A friend just sent me this link, asking if this place in Palermo is cool
http://www.caseronporteno.com/ubicacion.php
That's not Palermo. It's Belgrano.
Went to PracticaX last night and hung out for just a few minutes. Upshot: totally crowded, no space to dance, people doing all kinds of weird nuevo figures where they don't fit (like voleos into other couples) and it was so hot it was deadly... plus the floor got all sticky due to the humidity.
Last week I went to la Viruta on Wednesday, and it was a pretty nice vibe. There were enough people to dance and a lot of space, and if you go late enough -- like after 1, I suppose -- it´s free to enter.
2008-11-26
2008-08-05
Lunes at Canning, Reexamined
Did the intermediate-advanced class at Canning last night with these guys
http://www.gabrielangio.com/
at 9pm. The class was good, but very argentine: if you want them to help you, you have to ask. And if you have no clue, they really can't help you much :) But the style was what I'm looking for these days -- Tango Salón -- and the focus of the class was sequences, which is good for me (even if I still don't get it). Just the warmups for the class -- to see them once and then go practice them at home -- are probably worth the 15 pesos ($5 US).
The class is funny because they explain everything quickly with no explanation whatsoever. Then they come back and break everything down. It's neat that every week they are completely surprised by how bad the students are and little they understand. That said, there are a lot of good dancers in the class, and it's one of the only non-nuevo places where real dancers go to study.
Of note: the beginner class, which is oftentimes not so beginner, with Alberto at 7pm is excellent too and Alberto is a unique case (well, not that unique, but): he started dancing when he was 25 or something and was doing something else (software? or something corporate, I don't remember) and now he just teaches and dances. And he's great because he not only knows what he's doing, but he knows how he learned it. What's his trick? Well, a huge part is that he actually took those exercises that Gabby and Natalia give you seriously. Good guy, good teacher, and a friendly class (though I didn't go last night).
I'm very busy with theater and software development right now, but I hope to make it to PracticaX tonight (maybe) and to Villa Malcom on Friday night for the class at 8pm. Also, I danced all night last night with a woman named Marina, who told me about the classes at the Viruta... it's true: if you want to hang out in the Viruta and know people to dance with, it's good to go to the classes in the same place. Especially if you can study with Horacio Godoy, who is great (though I never studied with him). I asked her which nights, she said, "just about every night is good." So that's the word on the Viruta (unconfirmed, but it's true that I was there on Sunday night and there were a lot of people at 1am).
In fact, it was kind of hard to leave Canning last night... Monday nights at Canning are pretty cool, so it seems... I definitely think it's smart to take classes that lead into a practica or milonga, because they hook you up with the "después."
Thanks for reading!
http://www.gabrielangio.com/
at 9pm. The class was good, but very argentine: if you want them to help you, you have to ask. And if you have no clue, they really can't help you much :) But the style was what I'm looking for these days -- Tango Salón -- and the focus of the class was sequences, which is good for me (even if I still don't get it). Just the warmups for the class -- to see them once and then go practice them at home -- are probably worth the 15 pesos ($5 US).
The class is funny because they explain everything quickly with no explanation whatsoever. Then they come back and break everything down. It's neat that every week they are completely surprised by how bad the students are and little they understand. That said, there are a lot of good dancers in the class, and it's one of the only non-nuevo places where real dancers go to study.
Of note: the beginner class, which is oftentimes not so beginner, with Alberto at 7pm is excellent too and Alberto is a unique case (well, not that unique, but): he started dancing when he was 25 or something and was doing something else (software? or something corporate, I don't remember) and now he just teaches and dances. And he's great because he not only knows what he's doing, but he knows how he learned it. What's his trick? Well, a huge part is that he actually took those exercises that Gabby and Natalia give you seriously. Good guy, good teacher, and a friendly class (though I didn't go last night).
I'm very busy with theater and software development right now, but I hope to make it to PracticaX tonight (maybe) and to Villa Malcom on Friday night for the class at 8pm. Also, I danced all night last night with a woman named Marina, who told me about the classes at the Viruta... it's true: if you want to hang out in the Viruta and know people to dance with, it's good to go to the classes in the same place. Especially if you can study with Horacio Godoy, who is great (though I never studied with him). I asked her which nights, she said, "just about every night is good." So that's the word on the Viruta (unconfirmed, but it's true that I was there on Sunday night and there were a lot of people at 1am).
In fact, it was kind of hard to leave Canning last night... Monday nights at Canning are pretty cool, so it seems... I definitely think it's smart to take classes that lead into a practica or milonga, because they hook you up with the "después."
Thanks for reading!
2008-06-18
This Blog, Alejandro y Marisol, DNI Saturday Night Tango Danced to Rock
It's weird, but today I was looking for the Practica X blog to head over there and suddenly... there I was. www.EsQuienSoy.com, right on the front page of search results and above Practica X. Admittedly, this was in the English search results, but still... pretty neat.
So what about Practica X. First off, Alejandro and Marisol danced. They are really good. Lots of musicality and modern stuff and so forth, but it's obvious (and true, if you ask them) that they come from Tango Salón (or Tango Milonguero, depending on who you ask... these two categories get confused/mixed quite a lot). Why? Because of how they move (caminata, really). And while I was at it, I asked Marisol what's up with the classes, because the horario I put in http://tangobsas.blogspot.com/2008/05/alejandro-and-marisols-classes.html is just wrong... so here are some classes with them.. ah, forget it, check out their website at http://www.marisolalejandro.com.ar/seminariosclases.htm, but note that they go on tour from September onwards or so. You should check 'em out if you're somewhere in one of the countries they're touring. Fun to watch, good posture, good movement.
Practica X is great: people are nice, there are an abundance of woman who dance well, and a minor detail which is very important: there are no (or few) tables. It's organized like a dance place (like a salsa place), so basically, if you're not dancing, you're waiting to dance. I hate how there are tables in milongas and so people are facing each other and engaged and you're supposed to break in and ask a woman to dance. I know, my friend Cristina from Barelona would say that cabeceo (nodding to ask a woman to dance) is a whole world and you have to get into it to appreciate it, but it just doesn't turn me on... or at least not yet.
So every time I go to a Pedro and Julieta class on Saturdays at DNI at 7pm (what's the class called? "Tango danced to REM?"), Pedro asks me if I'm going to write about them here. The answer is no. Jajajaja, no, seriously, the classes with them are fun but perhaps a bit too informal. I happen to be in the ingroup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingroup) so some of the jokes are about me, but I prefer the classes to be didactic with less joking around. However, why do I go to their classes? Some really good female dancers show up on Saturday night, the sequences are fun and challenging, and Pedro and Julieta are very insightful and are interested in the students' progress. They are also funny, to be fair, but not funny enough to have their own comedy show, you know? As all of my acting classes keep reminding me, comedy is not funny.
I want to write an entry soon about a technical point about leading, but I hope to get to it soon. I've been busy but as Argentina explodes (crisis soon!), my tango is advancing. Oh, and when I get back from the US in July, I'm going to start teaching private classes de Inglés para profesionales de Tango. 500 euros an hour :)
So what about Practica X. First off, Alejandro and Marisol danced. They are really good. Lots of musicality and modern stuff and so forth, but it's obvious (and true, if you ask them) that they come from Tango Salón (or Tango Milonguero, depending on who you ask... these two categories get confused/mixed quite a lot). Why? Because of how they move (caminata, really). And while I was at it, I asked Marisol what's up with the classes, because the horario I put in http://tangobsas.blogspot.com/2008/05/alejandro-and-marisols-classes.html is just wrong... so here are some classes with them.. ah, forget it, check out their website at http://www.marisolalejandro.com.ar/seminariosclases.htm, but note that they go on tour from September onwards or so. You should check 'em out if you're somewhere in one of the countries they're touring. Fun to watch, good posture, good movement.
Practica X is great: people are nice, there are an abundance of woman who dance well, and a minor detail which is very important: there are no (or few) tables. It's organized like a dance place (like a salsa place), so basically, if you're not dancing, you're waiting to dance. I hate how there are tables in milongas and so people are facing each other and engaged and you're supposed to break in and ask a woman to dance. I know, my friend Cristina from Barelona would say that cabeceo (nodding to ask a woman to dance) is a whole world and you have to get into it to appreciate it, but it just doesn't turn me on... or at least not yet.
So every time I go to a Pedro and Julieta class on Saturdays at DNI at 7pm (what's the class called? "Tango danced to REM?"), Pedro asks me if I'm going to write about them here. The answer is no. Jajajaja, no, seriously, the classes with them are fun but perhaps a bit too informal. I happen to be in the ingroup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingroup) so some of the jokes are about me, but I prefer the classes to be didactic with less joking around. However, why do I go to their classes? Some really good female dancers show up on Saturday night, the sequences are fun and challenging, and Pedro and Julieta are very insightful and are interested in the students' progress. They are also funny, to be fair, but not funny enough to have their own comedy show, you know? As all of my acting classes keep reminding me, comedy is not funny.
I want to write an entry soon about a technical point about leading, but I hope to get to it soon. I've been busy but as Argentina explodes (crisis soon!), my tango is advancing. Oh, and when I get back from the US in July, I'm going to start teaching private classes de Inglés para profesionales de Tango. 500 euros an hour :)
2008-05-26
2008 Tango Classes in Buenos Aires: Back to Tango Salón
A lot of my readers have been asking for classes in Buenos Aires. I've been taking classes in a lot of places, but my focus is now Tango Salón (what is Tango Salón? that's for another Blog). So I asked one of my favorite teachers (and bloggers!) here in Buenos Aires, José Halfon (http://nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/) if he has any suggestions. This is the text of his email (original in Spanish, below). I did my best with the translation, but it ain't easy.
Thanks Jose!
Thanks Jose!
My dear friend Daniel asked me to suggest some Tango classes. I'll suggest three different classes currently offered in Buenos Aires.
- Chiche and Marta on Sundays at 7pm and at 10pm in Torquato Tasso (1575 Defensa). They're a couple who have kids and grandkids and have been teaching for many years. For us and many others, their classes have been fundamental.
Their content, simplicity and logic have withstood the test of time. I don't know how many other couples you can say that about. Nowadays the tendency is to mention certain "maestros" who are hip and cool. I, instead, begin my list with this couple: times have changed, but they're still together and actively teaching and dancing. Hurray for Chice and Marta!
- Sebastián y Roxana, Monday 8.30pm in Sarmiento 722 4th floor. Seba and Ro are part of the new generation that has reinvented Tango Salón. It's even more highly stylized, if that's possible. Their dancing is both elegant and musical, with a high degree of expressiveness and maleability. These are traits which don't abound in this part of the City.
- El "Chino" Marcelo, Wednesday 8pm, Carlos Calvo 948. El Chino is a teacher and dancer who knows a lot and keeps a low profile. His idea is a bridge between what we learn from corporal study -- normally called "Nuevo Tango" -- and more traditional dance. In my opinion, el Chino is a partner in "Nuevo Tango Salón," which is the movement that we passionately support.
In all three cases, you'll find people with a open mind. Each of them defends their own way of thinking but yet is respectful of others' ways of thinking. And all of them have an incredible desire to teach the legacy of his beautiful country.
A Heartfelt "Saludo" to All the Readers of Esquiensoy,
Jose Halfon
Original in Spanish
A Heartfelt "Saludo" to All the Readers of Esquiensoy,
Jose Halfon
Original in Spanish
A pedido de mi queridisimo amigo Daniel, voy a proponer 3 clases de tango diferentes, para tomar en estos días en Buenos Aires.
La primera, es la de Chiche y Marta, los domingos de 19:00hs a 22:00 hs. en el Torquato Tasso. Defensa 1575
Chiche y Marta, son una una pareja con hijos y nietos y muchos años en la docencia. Sus clases han sido fundamentales para nosotros y para muchos otros, porque sus contenidos, simples , y lógicos, son imbatibles al paso del tiempo. No se cuantos pueden decir lo mismo.
Hoy en día esta quizás mas de moda, nombrar entre los maestros de uno a ciertos bailarines, buenos y Cool.Yo quiero empezar mi lista, por estos 2, ya que los nuevos tiempos, los encuentran unidos, y activos. Hurra por Chiche y Marta.
En segundo lugar, quiero nombrar la clase de Sebastian y Roxana, lunes 20:30 hs. en Sarmiento 722 4* piso.
Seba y Ro, forman parte de una nueva generación que re-invento el Tango Salón, que lo estilizó aun mas, si es eso posible.Tienen un baile realmente elegante y musical, con plasticidad y ductilidad, algo que desde mi punto de vista,no abunda por esa zona de la ciudad.
Para terminar mi lista quiero nombrar la clase del " Chino" Marcelo, los miércoles, 20 hs. Carlos Calvo 948.
El Chino, bailarín y maestro, de amplio conocimiento y bajo perfil, da habitualmente una propuesta, que hace un puente,que une el estudio del cuerpo que brinda, lo que se suele llama " Nuevo Tango " y el baile mas tradicional. Digamos que el Chino, es para mi otro socio del Nuevo Tango Salón. Movimiento al que aderimos con pasión.
En los 3 casos, se van a encontrar con gente de cabeza amplia, defensora de lo suyo, y respetuoso de lo ajeno. Siempre con ganas de enseñar, lo que esta tierra hermosa nos lego.
Un saludo cordial a los lectores de " Esquiensoy "
Jose Halfon
2008-05-10
Alejandro and Marisol's Classes
Here are their classes so I can throw this piece of paper away:
I recommend these guys, although they're classes have been better with -- and in some cases impossible without -- a partner.
Medrano 645
Domingos 23.30 - 01.00 (práctica + músicos + cine + debate)
Domingos 19.00 Avanzados
Miércoles 22.00 Intermedios
Viernes 22.00 Milonga
Domingos 23.30 - 01.00 (práctica + músicos + cine + debate)
Domingos 19.00 Avanzados
Miércoles 22.00 Intermedios
Viernes 22.00 Milonga
I recommend these guys, although they're classes have been better with -- and in some cases impossible without -- a partner.
2008-05-06
Private Classes
Now I'm basically stuck in Argentina for the forseeable future.
Some people have asked me what classes I recommend and so forth, and I really don't have any easy answers. I like the classes at DNI, but I think that for most people Tango Nuevo is like driving an 18-wheeler before you can ride a bicycle (well, something like that). I like the classes with Jose and Viky (http://www.nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/) and with Alejandro and Marisol (also very modern) and I do take an occasional class in DNI. But personally, I've been taking a lot of private classes with Cecilia González, who is awesome for what I want to do (tango salón).
I went to a Tango party the other night (have fun in Canada, Maral!) and there were a lot of modernos there. I think the women do quite well in Tango Moderno, since the same concepts of lead and follow apply. But the men suffer, because they are leading complex stuff and sometimes you have to modify your arms and you can't lead everything from your torso. The real deal is that Tango Moderno is true dance: the torso moves the arms, the arms move the hands, the puntos de apoyo (connections) move the woman. But before you get to that point, it's much better, I think, to focus on moving the woman from your torso. Tango Moderno is basically a relaxing of more traditional tango, meaning that many of the rules can be broken. So if you don't have those rules ingrained in your body, it's a terrible looking free-for-all.
But I was watching one of the guys at the party who women have told me dances quite well at moderno. And he sucks: hips going in any direction, torso going in any direction, hands moving independenly of torso which is basically always moving with the hips... obviously, if you never learn to dissociar (separate? disconnect?) you will forever move like an inelegant putz in tango.
While I'm rambling, they were showing that terrible Duvall movie on TV the other day. Man, Duvall actually dances tango! I mean, he's not a great tango dancer, but he's quite good (or at least in those choreos that they did). Sally Fields or whatever her name is in that other movie with Pablo Verón is an absolute yutz, and the movie isn't much better than Duvall's hitman bullshit.
But yet, Tango must advance... hopefully soon I'll comment on Zotto's show, which I saw over a month ago...
Some people have asked me what classes I recommend and so forth, and I really don't have any easy answers. I like the classes at DNI, but I think that for most people Tango Nuevo is like driving an 18-wheeler before you can ride a bicycle (well, something like that). I like the classes with Jose and Viky (http://www.nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/) and with Alejandro and Marisol (also very modern) and I do take an occasional class in DNI. But personally, I've been taking a lot of private classes with Cecilia González, who is awesome for what I want to do (tango salón).
I went to a Tango party the other night (have fun in Canada, Maral!) and there were a lot of modernos there. I think the women do quite well in Tango Moderno, since the same concepts of lead and follow apply. But the men suffer, because they are leading complex stuff and sometimes you have to modify your arms and you can't lead everything from your torso. The real deal is that Tango Moderno is true dance: the torso moves the arms, the arms move the hands, the puntos de apoyo (connections) move the woman. But before you get to that point, it's much better, I think, to focus on moving the woman from your torso. Tango Moderno is basically a relaxing of more traditional tango, meaning that many of the rules can be broken. So if you don't have those rules ingrained in your body, it's a terrible looking free-for-all.
But I was watching one of the guys at the party who women have told me dances quite well at moderno. And he sucks: hips going in any direction, torso going in any direction, hands moving independenly of torso which is basically always moving with the hips... obviously, if you never learn to dissociar (separate? disconnect?) you will forever move like an inelegant putz in tango.
While I'm rambling, they were showing that terrible Duvall movie on TV the other day. Man, Duvall actually dances tango! I mean, he's not a great tango dancer, but he's quite good (or at least in those choreos that they did). Sally Fields or whatever her name is in that other movie with Pablo Verón is an absolute yutz, and the movie isn't much better than Duvall's hitman bullshit.
But yet, Tango must advance... hopefully soon I'll comment on Zotto's show, which I saw over a month ago...
2008-04-17
Crazed Smoke in Buenos Aires and Classes
Buenos Aires has been slightly crazy recently: there's been this cloud of smoking hanging over... well, IN the City. It's been amazing disgusting. Last night I thought I smoked like 10 cigarettes in my apartment without opening the windows (and I don't smoke cigarettes ever) but in fact my windows were wide open and the smoke was... well who knows? Here's a non-permalink http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aBR_Bu_i.Edw&refer=latin_america but it was gross. http://www.misionesonline.net/paginas/detalle2.php?db=noticias2007&id=110886 Not to mention the toxins one ingests. My chica said, "imagine the tourists who come here just once and have this impression of Buenos Aires." It is what it is, isn't it?
Thanks to Cecilia Gonzalez, my private teacher, my tango is finally moving forward. She's is not fucking around: we work on really simple things like torso and connection and caminata and giros. I go to classes and do weird voleos and ganchos and even soltadas and all that crap, but I really need work in these basic things. Today I realized that the difference between dancing from your "center" (you power center, in Aikido, I imagine) and dancing from your arms is, man times, just a few centimeters of difference in your chest angle. So that's why it's hard to detect and hard to get right. And we say disociación so much that it comes to mean "when the torso and the hips go in different directions." This is wrong. So I have to think about desconexión or something like that: the torso is leading the woman, the hips are leading me. I beginning to get this idea, and I think that just beginning to ask, "where is my torso, where are my hips" would be a big move forward.
I've happily resumed classes with Jose and Viky, and I think that as group classes go, they're quite good. The level of the poeple is very uneven (heterogeneous?), but when you're working on leading from torso, what's the difference? Jose and Viky are technically correct in every way, and buena onda and in fact I really enjoy them and their classes. Check out Jose's blog at www.nuevottangosalon.blogspot.com, where he talks about Dániel Pregunta. That's me, hombre de palo (straw man)....
Another option -- though I don't have the flyer with me so drop me a comment if you need to know (I won't publish it, don't worry) -- are the classes with Alejandro y Marisol (check 'em out in YouTube). They are definitely proponents (is that English?) of the Tango Nuevo but with good technique and good "salón" behind them. I enjoy their classes too, but you should definitely go with a partner. In fact, one of the best ideas is to go to DNI and do a class at midday, pick up a partner, and go with them to the class with Alejandro and Marisol. That's what those números de teléfono are for.
The classes with Fabián and Virginia were definitely boring and depressing. I don't think that classes in Tango Salón actually get you any closer to Tango Salón. In the Monday class we did 3 hours, 1.5 of which were male technique (and female technique in the other room). Fabian's idea of male technique is to do a bit of walking and stuff and then start working on a figure using the guys as women. This is about as fun as... well, it's pretty depressing. Worse, he never corrects you and has absolutely in interest in following your development. Basically, some are born to teach and others are totally uninterested and therefore unable. I think that if you're a DANCER (and I do NOT mean that you've danced tango for a long time, but rather if you're a dancer for real) then you might get some benefit out of Fabian's and V's classes.
I'll respond to Jose's blog entry soon, but until then... man, I just wanna sleep. But no! Now on to acting class... Buenos Aires is killing me.
--
Daniel Rosenstark
www.DVDs4theSAT.com
SAT tutoring you can rewind
Thanks to Cecilia Gonzalez, my private teacher, my tango is finally moving forward. She's is not fucking around: we work on really simple things like torso and connection and caminata and giros. I go to classes and do weird voleos and ganchos and even soltadas and all that crap, but I really need work in these basic things. Today I realized that the difference between dancing from your "center" (you power center, in Aikido, I imagine) and dancing from your arms is, man times, just a few centimeters of difference in your chest angle. So that's why it's hard to detect and hard to get right. And we say disociación so much that it comes to mean "when the torso and the hips go in different directions." This is wrong. So I have to think about desconexión or something like that: the torso is leading the woman, the hips are leading me. I beginning to get this idea, and I think that just beginning to ask, "where is my torso, where are my hips" would be a big move forward.
I've happily resumed classes with Jose and Viky, and I think that as group classes go, they're quite good. The level of the poeple is very uneven (heterogeneous?), but when you're working on leading from torso, what's the difference? Jose and Viky are technically correct in every way, and buena onda and in fact I really enjoy them and their classes. Check out Jose's blog at www.nuevottangosalon.blogspot.com, where he talks about Dániel Pregunta. That's me, hombre de palo (straw man)....
Another option -- though I don't have the flyer with me so drop me a comment if you need to know (I won't publish it, don't worry) -- are the classes with Alejandro y Marisol (check 'em out in YouTube). They are definitely proponents (is that English?) of the Tango Nuevo but with good technique and good "salón" behind them. I enjoy their classes too, but you should definitely go with a partner. In fact, one of the best ideas is to go to DNI and do a class at midday, pick up a partner, and go with them to the class with Alejandro and Marisol. That's what those números de teléfono are for.
The classes with Fabián and Virginia were definitely boring and depressing. I don't think that classes in Tango Salón actually get you any closer to Tango Salón. In the Monday class we did 3 hours, 1.5 of which were male technique (and female technique in the other room). Fabian's idea of male technique is to do a bit of walking and stuff and then start working on a figure using the guys as women. This is about as fun as... well, it's pretty depressing. Worse, he never corrects you and has absolutely in interest in following your development. Basically, some are born to teach and others are totally uninterested and therefore unable. I think that if you're a DANCER (and I do NOT mean that you've danced tango for a long time, but rather if you're a dancer for real) then you might get some benefit out of Fabian's and V's classes.
I'll respond to Jose's blog entry soon, but until then... man, I just wanna sleep. But no! Now on to acting class... Buenos Aires is killing me.
--
Daniel Rosenstark
www.DVDs4theSAT.com
SAT tutoring you can rewind
2008-04-04
2008-04-03
Casa de Tango (Tango Show?): El Metro (it's the same people as La Esquina de Carlos Gardel)
So I went to a tango show on an artist invite the other night. It's the newest show in town and probably one of the most expensive (not sure) and it's by the same people who run La esquina de Carlos Gardel. Anyway, as far as Tango shows go here in Buenos Aires, it's definitely the best I've seen and probably the best I will see. It had an amazing variety of registers and flavors and even the music... well, it made me appreciate Tango singing in a totally new way. They even did funny (pícaro), extravagant, and this amazing theater tricks that have been around for a while like redoing the entire stage with what is basically a completely different structure every few songs.
The place is beautiful, the service was great, there were hot women welcoming you in the lobby and hot empanadas as part of the deal. Good empanadas, too.
Our friend from Forever Tango says that "no tiene una línea [conductora]" (it doesn't have a unifying thread), which is probably true. So it's artistically void, but compared to TV it's pretty nice. Anyway, most of the tourists who come in those white vans will not be disappointed (and most of them would be dazzled with less). I highly recommend it, I just wish that I knew its name. Something like Porteño something or other. It's in the theater called Metro on 9 de julio (Cerrito, I think), but when I figure out the name I'll put it here [name here]. Check it out if you're just visiting and want to see some amazing tango.
Having some amazing breakthroughs in my Tango, more to come... thanks for reading!
The place is beautiful, the service was great, there were hot women welcoming you in the lobby and hot empanadas as part of the deal. Good empanadas, too.
Our friend from Forever Tango says that "no tiene una línea [conductora]" (it doesn't have a unifying thread), which is probably true. So it's artistically void, but compared to TV it's pretty nice. Anyway, most of the tourists who come in those white vans will not be disappointed (and most of them would be dazzled with less). I highly recommend it, I just wish that I knew its name. Something like Porteño something or other. It's in the theater called Metro on 9 de julio (Cerrito, I think), but when I figure out the name I'll put it here [name here]. Check it out if you're just visiting and want to see some amazing tango.
Having some amazing breakthroughs in my Tango, more to come... thanks for reading!
2008-03-29
Tango Nuevo Moderno and Tango Salón, Classes Privadas, DNI, José and Viky
This week was kind of a full tango week although I'm still not going to the milongas regularly because I'm working with technology (sometimes related to "the bottom line" and sometimes... less related).
On Wednesday I went to my private with Cecilia Gonzalez and I tried something out that worked out very nicely. I didn't talk. Cecilia knows me and knows that I ask tons of questions, and before we used to get into long discussions during the classes... now that's fun, but I'm really studying with her to learn to dance (although hanging out with her is awesome too). So I tried a new consigna this week: just shutting up and letting her ask, answer, and basically run the class. We worked on two things. First, how to lead from my lats (and not my arms) which is really the engine behind leading with your torso. Secondly, when one of my legs is bent, the other is straight. This is a general rule that actually works quite well to define quite a bit of tango movement. In fact, if you pause a great tanguero, you'll see that he's almost NEVER got both of his knees bent. Anyway, great class and I feel that if I can get some of this stuff into my body I'll be on the road to decent tango dancing.
Since I had my class with Cecilia at 2pm, I headed over to DNI for the 16.30 class. Pablo and Dana are in Switzerland so Chris and Carolina gave the class. It still pains me to promote Tango Moderno and in that class we did a soltada (opening of the embrace) which is particularly bullshit, but what can I say? The classes at DNI are great. The women dance well, the men are retards, and the teachers really understand body movement. Just to demonstrate: Chris was saying that you have to "traer a la mujer con el dorsal" (bring the woman with your lat) which is basically misinterpreted by all the men to mean that your arm has to move. But that's not right. So I asked Chris what the relationship is between that and what Cecilia says, which is, "traer a la mujer con tu homóplato" (bring the woman with your, um, I can't even find it in the translating dictionaries). And Chris says, first off, that it's not called the homóplato anymore but rather the escápula which would be the scapula in English. Secondly, it's the dorsal (lat) that moves the scapula so you should be thinking about that.
What's my point?
So I'll be heading back to classes with Jose and Viky, especially since I have scheduling problems with the Balmaceda brothers' classes.
Oh, an about-the-blog (meta) note: I saw an amiga who I know from Maxi and Maricel on the bus the other day, and she says, "vos tenés un blog? Sé que sos vos" and in fact, it was me.... so you know, fame hasn't afected me yet, but maybe soon! Thanks for reading and thanks for your support! And besos para vos Paula...
On Wednesday I went to my private with Cecilia Gonzalez and I tried something out that worked out very nicely. I didn't talk. Cecilia knows me and knows that I ask tons of questions, and before we used to get into long discussions during the classes... now that's fun, but I'm really studying with her to learn to dance (although hanging out with her is awesome too). So I tried a new consigna this week: just shutting up and letting her ask, answer, and basically run the class. We worked on two things. First, how to lead from my lats (and not my arms) which is really the engine behind leading with your torso. Secondly, when one of my legs is bent, the other is straight. This is a general rule that actually works quite well to define quite a bit of tango movement. In fact, if you pause a great tanguero, you'll see that he's almost NEVER got both of his knees bent. Anyway, great class and I feel that if I can get some of this stuff into my body I'll be on the road to decent tango dancing.
Since I had my class with Cecilia at 2pm, I headed over to DNI for the 16.30 class. Pablo and Dana are in Switzerland so Chris and Carolina gave the class. It still pains me to promote Tango Moderno and in that class we did a soltada (opening of the embrace) which is particularly bullshit, but what can I say? The classes at DNI are great. The women dance well, the men are retards, and the teachers really understand body movement. Just to demonstrate: Chris was saying that you have to "traer a la mujer con el dorsal" (bring the woman with your lat) which is basically misinterpreted by all the men to mean that your arm has to move. But that's not right. So I asked Chris what the relationship is between that and what Cecilia says, which is, "traer a la mujer con tu homóplato" (bring the woman with your, um, I can't even find it in the translating dictionaries). And Chris says, first off, that it's not called the homóplato anymore but rather the escápula which would be the scapula in English. Secondly, it's the dorsal (lat) that moves the scapula so you should be thinking about that.
What's my point?
- That in DNI they are teaching modern bullshit and I don't know anybody who is not amazing who should be worrying about soltadas and all that crap.
- On the other hand, there is 100% convergence between DNI Modern and Tango Salón. Which is why Jose and Viky (http://nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com) claim to be doing tango salón (and have worked with Pablo and Dana and try to dance like them).
- DNI Tango and Jose and Viky and some other people are really working with some form of Tango Escenario (stage tango) but with everything improvised. I think the Chicho guys are dancing something totally different which looks horrible, but these guys are basically compatible with Tango Salón.
- If you are paying attention to the right things -- lead, caminata, and embrace -- you can study in a place like DNI (or Grisel at 19.00 on Saturdays) with no problem.
So I'll be heading back to classes with Jose and Viky, especially since I have scheduling problems with the Balmaceda brothers' classes.
Oh, an about-the-blog (meta) note: I saw an amiga who I know from Maxi and Maricel on the bus the other day, and she says, "vos tenés un blog? Sé que sos vos" and in fact, it was me.... so you know, fame hasn't afected me yet, but maybe soon! Thanks for reading and thanks for your support! And besos para vos Paula...
2008-03-10
Fabian and Virginia, Tango Salón
Tonight's class with Fabian and Virginia was great. It's expensive (20 pesos) for Argentina, but it's a 3-hour class so it's all good. And the classes are good and getting better as they learn to teach better. Here's the link:
http://fabianyvirginia.blogspot.com/2008/03/clases-grupales-privadas-y-practica.html
Oh, the floor sucks and is very slippery but yet with rubber it's too sticky, so be careful.
http://fabianyvirginia.blogspot.com/2008/03/clases-grupales-privadas-y-practica.html
Oh, the floor sucks and is very slippery but yet with rubber it's too sticky, so be careful.
2008-03-09
Classes in Tango Salón
Thanks for questions about classes in Tango Salón. I don't feel that the world of Tango Salón includes a lot of people who can actually teach, or perhaps I haven't met them. The big "hits" are Sunderland with Carlitos Perez on Mondays and Wednesdays from 20-22, but it's more of a practica than anything (although a great one, where they make you walk for 15 minutes at the beginning of the class which is good practice). One of the greatest dancers of Tango Salón is Fabian Peralta (his annoying Flash site at http://www.fabianperalta.com.ar/ing/ but man does he teach well), who teaches on Mondays at 20.00 (3 hours) and on Saturdays at 18.00 in Escuela Carlos Copello... the classes are okay, though Fabian does not know how to teach in the least (though he seems to be improving... part of the problem is that it's all so easy for him). However, with Fabian like with anybody else, when you see that they're not helping you as you want to, you have to take the initiative and ask, and ask again, and bother them with your questions (even when you don't have any).
On the only slightly more moderny side, check out classes with Jose and Viky (http://www.nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/), who teach really well (which is probably the hallmark of the moderny people). Jose and Viky are trying to do something between salón and moderno, and the result is... like DNI, basically.
I have to ask Cecilia when she teaches group classes with Gustavo and I'll put those up here too. They teach well.
Thanks for your readership and comments!
On the only slightly more moderny side, check out classes with Jose and Viky (http://www.nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/), who teach really well (which is probably the hallmark of the moderny people). Jose and Viky are trying to do something between salón and moderno, and the result is... like DNI, basically.
I have to ask Cecilia when she teaches group classes with Gustavo and I'll put those up here too. They teach well.
Thanks for your readership and comments!
2008-02-20
DNI Midday on Saturday, Tan Piola on Saturday, PracticaX on Tuesday
Thanks to B for the anonymous comment about my blog! I'm glad people are out there and enjoying it.
I haven't been that active recently, but two things are of note: the first is that on Friday I had a class with Cecilia Gonzalez, who is doing some of the organization of Lady's Tango Week (she works with Johana Copes) and the class was great. Then after we walked down to where Lady's Tango Week is being held, where we hung out with Miguel "Negro" Romero, who is one of the organizers of Tan Piola (you have to live in Argentina for a long time to care who you hung out with and what important thing they do, I think). Anyway, nice guy, but the point is that I was going to go to Tan Piola on Saturday night anyway.
DNI at Midday on Saturday
I love Hector and Silvina and the class was pretty cool, but the women were either dancing with other women (just one), or dancing with their boyfriends (I know, I should say dance partners, but that just wasn't the base) or they just weren't that good. But whatever, classes go up and down: DNI is generally better in terms of demographic than other places.
Tan Piola on Saturday Night
Was amazing. It was expensive--20 pesos--but there were three couples who danced: Alejandra Mantinian y Gabriel Missé, Guillermina Quiroga y Roberto Reis (el cachorro to everybody here) and Maricel Giocomini y Maximiliano Cristiani (www.maxiymaricel.com). Maxi and Maricel were my first Tango teachers, so that was cool, and I really liked Gabriel Missé and Guillermina Quiroga. They would make a great couple, I think, although Alejandra Mantinian and El Cachorro were great too. Anyway, it was hard to tell because I watched everything from above and that changes your perspective (hopefully I'll put a photo in here soon). The point is that the show was amazing: they did three sets in which each couple danced one "number." These are probably some of the best/most-well-liked people in Tango no-moderno, and it was a sight to behold.
PracticaX Tuesday
Information exchange in Argentina is folkloric as usual, so people got confused and went to PracticaX last night when in fact the show they wanted to see is next week. It was amazing: great people, great vibe, and a decent amount of space. Now that I've been doing Tango for over a year, I also know a ton of people, which is fun. Although my cynical side cannot accept it, I really like PracticaX.
Daniel Rosenstark
www.DVDs4theSAT.com
SAT tutoring you can rewind
I haven't been that active recently, but two things are of note: the first is that on Friday I had a class with Cecilia Gonzalez, who is doing some of the organization of Lady's Tango Week (she works with Johana Copes) and the class was great. Then after we walked down to where Lady's Tango Week is being held, where we hung out with Miguel "Negro" Romero, who is one of the organizers of Tan Piola (you have to live in Argentina for a long time to care who you hung out with and what important thing they do, I think). Anyway, nice guy, but the point is that I was going to go to Tan Piola on Saturday night anyway.
DNI at Midday on Saturday
I love Hector and Silvina and the class was pretty cool, but the women were either dancing with other women (just one), or dancing with their boyfriends (I know, I should say dance partners, but that just wasn't the base) or they just weren't that good. But whatever, classes go up and down: DNI is generally better in terms of demographic than other places.
Tan Piola on Saturday Night
Was amazing. It was expensive--20 pesos--but there were three couples who danced: Alejandra Mantinian y Gabriel Missé, Guillermina Quiroga y Roberto Reis (el cachorro to everybody here) and Maricel Giocomini y Maximiliano Cristiani (www.maxiymaricel.com). Maxi and Maricel were my first Tango teachers, so that was cool, and I really liked Gabriel Missé and Guillermina Quiroga. They would make a great couple, I think, although Alejandra Mantinian and El Cachorro were great too. Anyway, it was hard to tell because I watched everything from above and that changes your perspective (hopefully I'll put a photo in here soon). The point is that the show was amazing: they did three sets in which each couple danced one "number." These are probably some of the best/most-well-liked people in Tango no-moderno, and it was a sight to behold.
PracticaX Tuesday
Information exchange in Argentina is folkloric as usual, so people got confused and went to PracticaX last night when in fact the show they wanted to see is next week. It was amazing: great people, great vibe, and a decent amount of space. Now that I've been doing Tango for over a year, I also know a ton of people, which is fun. Although my cynical side cannot accept it, I really like PracticaX.
Daniel Rosenstark
www.DVDs4theSAT.com
SAT tutoring you can rewind
2008-02-14
Tango at Canning on Thurdsay Midday?
It's been a crazy tango ride recently. I've been faithfully attending Practica X on Tuesdays, and I've been at Malcom a few times (www.tangocool.com) and I've made it to the Viruta a bunch of times too. PracticaX is probably the coolest scene in the entire world in Tango, in my opinion, because it's a relaxed atmosphere where there are some of the best dancers in the world (and some of the worst).
The places I'm studying at the most are DNI, which I still like, Copello, and... oh yeah, I started studying privately with the BEST private teacher in Buenos Aires for my taste, Cecilia Gonzalez ("no la famosa, la otra") who is turning my tango around (slowly but surely... if you want to get in touch with her, send me a comment here and I'll respond to you personally).
Adrian and Yanina's course on Wednesday nights in Copello on Milonga (at 21.00) is great, but I can't study much in Copello because of some historical issues (basically they fired everyone and then all the bonos expired). Ah, if I manage it I want to get to Grisel on Saturday's to study with Alejandro y Marisol (man, if my chica would come with me it'd be amazing).
On Monday nights at 19.30 I'm at Tango Brujo in the body movement class or whatever it's called. It's a great class to get your movement together. Cecilia (not my private teacher), who teaches the class with Santiago (go for his English if nothing else), also teaches on Thurdsays at Canning at 15.30 and then they have a free práctica. The práctica is BRILLIANT, although there were only 8 people in total... but I got to dance a lot, and got to meet the other teacher, Magdalena, who is brilliant. I'll probably go to the class next week and not just the práctica, but it would be better with a partner.
Anyway, I know you're out there so if anybody has any questions or aspects of Tango here in Buenos Aires they want me to investigate/talk about (or both), I'd be glad to.
In the meantime, if I don't write much... I'm promoting my brother's product DVDs4theSAT, which is a full-length SAT Test Prep Course on DVDs for use in your DVD player (computer not required). He's probably one of the best SAT tutors in the country (I mean, the US), and he put a lot of love into it. It's a great product and I hope to get it to make big money so I can dedicate myself to being a rent-a-tango-partner :).
The places I'm studying at the most are DNI, which I still like, Copello, and... oh yeah, I started studying privately with the BEST private teacher in Buenos Aires for my taste, Cecilia Gonzalez ("no la famosa, la otra") who is turning my tango around (slowly but surely... if you want to get in touch with her, send me a comment here and I'll respond to you personally).
Adrian and Yanina's course on Wednesday nights in Copello on Milonga (at 21.00) is great, but I can't study much in Copello because of some historical issues (basically they fired everyone and then all the bonos expired). Ah, if I manage it I want to get to Grisel on Saturday's to study with Alejandro y Marisol (man, if my chica would come with me it'd be amazing).
On Monday nights at 19.30 I'm at Tango Brujo in the body movement class or whatever it's called. It's a great class to get your movement together. Cecilia (not my private teacher), who teaches the class with Santiago (go for his English if nothing else), also teaches on Thurdsays at Canning at 15.30 and then they have a free práctica. The práctica is BRILLIANT, although there were only 8 people in total... but I got to dance a lot, and got to meet the other teacher, Magdalena, who is brilliant. I'll probably go to the class next week and not just the práctica, but it would be better with a partner.
Anyway, I know you're out there so if anybody has any questions or aspects of Tango here in Buenos Aires they want me to investigate/talk about (or both), I'd be glad to.
In the meantime, if I don't write much... I'm promoting my brother's product DVDs4theSAT, which is a full-length SAT Test Prep Course on DVDs for use in your DVD player (computer not required). He's probably one of the best SAT tutors in the country (I mean, the US), and he put a lot of love into it. It's a great product and I hope to get it to make big money so I can dedicate myself to being a rent-a-tango-partner :).
2008-01-20
Clases Con Firpo
Well, I took a Tango Milonguero class on Thursday (quite by accident) with Jorge Firpo and it was fun, though very basic. But at the same time, those little movments are pretty useful in a crowded milonga. Firpo says that in the 1950s Tango changed to Milonguero Style (apilado, shared axis) because the dance floors got crowded. Now his history may be quite doubtful, but the class was fun. Also, it was different than the modern Tango that you'll see everywhere else (well not everywhere).
I also went to a Milonga class on Wednesday night at Copello with Yanina and Adrian at 9pm. That was great! My first class in Milonga Traspie. Cool stuff.
Then... let's see: I was Práctica X on Tuesday night which was probably my best tango night ever. My Tango is getting better, somehow.
Anyway, I wanted to write a schedule here for Firpo before I go paperless, again:
Tango Milonguero
Martes 12.30 to 14.00 Escuela argentina de Tango Rodriguez Peña
Jueves 17.30 to 19.00 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Técnica de hombre
Jueves 19.00 to 20.30 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Tango Salón
Viernes 17.30 to 19.00 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Viernes Milonga Lisa y con Traspié 19.00 to 20.30 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Vals
Martes 14.00-15.30 Escuela argentina de Tango Rodriguez Peña
Do I think his classes are good? Well, they're definitely a pretty good tie-in with Tango Milonguero. He's a guy who's been around for a long time. The only problem is that, with the exception of the Thursday class for men's technique, the classes are all for beginner, intermediate, and advanced. So the level was quite low. Actually, it MIGHT be a great place to start learning tango.
I have had some new breakthroughs with my Tango, and I'll write about them soon.
I also went to a Milonga class on Wednesday night at Copello with Yanina and Adrian at 9pm. That was great! My first class in Milonga Traspie. Cool stuff.
Then... let's see: I was Práctica X on Tuesday night which was probably my best tango night ever. My Tango is getting better, somehow.
Anyway, I wanted to write a schedule here for Firpo before I go paperless, again:
Tango Milonguero
Martes 12.30 to 14.00 Escuela argentina de Tango Rodriguez Peña
Jueves 17.30 to 19.00 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Técnica de hombre
Jueves 19.00 to 20.30 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Tango Salón
Viernes 17.30 to 19.00 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Viernes Milonga Lisa y con Traspié 19.00 to 20.30 Escuela argentina de Tango Center
Vals
Martes 14.00-15.30 Escuela argentina de Tango Rodriguez Peña
Do I think his classes are good? Well, they're definitely a pretty good tie-in with Tango Milonguero. He's a guy who's been around for a long time. The only problem is that, with the exception of the Thursday class for men's technique, the classes are all for beginner, intermediate, and advanced. So the level was quite low. Actually, it MIGHT be a great place to start learning tango.
I have had some new breakthroughs with my Tango, and I'll write about them soon.
2008-01-12
Grisel Results
Wow, so I made it to Grisel for the Saturday 7pm class (interestingly, the bus back takes a totally different route. Leave it to the Argentinians to do stupid shit).
The teachers were pretty good. However, there were not a lot of general corrections (although the woman did correct me on my overuse of brazos instead of torso). Alejandro and Marisol are good but they are very chicho like (although really pleasant to watch, but enanos).
Anyway, I spent pretty much the entire class planchando (that's what you call it when you're on the bench) because I didn't have a partner. And there you have it folks. Marisol told me at the end of the class, "deberías buscarte a una compañera." Yeah, I know. Soon I will begin the busqueda.
Anyway, there were 5 couples and if you don't have a partner, don't go (woman, man, or child). Good dancers, though. But not very tango salón. More nuevo, really.
The teachers were pretty good. However, there were not a lot of general corrections (although the woman did correct me on my overuse of brazos instead of torso). Alejandro and Marisol are good but they are very chicho like (although really pleasant to watch, but enanos).
Anyway, I spent pretty much the entire class planchando (that's what you call it when you're on the bench) because I didn't have a partner. And there you have it folks. Marisol told me at the end of the class, "deberías buscarte a una compañera." Yeah, I know. Soon I will begin the busqueda.
Anyway, there were 5 couples and if you don't have a partner, don't go (woman, man, or child). Good dancers, though. But not very tango salón. More nuevo, really.
How To Get To Club Grisel
So I'm back to Tango again, although I don't have any clear explanation for where I was in the meantime. Partly, working on Tango with my novia and partly not working on Tango much at all. But I'll have some new software up on my site soon (www.confusionists.com), and I'll have the site redone with Adobe Flex and deep linking... sorry, I digress.
So anyway, on Thursday night I went to take Tango Intermedios II at Mora Godoy (20.30) which was actually quite nice. Then on Friday I took Tango 3/4 at DNI with Hector and Silvina. I love them as people and I respect them as dancers, and they worry about my Tango. So I'll hold any other comments I might have.
And then I had a little chat with Dana from DNI. Might I mention for the record that Dana seems to be a ditz, but in fact she's lucid, intelligent, and buena gente. Props to the DNI people, who I still like better than just about anybody in Buenos Aires on a personal level.
The best thing about Friday's class in DNI is that I met a woman named Silvina (a glitch in the Matrix?) who dances quite well. She told me she studies "tango salón" which is the keyword for what I'm looking for these days. So I asked where she studied, and I have to say that over and over again these people say that I need to study with Carlitos Pérez at Sunderland (I've lost the horario, but I think it's somewhere in my blog. Ratoncito Pérez...). Anyway, I DO like the people who have studied with Pérez, but in the three classes I took there he didn't help me much at all. And the comments he did give me were sort of anticuated. I'm not talking about Tango Nuevo, I'm just talking about Salón. For instance, Perez says that the hand is in the middle of the back of the woman and guides like that. That is not really compatible with Tango Salón these days, in which EVERYBODY is talkinga about an abrazo flexible where the right hand slides right and left on the woman's back.
So I don't know about Sunderland and Pérez. I hope to find another way to do this Tango Salón thing.
Meanwhile, my new friend said that the best thing on Earth (although still a bit moderny) is Grisel at 7pm tonight (Saturday). She told me the name of the teachers like 4 times, but por más que mi español va de puta madre, nunca entiendo palabras nuevas sin verlas por escrito al menos una vez. So I'm off to Grisel for tonight and later I'll tell y'all who the teachers are.
Last night at Villa Malcom was good, good vibe, and too many people. I may never learn to dance in a crowded milonga.
Now for those of you who are not just here in Buenos Aires taking cabs everywhere (which is totally lame), figuring out the buses is a torture because the Guia T is made by idiots (by the way, somebody pointed out to me that GUIA T is really guiate meaning, er, get around or literally, guide yourself). So anyway, so as not to lose my precious research on Club Grisel, I will put it here for all eternity.
Club Grisel is at La Rioja 1180, which is currently on Map 24 of the Guía T in the B1 box, right to the North of Avenida San Juan (North being closer to Córdoba, if you prefer). So anyway, to get to Club Grisel from Barrio Norte (and many other places if you have a 101), take the subte to estación Jujuy and you're done. But that's for wimps. Real men and women grab the 101 when it turns lefts from Córdoba to Pueyerredon. Then it will keep going (street name changes to Jujuy), then it will turn right onto Venezuela, go two blocks, and go left (resuming the South direction) on Dean Funés (Funes?). Now that's all you have to know, because you have to get off at Dean Funes 1000, which is after crossing Independencia but before crossing San Juan. Then you should walk right a block and now you're on La Rioja and ready to find Grisel. Now, for those of you who wanted to go and gave up and took a cab... well, if you're here for more than 4 days you should really use the buses. It's fun, cheap, and you get to see the people. Cabs are annoying and a cab driver told me last night that some guys move the taxímetro ahead while you're not watching. Is that true? I don't know, but I prefer buses because they keep you real.
And being real is what Tango is all about. Or is it?
So anyway, on Thursday night I went to take Tango Intermedios II at Mora Godoy (20.30) which was actually quite nice. Then on Friday I took Tango 3/4 at DNI with Hector and Silvina. I love them as people and I respect them as dancers, and they worry about my Tango. So I'll hold any other comments I might have.
And then I had a little chat with Dana from DNI. Might I mention for the record that Dana seems to be a ditz, but in fact she's lucid, intelligent, and buena gente. Props to the DNI people, who I still like better than just about anybody in Buenos Aires on a personal level.
The best thing about Friday's class in DNI is that I met a woman named Silvina (a glitch in the Matrix?) who dances quite well. She told me she studies "tango salón" which is the keyword for what I'm looking for these days. So I asked where she studied, and I have to say that over and over again these people say that I need to study with Carlitos Pérez at Sunderland (I've lost the horario, but I think it's somewhere in my blog. Ratoncito Pérez...). Anyway, I DO like the people who have studied with Pérez, but in the three classes I took there he didn't help me much at all. And the comments he did give me were sort of anticuated. I'm not talking about Tango Nuevo, I'm just talking about Salón. For instance, Perez says that the hand is in the middle of the back of the woman and guides like that. That is not really compatible with Tango Salón these days, in which EVERYBODY is talkinga about an abrazo flexible where the right hand slides right and left on the woman's back.
So I don't know about Sunderland and Pérez. I hope to find another way to do this Tango Salón thing.
Meanwhile, my new friend said that the best thing on Earth (although still a bit moderny) is Grisel at 7pm tonight (Saturday). She told me the name of the teachers like 4 times, but por más que mi español va de puta madre, nunca entiendo palabras nuevas sin verlas por escrito al menos una vez. So I'm off to Grisel for tonight and later I'll tell y'all who the teachers are.
Last night at Villa Malcom was good, good vibe, and too many people. I may never learn to dance in a crowded milonga.
Now for those of you who are not just here in Buenos Aires taking cabs everywhere (which is totally lame), figuring out the buses is a torture because the Guia T is made by idiots (by the way, somebody pointed out to me that GUIA T is really guiate meaning, er, get around or literally, guide yourself). So anyway, so as not to lose my precious research on Club Grisel, I will put it here for all eternity.
Club Grisel is at La Rioja 1180, which is currently on Map 24 of the Guía T in the B1 box, right to the North of Avenida San Juan (North being closer to Córdoba, if you prefer). So anyway, to get to Club Grisel from Barrio Norte (and many other places if you have a 101), take the subte to estación Jujuy and you're done. But that's for wimps. Real men and women grab the 101 when it turns lefts from Córdoba to Pueyerredon. Then it will keep going (street name changes to Jujuy), then it will turn right onto Venezuela, go two blocks, and go left (resuming the South direction) on Dean Funés (Funes?). Now that's all you have to know, because you have to get off at Dean Funes 1000, which is after crossing Independencia but before crossing San Juan. Then you should walk right a block and now you're on La Rioja and ready to find Grisel. Now, for those of you who wanted to go and gave up and took a cab... well, if you're here for more than 4 days you should really use the buses. It's fun, cheap, and you get to see the people. Cabs are annoying and a cab driver told me last night that some guys move the taxímetro ahead while you're not watching. Is that true? I don't know, but I prefer buses because they keep you real.
And being real is what Tango is all about. Or is it?
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