Unhappily,  eye surgery kept me home instead of at the Firehouse Milonga, where I belonged.  I'm fine and will be back next Thursday to celebrate Joe's birthday with all of our friends.  I can't wait.

Special thanks to my dear friend Terri and my wonderful husband, Joe, for taking over for me without missing a beat. 

Get your tickets [$20.00] now for our eight annual Tango on the Hudson picnic milonga. Don't miss dancing Tango at one of the loveliest spots in this area.

The dance is in the Alpine Pavilion, located at the boat basin in Alpine, New Jersey, about seven miles from the George Washington Bridge.  We will dance under the stars at this magnificent stone, open air structure built in the 1930's by the
 WPA, nestled in the forested Palisades directly on the Hudson River, with a huge wood floor made for dancing.  Its protective roof, picnic tables and matchless ambiance make it perfect for eating and dancing rain or shine.

FIREHOUSE TANGO ON THE HUDSON

Admission:

Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door if space is available

Purchasing tickets:    

Tickets may be purchased in advance at Firehouse
Tango on  Thursdays or you can send a
check made out to Firehouse Tango to Sue
Dallon 16 Fox Hollow Rd Ramsey, NJ 07446

Date:                   

Sunday night, August 25, 2013


Time:                 

4 - 8 PM                             

Weather:            

Rain or shine - Covered pavilion

Place:           

Alpine Boat Basin

Parking:

$5 for a car to park in lot

Food:      

We will not supply food but you can bring a picnic supper if you want. There are tables at which to sit.

Drink:           

BYOB and water

Cleanup:           

Please dispose of your own garbage in the receptacles provided

Music:           

Music by DJ Joe

Information:        

For additional information call Sue at 201-825-1570 OR 201-826-6602 or e mail firehousetango@gmail.com .

Floor:

The floor is wood and you can wear dance shoes (dress is casual)

 

For pictures and directions for this year's Firehouse Tango on the Hudson Picnic Milonga (Sunday, August 25, the Sunday before Labor Day) click on Special Events on our web site at www.firehousetango.com

http://www.firehousetango.com/FHTontheHudsonPicnicMilongaSunday2013.doc

 Birthday of Joe Dallon - Next Thursday, August 15th

Next Thursday, August 15th, we will celebrate a special birthday of Joe Dallon.  Sue will start the birthday tango, and we expect all of the wonderful Firehouse Tangueras to cut in.  Please, ladies, let's make him happy.  This is a special birthday, so make sure to join us.

I finally bit the bullet and set up a Firehouse Tango Facebook group.  I added some of you.  Please don't be offended if I left you out - just search for Firehouse Tango and join our group. 

I'm still learning, so please forgive any errors and omissions. . 

Thanks so much to Luz Piedad-Lopez and to Tibor for all their help and patience in getting us started.
 

We welcome readers' contributions about Argentine Tango in general and Firehouse Tango in particular. Send your thoughts to firehousetango@gmail.comWe welcome readers' contributions about Argentine Tango in general and Firehouse Tango in particular. Send your thoughts to firehousetango@gmail.com

Hi everyone, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. How close should a leader hold his follower when dancing Tango? In Argentina, the answer would invariably be "very close." In other countries with their own individual cultural, ideological and aesthetic paradigms, the answer is often quite different.

In the USA, for example, the idea that each gender should "know their place" is considered passé to members of both sexes -- particularly in major urban areas. These days, the relationship between men and women is very much a matter of professional and social equality.

In this context, if I as a leader automatically draw my partner close, and she seems uncomfortable - perhaps she actually attempts to create distance between us - it would feel quite appropriate to me to give way, and to re-establish the embrace with more space between us in an effort to accede to her obvious preference. Conversely, if a follower plants herself uncomfortably on my chest in an automatic way, leaning into me to the extent that I will have difficulty leading the movements of the dance, I would feel no discomfort in releasing the embrace, and then attempting to recreate a more equally balanced connection which will work more effectively for my lead.

Whether you're a leader or a follower, I believe that you are as important as your partner in the Tango collaboration. Since the basic connection is defined by the embrace, I think it's crucial for you to participate in its formation - rather than allowing it to be some thing that "happens to you" and over which you have no control. If it feels too far apart, try getting a little closer to your partner. If it's too close for comfort, try to create distance. If your partner makes it difficult or impossible to do this, don't be afraid to speak up.

As the roles of men and women in contemporary society become redefined - become, in fact, far more closely aligned than ever before - a question as simple as "how close should a leader hold his partner?" is no longer exclusively the preference of the leader, but now calls for consideration and negotiation by both leader and follower.

For Firehouse dancers who might enjoy a day in the Big Apple on Saturdays, Fran teaches from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. every week. He offers a beginner class in Milonga & Argentine Waltz at 11:00 a.m. as well as an intermediate class in Tango at noon. From 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Fran and Pat host a special beginner/intermediate practice for bringing your skills up to speed. The cost for the practice is $10 per person. (Bringing a partner isn't necessary.) Fran and Pat are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about your dancing, and to help you with figures you're working on. If you want to take Fran's classes, call Dance Manhattan at 212-807-0802 to register. For the practice, all you have to do is arrive with $10 and your dance shoes in hand.

See you every Saturday for a full day of Tango!

We want to remind everyone that if the weather looks really bad, we will leave messages on our web site www.firehousetango.com and phone 201-825-1570. You can also reach us on our cell phone 201-826-6602 (Sue) and 201-913-8504 (Joe). Feel free to leave a message on any of these lines. We cancel only when absolutely necessary (only about six seven times in all these years), but please check whenever you're not sure. If there isn't any message, we're on.

During Hurricane Sandy, when we had only cell phone service, I was able to leave a message on my cell, so I guess that the best number to call is 201-826-6602.

 If you lost something, we probably have it. We have a few ladies' scarves and some shoes. There are also various items of clothing and jewelry in the closet. Ask Tibor at the front desk.

The following folks helped set up, break down and clean up before and after the milonga. Without them, there would be no Firehouse Tango.

Since this newsletter is going out early, I'll have to add some of these folks next week.  Here is my advance list:

• Terri Lopez -
  
• Tony Mele
  
• Tsipoyra Sartan
  
• steve turi
  
• Stephen Maisch
  
• Debbie Glaser
• Jesse Barton
  

A reminder that Firehouse Tango does not supply wine - Your fellow tangueros bring it. Therefore, if you drink it, please make sure to bring a bottle every so often.

The folks below brought food and wine this week -
 

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