

Feedback at practica

Yesterday I went to the Sunday practica and I was lucky to dance with S. Before we started I told her,"please feel free to give me feedback on my dancing", she replied with "uhh, OK, but I'm VERY picky you know". Good.

After a couple of songs she mentioned a detail about my left hand being too stiff. And then about providing more support when leading ochos, and she showed me by leading me into ochos both ways. Later she mentioned her preference for a more subtle lead for sacadas and again she demonstrated.

This must of been one of the most productive practicas I attended in a long time. So, please, when people ask for suggestions, MAKE them! Too often all I hear when I ask for feedback is "uhh, it's fine". That is not helpful.

a year since the very first tango lesson ... part 3 (the VIDEO)

D was kind enough to tape me while I was dancing with V. I'm the one with the tail coat and the flared pants. The colors are all out of whack because it was filmed with the "nightshot" feature (uses infrared). The pants are a wine red.

Here it is :

Practica - why some people learn faster then others ...

Monday I went to a Practica in P, I guess I was starting to feel the "withdrawal" effects. Once I got there and said hello to everyone I noticed O was there. I only danced with her once maybe 3-4 months ago and I remembered enjoying it quite a bit. So, I asked her for a dance and off we went.

The first dance (song, not tanda) was ... ok, the second one was better, the third was even better and ... you get the idea, we ended up dancing together for two hours, an hour and a half of it was completely non-stop.

So, as I was talking with O I noticed she had the same attitude about dancing. One, she asks for feedback (for real, not like some other people do in search for a compliment) and she listens to it. Then she decides if it's something she would like to apply or not. She gives real feedback when asked. She is critical of herself but she's not putting herself down. She doesn't get defensive when one makes an observation about her dancing. She is SERIOUS about getting better. While she technically started a year and a half ago, she only danced a third of that time.

But more importantly, SHE HAS FUN doing it! Soon she will be going to Argentina for about half the year, I bet when she comes back she will be one of the best dancers in New England (at least).

What I like about her dancing is :

- she is relaxed
- she has FUN dancing! whether the "figure" works or it was a total disaster, she doesn't lose her composure. I think being able to "sail" out of disasters gracefully is just as important as learning the skills required to avoid the disasters in the first place.
- after trying a few (close) embraces, we settled on the "right cheek to right cheek" style which along with it's "cousin", the "right cheek to left cheek" styles (a-la-M from Montreal, one of my other "beginner" favorite dancers) are my favorite.
- she has a presence (as in, she doesn't hang off my neck, nor she acts like she's afraid to touch me). This is SO important, so much more important then fancy figures and steps. The embrace feels so much better when it feels ... settled. The exact opposite of that would be the kind of embrace one uses to "formally" hug a person (like when you meet business partners you sort of know but not really).
- she doesn't anticipate, and I have a feeling that is at least in part the result of the embrace. She can easily feel the lead so there is not need for guessing.
- she is a fast learner

a year since the very first tango lesson ... part 2 (the PARTY)

Saturday Jan 13 I organized a party/milonga to celebrate one year since my first lesson. It was pretty awesome, a large part of the local community was in attendance (maybe around 60-70 people) and I had the opportunity to dance again with a few of my favorite partners.

I announced the dress code to be "formal with a twist" and some of the invitees complied but most did not. The "casual" is so ingrained in this society that people don't even own formal attire anymore. Well, I was dressed in a dark grey tail coat, with seriously flared red pants and a white, fairly long linen shirt. I will upload a video in the next few days, and you can decide for yourself if the outfit worked. I liked it.

D was there and at the beginning of the party, when there was no one else dancing we went ahead and danced a few tandas. She did really good, good posture, presence, no (much) anticipation. I am proud of her. She did "lose" it later and she was really depressed about it. Funny thing, I am familiar with that feeling. As I was getting better, once in a while you get one of those dances (or even whole tandas if you're lucky) where EVERYTHING works. And then it stops working and the depression sets in ... Well, it looks like it's part of the process. I think it's a combination of ... ahem ... mojo, vibe with the partner, music and chance. The good news is that these moments get more frequent as one gets better. So, keep at it D, you're on your way.

For the party I made a couple of bowls of eggplant salad which was a great hit, and I didn't even have tomatoes to go with it (shhhh, don't tell anyone but they go really well together). D made hummus and a cold pasta salad, they were both delicious and they were a great success as well. People brought some more food and along with the other snacks we had I think we managed to keep everyone fed.

While it certainly hurt in the wallet, I'm glad I did it, tango is such an important part of my life now, a year of tango seemed important enough to justify all the trouble.

a year since the very first tango lesson ... part 1

Soon, on the 12th of January it will be exactly one year since my first tango lesson. I remember vividly the first few minutes. It was at the BCAE near the Public Garden in their big ballroom. There were about 12 of us, we were all kind of quiet, looking at each other inquisitively, "umm, now what?".

The class was supposed to be taught by Simonida, one of the local instructors, with Roger as her assistant. But she was still in BsAs so Roger was the one trying to teach us how to walk the tango way ...

A video of that first class would've been hilarious ... I swear, at the end of the 90 minutes, I was walking like Robocop (trying way too hard to follow all the rules one needs to follow to keep the tango gods happy). The only reason I went back the next time was because I prepaid for the entire 5 week set.

The reason I started tango to begin with originated at a party I attended in Nov 2005. There, a couple started to dance together and I was intrigued on how on earth one would choreograph such moves in a fashion that allows the dancers to navigate around random obstacles. Yes, I did not know the concept of a lead/follow dance. To me, all the "ballroom" dances were a series of pre-set, rehearsed, choreographed moves. Imagine my surprise when they (the couple I mentioned before) told me it was "just" improv, him leading and her following. But the real surprise was that they only knew each other for 3 days. Wow. So I told them I'd like to learn how to do that as it was "really cool". They told me about the lessons and such, and they ended with "be careful though, it will take over your life ...".

Those were prophetic words ... In the last year my "default" activity during the evening (you know, what one does if they don't have anything in particular to do) switched from watching TV to dancing. Most Friday and Saturday evenings I'd go dancing. I have now 4 pairs of shoes and will likely get more. I'm making tango pants ... Tango is truly addictive, and it gets more addictive the better you get. Because once you get good enough to enjoy the dance, you get to have those absolutely perfect dances once in a while and then you spend the rest of the time chasing the next perfect one. But, I'm thinking there are much worst things to be addicted to ...

So, here am I, a year later. How is my tango dancing? I think it is pretty good (considering it's been just a year). During the New Year Party, as I was chatting with one of the better dancers there between tangas, when I referred to myself as a beginner, she said "what are you talking about, you are divine to dance with". Divine? Taken at face value, that would boost my ego right through the roof all the way into the stratosphere ... However, I'd like to believe I'm anchored solidly in reality, so I am well aware of the fact that my dancing can use a lot of work in every aspect of it, but even when you "subtract" from "divine" the healthy amount of "padding" that people use when they pay compliments, I still think she must've enjoyed our dancing quite a bit. For the record R, you are absolutely divine to dance with as well (and I am not using any "padding"). If it wasn't for that milonga tanga that broke the momentum, I would've danced with you until morning or until my feet would've come undone, whichever came first.

So, yeah, milonga. My nemesis. It constantly does this. I stumble upon a great dancer, we dance tanga after tanga and then they play a milonga and I have to bail. And I see the disappointment on their faces and I feel like slapping myself for not "getting" this dance faster. Why do I have to bail? I can certainly "fake" it, but I'd rather not. I feel like people go to a milonga to have fun, not to be the guinea pigs for my milonga learning experiments... So, unless someone volunteers knowing exactly when are they getting into, I'll keep bailing until I can dance at a level that satisfies me. At a practica though it's a different matter, I will "torture" anyone I can find ;)

Speaking of milonga, at the New Year party there was this guy from NY, I don't know his name, but he was the best milonga dancer I've seen. Ever. When I grow up, I want to be just like him. I would've told him, but I thought that might've freaked him out ...

So, to celebrate the one year of tango, on Jan 13th I rented the studio from Providence Tango and I am throwing an all night party/milonga. So far there are at least 50 confirmed guests, I would expect this is going to be a really cool party.

(to be continued ...)

Providence's 30 hours 2007 New Year milonga

Yeap, 30 hours. Well, I "only" made it through 22 hours out of the 30. I guess I'll have to do better next time...

So, over all it was really awesome. I think... Some parts are a bit of a blur ... but here are the highlights :

The Dec 31st evening/night felt like a "regular" all night milonga. I went dressed with my grey straight cut pants, a white fitted shirt (un-tucked) and my tail coat. Yes, I wore a tailcoat I bought on eBay a month ago. It (or should I say "I") looked pretty sharp. I left at 6AM and crashed when I got home.

I was back there around noon for the "brunch". This was the coolest part, people were dancing and taking breaks to talk and eat, some people were sleeping on whatever horizontal surface they could find and the music was a combination of clasic and alternative music. There was enough space on the floor for me to dance without getting stressed with navigation so despite the exhaustion, I think my dancing on the 1st was much better then the dancing the night before. The "brunch" time kind of blended into the evening and around midnight I was too tired to even stay awake so I left. I wore my black flared cords (really flared) and a white linen shirt, a pretty cool outfit. However, all that "coolness" came at a cost. I kept stepping on my own pants which caused some ... err... trouble a couple of times. I know I should hem them higher, but they look really, really good when they drape all the way to the floor, so I think I'll just keep them as they are. A rather small price to pay I would say ...

I have to mention just a few of the women I danced with. A from D, R from P, D from NY and S from NY, they are all amazing dancers and dances like that are the reason I keep spending this much time and money on tango.

S was dancing just for a year and not very often as she has other obligations, yet she is one of the best dancers I know. Like all the other dancers I mentioned in this and other posts, she really understands that tango is about the connection and communication, not about the steps or figures. At some point we danced maybe 4 or 5 tangas in a row, I was getting tired and one of my toes was killing me but I kept going because I did not want to break the "magic". Interestingly enough, last time when I went to the Chelsea Market milonga around Christmas she was there, but we didn't meet until she came to Providence. Since she lives in NY I'm sure we'll get to dance again soon, as I'm planning to go to NY on regular basis.

Dancing with R was the most fun I had the entire time. Not only she is an amazing dancer, but she can be playful and silly and we had a lot of fun dancing together. Sadly she lives 5 hours away so it's unlikely we'll dance very often together, but I'm looking forward to dancing with her whenever that may be.

D's style reminded me of M from Montreal, a very warm and ferm embrace but not heavy, head to head contact and her left hand on my spine between the shoulder blades. Very good dancer and VERY popular with the better leaders, so I didn't get to dance with her as much as I would've liked but she lives in NY so I'm sure I'll see her again.

I danced with A a couple of tangas and she was the most "serious" of the lot, but once again, an amazing dancer.

There were many more dances with a lot of people, but I'm going to stop before this entry reaches gargantuan proportions and just say that over all, it was a pretty good way to start a new year.

I wish you all a very, very
Happy New Year

Not about tango but about ... pants!

Sacrilege? No tango talk? Indeed! There is life outside tango, who knew?

A very long time ago, I must've been in high-school, I really wanted a pair of white jeans (hey, it was the 80s!), but I lived in communist Romania and buying jeans required an act of congress and white jeans, well, even if I had the money, which I didn't, good like finding some in the communist stores... So I went to the fabric store and got some white cotton fabric, I think it was canvas or something like that, and then went back home and using the only pair of jeans I had as a guide, and using an antique Singer sewing machine I manufactured my first pair of pants. They didn't fit very well, and the workmanship was ... ahem, less then perfect, but I had a white pair of jeans. While I might've used that sewing machine later for small adjustments, I never made any other pants again.

Fast forward to December 2006. One thing about tango (well, I guess I could not stay away from mentioning tango after all), people tend to dress up, or dress down, or maybe I should say, dress ... special. The Nuevo tango dancers wear loose fitting or flared pants and I like the way they look when you move. That, and if I wear them, they conceal the wide gap I have between my legs even when my feet are together, which is good because you don't want to look like a cowboy when dancing tango ...

But, good luck finding flared pants in stores in US. US is a great country but the guys here are not exactly ... daring when it comes to fashion. And since stores cater to masses, finding flared pants in US in 2006 is just as easy as finding white jeans in communist Romania of the 80s. What to do ? ... Oh, wait a minute, this is after all 2006, we have internet and I have credit cards. So, after hours of search I find a store in England that sells "alternative" clothing, so ten minutes later I placed an order for two pairs of pants. They didn't have one of them in stock, so a week later I have in my hands a pretty cool pair of black cords. They look awesome and I wore them during my second trip to Montreal when I attended the Tango Rendez-vous festival.

So I'm hooked, I want more. But paying $100 for each pair of pants kind of stings. And, I have a bunch of shirts that I want to adjust (I like fitted shirts and, once again, good luck with that in US). So, it would appear that I'm either going to spend my entire income on tailors or ... I'll just have to do it myself.

So, thanks to eBay I'm now the proud owner of a Pfaff 1222 sewing machine and a Juki serger. At D's suggestion I purchased muslin (a very cheap fabric the resembles linen, that people usually use to try patterns before they cut really expensive materials) and I made my first (well, actually second if we count the white jeans) pair of pants. I still have to attach the waist band, but they are almost ready and they look good. I might even wear these as I kind of like the way the muslin drapes, but only after I dye them. I already purchased my first "serious" fabric, a beautiful dark red wool, and soon I will start working on the "real" pants project.

Pictures to come soon!

New York, New York - part 2

2PM - The practica is over, and it was a good one. For the first couple of hours I danced with quite a few women, some of them more advanced then others, nothing spectacular but the level seems maybe a bit higher on average then the regular Sunday practicas in Boston. Then, I asked a woman that looked vaguely familiar to dance. Wow. From the first few steps I felt it was yet another of those tango moments brewing ... We danced for a few songs without talking much, almost like we were afraid the magic will shatter. After we got to talk a bit, what do you know, while she is a New Yorker, she hangs out a lot in Boston since that's where her boyfriend lives. And it turns out she frequents some of the same milongas and practicas I do. How come we didn't dance before is a mystery to me... Before we said goodbye she mentioned she's planning to go to the Chelsea Market milonga, a free event held in a public space, a hallway in an indoor market on 9th ave. I was thinking of taking the waltz workshop but, I can take workshops anytime, while in NY I should experience NY events.

So, at 4pm I'm there, at the Chelsea Market. The market itself is quite charming, all sorts of funky decorative elements made with industrial stuff (like bolts and machine parts). The milonga takes place in an open area cordoned off with some string. There were only a few couples dancing at 4PM, but it pick up later so by 6PM it was pretty packed. I had a blast. I got to dance with a lot of people, a few of them quite good, and a few of them quite fun. In a couple of cases, they were both good and fun and it was awesome. A from Yale was very fun to dance with and I'm looking forward to dancing with her again sometime. T showed up and we had a few awesome tangas, she was also gracious enough to tolerate my mediocre milonga skills for which I'm grateful.

At 8pm the milonga was over and I headed to the milonga organized by E1 and his friends. I'm not going to go in many details, but for me that milonga was a fiasco. First I was exhausted, note to self, after 3 hours of sleep, 7 hours of dancing seems to be pretty much my limit. I danced a tanga with my favorite Montreal dancer, who was there with her partner to teach one of the workshops and ... I sucked big time. I sort of felt guilty for wasting her time, which she could've used to danced with some of the other instructors there. I really need to learn to pace myself. E1 came through and he found a place for me to sleep for that night. Sunday at 11AM E1, his wife and a few others we went to a placed called the Turkish Kitchen that served buffet brunch. Very good stuff, and very nice venue, though a bit pricey ($20/person). After brunch I went for a walk through Manhattan and I went back to the practica where everyone was going to be. I danced most of the time, sadly, I didn't get to dance with M (well, I had one chance but they were playing milonga, on a good day my milonga is barely passable, and this wasn't one of those good days). I guess I'm going to have to go to Montreal again ...

Then I caught a cab and I almost missed the bus by about 3 minutes. And now I'm typing this and I'll upload it tomorrow. Funny thing, the bus ticket from NY to Boston was $15 and the cab ride from the practica to the Bus station was $20. I really need to start using the subway when I'm in NY ...

Conclusions
* I've heard many time form leaders that NY is a tough place to "break" into as a leader, my experience was quite different than that.
* I really need to start using the subway, the cabs cost me a fortune.
* I need to plan a bit more, having to worry about where you'll sleep every night is way too much hassle.
* NY truly never sleeps.
* NY is crowded and dirty.
* NY traffic is a nightmare (even on weekends)
* I love NY, I'll be back.

New York, New York - part 1

Since I was on a roll with the tango, when E(1) mentioned the Tango A La Turca Festival in NY and he said he could get me a 50% discount and he could arrange for accommodations (find a host) I figured, why the hell not, I've never danced in NY and it's been a while since I've been in THE city anyway. Sure, got bus tickets for Friday at 6PM, and even if the trip takes 4.5-5 hours, I'll still make it in time to the Friday milonga to catch the last 3 hours. Awesome.

Then E2 calls and she says she's driving to NY, why don't I go with her, awesome, I think, first with the car we should get there faster and we didn't get to hang out for a while. Even when she said she could be ready to go by 7PM at the latest, I figured, ehh, we'll make up the time. She called at 5PM to say she's getting out of work, she'll swing by home to get her stuff and we'll on our way.

And this is when stuff started to go wrong. First, she caught bad traffic getting home. Then she caught really bad traffic coming to my place. By the time she got to my house, it was 8:30. Then we had heavy rain and since she was recently in a (minor) accident, we ended up driving 50mph for a while. She was tired since she worked the whole night before and I was cranky, since the evening was going the way it was going so the conversation wasn't quite spectacular. Then since she was really tired, she took a nap as I drove. We made it to Manhattan at around 12:45. During the trip I tried to reach E1 a few times to see if he found someone to host me, but he didn't pick up the phone and he never returned my calls. Awesome. I call a few hostels and I find a bed at Chelsea Hostel on w20th. $38 later I have a bed in an overheated bedroom, it must be 85 degrees here. So I go for a walk around the block, it turns out, it is the gay hangout area so I'm getting a couple of comments from some dudes that obviously had a few more drinks then they can handle. Excellent. Go back to the hostel around two, and try to catch some Zzzzzs. Around 6AM, some dude comes in the room, wheezing and caughing, no doubt the 3 flights of stairs when one's 300 lbs is quite a challenge. He settles down in 10 minutes or so, but as soon as he falls asleep, he starts snoring like a farm tractor with a couple of cylinders randomly misfiring. Great, I was missing some sound effects. I toss and turn for a while and then decide I can't sleep anymore, maybe I should take a shower. As I'm thinking if I brought soap, the other guy in the room gets up, he goes into the bathroom (only a shower and a sink, the toilet is in the hallway) and I hear him peeing. Ewwww. So I guess I'm not taking a shower this morning...

9AM Not that I would've stayed another night, but they don't have any beds for Saturday anyway. So, I'm back on the street, dragging behind me my luggage, kind of tired, kind of stinky and a bit down. I'm thinking this weekend could've started better.

Found a cafe, ordered some breakfast and commandeered an unsecured internet connection to check my mail. The battery is dead. Sigh. Wait, there is a power outlet, we're back in business. Since I'm on w20th st and there is a practica on w19th street at 11am, I'll go check it out. The first couple of workshops are not that interesting (to me), maybe I'll take the waltz workshop at 4:30. If I can figure out where they do it that is.

Quote

"Most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it."

 by Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.