The day of three milongas, sort of

Milonga #1: El Arranque

Some of you know that this Buenos Aires trip is in order to set up a tour next year for my students and other tango folk. Instead of going to my favorite milongas where I get lots of dances, I have been venturing further afield, looking for a good mix of places that might be less intimidating to the intermediate/advanced intermediate dancer.

I hadn't been to El Arranque since about 2000, so I thought I would check it out. It used to be a place where friendly, elderly dancers hung out in the afternoons (this was when there were fewer early evening milongas).

The first time I went to El Arranque, the hostess, Delicia, seated me at a table with a stately older woman. I don't know her age, but I was guessing somewhere in her 70s. Her hair was perfect. Her nails were perfect. Her outfit was awesome. Wow, I thought: I want to be like that when I am older! I was a bit intimidated, but after I placed my Altoids on the table with my fan, she pounced on them. "American candy!" she exclaimed, and from that moment we were friends.

That woman pimped me out to various acquaintances the first day, and after that, I didn't need any help getting partners. She was invaluable as a source of advice ("Don't look at the guy in yellow! He is awful! Look at the guy next to him in the suit!" Etc.).

So...I arrived about 4 PM AND IT WAS CLOSED FOR THE DAY! The presidential change-of-power has caused a lot of closures because of huge crowds in the Avenida de Mayo. Since El Arranque is very close to the Congress building, perhaps that's way it was closed. The guy at the kiosk next door just shrugged when I asked.

• Bartolome Mitre 1759
• Entrada: who knows?

Milonga #2: Lujos en El Beso

• Riobamba 416
• Entrada: 70 pesos
• Bottle of water: 28 pesos? (I have already forgotten)

OK, so I'll go dancing somewhere else! El Beso is only a few stops away by subway from where I am staying, so I thought I would go early and go home in time for dinner and bed.

I didn't have a reservation, and El Beso can be a difficult venue to get dances if you get stuck in the back row, so I showed up about 7 PM, half an hour after it opened, but still very early. I got a good seat, settled myself, and danced the tanda after I arrived. The place was still pretty empty, but I recognized some of the older guys who have been going there since I first went in 1999, as far as I can tell :-)

For the next tanda, the music kept crackling, and they would go back to playing the cortina, and then try again. One man was trying to cabeceo me from behind someone else (always acrobatic!), when the lights when out. Poof!

For the next half hour, they gradually opened the huge curtains across the windows so that we had some light to see by. Some guy played his phone and one couple danced a song.

The woman sitting with me told me that she had gotten a ride from one of the guys who I remembered as an excellent milonga dancer, and wandered off to talk to him. After about 15 minutes, she came over and told me they were going to Gricel: did I want to go too? Sure!

Milonga #3: Gricel

• La Rioja 1180 (one block in from San Juan)
• Entrada: 70 pesos
• Bottle of soda: 26 pesos

We got to Gricel just as it was opening, so we got good seats even without reservations. That was partly due to my new friend, Miriam, flirting with the guys who organize the dance.

I got lots of dances, as did Miriam, but we struggled with the level of dancers. Neither of us knew most of the people there, so we ended up with a few dances each with difficult leaders. It was the first time I seriously thought of telling a guy, "I am NOT a truck, so could you please not lead me as if I were a truck?!" Geez.

I had two great tandas in the evening, both the the man who drove us to Gricel. We did a kick-ass milonga traspie set as my first tanda; and a kick-ass Pugliese set as my last tanda. You can really tell the guys who know the music and really FEEL the music. A bunch of the others were just dancing in time to the music, which just isn't the same. Starting and ending with a musical set, made up for getting dragged around by a few guys who had no clue about the music and were trying to do moves. Thank God for old, short, fat, milongueros!!!!!!

Best Tshirt so far

Yesterday, on the way to the subte (the subway), a woman passed me wearing this:

"I am a flamingo in a flock of pigeons"

I think that about says it, doesn't it?

Caricias: Venturing further afield

Caricias at Imagen Club

• Av Dr. Ricardo Balbín 4699
• Entrada (including class): 70 pesos
• Flan and a bottle of water: I forget!
• Taxi home: 120 pesos (ouch)

This visit, I am trying out milongas further away from my old stomping grounds of Congreso. Tuesday night, I took Margaret and Ned's advice to check out Caricias, 10 km. out from where I am staying in Almagro.

Tuesday was the end of a four-day holiday weekend. Add to that the fact that it was pouring rain (get soaked WITH a coat on kind of rain), and the turnout was apparently quite small. I sat at a table with one woman who had never been to the club, and another who recently started going to Caricias. The other two people who had reservations at the large table, never showed up.

Elisa, Bettina and I had a lot of fun chatting during the evening. Every time I sat down, they pounced on me: "Is he any good? How was that?" Since they are not (yet) regulars, they couldn't give me much help, but we shared information as it was obtained. I know the guys were doing the same thing, because they were no more subtle about it than we were.

Bettina thought I should have a picture of me in the milonga.

Birthday parties at milongas

I have seen many birthday parties at milongas. Often, people sit at a bigger table, and have cake, and are rowdier than usual. This time, the party spread into a full-on, full-milonga party. A tanda a Rock 'N Roll wandered into three cumbias, a merengue, and a snaking conga line around the dance floor. I would have taken pictures, but you know I was in that conga line! An acquaintance of mine from last week was part of the party crowd, so I got included, which felt nice.

I have never seen such a prolonged break from tango at a milonga. It made the energy of the evening really pick up, and everyone got very animated and got out on the dance floor with fervor for the next few tandas. One old guy I danced with ran me into people several times in one song because he decided to show off.

The man I already knew asked me to dance again, and we also had a very spirited tanda. It was romantic tango, and as we dance well together, it was really enjoyable for the "feeling" as many Argentines would say. I like dancers who listen to the follower's body and make the dance a team effort.

And more unusual happenings

I arrived too late to really take the lesson, but there was one woman dancing with a Japanese tourist who was leading. The woman I was sitting with was impressed with how good the woman could lead. I thought about doing the same, but hesitated because in the past, if I led, none of the guys would ask me to dance.

HOWEVER, right when I decided to leave, a milonga tanda started. The woman at my table looked in vain for a partner, and then sat bouncing with the rhythm. Then the other woman who led danced by, and I looked at Bettina and asked if she wanted to dance. She leaped up from her chair, and off we went.

I was in heels and she was larger than I am, but she followed well. For those of you who have experienced my Naughty Toddler exercises, I had a traspie naughty toddler: she did quick-quick-slow steps almost automatically. I had to really work to get her to play with the rhythm at first, but it was fun because she is a good dancer.

I have not led in a traditional milonga since back when I couldn't understand Spanish. I enjoyed showing up most of the guys :-)

Pugliese can be fun

The organizer for the milonga obligingly found me a taxi driver to take me home. He was apparently there to drive someone else home later. He protested that he didn't want to drive me home when he hadn't danced with me, so I put my shoes back on, and got out on the dance floor.

"I didn't even see you until you led that milonga! That was fabulous! I really like how you dance milonga!" he told me enthusiastically. It's funny how behavior that makes the older men ignore me, makes the younger men dance with me.

We had a great tanda, with a lot of musicality. Turns out he is a DJ, so that would make sense.

When I finally got home around 2 am, I was too jazzed to sleep for about an hour. That may explain why I am home tonight, not out dancing. It's only 10:30 PM, but I am about ready to sleep.

Why are all the Tshirts here in English?

Looking for a shirt in Spanish...

OK, a few shirts I saw today were in Spanish, but most were in English. Some examples:

1. Love me!
2. It's only Rock 'N Roll but I like it
3. Brooklyn
4. Married to the mob

And the winner is...

And my favorite today? Standing in a bank line a full block long:

IN [blank space] WE TRUST

I think that just about sums up what Argentines have told me about life here. Especially with a change in government coming, there is a gallows humor about the economic situation that makes this the perfect shirt for today.

Perhaps problems are just more open here

Bank Lines

With the four-day weekend/holiday, everyone was out of pesos by today. The banks were out of pesos on the weekend, and everyone was desperate to get cash. There were waiting lines at all the banks and places that changed money. In fact, some places weren't marked as cambios, but the lines outside gave them away.

We don't have an unofficial exchange rate in the USA, so I'm not sure what this could correspond to. It reminds me of the lines at gas stations in the 70s, and only being able to fill our car with gas on odd-numbered days. I was really little, but that memory has stuck in my head.

Police

Last night on the way to the milonga in the rain, I passed a circle of policemen, surrounding an older man who was on his knees on the ground. At first, I wondered if he was ill, It was not clear at all what was going on, but everyone passed the scene as if nothing was happening. It felt really scary to me.

One taxi driver told me that the police just help the mafia, and that he had been threatened at the airport to leave a certain area by the police and the mafia.  He said, "The police are supposed to provide public safety, not mafia safety." As I walked away, I kept worrying about the guy on the ground. You don't need seven policemen to deal with one person.

As is obvious by what has been happening in the United States with the police, perhaps here there is just a wider swath of the population who distrust the motives of "public safety" officers. Here, it's probably going to be a long time before police have car or visor cameras.

Crony-ism

According to a friend, the day that Macri won, the stock in one of his friend's companies rose by 8%, and the other stocks declined about 10%. "Everyone knows who is going to benefit from this government," he said. "The people already knew it on the day Macri won."

But this happens in the USA as well, whether we are willing to admit it. If (goddess forbid) Trump becomes the next president, I could see exactly the same scenario happening all over the place. Of course, I'll be moving to Canada (it's going to be crowded).

I think I know what a sardine feels like now

I spent the day rushing around, trying to get too many things done. On the way home, I squeezed into a subway train at the first stop from the terminus. Each stop, more people shoved into the car. Each stop, someone with a loudspeaker had to ask people to let the doors close; each stop, there were people left on the platform who couldn't get in. At one, the announcement happened three times, and someone called, "Attack them!" and everyone in the car chuckled. It is interesting to be surrounded by people, pressed MUCH tighter together than couples on the dance floor, buttocks to other people's fronts/sides/backs/handbags/shopping--and to politely ignore that we are all packed like sardines into this metal box. It was really a relief to fight my way out of the car and get back up into (relatively) fresh air.

Most of this trip, I have walked places. I find that it helps me remember my geography better. I also feel better when I absorb sun. When I am running late, I'll hop into a taxi to get the rest of the way to where I am going if traffic is good. I have been avoiding the buses because most of the time, they don't go all that much faster than walking! The subway is my choice for public transportation if possible because there is so much street traffic that the buses idle in place, with sweating people mopping their brows inside.

I can see why I did not play tourist the first six times I visited Buenos Aires: I am just too tired sometimes to go dancing. Before, if you had given me the choice, I would have stared at you. Of COURSE dancing comes first! However, since I am trying to organize everything I will need for bringing people with me next year, I am spending a lot of time looking at tango hostels, hotels and apartments. I am spending a lot of time doing cultural/touristy things that I should have done before; and I am dancing a lot less.

Right now, I am supposed to be at La Milonguita, a milonga I LOVE, but I never managed to eat today after an early breakfast, so I am eating now. Also, I promised to call my son, and right after school is great for him, but means I miss out on getting to early milongas on time.

Part of why I am late, is that there was a huge demonstration/gathering to hear the outgoing president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, give a speech. On the TV, I could see probably thousands (maybe hundreds) of people jumping up and down, waving flags, chanting, etc. CFK was already speaking when I got home. I watched a bit, fielded a call from my son, and then watched the end of her speech. She was losing her voice by that time.

My hostess was watching the speech, and consequently probably arrived late for the class she teaches. As she got up to leave, I said we would never have this in the USA, that this seemed more like a telenovela than politics--an impassioned speech basically admonishing everyone to take responsibility on themselves for the nation, implying very strongly that a. she will be back in four years ("I am listening to you, I will always listen to you, etc." and b. that the incoming government will be awful--she laughed. She said that, unless one understands the entire history of Argentina, that this speech would seem overly dramatic. Also, we would need to know all of Argentine history to understand that CFK is not a psycho. My hostess seemed very moved by the speech. "We are very Italian," she shrugged. On the other hand, we have Donald Trump doing pretty much the male imitation of what I just saw, so maybe I should not be so shocked.

Carlos Gardel's house; and a tango class, practica and milonga

• Entrada: 10 pesos (the website said 5)
• Location: Jean Jaures 735

This is a great place to squeeze into your itinerary: it takes about half an hour to walk through if you read most of the informational posters. Carlos Gardel lived here with his mother. There is a room about his movie work, another of his radio work, another of his singing/tango career, etc. It's well laid out, easy to understand, and I learned more about Gardel than I had known before.

I like the fact that they have both Gardel memorabilia, information about movie and radio in that era, and things like this fabulous gramophone that I want to own!!

El Motivo: back to the present-day tango!

• At Club Villa Malcolm, Av. Cordoba 5064 (Palermo/Villa Crespo, depending who you ask)
• Class at 8 PM
• Practica around 10/10:30 PM
• Entrada (class and practica): 70 pesos
• Bottle of water (slightly larger than at other places): 30 pesos!!!!

The class

After walking forward and backward for 20 minutes (not my style of warmup, but whatever), I was concerned that I had walked into a class for beginners. Luckily, the class divided at that point into beginners and intermediates/advanced dancers. As the class progressed, the teachers offered intermediate and advanced possibilities for moves. In the end, the last 10 minutes were good practice for me, as we did a combo I rarely practice.

I was paired with the only other woman who wanted to lead. She wasn't at my level, so she got a private lesson; but I got to practice teaching contra-system boleos, so that was fun. Plus, she was very nice. Thanks, Andrea!

Luciana Valle started the class about 15 minutes late. After that, her helper arrived around 8:30 PM (perhaps this is why we walked for so long?). After that, the other teacher, Valencia Batiuk, arrived. The helper took the beginners, and Luciana and Valencia worked with the other dancers.

The practica

After the class, most of the class stayed, and a few more people came in. Almost everyone came in couples, sat in couples, and practiced with their partner. A few tourists wandered in, also in pairs. Most of the students were VERY young, eager kids. I felt old, which I seldom do when dancing because I tend to go where the "old folks" dance. I asked the only other person over 40 to dance, and we practiced for a few tandas, before we both left.

The milonga: La bicicleta

• Gorriti 5417, entre la vía y Godoy Cruz
• Entrada: 60 pesos

I didn't feel like doing more dancing, so I just poked my head into La bicicleta. One of my "roomies" went there tonight. She enjoys going there because she says that it is informal, so she feels more relaxed. She is an intermediate dancer, and she danced a lot and had a good dance evening. There is a big patio and outdoor space that makes it a great summer place to hang out. The level is pretty good, and it has "buena onda" according to my Argentine friends. It is a younger crowd mostly.

Sunday afternoon: Museo Evita and Salon Canning

 

Museo Evita

• Lafinur 2988, C1425FAB CABA
• Closed Mondays
• Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am to 7 PM.
• Entrada: 50 pesos for non-residents (I think they said 20 pesos for residents)

The Evita Museum was opened 50 years after her death, in 2002. I had not known before visiting the museum, that Evita died at the age of 33. I actually hadn't known anything about her, as I have focused more on the earlier years of Argentina and on tango almost exclusively.

I decided that I would get more involved in the other parts of Argentina's culture and history, so a trip to the Evita Museum seemed intriguing. Also, I asked my Argentine friends. Only one had been to the museum, and even she admitted that she had gone to the excellent restaurant there, but had never gone through the collection!

You are not allowed to photograph in the exhibits, but there is an Andalusian style room in the center of the building where you can take photos. It is beautiful. The building was once one of the transit shelters that Evita helped establish for women who were looking for work (orphanages, homes for the elderly and shelters like this were a part of the Peronist plan). Before that, it housed multiple families.

I don't know how I feel about Peronism and Evita. More reading and education is needed, I think. I have bought a history book on the past 100 years, so if I can get through that (it's in Spanish), I will know a lot more.

Salon Canning

• Av Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz 1331 (Palermo)
• 6 PM to 1 am
• entrada: 75 pesos
• bottle of water: 28 pesos

Sunday night, after a full day of walking around the city, eating with friends, and shopping, I dragged myself to one of my favorite milongas in past years, Salon Canning on Sunday afternoon. I only stayed two hours. I just didn't have any energy to dance at all. I got a bit sunburnt while out and about, and hadn't had enough water. When a nice elderly lady walked in and clearly couldn't find a decent spot to sit, I went up to her, told her I was leaving, and gave her my spot. She told me I was a sweetheart, which made me feel good about leaving.

I should explain that at this milonga, the waiter sits people at tables, but he is also supplying drinks to tables at the same time. He seemed quite distracted. The regulars pretty much argued for the tables they wanted, and some came in and sat down without consulting the waiter. There was no host as there is atother milongas. Good places to sit: along the edge of the tiny paths created to get to the dance floor, along the back edge where the guys cruise for partners. It's an awkward setup compared to some other milongas. I don't like having to turn around or crane my neck to see the men; it makes me cranky!

Food, tango shoes and dancing: who needs more?

Life is GOOD gluten-free

Sintaxis

• Nicaragua 4849
• Totally gluten-free restaurant, with goodies and bread for carryout

I had scrambled eggs with sundried tomatoes. It came with two (small) slices of bread, and a selection of cheese: swiss, blue, and something else. The breakfast specials are served until noon, and come with a drink. I had a wonderful cafe con leche, my first coffee in over a year. Yum! It didn't look like much food, but I realized after I felt full, that comparing it to traveling in Texas last week was silly: Texas meals were MUCH too large.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I have the list of when they are open over the weekend and for the holidays (Monday and Tuesday are holidays), so that I can go back. It's a nice walk from where I am staying, 3-4 km., depending on how lost you get (I took the longer route because I became obsessed with documenting the new bike lanes).

The waiter seemed both surprised and pleased that I wanted his picture, so here he is:

El Ateneo

• Av. Santa Fe 1860
• Books, books, books!

I love bookstores, but this one takes the cake. You walk in, and you are in an old theatre, and it is FULL OF BOOKS. There are people drinking coffee on the old stage, and guys sipping tea in several of the old boxes near the stage. I love this place. I could have just moved in. Argentines seem to read a lot more than Americans. In seven visits to Buenos Aires, it took me until now to visit, but I plan to go back each visit after this!

Comme Il Faut shoes

• Arenales 1239, staircase 3, Apt. M
• translation: go all the way down this little street-like area, take the 3rd staircase on left, and go upstairs

I had never visited the store before, as I don't wear Comme Il Faut. However, a few friends asked for shoes, so I went to get shoes for them. It's a beautiful building.

I would say they were very friendly, but they were very business-like. I gave them my list, they found shoes in the right size, with the right height heel. They didn't have the colors that my friends wanted, but other shoes were suggested and bought. They ARE very Losshoes. If they came in wide enough styles for me, I might even get some; but my heart belongs to Neotango.

My feet hurt, but I'm happy

Milonga de los Consagrados

• Centro Leonesa, Humberto Primo 1462
• Saturdays at 4:30 PM
• Entrada 60 pesos (does not include a drink)

I went to Los Consagrados because I agreed to meet people I knew for dinner afterwards. My hostess thought I was crazy to go there (pretty far, and most of the folks are older than I am). I had a great time: I danced for 5 1/2 hours without stopping. Each time I tried to stop, someone came up to my table to cabeceo me. In the end, I had to leave the room, put on my street shoes, and wait for my friends. I was just too tired to keep dancing.

I danced four tandas with a guy who finally confessed to 10 years of training and a certificate from the Dinzel's training school. Fabulous! We did tango, then milonga, then vals, then more milonga: heavenly! He made the entire evening for me. I wish I could remember his name. I hope his girlfriend isn't mad at me for hogging him.

I also got to dance chacarera with a good dancer. It was put in a tanda with paso doble, which I faked my way through. I did the tropical tanda (2 cumbias and a merengue) with a guy who openly told me he was faking it, but we had a blast.

What can I say? Life is good! I need to go to sleep, as it's 1:18 in the morning!

This flowerstand was just beautiful to look at on such a lovely day, so I took a picture of it.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Seriously, the weather today has been fabulous. Perfect. Whatever word you would like to use. It was the perfect day to walk in the Botanical Gardens (entrance on Santa Fe, opposite the Plaza Italia Subte stop). It's open from 8 am to 6:45 PM, at least in the summer, but it's closed for the holidays Monday and Tuesday, so I am glad I went today.

There is a section of the park for plants and trees from each continent. I love the palm trees and the jungle-like parts of the park best, as they are not something I see much at home.

Buenos Aires, Day 2: Todo cambia

The city feels different this visit. It seems cleaner: less dog poop on the sidewalks, less trash. There are BIKE LANES all over the city, not something I ever expected to see in Buenos Aires! However, the people seem more subdued than before.

A lot of people are nervous about the change of government next week. Whether they supported Macri, the winner, of Scioli, the loser, they are concerned about how things will change. Some are jubilant and sure that a change means good change. Others are downcast and predict change and doom.

Whether change is good or bad, here are some changes I saw today.

Dancing

Cheek to Cheek (practica)

• El Juvenil, Av Corrientes 4534
• Entrada: 30 pesos
• 3-7 PM

This afternoon, I went to a practica that is new since I last visited Buenos Aires: Cheek to Cheek. There were a lot more tourists there than at De Querusa last night. I danced with and/or talked to people from the USA, Norway, Germany, France and Japan. Most of the dancers were in their 20s and 30s, but there were some of us middle-aged folks, and a smattering of older people. The level was mostly high, with a few advanced beginners (tourists).

I had been told that the practica was stopped at 5 PM for a short lesson. I was skeptical of the idea, but the organizers offered up a complex move, showed it a few times, and then let people dance. After a few minutes, they showed it again, with a few details that people needed to get in order to be successful. A while later, they showed it to the other side, and left people to their own devices.

I always try to lead at lessons because I remember the moves better if I have to lead them. I grabbed someone I knew (yay!). The combo was at a nice level for someone like me (if only I hadn't been in heels!), and several really good couples could do it by the end of the session. My partner wasn't at a high enough level to get the combo smoothly, but she cheerfully kept trying. I appreciated it, as I think I can remember it for Portland because of that.

Things started to wind down around 6:15 because of the intense humidity in the space: men were wiping their faces, heads, necks, and women were fanning themselves. When some Fresedo started, I decided to lead, and led a few dances before heading home to shop before dinner.

What I liked best: the high energy, slightly crazed lesson delivery (I think some of these guys may be actors too), the good music, and the general energy of the organizers.

Shopping

Sad changes

There are definitely changes in where to shop from three years ago until now.

Tango Imagen (Dr. Tomás Manuel de Anchorena 606) is still open. The space is much smaller, with fewer clothes and fewer sizes available. I just don't fit into a size 2; never have and never will.

Tango 8, which used to be next to Tango Imagen, is closed. The store across the street, whose name I can't remember, is also closed.

I tried to go to Susanna Villaroel's Artesanal store, but it was also gone. At NeoTango, they told me that they think you can call and get an appointment, but the store is gone; she has moved to an apartment/store. More on this as I keep looking.

Good news (somethings don't change)

Neotango (Sarmiento 1938) is still going strong. Ariel (the salesman) remembered me, and even managed to remember how long since I had been there. I must have bought more shoes than most people...

I have the widest feet on the planet. When barefoot, they almost look square. After trying shoes all over town, and every style Neotango has, I know what I need without much extra, "Oooh! Look at THOSE!" I bought my standard replacements for the shoes I have worn out: black and pewter. They were out of silver in the model I like, so I am the owner of a pair of platinum heels. I also bought a pair of black trainers, as I had forgotten to pack my leading shoes.

At this point, the blue dollar rate is so much better than the official rate, that it makes sense to exchange money and pay in cash. There is also a small cash discount for paying in cash.

Back in the saddle: Buenos Aires otra vez!

I just got back from a nice milonga that is new for me, De Querusa (Carlos Calvo 3745).

I almost didn't go dancing today. My body feels exhausted. The flight felt endless because I was not able to sleep. Luckily, the nice originally-from-Taiwan-now-from-Oklahoma man next to me couldn't sleep either, so we talked most of the way.

Then, there was the mother of all lines at the airport for customs. An hour and a half after landing, I was still waiting to get through customs. I have NEVER seen a line like that, ever, at any airport. It was crazy.

Luis and his son picked me up at the airport, so I got a nice long summary of good new milongas, what they think of Macri, family news and the economy. I am REALLY glad I don't drive here. The lines on the road seem to be merely a challenge, not even guidelines. After so many visits, I no longer panic in taxis. If you are going to die today, oh well...

I didn't think I would make it out dancing, but, after several hours of napping instead of getting anything done (blew off the class I wanted to take), I was in good enough shape to get showered, dressed, makeup on, and get out the door.

De Querusa had a nice mix of people. There were people from 20-something to at least 60-something; portenos, tourists, expats--a nice mix. I saw people I know from the USA, people I know from other years, and made new friends with a Romanian woman and her Argentine boyfriend who sat next to me. One poor French guy didn't speak Spanish, and my French was completed mixed up with my Spanish today. My Spanish is coming back quickly, as I am not speaking English.

Too tired to dance very much, but I am glad that I went. When in Buenos Aires, you need to just get in the saddle and keep moving.

De Querusa info: 50 pesos entrance; 25 pesos for a bottle of water; dancing Mondays and Thursday. I paid 80 pesos for the taxi back and forth (the sky opened up and soaked everything tonight). With the current exchange rate, the total for milonga, taxi and drink comes to $12-$16 (bank or blue rate exchange). Add in the (gluten-free!) food from the local Chinese buffet (about $3), and I had a pretty cheap evening.

I just found out that there are two days of holidays coming next week, so I need to figure out what will be open. Perhaps tomorrow just became a super shopping day! I am trying to figure out how to show video without having my camera stolen. Hasta manana!

Not yet: another great TED talk that inspires

As most of you know by now, I tend to watch TED talks while knitting. I also tend to watch TED talks about learning. I am doubly concerned with the best ways to learn, as I am both a teacher and the mother of a child with disabilities who struggles through every day of school.

Today, I watched several TED talks by Carol Dweck. Although she is discussing research about children and learning, pretty much everything she said applied to tango. I will summarize, but the talks are short and interesting if you want to watch them.

Professor Dweck studied how children dealt with learning and difficulty. She describes how your approach to mistakes and learning can help--or hinder--your learning. There are two models of the learning mindset: the fixed mindset, where the idea is that intelligence is fixed; and a growth mindset that understands that you can develop talents and abilities through practice.

Looking at learning as a pass-fail opportunity, where failing means that you are stupid, makes learning very emotionally difficult. Switching to the growth mindset, and learning with an attitude of "not yet" will give you better tools to learn. If you can't do something, that doesn't mean you won't be able to do it later; you just haven't had enough practice!

Every time you push out of your comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, the neurons in the brain form new connections and over time, you can get smarter.

Although Dweck was talking about how to teach for better student performance, as adults, I think we can all serve as our own coaches in learning process. Work on talking to yourself the way you would to someone you are mentoring.

Instead of yelling at yourself for failing, follow Dweck's advice: praise yourself for pursuing the PROCESS of learning. Reward yourself for effort. Reward yourself for progress towards your goal. Reward not giving up! Give yourself a pat on the back (or a chocolate? works for me) for perseverance. Maybe you can't do something yet, but you can see the steps you have taken, how hard you have worked, how you haven't given up, and reward yourself.

With a positive, not-yet mentality, when you encounter difficulty, that's when the neurons are forming connections: it's getting smarter time!

Returning to the known from a new unknown: gaining perspective

I have been spinning wool for over ten years. I had two intensive days of lessons with an expert, and then worked on my own. Unlike my tango, I didn't try to improve through added feedback; I just liked the feel of spinning. After all, it worked fine: I could make yarn and make gifts out of it for people.

I recently got the itch to improve my technique. I started watching YouTube videos (yes, eek, to those of you who know my opinion on learning tango this way). I took an entire day of classes in September at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival.

At the festival, I learned to spin cotton, flax, hemp and ramie--all plant fibers. The technique is different than what you need for wool. Then, I spun cotton for an entire month. I have recently made a 4-ply cotton yarn. It's not perfect by a long shot, but I am proud of it.

Late last night, I got out some Corriedale wool, and I SPIN SO NICELY NOW!!!! It feels so silky! I can tell how much twist it wants to have in it. I can spin more evenly and thinner AND faster than two months ago. And it I learned it by walking away from my old practice, trying something new, and returning.

I am excited to think that my Buenos Aires trip in December will open up new perspectives on tango the way spinning a new fiber made my "regular" spinning evolve.

What's your favorite Buenos Aires milonga and neighborhood?

What is my favorite place to stay when I am in Buenos Aires? It depends. I have stayed in San Telmo, Villa Crespo, the area around the Abasto, and near the Parque Centenario. For the first few visits, I stayed in San Telmo because I knew my way around there. All of the other visits, I have stayed with friends in various neighborhoods. Each time, I decide that my favorite area is the one I am staying in currently.

The last three times I visited Buenos Aires, I stayed in Congreso. I know all the milongas in the area, and I can walk to a lot of them. I rarely take a taxi to other parts of town, although I ride the subte (subway). My favorite shoe shop is there. My favorite empanada place is there (but now I can't eat gluten, sob!). My favorite milonga is there.

This year, the place I used to stay is not available, and I am looking for a new adventure. Perhaps I have gotten complacent, going to the same places to dance and eat. Maybe I need to be nudged into a new experience. Maybe I am just getting old and lazy :-)

I am curious: what is YOUR favorite neighborhood, and why?

Also, what is YOUR favorite milonga, and why?

Anxiety and tango: getting out on the dance floor

During the past few weeks, I have watched my students and how they approach dancing tango (and other dances). One Thursday night, I am happy to say, several students were out on the dance floor, doing their thing. However, two more were sitting at the dance, not making much eye contact with potential dance partners; one was texting. Another beginning dancer was hiding in the bar and watching from where no one would ask him to dance.

One student told me that he may never go out dancing, but just wanted to learn tango. Several people have told me that their fear of asking someone else to dance has made it almost impossible to dance, although they have reached intermediate and advanced levels of dancing tango by taking lessons.

This is not only about my students. I had the opportunity to talk to other dancers at workshops and milongas during the past few weeks, and asked them about their experiences going dancing. Some told me of crying in their cars after the milonga, or not being able to walk in the door some nights. Only a few people seemed to find my question silly: "What problem? I love this!"

Most of the responses of current dancers were similar to those persons who were too scared to go dancing, but something must have occurred to get them over that initial hump, and out on the dance floor. What could make this experience work better for those of us who are shy, anxious, lacking confidence, or just starting out dancing? How can we get out on the dance floor more easily?

I would love to hear what you have to say about your experience getting out on the dance floor. What advice would YOU give to someone to help them get out there?

Notes from Gustavo and Giselle Anne's Portland workshop

It's been a long time

I have always respected Gustavo (La computadora) and his amazing ability to break movement down, reverse it, turn it inside out, and find new permutations. However, it has been a LONG time since I studied with him. The last time I studied with Gustavo was back in 2000 or 2001 in Buenos Aires. At the time, I was heavily into "open embrace" and the universe of tango that Gustavo and his group of compatriots were exploring. The feeling in the class was that this was the most extensive system of tango available. This was THE way to dance.

As I have transitioned into preferring close embrace, I left behind the open embrace teachers and moved on. From performance videos, it didn't look like Gustavo and Giselle Anne had changed their style, although they were really, really good at it. Dancing open just didn't excite me anymore.

Why would I return to the fold?

I would not have taken the workshop usually. I get a lot more out of private lessons than group lessons, and I didn't expect to enjoy myself. I took the workshop as a favor to the organizer, who is a friend of mine. I agreed to dance with someone who needed a partner, but not someone I usually dance with. I deeply questioned the expenditure: what would make a weekend worth almost $400?

Not just sitting on their laurels

What I liked best about the workshop, was that Gustavo and Giselle Anne looked at the embrace in a way they would never have done fifteen years ago. They looked at ALL the possibilities available. There was no "one" way to do the dance anymore.

Listening to them, I was impressed at how much their teaching had expanded and improved. As a teacher who constantly tries to get better at what I do, I often feel disappointed when I watch teachers repeat exactly the same lesson, year after year. I was excited to hear how they worked together as a dialogue (not the case back in the day). Here is a world-famous couple who deserve their position at the top.

We looked at open embrace, "regular" embrace (so nice to hear that what I teach would be considered regular!) and close embrace that does not allow the follower's hips to pivot: three kinds of embrace! We looked at how the embrace affects movement that we use in the dance: ochos, turns, sacadas, boleos, etc.

We also explored the other side of the embrace: what happens when you break the embrace? What goes away, but also, what moves are now possible? What if we reverse the embrace? How does that affect both steps and how you lead and follow? Gustavo is not if not exhaustive in his explorations, but that is my way too, so I enjoyed it.

Humor and history teach lessons

It felt great to have world-famous people say, "If you want to win the Mundial, don't take our workshop! The current fad of tango says you should do x, and we have looked at the dance and don't agree that this works best." Full disclosure of disagreement in the community, but with humor, felt really good.

Instead of the politics of Buenos Aires tango, I felt that Gustavo and Giselle Anne were offering 30 years of tango experience, backed up by what Gustavo saw and experienced as a young dancer in the 80's. I loved his stories of the development of tango and its moves, and how it has changed. That is much more valid to me than what one group of people think about "perfect" tango in 2015. The longer view works better, and is better for tango and the community in the long run. I can see how Gustavo and Giselle Anne have relinquished the "right now is best" and has grown into the fabric of the tradition.

Access more of your tango knowledge on the dance floor!

Typical tango nightmare

The music begins. Joe Tango asks someone to dance. The floor is a bit crowded, which makes Joe a bit tense. The song is unfamiliar, which makes him more tense. The partner is someone he would like to impress with his tango skills: more pressure! Suddenly, Joe can only remember three moves. His brain freezes, and for a moment, he can't remember even a single move. Freak out time!

If you lead tango, I am sure this has happened to you before. For some dancers, this is how it feels at the beginning. For others, this is how it always feels when the room is crowded. People say to me, "I went to [x] milonga, and it was too crowded to dance, but YOU looked like you were having fun and doing cool moves!" (in an accusing tone of voice). "How did you do that?!"

How I deal with lack of space

The reason I don't freak out in crowded spaces, is that I had the equivalent of learning to drive in Boston as my training for learning to lead tango. Three years into tango, I spent four months over the space of two years, dancing in Buenos Aires. I led a lot at Torquato Tasso, La Viruta, even at El Beso.

My Spanish was eight weeks old when I first visited Bs As, so I had no idea how much negative attention I was attracting by leading. Some of the guys said rude things about "women drivers" and some women refused to dance with me. However, many guys simply tried to get me to run into them so that they could point out how badly I lead. Others just tried to run me off the dance floor.

I learned to protect my partner from other couples and from the tables at the edge of the floor. I saw that everyone else seemed to be leading just fine in small spaces, and copied their moves. I learned that a well-planted axis (an ample butt helps) keeps other leaders from taking your space. I experienced following good leaders with no space to maneuver, and alternated that with leading in the same spaces.

If you can't make it to Buenos Aires, go to crowded practicas. Or, set up chairs in your practice space, and dance around them. Attend classes focused on dancing well in small spaces. Practice is the only way to learn to do this.

How I remember moves easily

I have discussed how I arrange my vocabulary of tango moves in a way that makes it easier to remember more moves than my short-term memory has slots for recall. Here is an example of some moves from a student's lesson:

Apart from that, I practice moves in different combinations. I practice them to the right and left. I practice them as a leader and as a follower. This gives me more ease in recall, as I don't have to follow the same brain path to find a move; there are lots of connections between each move and at least several other moves.

How I deal with unfamiliar songs

At this point, I only hear a new song a few times each year. Very few of the tangos, valses and milongas that DJs play are strange to me, so I rarely have this problem anymore. So, the easy answer is: listen to tango all the time :-)

A more useful answer when you are already on the dance floor: tune into the "flavor" of the music. Explore the music with your partner. The next time you hear that tango, you will dance it better. Approach it as a new adventure, not a roadblock to good dancing!

One outstanding problem: shyness

I don't know the answer to how to deal with the nervousness that accompanies dancing with someone who you are nervous about leading. I get nervous when I dance with someone new who is above my level, even though I have danced tango for twenty years! Being a shy person, I think I will always struggle with this part of couple dancing. I just try to remember that they would like to enjoy themselves, and I try to give them a sensitive, connected, energized dance.

DRAW your Argentine tango future!

My favorite idea of the week

I like to surf TED Talks while I knit or spin fiber (my main hobby right now). This gives me all sorts of ideas about tango. Here is the one I watched yesterday: Draw Your Future. Patti Dobrowolski gives a vibrant, short talk about designing positive change in your life. You draw what you want to see happen, and then work on making the drawing reality.

What if we apply this to our tango?

Recently, many of my students have asked me, "Why am I doing this?" They have spent a lot of time, money and effort to learn tango. They go out dancing--and sit. They ask people to dance, and get rejected. They feel ignored, not welcome, and invisible. This includes my most advanced student, men with years of tango experience, and beautiful, young women with intermediate tango skills. Instead of quitting, what if we all applied Patti Dobrowolski's ideas to improving our tango life?

An example

I tried this with one student already. She took almost no time to draw it: she already knew what she wanted to be different. I asked her to list three things to change into her dream, and she had two in under a minute. All three goals were spot-on in my opinion, and all three were practical, reasonable, and could be achieved! Now, we have a plan to work on!

Translation (not word-for-word): "I have my axis, but anything like criticism, or a dancer who is not dancing well with me, or a bad day, blows me off my axis." The green is wind, energy, things pushing the dancer off-balance. Instead, she wants to add glide to her dance, more flexibility/bounce to her alignment, and warm, positive energy coming off of her that makes her feel confident about her own dance. She wants people to see her dance by, and ask, "What was that [masked] woman?"

Plan so far: part of each private lesson will be spent on strengthening her body so that she can better maintain balance and alignment without tightening her body. Part will be spent on how to use her feet, knees and hips better so that her movement smoothes out to a glide. Part of her "homework" is to go out dancing more, to practice. And part is working on her self-confidence, partially by me pretending to dance badly while she manages to still dance with grace and balance: no matter who takes her out on the dance floor, she will know she can look good and dance well. Part will be personal work on her own.

Your turn!

So, I am asking you to consider watching that short video, and then trying out this idea: draw your current tango experience, and draw the future that you envision. What is it that bothers you about your tango/tango experience now? What would you like to have happen by a year from now?

Would you draw YOUR tango future and send it to me? I would love to hear your transformation goals and how you plan to get there!

OK, I'm on the wild side! What do I do?

I think of move possibilities like a drop-down menu on the computer, or perhaps a flowchart. My brain makes one decision at a time, and I dance a combination of moves that I often have not set up before-hand. Instead, at each "level" I make a decision, and that affects what happens next.

Level one: things that start on the outside

If I decide to move to the outside track, I often don't have a plan. I am just moving over/out there to see what might strike my fancy. Making my decision about what move to do is based on:

1. My follower: Whatever my follower does, right or wrong, in response to my move, helps decide what happens next. If they have good balance and alignment, I can do anything I want. If they tend to tip over right or left, that limits my choices.
2. Space: Do I have a lot of room in front of me? What about to my left? How close are the tables to my right? Where am I in my slot? How dangerous is the leader/couple in front of me?
3. Music: If I have plenty of space, I can let the music decide my movement choice.

Level two: right, left or straight ahead?

In the drop-down menu, this is my next level. I am on the outside, and need to pick. For my most recent session in my intermediates and up class (Portland, Oregon for those of you outside the area), we first learned several ways to get to the "outside" of the follower (to the follower's right when facing line-of-dance). Then, we explored different uses of the the space and how they work with tango, vals and milonga music.

I learned most of these moves dancing in Buenos Aires. For many of them, I first had someone use them on the dance floor, and then I took them to my teachers and asked how to lead it more clearly.

Back ocho across line-of-dance, then walk to the cross (zigzag to right)

1. Get to the outside track.
2. Take one step line-of-dance in crossed system (Leader's left, Follower's left).
3. Leader puts both feet down for balance, and turns Follower about 90 degrees.
4. Lead back ocho across line-of-dance: Leader steps side with right; Follower does back ocho with right.
5. Leader puts both feet down for stability, and turns Follower, ready to walk line-of-dance.
6. Exit in either crossed or parallel system: the Leader had both feet down, so it is easy to just push off whatever foot you want.

Variation with room for fun, big adornos (1 step straight, one right, one to return)

Same up to #3, then a change.

1. Get to the outside track.
2. Take one step line-of-dance in crossed system (Leader's left, Follower's left).
3. Leader puts both feet down for balance.
4. Turn the follower MORE THAN 90 degrees for the back ocho.
5. Lead the back ocho in this direction (slightly right back diagonal to line-of-dance).
6. Suspend the follower and let them adorn. Because the line of sight is clear, the Follower can decide to do something elegant, or something wild and crazy in the space.
7. Exit with FORWARD step for Follower and side step for Leader.
8. Turn follower in to regular embrace angle.
9. Exit line-of-dance.

Two kinds of circulos

I love circulos. I have been doing them since I first went to Buenos Aires in 1999 and learned them. I like how many walking steps can be fit into a small space by bending them into a pentagon or square, or whatever shape is made by that many steps. It FEELS like a circle, nice and smooth, but the straight lines of the steps make it crisp.

"Regular" circulo

This circulo is probably the one that I use the most. It is very compact, so it takes very little room. Because the follower is on the inside of the circle, it's easier to control the size of the move. I am fond of using it in the corners when other people forget to use them.

1. Get on the outside.
2. For each step of the circulo, angle the step just a little bit more than the step before. In other words, you have tiny pivots at the end of each step, making a 4-, 5- or 6- sided figure before exiting.
3. Don't forget your contrabody! It sounds counterintuitive, but I need to do regular walking, so I can't just have my chest face the follower and go around; that makes a messy circulo. Make each step a GOOD forward step, leaders!
4. The follower needs to know that each step is a BACK step. If you lose that clarity, the follower will start to do a giro (which is OK, but not what you planned).
5. If you walk correctly, it is pretty easy to finish the circulo, pivot your follower a bit, and walk out line-of-dance or to the cross, because you can return to the "inside" track at the end of any step of the circulo.

Jose's circulo

I am sure that Jose Garafolo did not invent this, but he is the one who taught me how to do this move well. There are only two differences between the regular circulo and this one:

1. The leader steps forward and then SIDE; forward and side, etc., rather than all forward steps. This means that you need to use your contrabody well to help you pivot. The follower still steps back on each step.
2. This is easiest to do by taking two steps (forward, PIVOT, side) and then turning the follower to face a new direction for the next chunk of the move. The follower often feels as if there is a six-step triangle or an 8-step square happening. I like the variation! Note: some people do this move in the same shape as the regular circulo.
3. When you are almost facing line-of-dance, pivot the follower so that you are facing line-of-dance and the follower is facing you; walk to the cross.

Scoop turn

I learned this move from Daniel Trenner, probably in my first weekend of tango. We did it in open embrace, but when I went to Buenos Aires, I found that it worked even better in close embrace!

1. Get to the outside.
2. Two steps line-of-dance: Follower takes two back steps. The leader takes a front step, pivots, and then takes a side step (same setup as for Jose's circulo).
3. Note: Leader must make sure to catch up with follower at this point, or the move won't work.
4. Leader plants both feet, facing towards the inside of the dance space, and then rotates the follower in a deep ocho (overturned ocho) to do a medialuna around to the leader's left: back, side, front.
5. Complete turn, pause (for adornos and balance), and then exit line-of-dance.

Marvin's favorite

My student Marvin came back from Buenos Aires completely in love with this move. It is a cross-system, counter-clockwise traveling turn on the outside, but I just call it Marvin's favorite. It has the same setup as Jose's circulo and the scoop turn, and is especially lovely in the vals.

1. Get to the outside.
2. Two steps line-of-dance: Follower takes two back steps. The leader takes a front step, pivots, and then takes a side step (same setup as for Jose's circulo).
3. Note: Leader must make sure to catch up with follower at this point, or the move won't work.
4. Leader tucks left leg behind into an enrosque, and pivots on BOTH feet around to face line-of-dance (or as close to that as works at the moment). Follower is led to step forward around leader, then side step (2 steps of a left turn).
5. [Optional] If the pivot did not go very well, and the follower ends up on the outside track, the leader can just exit here.
6. [Optional] If the pivot went OK, but not great, the leader will need to suspend the follower, and shift to the outside again before repeating the step.
7. Do the same move a second time if you have room.
8. Exit to the cross.

Calesita

There are many versions of calesita that work well on the outside. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Do a circulo (1/4, 1/2 or full), and then suspend the follower and do a calesita around them until you are facing line-of-dance. Exit.
2. Do the scoop turn preparation, but instead of doing the turn, suspend the follower and do a calesita around them at this point.
3. Do a circulo, then a calesita, then another circulo. This was a favorite for Tete during the time I studied tango vals with him in Buenos Aires in 2000. It flows as only Tete could.
4. Do a calesita after one of "Marvin's favorite" turns as a fun ending if you have a partner who has good balance.

Boleo

You can add a boleo to either the zigzag back ocho, or at the point where you would have done a scoop turn/calesita/Marvin's favorite; and exit.

Level three: exit!

The drop-down menu on whatever move I am doing has one more level: getting out. I have a few tried and true basic things that I do here, again based on space, partner and music.

1. Walk to the cross: get back on the follower's right (regular or inside, depending on your dance). It's in a straight line down the dance floor, and familiar to the follower. No complications.
2. Move line-of-dance and worry about moves later. If I have space in front of me, I will do some walking variation to keep traffic flowing.
3. Do another one! Especially in vals, if the flow of the dance is working well and I have room, I might do a second (for turns MAYBE a third) iteration of a move, as long as it moves a bit forward. I do that less in tango.

Truth be told, I rarely think this far ahead when I dance. I am happy to have reached the stage where my body often picks a move for me. I don't think very much while dancing. It took me a long time to get here, as I am the kind of geek who thinks about movement all the time. Do the rest of you try to analyze what muscles you are using while you weed your garden? Probably not. :-)

Your turn!

Now, use these ideas for practice, and then go out and dance and see what happens organically. Let me know what else YOU like to do when dancing on the wild [out]side!

New beginning and intermediate sessions start week!

NEXT THURSDAY, new sessions!

FUNdamentals (7 PM Thursdays)
Tango, milonga, vals:
Making the music work for you
Moves that work in all three dances
Beginner & up

You make me cross! (8 PM Thursdays)
Cross in front, cross behind, lateral crosses...
Tips for leading and following
Combos with different kinds of crosses
Classic moves for the social dance floor
Intermediate & up

Om Movement Studi 14 NE 10th
$70/6 weeks
$105/6 weeks for both classes
$14 drop in

Come play with us!