Plaza Bohemia, a lesson, and a shopping frenzy: what a day!

Lesson with Oscar and Georgina

I had my first lesson of the trip today with Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas. Oscar has been my main teacher since 2000, and Georgina for the past five years. They rock, which is why they are my teachers! At least here I don't have to argue with everyone that they are stage dancers. Here, people know that they dance social dance milonga. Yes, they also dance on the stage, but they are not stage dancers. They are simply the best, in my humble opinion.

For the first time ever, we didn't start by working on my walk! I guess that means I am starting to get there. It's nice to hear your teachers say things like, "Wow! You haven't lost very much in the year since we've seen you! Ok, let's get to work!" instead of "What happened???" which is what they asked last year.

I have quite a list of things I want to accomplish in ten days of lessons, but it's nice when they say I am entering a higher stage of dancing. Yay!

Shopping frenzy

Georgina has started her own line of clothing, so I've already spent most of my clothing budget without going to any stores. I have some new skirts; two top/skirt outfits; a new top/pants outfit; and a dress cut down in the back so far that it's almost indecent, in a lovely blue print that I'll wear as soon as I figure out a way to keep it on better.

Don't worry, shoppers! I will still wander through the stores and give you a what's-hot list, but I probably won't buy much more myself.

Plaza Bohemia (Alsina 2540)

I used to go to the Friday afternoon dance at Centro Leonesa (Nino Bien). If you remember from last year's blog and the year before, that was always my favorite milonga. It moved, apparently because of the cost of the room rental. Now, it is called Plaza Bohemia, and is at Alsina 2540. Definitely not as high-class in terms of the space, but a lot of the same folks go, so the level is fair.

The price is lower than at Lujos, which cost 35 pesos. This milonga cost 25 (and the water was 12, instead of 14 pesos).

I got there later than I had planned, about 8 PM (it runs from 6 PM until 2 am, but when I left around 11:30, it was starting to thin out). Apart from sitting out a tanda to find the waitress and get water, I danced the entire time. I got a nice spot at a front table. It did not let me see behind me, but I had a good view of the rest of the room.

The music was really good, a nice mix of 1930s and 1940s music, but a tanda of Pugliese cleared the floor. Age-wise, I was probably almost the youngest person there, but there was a mix of middle-aged and elderly folks. I have seen many of the same people at Salon Canning in the afternoons. If you want to do the "scene" for tango, this is NOT the place. If you want to just go and dance, with none of the "Here's my card, I teach tango" or the "Hey, Baby!" comments, this is a good place.

Good hair day

The only time I ever got my hair done in Buenos Aires before this was when a flamingly gay milonguero did it back in about 2000 ("DARLING, how could you THINK I was gay? I am in LOVE with you!"). I wonder what happened to him?

Today, I got a haircut, color and eyebrow wax at Claudio Zappulla Peinados (Ayacucho 57, 4953.6584). The service was cheerful and fast, and I like the results. I asked if they had someone who speaks English in case someone comes in who does not speak Spanish, and they said that one worker does speak English (I didn't meet her). They were having a special, so cut, color and eyebrows cost me about 200 pesos + tip. That's $43 US at today's official exchange rate.

Back in Buenos Aires

Lujos (at El Beso), 11/29/12

I arrived this morning, with no sleep. I've never stayed up the entire flight. I did try to sleep, but without any results. With a two-hour nap under my belt, I headed out to the newly reopened El Beso. 

El Beso had been closed because of failing to meet saftey codes. As far as I can tell, the new "safety features" only include a wider door to the outside, but I assume there are more. It would be nice if the speaker in the far corner were turned down; another safety feature to protect our ears!

I arrived between 7:30 and 8 PM. I had planned to go earlier, but didn't. The milonga starts at 6 PM, and Georgina had suggested going around 6:30 to get a good seat, and to have a better chance of dancing, before the regulars all arrived. I got a seat in the middle of the far wall, on the second row (the front row are regulars) Between 8 and 8:30, many of the regular women did show up, but it didn't seem to change dance opportunities. When a regular sat back at my table, the other women asked her why, and she told them she was tired and didn't feel like dancing!

It was great to see a bunch of familiar faces. I sat out only one or two tandas the entire evening, thanks to that. The dance level was better than last year, perhaps because several of the guys I danced with last year have gotten a LOT better over the year.  One grinned at me and said, "Well I do go dancing every night!"

In terms of dance style, I saw a lot less extreme apilado (leaning style) than was usual ten years ago. I would say that half the guys danced with a V that allowed me to pivot my hips and actually dance. About half insisted on holding me as if we were dancing apilado (square), but then danced on their own track. This is harder on my body, but I can extricate my legs from back ochos, etc. when I have to. I know I keep telling you guys in Portland not to walk in front of me: NO ONE danced square in front of me. After all, there is no room to maneuver.

This was a friendly crowd. Only one guy decided to correct me on my dancing while we danced. After I was goaded into saying, "I was on that foot! I did what you asked; I just added an adorno!" he chuckled and left off teaching as much. I don't plan to dance with him again. Here is the catty comment I managed to avoid saying: "If you would actually lead me clearly, we would both be having a better time of this!"

I went home early at about 11 PM. When my stomach started making audible conversation with my partners, I figured it was time for dinner and more sleep.

Beginner's Luck

in 1999, the first night I ever went dancing in Buenos Aires, I danced almost all night, despite being in street shoes (Clark's) and not being dressed to dance. My friend, Silvana, took me on a tour of places to dance in the neighborhood on the way to dinner, and we never made it to dinner because she convinced me to have a glass of wine at Almagro (I miss that place!). She doesn't dance, despite having taken tango from me when studying in the United States, so when someone came over and asked her to dance, she made them dance with me. After that, I danced a bunch before finally going out to dinner a few hours late. I was in heaven!

My favorite dance of the evening was with a tiny, wizened old man, who stopped in the middle of the dance and said, "Did you see that? That's my step! I made that up!" and then kept dancing.

Food for the day

My favorite food in Buenos Aires also comes from that first day in Buenos Aires in 1999. Silvana made me a tarta pascualina, a pastry shell with either swiss chard or spinach and egg filling. Last night, I picked up a hot slice at La Americana in the 'hood, and went home to eat. Oh, and a cheese and onion empanada. Yum!

Prices are definitely higher than last year. The water at the milonga was 14 pesos. Last year, water was 6-10 pesos. My dinner takeout was 24 pesos, also higher than last year.

Top 10 class: Lateral ocho cortado

Although many people in the USA teach "the" ocho cortado, there are tons of variations of this step in reality. I use these a lot in my dance, and teach two variations in my Top 10 Tango Moves class, and four or five other ones in my Next 10 Tango Moves when I teach milonga.

The easiest version is lateral ocho cortado. This version does not require the follower to pivot, making it both elegant and easy to do, even as a beginner.

Lateral ocho cortado

Explanation in words:

1. Leader does a rebound (rock step, traspie, whatever you like to call it) forward line-of-dance, beginning with the left foot, and comes back to place. Follower does a back-front, stepping back on the right and forward on the left, back to place. Remember that you each have your own "lane" instead of stepping in front of your partner.
2. Leader steps back one step with the left. Make sure that you use contrabody (facing the follower) to allow both people to stay in their own "lane" and thus not step on each other. Follower steps forward with the right.
3. Leader does a side rebound and returns to place (right, left). Follower does a side rebound simultaneously, starting with the left and returning to place on the right foot.
4. Leader does contrabody to right (normal contrabody) and steps line-of-dance with the right. Follower steps back with the left.

Timing:

1. All slow counts. This takes six slow counts.  I prefer this way as it is more elegant for milonga and tango, unless the music is too slow. I also prefer this way for fast vals.
2. Quick quick slow, quick quick slow, with the rebounds being quick, quick, and the steps being slow. This works well for slow vals (remember that in this case, the counts are not even), and for slow milonga, as well as for tango in a rhythmic tune.

Note on stepping back

Many of my students have looked alarmed and said, "Step BACK??" Yes, however, I often do this step on a slight diagonal, so that I can see over my shoulder. That way, if I am thinking of backing up, I know whether I have room to take a step back or not. This move works well with two walking steps to start, in which case, you are only backing up one of those initial steps. In a crowded space, remember that steps can be SMALL!

OK, go practice!

Om Studio tango class schedule

I teach all my group classes at the Om Studio, 14 NE 10th Ave. (between Burnside and Couch). Here's what's going on:

Body Dynamics (7 PM Mondays, mostly intermediates and advanced dancers)

Body Dynamics is a class that trains the body for Argentine Tango. We spend about twenty minutes doing tango-specific stretches for the body to warm up and gain flexibility. Then, we spend about twenty minutes on drills and exercises that strengthen the body and prepare for dancing with a partner. Usually, we work on walk, turn and pivot technique, and then move into drills for the movements I am teaching that week in my 8 PM Monday and 8 PM Thursday classes. After that, we work in pairs (sometimes leader-follower, sometimes not) to use the skills we've been learning.

Dress to stretch and lie on the floor! Please bring socks AND your dance shoes. Although most of the dancers in the class are intermediate and advanced students, there are always beginners taking the class who want to start tango with the best technique possible.

Take it to the next level (8 PM Mondays, advanced only)

My advanced class learns a challenging combination each week. We focus on connecting steps, making smooth transitions, dancing musically, and polishing each piece of the combination so that it looks better and feels better for the couple. This class encourages using the class material to improvise and find new vocabulary or combinations for social dancing. Most of the material I teach is from my teachers Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas, with my other teachers' work surfacing from time to time.

No partner necessary. I expect that participants already have a knowledge of the vocabulary of tango, in order to gain the most benefit from the class. I suggest three years of experience in general, but many of my students are ready for this class in 1.5-2 years of dancing.

Top 10 Tango Moves (7 PM Thursdays, beginners and intermediates)

Most of us have had a teacher who tells us that most dancers in Buenos Aires have only a few moves, but they do them VERY well. This class is designed to do just that: examine in deep detail ten moves that I think all tango dancers should know how to do well. Although the content shifts as I work on meeting the needs of my current group of students, this class usually covers:

• walking Buenos Aires style (caminata, circulo, etc.)
• right and left turns
• walking to the cross in parallel and crossed systems
• lateral ocho cortado
• circular ocho cortado
• traveling turns
• 180-degree turns (walking turns)
• forward ochos
• traveling back ochos
• pausas and adornos
• the embrace, energy and connection
• introduction to milonga, tango and tango vals music
• cultural information and tango vocabulary to make dancing tango easier

I teach this class as a mix of beginners and intermediates because it helps the beginners learn faster, and challenges the intermediates to REALLY get the material down in order to dance well with anyone. Most people take this at least twice before moving on to the Next 10 class.

Next 10 Tango Moves (8 PM Thursdays, intermediates and advanced intermediates)

The Next 10 Tango Moves class takes students who are moving on from the Next 10 class, and introduces them to new material each week. I cycle through the year, so that very little material is repeated more than once; many people take this class for a year or more before tackling the Monday night advanced class.

At least once a year, I offer a milonga class for one ten-week session. At least once a year, I offer a tango vals class. For the rest of the sessions, we tackle tango vocabulary:

• sacadas
• paradas & pasadas
• ganchos
• boleos
• drags
• leg wraps
• turn variations
• enrosques, quebradas and other fancy leader moves
• adornos and other follower technique to make the dance look/feel good
• using crossed system
• playing with the "outside partner" moves of tango
• traspie variations
• musicality, energy and connection
• etc.

There is a level for everyone at the Om! Also, I teach private lessons for those who would like to work in more detail, learn material faster(or slower!), or who would like to work intensively with one specific partner. Many of my students take both private and group lessons.

Sessions are six weeks long and cost $60 (or $90 for both classes). Drop in rates are $12/class for all classes. Come try it out!

Beginner's Mind Practica (6 PM Thursdays)

Practicing is not only for beginners: it is important to continue practicing at all levels, in order to constantly improve. The Beginner's Mind practica was started to create a friendly, helpful space for beginners to get out and dance socially, before heading out to milongas. However, many regulars are intermediate and advanced intermediate dancers. The rule is: no feedback unless the person wants it. That's the only rule. When someone new comes, I make it a point to introduce them to the regulars, who dance with the new folks. Every few songs, I steal the new person and introduce them to someone new. This is a friendly group who will dance with any level of dancer: we are community builders! We WANT you to start/keep dancing tango! After a few weeks, most dancers feel comfortable enough for me to stop helping them get partners. I am available to answer questions and help throughout the practica. Cost: by donation.

Using the quebrada to add power to your dance

The quebrada ("broken") is an old tango move. According to John Charles Chasteen in "Black Kings, blackface carnival, and nineteenth century origins of the tango" (in Latin American Popular Culture: An Introduction, pp. 43-60), quebrada comes from a parent dance of tango, the candombe.  Candombe was done with quebrada, which meant that there was a break in the line of the body at the waist "to generate sinuous, subtle, flowing motion, without bounding knees or flailing limbs" (Chasteen 2000:46).

In modern tango, quebrada allows the leader to twist, so that the follower can turn around a stable center that is really anchored. This makes turns and changes of direction have a lot more power, as the leader is not easily destabilized. It also looks cool! Don't we all want that "sinuous, subtle, flowing motion?"

Main points to remember:

• In the quebrada position, 70% of your weight is on your front foot, and 30% is on the back foot.
• Make sure your knees "kiss" each other, with the front of one knee pressed against the back of the other knee.
• Make a tripod with your feet: your back foot is behind and slightly sideways to your main support foot. I see a lot of folks try to do this with their feet touching, or right behind each other like a tightrope walker. Try to make a wider stance, and you'll find you have better balance.
• Continue the twist of the quebrada all the way from the floor to your embrace. The spiral in your body allows for a LOT of energy to be generated for movement, or absorbed from the follower.

Here's a clip from Body Dynamics class summarizing this in picture form.

Here's a clip of my teacher, Oscar Mandagaran, rocking the quebrada with Georgina Vargas.  Notice how many times he uses the shape of the quebrada in this performance. And, yes, it's not their social dance tango. Yes, it's show tango, BUT he uses it like this on the dance floor, too.

Lapiz: Using lapiz as a simple adorno, and in turns

The lapiz, or "pencil" is an adornment for the leader.  When used in a turn, the leader draws a quarter circle (more or less) on the ground to mark the path of the follower's back cross, side and forward cross steps of the turn.

Exercises for disassociation (to prepare for doing the lapiz and other fancy stuff)

These are exercises from Oscar Mandagaran, Luciana Valle, and Chicho Frumboli. You can use them to develop the ability to move upper and lower body parts at different times, without falling over. This disassociation of the body refers to remaining on axis, but rotating around the axis: rotating the chest to turn the follower without moving the hips, or executing an ocho for the follower twisting the lower body more than the torso.

1. Step forward with the right foot. I leave my left foot back to feel the twist of the body, but this is not necessary.
2. When you are on axis, rotate around your axis to the right (clockwise, CW).
3. After you twist to your maximum, let the twist resolve by allowing the hips to rotate until your body is in neutral again (hips/solar plexus pointing the same direction).
4. At first, this may be only a quarter turn. Remember, the follower's movement in the turn provides some momentum for the leader's pivot in a "real" turn. Do not wind up with your arms, shoulders, butt, etc., in order to turn faster. Once the mechanics are working in slow motion in a small rotation, you will find it easy to turn further and/or faster.

After this is working, add another section (preparation for enrosques, drags, etc.):

1. As the hips return to neutral in #4, don't stop them! Keep rotating your hips until they are ahead of the torso.
2. Continue the torso's motion until it is neutral above the hip's position.

I use this same motion to prepare for some kinds of drags and enrosques. In these moves, I need to lead the follower with a consistent motion, but I need to get ready for another move for myself at the same time. Using these drills helps the body memorize the feeling of keeping the torso with the follower, while doing something else. After years of working on this drill, I can depend on my body to do the movement correctly in the heat of the dance, rather than just on the practice or class dance floor.

Lapiz Technique

• The leader stands on one foot.
• While leading a turn (if the leader is standing on the left leg, turn to the right, or CW), the leader makes a quarter circle with the free foot on the floor and collects it back under him/her. I think "Noon to 3 o'clock" to get the right shape.
• For me, the lapiz does not change level.  That is, I don't sink into it and then rise again. I try to maintain the same level so that the follower's turn is not disturbed.
• Because a turn is occurring while the lapiz happens, it FEELS as if the lapiz is much bigger. Do NOT make a bigger sweep ("noon to six o'clock") with your leg to get momentum: let the follower's turn make the momentum, based on your body's disassociation/rotation around the axis.
• In the variation we learned last week, the lapiz ends with a front parada (stop) and stepover for the follower. In this case, the quarter circle gets a little tail, as the leader completes the lapiz and then extends the foot again to block the follower's path for the parada.

The lapiz itself is not difficult, but doing it while still leading the follower to turn around the leader can be tricky. The leader's chest needs to turn (as usual) to make the follower turn. The leader is standing on one leg during the turn and moving the other leg without disturbing the balance of the hips. In order for the movement to work, the torso and hips need to disassociate from one another, without losing the axis of the body.

Lapiz as an adorno

Using lapiz as an adorno is a very short clip from Body Dynamics class a few weeks ago. We learned this in the Next 10 Tango Moves class last session.

Lapiz in turns

You can also use the lapiz in turns. We learned this in the Next 10 Tango Moves class, and have been using it in longer combinations in the advanced class this past session. Here is a short clip from Body Dynamics class, reviewing what we've been working on.

Note to followers: The energy and precision of the follower's turn helps the leader to achieve an elegant lapiz. For me, the follower is the "motor" of this move, but does not take over. Give the leader your best turn, keeping the steps equidistant to the center of the circle (the leader). As the leader becomes more comfortable turning on one foot, this will become easier for both of you.

What is Body Dynamics class all about?

Bonnie Stockman came up to me in my technique class last December, and said, "You know, you really should call this class Body Dynamics instead of Heel Camp, because this is stuff guys need to know, too." She was right, so I changed the name to reflect the real aim of this class.

Body Dynamics is about learning to dance tango with elegant, sensuous power. It is about learning to use your body efficiently, so that you have reserves to pull out when your partner and/or the music demand more from you. It is about mastering balance, axis, breath--all the challenging parts of tango. It is about finding your own voice and energy within the dance to make it YOUR dance.

What do we do in Body Dynamics? If you look at my recent posts with videos, you can see some of what we have been working on recently. This is a serious class that yields major results in flexibility, technique and dance level, in a short time. We start with about twenty minutes of tango-specific stretches: a combination of what my teacher, Georgina Vargas, taught me; with other stretches culled from my 25 years of teaching dance. Then, we do drills and exercises for the remainder of class. Each week, I focus on something that will be used in the advanced class, so that the dancers who take both are really ready to take the underlying work and DANCE it for the next hour. I also work on something for my students who take my intermediate/advanced intermediate class on Thursdays at 8 PM.

For example, one week last session, we worked on lapiz for the leaders. My advanced intermediate class then learned to use lapiz in a turn with a parada, while the advanced class incorporated it into a three-turn combination with an enrosque and leader adornos. That week, we focused on back pivots for followers, to make both turn combinations work with more power. We also learned a fun adorno for giros that helps the follower stay aligned better on tight/fast turns.

It's not too late to join the current session, even though it's the second week of the session. Sign up for Body Dynamics and the advanced class at 8 PM for $90, or take either session for $60 for six weeks; or drop in and check it out for $12. The Om Studio is at 14 NE 10th, just off Burnside. See you there!

Adornos in Body Dynamics class

Last week, we worked a lot on adornos.  Here is the video summary of class--yes, I think I finally figured out how to convince my computer to talk to YouTube (by NOT using my video editing program :-() and YouTube to talk to my blog!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0lGC2p3GOU?fs=1&feature=oembed] 

Adornos we worked on:

• lineas (lines)
• circles (circulos or firuletes)
• amagues
• "the elevator"
• "shine your shoes"
• "double Georgina"
• "raise and lower" (sube y baja)
• "floor caress"
• toquecitos (little touches)

YouTube has refused to save my video as unlisted, so any of you who know how to convince it otherwise, let me know!

$5 specials on May 21st, and new classes starting

It's that time again! $5 classes for a night of fun at the Om Studio, 14 NE 10th. Check us out on Facebook: I try to post the topics for each week's classes on our page.

7 PM Body Dynamics

This class is more like a traditional technique dance class than a tango class. We start with tango-specific stretches. Then, we do drills and exercises to polish fundamentals (front, side, back steps; pivots, etc.). Finally, we spend the rest of class on specific moves, often linked to what I will be teaching that week in either the advanced class (8 PM Mondays) or the 8 PM Thursday class (mostly intermediate dancers).

Come check it out! Wear something that allows you to lie down on the floor. Not a flexible person? This class is for you! I can always modify exercises to fit your needs.

8 PM Chacarera

Back by popular demand! This fun Argentine folk dance is easy to pick in terms of survival skills: which direction to head, which figure comes next, how not to crash, etc. If we have time, we will also work on the men's zapateo fancy footwork and the women's zarandeo of flirty, beautiful patterns.

Thursday nights start a new dance session on May 24th. Top 10 Tango moves is at 7 PM, and Next 10 Tango Moves is at 8 PM. The summer classes will be for 10 weeks for $80 (I assume folks will miss a few weeks for vacation). Summer special: take Top 10 AND Next 10 for 10 weeks simultaneously for $125! This special is only for the summer.

Monday nights will restart June 4th, as Graciela Gonzalez will be here Memorial Day Monday. 7 PM will be Body Dynamics, and 8 PM will be the Advanced level of tango for people with either three years of experience, or teacher's permission. The price is $60/6 weeks, or both classes for $90.

Ganchos and leg wraps 101

The big picture: a gancho is a hooking of one partner's leg around the other person's leg, and then releasing it. This can be done by the leader or the follower.

Technique pointers: Leaders

• Create a tall, skinny window for the gancho.
• Only use your chest rotation to lead a gancho: keep your hips anchored, or you will fall over!
• The leader's arms help contain the follower: don't use them to push the follower into a gancho.
• Correct foot placement is tricky, but makes the difference between almost doing a gancho, and leading a beautiful gancho.
• It is OK to pause to ensure correct placement before completing a gancho: it's not about force or momentum as much as placement and timing.

Technique pointers: Followers

• Keep your leg loose/relaxed, from the hip joint down.
• Did I mention keeping your leg loose?
• When doing a gancho/leg wrap, make sure to maintain your axis. Although some ganchos can be done off-axis, this is rare, and not a part of Ganchos 101; let's save that for about Ganchos 301!
• Don't help the leader do the gancho: let it be led! Leading a gancho is a issue of timing, not force, and the leader needs practice to fine-tune it.

Ganchos from overturned back ochos

When I studied these ganchos in Chicho's teacher training class, back in 1999 or 2000, he told us, "Always make the follower come to you, rather than going to the follower." This is expecially true for the gancho from an overturned back cross: if the follower moves even a bit too far away, or does not pivot well, it is impossible to do this step. If the follower is rotated around you so that your bodies are touching, this step is easy.

1. Set up the step. I prefer to use a side step into a back cross, rather than a big giro to wind up, because many followers assume the back step will be fast, and tend to rush the step, making it smaller and too far away.
2. DO NOT PLACE YOUR FOOT UNTIL THE FOLLOWER'S FOOT IS IN PLACE! Preparing early will simply move the follower further away. Wait until the follower's back foot has touched the floor, and then adjust your body and leg to get in position for the gancho. You can always slow the follower down :-)
3. Make sure the leader's hips anchor facing the follower's step BEFORE the gancho. This way after the gancho, the leader is ready to receive the released leg and be in charge of the next step.
4. Wrap your instep and ankle as much around the instep/ankle of the follower as possible. You want to find the follower's axis so that you can ensure keeping the follower on balance during the gancho. We are not going to tackle any off-axis ganchos in this round.
5. Gently rotate your chest with the follower's leg, to make it wrap around your thigh and unwrap. Remember, this is like a rebound: the follower's leg does not grab the leader and hold on!

Followers:

1. This move will not work unless you have a pristine overturned back gancho. Think "butt towards leader" as you rotate, in order to remain as close to the leader's axis as possible. This will make the actual gancho easier for both of you.
2. Do not auto-gancho: wait for the lead. If you don't get a good lead, don't do a gancho!
3. If the leader leans into your space, let your leg release across your other leg (an amague), rather than risk falling over.
4. Let the entire leg stay loose. Think floppy. My first teacher, Daniel Trenner, once told me: "You are going to have to get messy before you get elegant" because I was not letting my leader use my leg. Face it, followers: you are not leading the step :-)
5. Focus on your basic steps, not on the free leg. Roll through your heel on the back step. Arrive on axis. Work your axis, not your free leg.

This move is also fun using the leader's other leg (i.e., the right leg when turning the follower to the leader's left). In this variation, the leader needs to keep the same timing, but pivot to face 180 degrees away from the follower to accept the gancho through the BACK of the leader's thigh (the outside of the thigh in my thought process, as opposed to the inside of the thigh for same side/same leg version).

Ganchos from a rebound/rock step

These appear to be the most used type of gancho in Portland. I prefer the other versions I taught in this class, but these can be a nice thing to do, too.

1. Lead into a front parada and front pasada. I suggest using the same kind of setup I listed above, with the leader's instep wrapped around the follower's axis like a grapevine up a pole. If you use a different kind of parada, you will need to adjust the leader's foot in order to get a good gancho.
2. When the follower has COMPLETELY put weight on the front step after the front pasada, lead a back rebound.
3. Because the leader's leg is in the way, this creates the gancho, rather than a back-to-side step.
4. Remember: tall, skinny window! Do not squat to lead this move!

This move can be done to both sides, using either leg of the leader to create different effects.

Leader ganchos

There are a ton of leader ganchos, most of which are used in stage dancing or open embrace. A few are also possible in close embrace, as long as you dance in the V embrace I prefer, with a rolling point of connection, rather than a static point.

We only did one leader gancho in Ganchos 101:

1. Walk the follower to the cross, BUT leader does not change weight onto the right foot; stay on the left!
2. Make the follower walk forward with the right (make sure the cruzada gets untangled!), and the leader steps back with the right. Try to make the follower step almost against the inside of your left thigh. Stay close!
3. Take another step RLOD (leader's left, follower's left), but don't let the follower complete the step. Use your embrace to put the follower into a bit of a lunge. Do NOT lower your own body, or the gancho will be difficult!
4. Standing on your left leg, pivot your body until your right leg can gancho through the follower's lunge (the leader turns away slightly from the follower).
5. Return to regular position and exit, perhaps to the cross.

Remember that a gancho is NEVER about getting your ankle up, or you will kick your partner in tender places. The knee drops down and the leg swings gently as a whole, not just from the knee. You could theoretically kick your partner in the lower back here if you are flexible enough; but most of us are not.

Leg wraps

As this is Ganchos 101, we only did one leg wrap. To me, a leg wrap is a gancho that then travels somewhere to make the hook unwind. The easiest one (in my opinion as a follower) is led from the circular ocho cortado.

1. Lead the first part of the ocho cortado. I cannot stress enough times that the circular ocho cortado does not rotate in the first three steps of the move!! Yes, some folks teach it that way, but this works much more easily for the follower, so stay in a linear formation.
2. In the second rebound of the ocho cortado, lead the follower to do the regular rebound and close in the X EXCEPT that the leader's leg will be in the way, creating the leg wrap.
3. As the follower does the second rebound, the leader places the right leg in against the follower's right leg, with ankle and knee relaxed: you are trying to get as close to the follower's axis as possible, on the inside surface of the follower's leg. Do not stop the follower's rebound!
4. Stay in place while leading the follower to cross. This should wrap the follower's left leg around the leader's right leg. Immediately, the leader should complete changing weight onto the right leg in place, which should release the follower's leg, allowing both dancers to have the left leg free for walking to the cross in crossed system (my favorite ending to this as a follower).

Having said that, many of you leaders have told me you are having trouble getting the follower to do this. I've watched you on the dance floor, and here are the main two problems:

1. The followers have their hips IN rather than OUT in the correct alignment. This sends their leg behind them, even in the regular ocho cortado. They are used to being cued, "Hey, this is an ocho cortado!" and then auto-leading themselves. Give them a chance to get used to the correct lead :-)
2. The leaders are stopping, not doing a rebound to get into the leg wrap. This makes the followers tighten down the hips, knees and ankles. This does not result in a relaxed leg wrap. Make sure you are leading at least the follower (and hopefully yourself) into a rebound step.

Other little notes

As many of you noted, ganchos and leg wraps are easiest with someone about your own size. If your follower is a lot taller, go for the leg wraps. If they are a lot shorter, go for the ganchos.

I am going to leave the crazy double gancho for both people out of this entry, as no one in class is ready for it (sorry, my bad!). Let's focus on more social dance floor types of ganchos. Go practice!

Arrastres and barridas: Drags 101

I have always used the words arrastre (drag) and barrida (sweep) to mean a move where it APPEARS that the dancer is being moved by dragging the dancer's foot from one place to another, BUT which is actually led by the movement of the leader's torso. I emailed my teachers, and they said there is no difference. Whew! Why do we argue about these things online, anyway?

Technique pointers for drags

In terms of technique, what is important in a drag?

•  The leg being dragged, or doing the dragging, has no weight on it, but it is on the floor. 
• The free leg is free and relaxed from the hip joint. I think of the leg as being heavy, in order not to tense it.
• The feet of the partners are connected, but without tenseness or rigidity.
• It is important to set the move so that the partners stay the same distance away from each other, unless you are doing the drag for a specific move that opens/closes the space. For Drags 101, we will aim to keep the same distance.
• In order to convince the follower to actually follow you, you may need to slow down and/or completely stop at the point at which the drag begins, in order to learn the correct position and movement. BOTH dancers should be on axis and on balance at this point, whether pausing or not. I am in favor of slow motion for drags, personally. I like to work the steps, rather than fit as many as possible into one dance.

When in Rome . . .

The most popular drags in Portland are those done from the follower's back cross step (usually in a left turn); dragging the follower's right foot with the leader's right foot, and then leading a stepover. There are tons of variations that few people use, but which are relatively simple in concept:

1. You can do the same move using the leader's left foot, for a completely different look.
2. You can do the same move with the leader's foot in front of the follower's foot, so it looks as if the follower is leading the drag.
3. You can do the move to the other side, using either foot; and either side of the follower's foot.
4. OK, that is 8 versions of the same thing: pick one and work on it!

A nice variation on this drag

Oscar and Georgina do a nice variation on this drag. They lead it up to the pasada, BUT:

• instead of leading the pasada, use the chest and marca to rotate the follower to take another back step!
• do the drag again (or twice more), THEN lead the pasada.

I like this because it is elegant, and asks more of the follower and leader than just automatically finishing the most familiar pattern.

Another kind of drag

I like to drag the follower's side step into the front step, and then lead a pasada (stepover). The same possibilities are available as in the above drag, but the easiest version is to use the foot away from the direction of movement, along the outside of the follower's foot (think "behind the foot").

Because dancers are less used to this drag make sure you slow the follower down so that you can catch the foot. It is not any harder than the drags above, except for the fact that it is unexpected. Remember how hard it was in class to do variations that were CLOSE to what all the followers already knew? When leading these, be clear! When following, make sure you relax your legs, rather than tensing because you don't know what is coming up.

Drag to a forced cross step

I taught this step in my advanced class a few months ago. It is more complex than the other drags because you must change the follower's weight before finishing the step, but it's still fun.

1. Set up the follower's front cross step (easier in the left turn).
2. Drag the "back" foot (follower's right) in UNDER the follower, so that you are forcing a cross step: the follower will end in the same shape as the cruzada, but will have arrived there by the back foot coming in.
3. Change the follower's weight to the right foot by SLIGHTLY moving away from the follower.
4. Unwind the follower, using the chest and the marca of the hand, so that the follower has both feet free (not crossed).
5. Nice exit: just walk out.

 Drags where the follower is the center of the motion

 I first saw this style of drag when I went to Argentina for the first time back in 1999. El Indio was doing a street show almost outside my window in San Telmo, and each week, I watched him do the same routine, more or less. One of my favorite moves--I was a relatively new tango dancer, and I liked ALL the fancy moves!--was this style of drag. This drag reminds me a the calesita because the follower has to be convinced to stay on one foot while rotating.

1. Lead the follower to a back parada.
2. Step over/around the follower with your free foot.
3. Drag the follower's foot, creating a rotation of the follower.
4. Exit or repeat.

This can be done so that the foot is "trapped" between the leader's leg and foot, or with a more open style, depending on which foot the leader uses for the parada and drag. It is easier to drag with the foot near the follower, but more in El Indio's style to use the foot away from the follower, trapping it.

This is just scratching the surface of drags, but it's a good beginning. Go practice! Here are some nice examples, some of which we learned/are learning in class:  Oscar and Georgina doing barridas and llevadas

New Monday class sessions start April 9th at the Om

Body Dynamics, 7 PM Mondays

Body Dynamics is my hardcore tango technique class. We do stretches that I learned from Georgina Vargas that are specific to tango. Then, we do drills to improve footwork, balance, pivoting, contrabody use, adornos, etc. After that, we work on a particular step, picking it apart and finding all the pertinent details--and then we work some more! The first session I offered this class, it was almost completely female in attendance, but last week, we reached a new record: more men than women! After all, everyone wants to dance a dynamic tango, don't they?

The most rewarding part of teaching this class, is to see my students rapidly improve in both flexibility and technique. One student told me that he had recently danced for two hours without pain. Before taking the class for the past five weeks, he had considered stopping dancing because of pain levels. Another student told me that, suddenly, much more advanced dancers have been inviting her to dance. Another student, on his second six-week session, is now able to do almost all the stretches without modifications; he no longer needs to sit on pillows to make up for lack of hamstring stretch. Each week, I look around and feel amazed at the quick progress I see around me.

Why am I teaching a tango class where people lie on the floor and stretch? When I went to Buenos Aires in November, Georgina Vargas convinced me to try her stretches. I was skeptical, and I wanted to get on with my tango lessons, but I have found that Georgina's ideas are usually right, so I got down to work. On the nights that I stretched before dancing, I had about 1.5 hours more of good technique out on the dance floor, compared to the nights I didn't stretch. That was too much of a different to ignore; as usual, Georgie was right! When I stretched before my private lesson, I got a lot more work done in less time because my body was ready for it. I decided to teach her stretches and drills in a separate class, incorporating my anatomy studies and other dance training in as well.

Topics for the next session

This next session, we will work on dancing at various speeds, as well as dancing different sizes of steps. Milonga requires you to move very efficiently in small spaces, with very little time to make those steps look elegant. How you you ornament in milonga? How do you dance well in small steps, without losing your style? Come find out.

I often find that by studying opposites, we arrive at a better understanding of both things. Therefore, the other focus this session will be on taking BIG steps. How do you dance in close embrace (or open) in a lithe, sensual, elastic manner? Training your body to dance well with big steps also allows you to have better technique with regular steps, while encouraging your to develop better muscular strength and control.

I promise, promise, promise that we will include adornos, large and small; for leaders and followers. This past session, I had hoped to get to them, but all the great work we did on off- and on-axis moves/preparation took up all the time.

Om Movement Studio is located at 14 NE 10th Ave., between Burnside and Couch. It is one block from Norse Hall, and right off the bus line. There is limited bike parking. Class is $60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in. If taken in conjunction with the 8 PM Advanced class, the price is both classes for $90.

Take it to the next level: Advanced class at 8 PM

I started this class in order to share the technique of Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas with the Portland community, but it has expanded to include other bits of technique I've studied as well since 1995 when I started dancing tango.

After you've danced tango for a while, you are ready to really dig in and deepen your understanding of the dance. You want all that hard work to show in an elastic, powerful, panther-like way. In this class, I encourage you to bite off chunks of new vocabulary, new technique, new ways of moving--and meld it into your own style. I hope that, when class is over, each week you will have something new to take to the dance floor with you; something that makes your dance have an edge.

The main focus definitely is body-based technique. My motto is, "No pain, no pain." Tango is not supposed to be painful! The technique I teach works on finding balance and movement efficiently, so that energy is available for moving dynamically. Feet shouldn't hurt; backs should not feel tight; the body should feel balanced and supple to dance your best. There are many styles of tango, but I have chosen the one that I believe is best for the body AND the most elegant because of that.

Topics for this session

This past session, we have worked on shared-axis turns, colgadas and volcadas. Although we will come back to that work, this next session will have a different focus: advanced work in milonga and vals. I have been teaching milonga and vals classes in my lower-level classes, but it's been a while since we've tackled them in the advanced class.

Each week, we'll work on a combination that challenges technique and musicality; we will make sure we can do it in the line-of-dance, and then we'll pick it apart and modify it with each dancer's own dance vocabulary and style. In other words, I'd like everyone to walk out of this class with a better understanding of both dances, but with their own way of dancing.

This class will build on the technique work of the 7 PM class, and I urge you to consider taking both classes to get the most out of your own technique. However, it is not a prerequisite, and I know some of you are adverse to stretching :-)

Class is $60/6 weeks, or $90/both 7 and 8 PM classes. Drop in is $12/class. Om Movement Studio is located at 14 NE 10th Ave., between Burnside and Couch. It is one block from Norse Hall, and right off the bus line. There is limited bike parking.

New Monday night sessions start 2/27

Both the Body Dynamics class and the Advanced class start new sessions the Monday after Valentango. There is NO CLASS 2/20: we are all too tired to learn after a festival :-)

7 PM: Body Dynamics

This class focuses on learning stellar technique to add more ENERGY and feeling into your dance. My style is body-based, working towards efficient use of the core to reduce wear and tear on the rest of the body. In each session, we look at how the body is built to move, and then work on using it the right way in tango.

This session, we will be preparing the body to move off-axis for colgadas, volcadas, etc. We will focus on using the core, the stretch of the body and leg strength (protecting the back), and also on freeing up a leg to combine boleos, etc., with these moves.

Also, we will work on being able to dance beautifully in small spaces.  Dancing small is hard to do with power and energy, but it is possible!

Designed for intermediate and advanced dancers, or beginners with dance background.

8 PM: Advanced class

Come challenge yourself!  Make your dance flow better; add sensuousness, balance, connection, musicality, adornos--take it to the next level! 

This session, the advanced class will focus on appropriate-for-the-social-dance-floor colgadas, volcadas, single axis turns, and playing with the axis. Each week, we will do a new combination, concentrating on dynamics, musicality and connection.

For dancers with at least three years tango experience, or instructor's permission. No partner necessary. You may work with a partner you bring to class, or trade partners.

$60/6 week session for one class. Special: sign up for both for $90! Drop in is $12/class.

Celebrating Black History Month: The Roots of Tango

In honor of Black History Month, one of the parents at my son's school has been sending out emails about famous inventors and innovators who were African-American. I didn't know that Lewis and Clark's French translator was a slave named York. I didn't know that the first doctor to operate successfully on the human heart was African-American.  I didn't know that the imaging X-ray spectrometer was invented by a Black man named George Alcorn. Wow! Why do we only get taught about Rosa Parks and M.L. King, Jr.?

Tango's African roots often are ignored or downplayed in the same way. When I was researching my thesis on tango, only a few people even mentioned tango's non-European roots at all. I would like to include several summaries of work that I have not heard many tango dancers discuss. All of this information is from the articles noted below (not my own work!). I have left the citations in, so that you can follow up for yourself if this interests you. I will try to put more of these up for Black History Month.

Andrews, George Reid.  1980.  The Afro-Argentines of Buenos Aires, 1800-1900.  Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.

According to Andrews (1980), the milonga and the tango are elements of Argentine culture that demonstrate the contribution of African culture to Argentine culture (Andrews: 219).  The Afro-Argentines had a small presence in Argentina compared to other former slave-holding territories in the New World because the main products of Argentine (cattle and grain) required less manpower to produce than the cotton, sugar, and other products of other slave-holding areas.  However, the Afro-Argentine presence was much stronger than documented in Argentine official history.  In Argentina, class is stressed rather than race (Andrews: 215).  Thus, there has been an emphasis on tango developing in the lower classes, but the contributions of Afro-Argentines to this process has been significantly downplayed (Andrews:165).  

After the end of slavery, the African-Argentines worked mostly as manual laborers (dock workers, laundry women, construction workers) and crafts people (Andrews: 178).  With the immigration boom from  Europe in the mid-1800s came a decline in jobs available to Afro-Argentines because the immigrants would work for less money (Andrews 181-83).  Afro-Argentines switched over to the service sector, government jobs, and entertainment (Andrews: 184).  Relatively large percentages of musicians, dancers in the academias de baile, etc., were Afro-Argentine.  Therefore, they had a strong effect on the music and dance of Buenos Aires, and were key in the development of milonga and tango (Andrews: 184).

Both the new immigrants and the Afro-Argentines lived in the poorer areas of Buenos Aires.  There was a high rate of Italian-Afro-Argentine intermarriage, especially in La Boca (Andrews: 217).  The immigrants and the Afro-Argentines also mixed in the academias de baile.  In the 1870s, some dance hall owners sought to segregate dance space, but the liberal white press made such a commotion that the owners were forced to bow to public pressure and continue holding dances where black and white Argentines danced together (Andrews: 196-97).  This social mixing of cultures and races shows both in the people and the dances of those neighborhoods.

As Africans were brought to Argentina continuously until the end of slavery in 1807, African culture was continually influencing the Afro-Argentine community and culture.  The Afro-Argentine community was divided into social organizations that claimed connections to specific tribes and areas of Africa.  By the 1760s, the different nations were holding public dances, called candombes (Andrews: 157). 

The whites were aware that the candombes were occasions at which the Africans performed their national dances, calling up memories of their homeland and recreating, even if only for an afternoon, a simulacrum of African society in the New World. (Andrews: 162). These dances were banned in 1822, and reinstated in the 1840s and 1850s (Andrews: 160).  So many dances were hosted that the black press scolded the Afro-Argentine community for the amount of time and money spent on "frivolous" activities (Andrews: 189).

Until 1850, there were enough Africans to maintain separate dance traditions within these organizations.  Gradually, the traditions merged into a single Afro-Argentine dance form, the candombe (Andrews: 163).  Candombe "borrowed elements from a number of African dances" (Andrews: 163).  The dance consisted of four parts that featured lines of dancers (men and women) approaching each other, couple dancing (male/female), and exuberant solo dancing (Andrews: 163-64).  As late as the 1880s, there is documentation of candombe being danced (Andrews: 164). 

In the 1860s and 1870s, young Afro-Argentines "abandoned the candombe in favor of such imports as the waltz, schottishe, and mazurka" (Andrews: 195).  In reality, the music that was played for these dances still retained African elements.   However, these dances brought the dance embrace (man and woman touching) into the African mixture that already existed, and led to the development of the milonga.

The milonga grew out of the intermixing of the Afro-Argentines, the working class creoles, and the European immigrants in the academias de baile, or dance halls, of the working class neighborhoods in Buenos Aires (Andrews: 166).  These dance halls provided a social focus for poor neighborhoods where the various ethnic groups met to drink, gamble, and dance (Andrews: 166).  The milonga was a dance that the poor whites did to imitate and/or mock the candombe of the blacks (Andrews: 166).  However, the main elements of the dance were Afro-Argentine.  In 1883, a writer noted that "[milonga] has the same rhythm and movement as the drums of the candombe" (Andrews: 166).

As the tango developed out of milonga, its African roots are firmly established.  The first tango is said to have been written by an Afro-Argentine accordionist in 1896 (Andrews: 165).  The tango is a slower, smoother version of the milonga.

When the couple locks bodies tightly together and sways back and forth, we are seeing the lineal descendant of the first stage of the candombe, in which the swaying is interrupted by the bringing together of the bodies for the ombligada [touching of the navels].  Or when the partners move rapidly across the floor, first the male leaning back at a sharp angle, then the female, it clearly derives from the third stage of [candombe].  The steps of the tango form a kinetic memory of the candombe.  (Andrews: 166-67)

Monday night class announcement

7 PM Mondays: BODY DYNAMICS
I am offering a new class, starting Monday, January 9th. The class will focus on learning stellar technique to add more ENERGY and feeling into your dance. A lot of us are looking for a way to take our dance up a notch so that we enjoy it more, and I have designed this class to help you achieve that goal. Although a lot of the material I bring to the class comes from my teachers, Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas, you can apply it to any style of tango and get more pizzazz.

This session, we are working on anything that turns or pivots, for both leader and follower technique. Make your turns purr, your boleos sizzle, and your pivots snap, followers! Leaders: get those hips in gear for enrosques, quebradas, preparations for drags and sacadas, etc. Designed for intermediate and advanced dancers, or beginners with dance background.

Bring clothes that allow you to move, stretch on the floor, etc. We will do a quick warmup at the beginning of class, move on to drills and exercises, and end with putting it into the dance. You may bring a partner and work only with them, or come and switch around, switch roles, whatever works for you.

Class starts 1/9. 6 week session for $60, or $12 drop in.
Special for January-February: sign up for this session, and get the 8 PM advanced session for 1/2 price!

8 PM Mondays: ELIZABETH'S ADVANCED CLASS
This class covers topics that the dancers choose on the first day of the session, combined with work from Oscar and Georgina Mandagaran's technique. Each week, we will focus on 1-2 combinations of steps. We will learn/review any steps that dancers need, and then play with putting the steps together in different ways. We also work on how to make the combination work best with varied music (tango, vals, milonga). For dancers with at least three years tango experience, or instructor's permission. You may work with a partner you bring to class, or trade partners.

Class starts 1/9. 6 week session for $60, or $12 drop in.

Next classes start next week (and yes, there is class this week!)

Thursday classes start again on January 5th:

6 PM Beginner's Mind Practica:
Our practica is friendly, with no feedback unless you want it. If you are a beginner, I can introduce to other folks, answer questions, dance with you, etc. If you are not a beginner, I invite you to either come practice for yourself, or come and dance with beginners to give back to the community. Remember how nice some people were when you started? Be one of those nice I-dance-with-beginner types ;-) The practica is by donation.

7 PM Top Ten Moves:
Ten fundamental moves in ten weeks. In Argentina, many people only know this many (or fewer!) moves, but they do them REALLY well. This class is for beginners to learn the basics AND for more advanced dancers to polish those moves and build musicality and navigational skills (for the followers, this is the time to practice making each step exquisite). This is also a perfect opportunity if you already know one role, and want to learn the other. $80 for 10 weeks, or $12 drop in.

8 PM Musicality and the Next Ten Moves:
This session, we will focus moves that are sweet in both tango and vals (since we just did milonga last session). This class is for intermediates and advanced intermediate dancers. For each new move, we will put it into the dance, connect it to what you already know, and make it work on the dance floor. For followers, we will practice adornos (ornaments) and ways to make feet beautiful. Musically, we will work on putting moves together to make you partner drop at your feet with the beauty of your dance :-) $80 for 10 weeks, or $12 drop in.

There will also be Monday classes, which will be a six-week session; more to follow!

Bits and pieces that haven't fit in anywhere

Good massage place

Marta Rey does reflexology, massage, facials, moxibustion, etc., and has those strange but very nice Korean massage beds that roll your spine for you. I tried it once, and Gayle is back getting everything loosened up for the flight home. Both of us really liked how our backs and feet felt afterwards. Marta speaks some English. You can reach her to set up a time (you will need 2.5-3 hours for the whole works) at 4951-6755; 4953-7223; or 15-4061-3232. All numbers that start with 15- are mobile numbers. The other two are her work phone and her home phone; I am not sure which, but try the first one first. She is at Rivadavia 1966, 3rd floor, Apt. A (in Congreso). We got a deal for being friends of friends, so I am not sure of the price, but I think it's around 120ish pesos. Tipping is nice.

Good pedicure and hair place

Claudio Zappulla, Ayacucho 57 (also in Congreso) was hopping when we went in to schedule pedicures: we had to wait two days! Some friends get their hair done here, too, and vouch for the stylists. I don't know if they speak English, but the pedicure person did not. They aren't afraid to remove callus here. If you haven't had a pedicure outside the USA, don't panic when they start shaving callus off (last year, at another place, the girl broke open a disposable razor and used a blade from it; at this place, at least they have the right tools!). The little sander-like tool made everything supersmooth, but I'm very ticklish, so it was a bit of a torture for me. However, my feet felt GREAT afterwards. I think it was 75 pesos for the most thorough pedicure I've ever had. Telephone: 4953-6584.

Nice leather products

We wandered into a few leather stores, as my handbag started to disintegrate a week into our stay (it's "Ecoleather" aka vinyl). Camila Cueros, Lavalle 741, had pushy salespeople, but very good quality leather. The prices seemed high to me because I don't buy leather in the USA, but Gayle assured me that the prices were really good deals, compared to prices at home.

Good ice cream

Cadore Gelato Artigianale, Av. Corrientes 1695. I already mentioned this place last year, but I went back. I REALLY like their gelato!

Shoe repair

I think I already said this, but I'll put it here, too. Sarmiento 1882, half a block away from Neotango Shoes. They can get stuff done fast: they put croma on Gayle's shoes between yesterday afternoon and 9 am today. Fast, good service and repair.

My new favorite clothing store for tango: Tango-Imagin

Tango-Imagen Anchorena 606, tel,. 4864-3847, email: jazmin.tangoimagen@gmail.com, is next to Tango 8, and I hadn't seen it before. However, the nice ladies at Susana Artesanal steered us that way after we couldn't find what we wanted at their store. What a nice place (both). At Tango-Imagen, three people do the cutting and sewing and selling, so they know the fabrics, they know what they have, and they can take special orders. They have a mix of performance stuff, going out to dance clothing, and practice clothing.

The man who helped us makes most of the pants they sell, but he was able to look at how one outfit fit Gayle and suggest another one because the fabric was stretchier. It only came in one size fits all, but that stretchier one was perfect, and she bought it. Pretty designs, nice fabrics--how can you lose? Check them out! Buy their clothing!

Favorite seafood restaurant

La Gran Taberna, Combate de los Pozos 95 (esq. Hipolito Yrigoyen), has things from quite cheap to very expensive. We went on the less expensive side, and stuffed ourselves. What I really like about this place: the waiter took our order, and then said, "Look, that's too much food for the two of you. What if you share one order of the fish, along with your salad and sauted asparagus?" Where else would they suggest you order less of the most expensive part of your meal? Also, we ordered two glasses of wine, and the waiter brought us a bottle: he said that, if we shared a third glass of wine, it would be the same price as the whole bottle. Now that is service! We helped the waiters with their English homework, too. They have a second door on Combate de los Pozos that is their take-out service. Yum! Reservations: 4951-7586.

Slightly cheaper, nice place

Puenta Cuore Restaurant, Rivadavia and Ayacucho (in Congreso), had nice salads. I had an excellent merluza (fish) and steamed veggie meal. Gayle had yummy pasta. The restaurant is on a corner, and it was fun to people watch. The waiter was attentive.

Vegetarian possibilities

There are a lot more vegetables in restaurants than ten years ago. Also, I found three vegetarian restaurants in the area between Lavalle and Corrientes; between Callao and Junin. I didn't try any of them. Sorry, Geofrey! I know you wanted more information.

Gluten and life in Bs As

If you don't eat gluten, eating out is almost impossible if you are also a vegetarian. I opted for eating more meat than usual, and went off my gluten-free lifestyle. Thank goodness I'm not allergic! Many people said they had heard that some people can't eat gluten, but I didn't meet anyone who said they were gluten-intolerant or allergic to gluten. They don't eat in restaurants here, I bet!

Miscellaneous thoughts

1. Song I don't have that I wish I had bought: Di Sarli's Volver a Sonar. At least that's what the DJ Sunday at Canning wrote down for me. Hey, I still have a few hours!

2.  Our taxi driver one night would need to change his name to emigrate to the USA: on the placard showing his license, etc., it claimed that his last name was Moron. I kid you not.

3.  I think American milongas would be better if we kept the idea of a set or two of something different, interpersed during the evening. I love having a chacarera set and a set of "tropical" (cumbia, salsa, merengue) during the evening to relax my body, take a break from concentrating, and enjoy the other dances that I love. I would accept a set of "rock 'n roll" as long as it wasn't all Dixieland jazz (a bit overplayed here) or Elvis (don't get me wrong: I love him, but too much is too much).

Bikes in Buenos Aires

It is striking how much pro-bicycle change has happened in the past two years. I was amazed to see a bike lane on CORRIENTES! Wow!

Areas in downtown have bike lights and green boxes, just like in Portland:

This one is on Suipacha, at Diagonal Norte.

I talked to a few of the taxi drivers. The general view is that one must get accustomed to the idea, but that it is snarling traffic because of street size. For example, on a two-lane, one-way street with parking, no other changes were made. Cars are still trying to fit into two lanes, and people are still parking their cars on one side. No adjustments have been made, except to drive closer together and closer to parked cars. Eek! Eventually, I think some streets will either lose parking or be reduced to single lanes, but it is not clear to anyone if the government of the city has considered this carefully.

I saw a lot more bikers than ever before (and a lot of motorcycles in the bike lane). I also saw one crazy rollerblader going down the middle of Corrientes, in between the cars. That guy must have a death wish!

Rude people on the dance floor

When annoying men try to teach on the dance floor (and yes, I know women do this too), I have found I have a limit to my politeness.  When one French man informed me that I had anticipated a step, I said nothing, but when he REPEATED it at the end of the tanda: "You anticipated one step."  One step in the tanda!!  I am afraid I told him that it was rude to criticize on the dance floor, and that I had not said anything about his mistakes, but rather, had fixed them. Grrr.

The other rude man--as opposed to those who are trying to be helpful--was at Nino Bien.  An awful Argentine dancer hauled me around the floor, and then suggested I go to La Viruta to learn that style of dance.  It was obvious he didn't care whether I was enjoying the dance, and he didn't bother try to adjust at all: he just pulled me in tighter and higher, until I could barely keep my feet on the floor.  I smiled at him and told him that good technique works with everyone, and walked away. Grrr.

I have taught dance for 25 years, and I would never dream of saying things like that to another dancer while dancing socially!!! Shame on them.