When I looked at my blog, I realized that you can't look at the pictures in a way that makes the arch exercise clear that I described in my last blog entry. Here is a short video that I hope will make it clearer!
Rebuilding my feet: core and balance
I am not allowed to dance in them yet, but my PT gave me permission to start wearing my heels to do some of my exercises! Yay! It's been three months, and folks, maybe this sounds girly, but I just don't feel my normal self wandering around in flat sandals with toe separators on.
Working the arches and ankles: Magic Metatarsal
I have lost a lot of balance and strength in three months. My PT says that every two weeks of not exercising/dancing/whatever results in an appreciable change in the muscles. I am not even going to count this in sets of two weeks, or I would cry.
I use the phrase "magic metatarsals" to describe where to focus the work of the foot for dancing, walking, standing--everything. If you get off your toes and into your arch, you are moving the way humans are designed to move naturally. This makes your movement more graceful, organic--pretty!
Exercise #1: The magic metatarsal
Tango (and tango shoes) require that you use your foot correctly when the weight is off the heels (pivoting)--or else you will suffer in your toes. I love it that Seth Watterson, my chiropractor and physical trainer, thinks my feet are in great shape for a dancer. "You must being doing something right!" he said when I told him how many hours I spend in heels (before the injury).
Pivoting on the injured foot (my left), as if for a back ocho or any back cross step, still doesn't work right, so I am focusing on fixing that. This exercise does not pivot, but it prepares my foot to be in the right position for pivoting. These photos are steps 1, 2 & 3 below. Yes, the changes are subtle: this is a tiny move!
Starting with my heels touching the floor,
- I make sure my arches are engaged, my knees are soft and my core is toned.
- As I raise my heels higher, I work to stay in the same alignment.
- As I reach the highest point I can do this correctly, I re-engage my core and arches for the SLOW trip back to heels on floor.
If you grab a straight edge and line it up on the pictures, you will notice that my bone alignment stacks up over my arch, not my toes (compare with below).
At the moment, I can only do this exercise with my hands on a support (notice, furniture works great as a ballet barre!). When I am in top form, I can do this unsupported. Ladies, if you can't do this without support, that means you are leaning on the leader: do you want that to happen? NO! This is why I am mostly leading when dancing right now :-)
On your toes is WRONG!
Mostly of us tend to lean onto our toes, bring our hips forward, and grip at the knees to get our heels off the ground.
Tips for doing the exercise (and all training, frankly)
- If you can only do the exercise a few times correctly, then only do that.
- Your first one is usually your best: why not do just one, but once an hour?
- Visualize, visualize, visualize! If your muscles are not strong enough to do this correctly, stand on your foot and think about your arch, engage those muscles lightly, and release.
- Wiggle your toes: it is almost impossible to do this and clench your feet, so it will help relax into alignment.
- Try it barefoot before trying it in heels.
OK, folks, more later!
Rebuilding my feet: I miss my tango heels!!
Update
Six weeks in a boot certainly affected my foot and ankle strength! A month after getting out of the boot, I am still not back in my beloved heels. Luckily, my chiropractor and trainer (same person) understands that heels are in my future, and has given me strict instructions about what I will have to be able to do before he OKs stilettos.
Even if you have not had a foot injury, if you have had trouble wearing heels before, you might try the exercises I have described below, to build your foot and ankle strength. If you tend to roll in or out, or end up on your toes when you turn, these will help build your arch muscles up to help with stability.
Exercises
The easy version: one-minute balance
The first exercise was to balance for a minute on the half roller, on one foot. No problem! I do this all the time...before the injury. It took a week of doing this to be able to get up to a whole minute without pitching off.
The important parts:
- Make sure to spread your toes
- Keep both margins of the foot down (you can see here that I am still tipping away from my big toe a bit)
- Breathe! If you don't breath, you fall off by 30 seconds (ask how I know).
Slightly harder: roll with the punches
Once I could balance on the easy side, I turned over the roller. After two weeks of practicing, I can now stay up for a minute. As you can see, my big toe is still not spreading out the way it should, so those muscles are not completely back to where they were before. I am wearing Correct Toes (toe separators) to help train my toe back to a good position, but not in this picture.
Important points:
- Same as above, spread toes, keep margins of foot down, and breathe.
- Make sure that you are stacking your hips above your foot correctly and engaging your core.
- Keep your hips in balance front-to-back and side-to-side. Movement is OK: don't clench anything!
Look Ma, no hands!
Now that I can balance with one foot, I have added some kind of surfing thing to the mix. This requires me to get a good lineup for my feet, and then to (eventually) be able to touch my back knee down and stand back up while doing this. THAT is not happening yet, although if I use the flat side of the roller against the floor, and can do about 10 reps of knee half-way to the floor.
Total alignment
This was fun to try to photograph solo. You can't see the mouse on the table :-) I had to balance, hold the stick, get aligned AND shoot the photo at the same time. This is the same exercise as above but showing the whole picture
Important points:
- Feet should be a forearm's length apart.
- Weight should be shared between the feet (I was putting too much weight on my good foot and my quads were sore the first time I tried ten of these).
- Back of head and back of sacrum should make a perpendicular line to the floor (can check with a mirror/friend and a dowel).
- Core is working like crazy.
- From this pose, you gradually bring the back knee to the floor and back up.
What having a broken big toe has taught me about my tango
The saga
The bad news
About a month ago, I got kicked by an enthusiastic dancer. It hurt a lot, but I carried on teaching. The next day, another student (a doctor) felt my toe and told me she couldn't feel a fracture. I kept on teaching, but mostly danced in socks for the week.
I went dancing a week later, in heels as usual. After about three tandas, I couldn't dance anymore. I figured that, after teaching five hours, I was just tired. However, another week in socks, and another attempt to dance in heels after the second week, ended the same way. I felt a sharp snapping feeling in my toe, and couldn't pivot anymore.
My husband insisted that I go to urgent care, where they xrayed my toe, told me they didn't see a break, and sent me home in a boot with my big toe buddy-wrapped to my second toe.
The next day, the doctor called to say that the radiologist "might" have found a fracture of my toe. Two days later, they confirmed that my toe was broken. My chiropractor, who works with Oregon Ballet Theatre dancers, read me the riot act, and made me promise to cut down on teaching, as well as to wear this (stupid) boot for six weeks.
I am two weeks into the six weeks. I figure that I probably re-broke the toe at least once before wearing the boot, so I am counting the break from the Xray day, rather than from being kicked. I am NOT a good patient. I push my body. I am still teaching about three hours a day, six days a week. Being self-employed means that I don't have workman's compensation for injury on the job, and I don't have sick days or paid vacation; so I work.
The good news
I am getting a lot of help from my students. Some are coming to classes with a partner instead of solo. Some have switched to every other week to rest my foot. Some are helping out with my dance classes. I really appreciate it!
That's the only good part when I'm in a grumpy mood about my (stupid) foot.
I can still lead!
All of those years of learning moves to the right and to the left, using either foot, have finally paid off!
I can't pivot on my left foot, and the boot doesn't let me articulate my left foot BUT I have found that I can mostly lead as well as without the boot. When I need to pivot, I use my right foot. If I need a really good VROOM! of energy to get the follower to do something, I start on my right foot. I don't even really have to think about adjusting moves because of years of training lead and follow, on all my moves. I know
Simply from having learned to dance from elderly Argentine men on the dance floor, I can see how less than stellar posture and technique can still make a good dance. I focus on the follower and being clear (as usual), and I adapt my dance as needed.
I like that my core strength and my balance allow me to do a lot of my giros and other pivoting moves, on one foot. All those hours of balance training have paid off too!
Following is harder on my body
I don't think this is always the case, but without a left foot that pivots, I have to work a lot harder to get to where the leader needs me to be, without causing trouble for the leader. I have developed ways to cheat that I have not had to ever use before. It's not as easy as leading, where I have the choice of where the dance is headed, and can avoid pivoting when needed.
The injury certain shows me that I have been dancing over the center of my arch, using my metatarsals instead of my toes. If I danced on my toes, I would not be able to dance at all right now. Thank goodness for healthy technique!
My chiropractor said that he was surprised that I wasn't out of alignment, between the broken toe and the awful boot. He said it must be due to my good walking technique. He also said he is always amazed at how healthy my feet look despite wearing heels a lot, and agreed that my technique must be strong.
No social dancing for six weeks??!!??
Go out and dance a tanda for me: I can't go out social dancing until this is over. It's just too painful to watch everyone else dancing when I can't. Sigh.
At least I can still teach! I think I would go crazy without any dance. I have four new class sessions that start this week. Lots of plans, lots of enthusiasm, lots of frustration that I can't show everything the way I would like to show it.
Buenos Aires Tango Tour: designed for YOU!
Not your normal tango tour!
This is not your normal group tango tour! This tour is designed for people who don’t want to go to Buenos Aires alone, but don’t want to be shackled to a group 24-7. As folks are signing up, I am incorporating their requests into my plan. If you want to go everywhere together in a group, this is probably not the right choice for you. If you are more adventurous, or looking for something really special, this is for you.
This tour will be limited to twelve people. I feel that you deserve quality work from me, and that means individual attention and help. One spot has already been reserved. There is no minimum number of people: we are going!!
What do YOU want to do in Buenos Aires?
I have been going to Buenos Aires since 1999. Those visits have provided me with a lot of local information, friends, contacts, knowledge of the dance scene, and love for the city. I am putting all of that experience to work for YOU!
This is a tour tailored to your personal goals for Buenos Aires:
· Do you want to dance every day/night? I can help you choose the best places for you to dance, based on your level, your dance goals, etc., and help you make reservations to get decent seating.
· Do you want to find group or private tango lessons? I will help you make appropriate choices, get you there, and even help you locate a practice partner/dance partner if you want one.
· Do you want a “taxi dancer” (Buenos Aires dancer who accompanies you to milongas)? I have several good sources for great folks who won’t cheat you on prices.
· Do you want to see the sights? I will organize daily excursions to fun places that you can choose to do, or do your own thing. I will also be organizing trips to folk dancing, museums, Teatro Colon, and other cool places you don't want to miss!
· Do you want a Spanish tutor? I will find one for you!
· Do you want to a cultural exchange? My friend (who is an English professor) is coordinating with me to give her students chances to practice English, while YOU get a native tour guide around the city.
· Do you want to shop until you drop? I can aim you in the right direction, go to shoe stores with you and translate for you, etc. The “outlet mall” area and wholesale district are nearby!
The dates: Dec. 2-12
I am timing the tour to coincide with the National Day of Tango is December 11 (Carlos Gardel’s birthday). To celebrate, they hold a huge street party between the Congress building and the Casa Rosada (the president’s house), with live bands, dancing in the street and performances. I went in 2012 and 2015, and had fun both times. As it occurs right before summer solstice, everyone is out celebrating the start of summer as well. If you want to come a day early, or stay after the tour, etc., that is up to you; the dates can be semi-flexible.
Cost
Last year, I spent two weeks in Buenos Aires, researching hotels, locating the best current milongas, trying out teachers, and finding a good neighborhood for us to stay. I will be available 24-7 during your ten days in Buenos Aires, as well as making shoe shopping trips, milonga excursions, etc. available each day for you! It’s a lot of work, but I am excited to share my favorite city and dance with all of you, and I want you to have the best possible experience of Buenos Aires, so that you want to go back on your own!
The cost is $1200/person for my services during the trip, my pre-planning, and any individual scheduling and help that you need before and during the trip. You will pay the hotel, airfare, food, tango shoes etc., on your own.
If cost is an issue, please talk to me before deciding not to go.
Flights
I usually fly through Houston, as that is the fastest flight time. Usually, Economy is fine. However, I suggest that you DO NOT buy Economy on the United Dreamliner: I upgraded to Economy Plus on the way home, which was OK. I know some of the people planning to go have miles saved on various airlines. I willmake sure you get from Ezeiza Airport to the hotel, but it's up to you to get to Argentina :-)
Visa
There is no visa needed to visit Argentina as a tourist for under 90 days, BUT it is now required that you pay a reciprocity fee before leaving the USA. Luckily, this is much easier than it used to be. You can buy it via the Argentine Embassy online. The cost is $160 USD, and it is good for ten years. You will need proof of buying your visa in order to board the plane to Argentina. Lots of information is available from the U.S. government online.
Airport transport
I will make sure you get picked up at the airport by a reliable person. If you can arrange to fly at the same time as someone else, you can split the cost. It cost $45 in 2015, and will probably be about that. You can pay in dollars or pesos. I will also set up your return trip to the airport when you leave, unless you prefer to do so yourself.
The hotel
I will be staying at 5 Cool Rooms in Palermo. I suggest you also make reservations at 5 Cool Rooms (Honduras 4742, C1414BJV Buenos Aires, Argentina) via Expedia or another travel website. It is air-conditioned, has free breakfast (which can be gluten-free), a Jacuzzi and 24-hr. front desk security. It is near Starbucks for those of you who need your American hit of home (& second free WiFi spot). We can walk to 5-6 milongas in the neighborhood. There is a gluten-free restaurant/bakery nearby, and tons of little restaurants! If you prefer something more exclusive (there are some very lovely, very expensive hotels nearby) or something cheaper (AirBnB), I can help you make good choices about locations.
Using games to find organic movement to build your tango repertoire
Don't just stick moves together!
I often find newer, younger dancers who lead, obsessed by making "hard" combinations of moves, either to showcase their technical vocabulary, or to show off how they can use the music. Sorry, guys, I agree your dance is interesting, but I'm not looking for interesting. I am on the search for sheer pleasure. I want to walk off that dance floor FEELING good, not thinking about the moves you know.
My main criterion for choosing new movement for my leading is organicity. The combination must feel good to the follower and the leader for me to incorporate it into my dancing. What do I mean by organicity? It has to flow, to make sense to my body, and to feel sensually enjoyable.
Harder than it sounds
Your brain is wired to repeat the things you have practiced the most. How hard can it be to break out of the ruts you have created in your dance? Speaking from my own experience, it's not easy.
I know tons of moves. One day when I tried to write down how many moves I know, I got past 100 before giving up. That wasn't even counting combinations of moves! And yet, I find myself doing the same few things, over and over if I tired. "You just did the same ending for that dance as you've done most of the evening!" I scold myself. "Find something new to do!"
I'm not the only one. I danced with one of my students at practica last week, and he kept accidentally trying a move that we had already established doesn't work well for him. He repeatedly tried to vary it, and we laughed about how difficult it is to change one little detail of his usual routine.
When I'm stuck in my habits like that, I know it's time to bring out the tool that I use to construct new movement, find new combos, and shake up my tango: a piece of paper!
Looking for organic movement
BTW, if you are coming to the advanced class tomorrow night, here's your advance notice of what we are doing! We will be playing a game that I stole directly from Merce Cunningham and John Cage's work (thanks, grad school!) that I use to create new material for my tango.
Cut a piece of paper into strips. One each piece, write one move you want to work on. The more precise you can make the description, the more you will get out of this exercise. Then, dump the papers into a hat. Draw three strips out at a time. You must find a way to do the moves, in the order you drew them, with as few steps in between as possible.
If the combination feels good after a few rounds, write it down to work on later. If it feels REALLY good, highlight it or put it at the top of the list. If it feels "eh" or plain old awkward, either forget it, or make a "don't try this" list. Remember that a move might feel bad because one of the partners can't execute that move well; but usually you can tell the difference between "needs more work" and "don't do that" or even "try with another partner later" lists.
Remember, the only criterion for this list of new vocabulary should be: does it feel good?
And the winner is...
Last week in class, I asked people to choose moves to try out in the next hour of class. Some of these are nice and detailed, while others will probably be too open-ended. I found it interesting that the women mostly wanted to do front boleos, while the men chose drags, sacadas, etc. A few of the women in class do some leading, and several of the men follow, but mostly the moves were voted on with a male-female divide! Hmmmmm.
The list we will work with
- linear drag (barrida/arrastre) between the leader and follower (not necessarily with a weight change at the end)
- forced cross drag (barrida/arrastre)
- barrida/arrastre where it looks like the follower is dragging the leader's foot
- forward parada on leader's right side (either foot)
- back parada with leader's left leg/foot
- forward circular boleo with left leg
- forward circular boleo with right leg
- forward linear boleo
Come play!
Usually, I ask everyone to switch partners during the class, but this would be a very useful exercise to work on with one specific partner, so if you bring a partner to class this week (we will probably do this for more than one week), you can stay with that person.
Stealing partners
Because I came to tango from a M.A. in dance and a background in teaching dance, I have a different approach compared to many tango dancers who happen to teach. I am constantly experimenting with ways to make class work better for more people. I tend to create tango "games" that help dancers find new creative space in the dance, rather than focusing on teaching combinations of steps.
Getting in the groove
When I did my thesis research in the late 1990s in Buenos Aires, several of the older dancers I interviewed bemoaned the loss of a collective groove in the milongas. They told me that before, there were fewer collisions and that everyone on the dance floor seemed to be in sync with each other. "Now," one guy told me, "It's everybody for themselves, running all over the place, crashing into people."
When did we lose the part of tango that tunes into the GROUP, as well as the self and the partner? I have thought a lot about this since those interviews.
Solo-couple
I have been playing games to train awareness of the group as well as of the couple, since those interviews. My Solo-Couple game has everyone dance through the space, finding the shape of the available room, how much space you can take as a person, and then teaming up with various partners to explore the space. This game works well and I've used it for years.
I yell "Solo!" and let people get in a groove with the music. They can dance in any direction, and I encourage going against line-of-dance and through the middle of the group. Then I yell "Couple!" and everyone grabs the closest person and keeps moving. This is not the time to stop, introduce yourself, and carefully find an embrace. Grab and go! And yes, often two women who haven't led, or two guys who have managed to avoid following end up together for 30 seconds or a minute. Everyone survives.
A side effect of the game, is that everyone tunes into the music better because they have to move as a group.
Tuning into the music better
Last week at Luisa and my milonga, Las Naifas, I walked in prepared to teach a beginner lesson, and most of the people who came were intermediate and advanced dancers. I wanted to challenge them to dance more tuned into the music and to the group, so I improvised wildly on my planned lesson; and found something much better!
First, we played with the music. We stepped on the beat. Then, we found the double-time (quick quick) parts of the music. Then, we added half-time (step, pause, step, pause). Then, we found the pauses in the music and adornos to ornament the spaces created (different lengths of pause). Then, we added slow motion parts to the dance. After that, we did milonga, vals and tango, and felt the differences in the music.
Stealing partners
OK, so now we have both the idea of solo-couple, tuning into the group, and focusing on musicality to play around within the available space. I asked people to try to dance the music WHILE tuning into the entire group groove. "And you could even steal partners," I joked--and then realized this could be really interesting!
It turns out that, to steal someone's partner, both couples have to be almost completely in sync, dancing very close together. There were moments of syncing up, stealing the partner, and moving into a new connection with a new partner and the music. The best was when two couples were obviously doing this, and a third darted in, synced up, and stole dancers right under the nose of the other people! We ended up with everyone dancing in about one quarter of the available space, dancing well with the music and the partner and the group.
It was fun, too, with lots of giggling. I think that fun is the most important component of learning to dance. If you have fun, you will keep doing it. If you have fun, it helps balance the fact that you are an adult learner, not used to being a beginner, and the awkwardness disappears when you are laughing (not at someone).
Steal a partner notes for teachers
Games make structured students freak out
It is easier to make beginners play tango games. More advanced dancers sometimes get stuck in tango-mode, and are not willing to take risks in order to improve their dance. A few months ago, a person who had danced for a long time walked up to me, told me, "I'm not going to get SLOPPY in my dance after working this hard all these years," quit the lesson, and stalked off to their table, instead of trying something new. Be prepared that some of the more structured dancers may freak out quietly (or loudly) about pushing their comfort envelope.
You need a ringleader
The reason this first trial worked so well was that most of the dancers who showed up enjoy playing with their dance. One dancer in particular made this more fun than I could have dreamed (Thanks, Jay!). I hadn't expected that, as I don't know him well, and I would have guessed he was more conservative in his approach, but he got a gleam in his eye, and charged off to make as much trouble as he could. The game needed a ringleader to encourage misbehaving amongst the others. If you are this kind of person and no student jumps into the fray, you can join the game and help rile things up, but it helps to have a rabble-rouser in the group (or several).
Try milonga first
We had the most success stealing partners while dancing milonga. Musically, it was less complex (regular and double-time only). Then, we moved on to vals (adding half-time and short pauses). When we expanded to tango, and I asked them to add slo-mo and looooong pauses, it was harder for couples to sync up with each other. After a few tangos, they adjusted, but it would not have worked to do this first in tango.
Too many balls in the air, and things fall apart
I tried to combine this game with also finding your partner's breath during pauses, and everything fell apart. The dancers couldn't do the space/group awareness game and tune in deeply to their partner at the same time--yet. My guess is that advanced dancers would be able to add this part as well. When things start to fall apart, take it down one level of complexity and try again.
Have fun trying this new game!
Next year: come with me to Buenos Aires!
Next December, I will be returning to Buenos Aires, but not by myself. I am organizing a tour.
Why a tour?
I have lived in third world countries and traveled by myself to several continents. I am not brave by nature, but I have found that buying a non-refundable ticket prevents me from freaking out and cancelling my trip. I have been lucky to have had many opportunities to step out of my comfort zone.
I studied in Germany during college, and traveled around Europe by myself afterwards. I found that I could survive on my own (even if I mainly ate tangerines, cheese, bread & chocolate as a poor student). Starting off with a group and studying German, gave me a focus and some practice before I headed off alone.
I signed up for Peace Corps on a whim, and spent two beautiful years in Morocco. Again, being with a group, receiving orientation and language training, and knowing that, if anything bad happened, someone would help me get home--helped me on an adventure that I would not have tried alone.
I traveled to Buenos Aires for the first time in 1999. I went alone, but I knew several people who would be there. A friend picked me up at the airport and let me stay overnight until I found a pension. Another friend went to milongas and classes with me until I felt more relaxed.
I returned to Buenos Aires on my own, and then ventured to England and Spain by myself. Now I tend to travel by myself, but going with groups and then with a helping hand, aided my globetrotting.
I learn languages easily, which helps me meet people during my travels: if you like to talk as much as I do, not being able to communicate is way more frustrating than tripping through a new language. It has helped me meet new friends on each trip I have taken.
Many people are hesitant to venture into a new place by themselves. Whether it is a language barrier, a preference to travel with other people, food issues--it can be scary to just into an adventure alone. Going with a group of people can ease the stress of a new place, giving you more time to enjoy your trip.
Why with me?
I love this city! I love these people! I love tango!
I have now been to Buenos Aires seven times. This tour will be my eighth trip to the city.
This city is mine! The first day I spent in Buenos Aires, I just walked around all day, feeling at home. This city runs the same speed that I do. Each time I visit, I try out new milongas, go to new cultural events, walk to new neighborhoods, and have new adventures. There is always something new to do in such a large place. I don't get bored.
Having lived in the third world, when things don't go smoothly in Buenos Aires, I can stay calm. The lights go out in the milonga because too much energy is powering the air conditioners? No problem! Let's go to a different milonga! The bus doesn't come, and then four come in 5 minutes? Yes, that's how it always is, so let's walk! The subway is inexplicably closed? OK, it's taxi time. This is not the first world in some ways, so a sense of humor is needed when things go awry, but I am used to it.
I want to foster a love of the city, of tango, in you. I would love it if you use this as a first step to traveling alone! I am not trying to build a group who will need me to take them every year :-) I hope this will help you explore things that would be too scary on your own (or more fun with me!).
December 2016: put it on the calendar!
For those of you who have been reading my blog, you will know that I just got back from a few weeks in Buenos Aires, which were for the sole purpose of setting up the tour in 2016. I have group classes set up, a hotel, cultural exchange with students who want to practice English, connections to set up Spanish tutors for those who want to polish their language, a list of places to visit, and a bunch of fun milongas to go to, either together or in small groups.
I have helped dozens of people prepare for their first trips to Buenos Aires. Now it's time to TAKE people there myself. If you want to have fun, go somewhere with someone who absolutely loves that place. The enthusiasm rubs off.
I am only taking 8-12 people with me. I am still figuring out the pricing, but I am aiming to make it as cost-effective as possible. I hope this weekend to sit down and hammer out the details more fully, so that you know what to expect. The plan is December 1-14, perhaps leaving the last day of November to make a full two weeks in Argentina.
Come with me!
La Gran Milonga Nacional 2015
I missed part of the Gran Milonga because I went . . . to a different milonga first! It looked like rain, and everyone said, "Oh, too bad, the milonga in Avenida de Mayo won't happen this year." So I made a backup plan: go back to Los Consagrados for a few hours, then see if the weather cleared up. The milonga was really empty compared to normal: some people had bet on the weather being better than I expected, and were off dancing outside.
Five hours later, I staggered out of Los Consagrados, having danced more than enough. That place is really good for my ego. On the way out, three men stopped me to ask my why I hadn't looked at them, and wouldn't I like to do one more tanda? Ah, fame.
Kent, Sara and I went to La Continental for a quick dinner because all three of us had just danced for about five hours. Then, we headed out to the milonga in the street around midnight. There were not that many people, but it HAD started four hours before (oops!), and the rain had only sprinkled, so nothing had been cancelled after all.
We listened to a few singers, did silly Rudolph Valentino imitations in the street, and then danced a bit. However, the choice of pavement or plywood stage, after hours of dancing on a really good floor, made us choose to only dance a little bit and to listen more. I joked that my minute of fame up on the stage in 2012 was enough for me!
However...
Next year, Portland, let's go wreck our shoes out there at the street milonga!!! Have I got a tour planned for you, and we will be out there dancing!
My video editing skills are still super-beginner, so please forgive the strange glitches :-)
A nice salesperson makes all the difference
Neotango vs. 4 Corazones
4 Corazones
- Av. Callao 257 , Piso 3, Dpt. A
I went to 4 Corazones because the ladies at Neotango suggested that it as a place to find tango clothes for us middle-aged, middle-sized people. They seem about my age, and about my size, but I don't think they dance tango. I have since checked with women I know in Buenos Aires who dance tango, and they agree that only tourists would spend as much as the tango stores charge for clothing; they just buy nice things they find in regular stores.
4 Corazones is nicely laid out, with two dressing rooms and a pretty salesgirl. I told her what I was looking for (matching tops and skirts, which I prefer for teaching). No, we don't have that. Well, can I see what you do have? She showed me a few skirts and some tops that were not anything like what I wanted. I picked up a much more conservative, pretty top, and asked to try it on in size 3 or 4. No, we only have size 1 and 2. Nothing "big" in that style.
Well, what DO you have in size 3 or 4? "I don't know." Well, what about in dresses? I picked out a few nice ones. "No, we only have that in small," she told me. She did find one dress that was big enough to fit that was pretty, and I bought it despite her attitude because it fit perfectly.
I wear a size 8 in the USA, so although I am not small, I am not large either. I asked her where tango dancers who are bigger go, because not all the Argentine women are teeny, skinny folk like her. She shrugged and walked off. "You will have to look around." No *^#%. That's what I have been doing.
I am not going back there. Ever.
Neotango
- Sarmiento 1938
- 10:30 am - 7 PM Monday-Friday; 11 am - 4 PM Saturday
I went back to Neotango to tell the ladies what had happened. and tried on the clothing that had seemed too small before. I found a lovely dress that I bought. It was a bit over my budget, but I appreciate their smiling, cheerful help. What other store would have suggested other stores? Nice people.
More sightseeing in Buenos Aires
Recoleta Cemetary
- Address: Junin 1760
- Hours: 8 am to 6 PM (each website said something slightly different, but this is close)
I don't know why I like this place so much, but I tend to go every time I am in Buenos Aires. It was beautiful on Sunday. I went early, so there were almost no people. Just beautiful. It did seem strange to be walking around in 90 degree weather, listening to the churchgoers singing Christmas hymns. I have spent three Decembers in Buenos Aires, and I am still not used to Christmas being in summer.
Centro Cultural Kirchner
Entrada: Free.
Hours: 2-8 PM Thursday-Sunday.
Tours: Thursdays 3-6 PM, every half hour; Fri-Sun. 2:15-6 PM, every 15 minutes. The tour takes about one hour. There seem to be huge numbers of workers available to direct you to get tickets, find the bathroom, follow the tour, try to answer questions, and lurk in groups in corners.
My friend, Silvana, and I met at the new cultural center. It was the central post office for 90 years, and just opened this year as a cultural center. All the activities are free to the public, so check out the website to plan when you want to go. It's pretty impressive. It was worth going on the guided tour, so I suggest doing that.
The building is on the historical buildings register, so they returned it to its former beauty. It reminds me of East Coast train stations: beautiful windows, marble, wood, careful craftsmanship.
The back section, ten floors high, has been gutted, and completely remodeled. Suspended in the center is La Ballena Azul (The Blue Whale), a state-of-the-art concert hall with incredible acoustics. It is so large that I couldn't find a way to photograph all of it from where we were allowed to go.
This next picture shows how large this building really is. The bluish structure at the top is called La Lampera (The Lantern), and houses an art gallery. The large mesh thing below it, is the outside of La Ballena Azul. This inside is the photo above this.
You can get free tickets online for concerts, according to our guide. Three disgruntled tour participants told the tour guide that they were unable to do so. Tip from the guide: when you can't get tickets online, come down the day of the concert, stand in line, and pick up tickets that people have not claimed. Apparently, there are always unclaimed tickets.
Good restaurant in Puerto Madera: La Parolaccia
- Address: Pierina Dealessi 260
- Salad with seafood on top (146 pesos), Caesar salad with chicken (125 pesos), 2 coffees & table setting charge: 400ish pesos
We were starving by the time that we finished going through the cultural center, so we headed to nearby Puerto Madero to eat. This is NOT my part of town: our lunch cost what a steak, salad and glass of wine cost in Almagro. However, it was air-conditioned on a very hot day; and although I couldn't eat most of the food because it is an Italian restaurant specializing in pastas, other people's food looked marvelous. The assortment of breads that I couldn't eat looked marvelous, and Silvan said the flatbread was still hot when it came to the table. The waiter was bored, as it was after the usual lunch hour, and chatted with us. He brought us complementary limoncellos, perhaps because we were so friendly? Ah, it's fun to be female in Buenos Aires :-)
Puerto Madero was being built back in the late 90s when I started coming to Buenos Aires. It is so strange to me to see tons of ritzy hotels, huge skyscrapers and restaurants, a yacht club, etc., where it was abandoned land. I agree with Silvana that it's not right that the coast area does not belong to all of the people, but instead is private property.
La Marshall: relaxed milonga and great performance!
- Riobamba 416
- Entrada: 80 pesos (including the lesson)
- Bottle of water: 28 pesos
"Celebrating 12 years of the milonga. Dance performance by Augusto Balizano & Claudio González."
La Marshall is one of the gay milongas. There is a mix of young gay men, older women in couples, and people who like to switch lead and follow. Note to the Portlanders: the Lumbersexual style has hit Buenos Aires, but I only saw it at La Marshall: full beards, suspenders, work jeans and checked shirts!
The dance performance was FABULOUS! Two excellent dancers, good choreography, and very touching as a theatre piece. Two seemingly old guys, shuffle out on stage, take quite a while to adjust themselves, figure out who is leading, etc., and then dance a tango in the grotesque tradition: moves just slightly out of control or staggering, catching themselves at the last minute from falling, etc. I know how hard it is to dance like stiff old men when you are a good dancer, so this was impressive.
THEN, when I thought it was over, they played a romantic song that several of the guys (the lumbersexuals) next to me sang along to, with a chorus about remembering a year of love. While the music played, the dancers took most of their clothing off, wiped the old-guy makeup off, and put stretchy muscle tees on.
And THEN they danced an incredible, acrobatic duet. WOW. Lifts, boleos, lightening fast turns. WOW. As a dancer, I know how much work went into that choreography. It looked seamless, beautiful, and muscular at the same time. It didn't seem just sewn together like a lot of tango performances do to me. I'll just keep saying WOW.
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:
- Love me!
- It's only Rock 'N Roll but I like it
- Brooklyn
- 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!