Flashing lightning, roaring thunder, pouring rain, flooded highways and darkness were not enough to keep our friends away from Thursday night tango at Firehouse.
No electricity - hah! Out came the flashlights.
Fran taught the lesson. People brought food and we put it out under the battery operated lights, and they ate. We sang Happy Birthday to Tsipoyra and Sydney and enjoyed the delicious cake baked by Tsipoyra's sister. Carl brought his boom box in and we danced in the dark. When the battery ran out, someone played tango on an iPhone! And we danced!
I don't think there is another milonga in the world to which so many people would come on such a dark and stormy night. Thank you all for a night that I will never forget. We are, indeed, a very special place.
We will try to find a time for Tsipoyra and Sydney to enjoy a belated birthday dance and for Herb to get his cake.
Next week's celebrations (and the week after)
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Thursday, September 18
Anniversary of Walter Monteblanco and Gay Fallows Monteblanco
Can it be four years since we rejoiced at the marriage of our very good friends Walter and Gay? We will celebrate their anniversary with great joy - the tangueros dancing with Gay and the tangueras (and maybe some tangueros, too) with Walter. They will start out dancing together. Then, hopefully, I will be the first to cut in. Then there will be a free-for-all. Walter will bring his very famous and delicious cake.
I can't wait.
Walter has been a close friend and supporter since the very beginning at Paramus Firehouse # 4, and Gay came soon after. When they aren't traveling, they come to Firehouse often. Walter also teaches private lessons by appointment.
Thursday, September 26 Birthday of Terri Lopez Terri, who has become so indispensable that I call her Firehouse friend # 1, will celebrate her birthday on Thursday, September 26.
We invite the Firehouse Tangueros to show our most loyal Firehouse friend EVER just how much we all appreciate her. Terri Lopez has been a part of the Firehouse family since our first days at Paramus Firehouse # 4, and we look forward to many more birthday celebrations with her. Each lucky tanguero will get to cut in and enjoy a short tango until the next person cuts in.
If heaven is anything like celebrating one's birthday at Firehouse Tango, it has a lot to recommend it. Frankly, I'd rather be at Firehouse. Thank you lovely tangueras, for a birthday memory I shall cherish. Con mucho amore,
Steve Turi
I keep saying I do not want to celebrate any more birthdays, but how many men will line up to dance with me, if not for the traditional tributes on birthdays.....oh well, you know that is not really true because our tanqueros dance with all of the ladies...
Terri Lopez
Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashonah) awe inspiring finger lickin' good feast that should have been
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Jewish New Year feast - Yummy
Last Thursday, September 12, we planned to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at Firehouse Tango. As is our tradition, some of our tangueros judeos (and others who just wanted to contribute something) volunteered to make a traditional meal for our Firehouse friends. Some folks tried very hard but just couldn't get there, but many did. Here was the proposed menu, most of which we ate. Thanks to those who provided this still incredible ethnic feast. The Firehouse Tangueros who came were more than up to the task of eating it
This was the menu:
Sue Dallon brisket, carrots, potatoes, string beans, chips and hummus
Joe Dallon Apples and honey from Joe's bees
Judy Assisi and Herb Goodfried Sephardic Dried Fruit Compote Dessert and birthday cake** Later
Faye and Lou Levine Fresh pineapple
Tsipoyra Sartan Birthday cake
Judy Saul Holiday rice** Later
Jack Block Tsimmes** Frozen and ready for next week
Bonny Yankauer Chopped liver, crackers, and pickled herring
Georgina Blitzer Kasha varnichkes** I told her to take it home - what a mistake!
Judy Saul Holiday rice ** Maybe later Norma Arias Roasted carrots and fennel ** She made it but couldn't get here Eva Roth Cheesecake ** Couldn't get here
Lillian Sonnenshein Sweet potato casserole
Naum and Slava Deviled eggs *** Couldn't get there
Jan Folmsbee Cucumber salad Joseph and Nonna 3 challah breads
Firehouse Tango history and time line
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At appropriate times during the year, we take a look back at some Firehouse Tango highlights. We sincerely thank all of you who have been with us from the start, the newcomers and everyone in between. Every one of you contributes to making us who we are.
3/20/2003 Argentine Tango instructors Carlos and Rosa announce they are leaving for Paris and ask if we would like to continue Pasional, their weekly milonga at Paramus firehouse. 3/27/2003 Sal and Laura Zullo host first session of Tango Co-op while Sue, Joe and Eva are in Buenos Aires. 4/1/2003 Sue Dallon publishes first weekly newsletter.
5/29/2003 Fran Chesleigh teaches first lesson as guest instructor. 6/12/2003 Tango Co-op members vote to change name to Firehouse Tango. 7/20/2003 Fran has accident - recommends Jak Karako as replacement.
7-29-2003 CJ Puotinen publishes interview of Fran Chesleigh, first of a series of Firehouse Tango instructor interviews 9/4/2003 Jak Karako teaches first lesson as guest instructor .
2/3/2004 Goodbye party for Jak 2/10/2004 Fran welcomed back as permanent instructor. 3/16/2004 First Firehouse Tango trip to Buenos Aires. Fran Chesleigh and Pat Altman run milonga and buffet and write newsletter. They call it the Cat's Away Milonga, and it becomes an annual tradition.
4/20/2004 Firehousetango.com web site is launched. 4/29/2004 Firehouse Tango outgrows firehouse. Moves to Maywood Knights of Columbus Hall.
5/6/2004 Firehouse Tango celebrates first anniversary in new home with live music by Hector Del Curto trio. The anniversary celebration will become an annual event. 6/17/2004 Fran's half-hour basic tango class is expanded to full hour.
07/2004 Fran adds one hour intermediate lesson and teaches from 7 to 9 pm every week 8/30/2004 First Firehouse Tango on the Hudson picnic milonga. These will continue as an annual tradition. 06/15/2006 Fran Chesleigh's Tango Tip first published in Firehouse Tango Newsletter
09/2006 Firehouse Tango's first Milonga Month. Fran Chesleigh teaches a two hour milonga lesson for entire month. This becomes yearly tradition. 5/31/2008 Monica Paz from Buenos Aires visits Firehouse Tango and gives first Saturday workshop. She will continue to visit Firehouse on her trips to the U.S.
2/31/2009 New Year's Eve is Thursday night, and Firehouse Tango has New Year's Eve Milonga 3/2011 Rich Ariza, Hector Scotti and Felix Pacheco join Joe Dallon as regular Firehouse DJ's
12/23/2011 Norma, Terri and Marion suggest a Christmas/Hanuka party with everyone who wants to bring a dish. It's a resounding success and we decide to continue the tradition every year. 1/5/2012 Firehouse Tango starts its tenth year with Fran Chesleigh's Argentine Vals lessons 5/23/2013 Firehouse Tango celebrates its tenth anniversary with lots of original friends starting the anniversary dance and new friends joining in.
9/12/2013 A night to Remember. Lightning, thunder, floods, and no electricity could not keep the Firehouse folks from dancing the night away by flashlight
Octavio Brunetti's Urban Tango Trio - Free tango concert at Ramapo College Sharp Theater in Mahwah- Wednesday, September 18, 7:30
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Machiko Ozawa, violin; Pedro Giraudo, double bass;`Octavio Brunetti, piano Contact Marta N. Bautis mbautis@ramapo.edu or Neel Scott rscott@ramapo.edu
We will be invited to dance on the stage. Don't miss it.
Ramapo College of New Jersey 505 Ramapo Valley Rd. Mahwah, New Jersey 07430
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 From Elena Syrett
Sue dearie Great dancing last night! Our fellow tangueros and tangueras can dance wherever they find themselves, for sure! Hugs Elena
From Bill Krukovski - (He's away, and we miss him)Sadly, I ALWAYS MISS THIS - LOVE. SMK/BILL Hi everyone, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. In my Tango Tip last week I discussed how important it is for the leader to base his dance on what his follower actually does in response to his leads for individual steps within any given sequence. This week, I want to follow that up by describing a common sequence of steps, how most leaders handle it, and what they should be doing instead.
Let's take a typical beginning of a dance in the classic Tango de salon style. We start with a salida to cruzada, then a forward ocho. After that, we start something else. Before launching themselves and their partners into this sequence, most leaders would probably form a quick picture of it in their minds in the following way: "I step to the left side, I take two steps forward, I close, I lead ocho, ocho, and out. If the music is slow, I go slow; if the music is fast, I go fast."
If I were leading this sequence, I would probably think this way, too. It answers the question "What do I do in this sequence?" But I would also take my thinking a giant step further, and create a detailed picture of what my follow does with the sequence. And this is the side of the equation that most leaders simply don't consider: What does the follower do, and what impact does it have on how I lead what I lead? With that in mind, here's another way for the leader to think about the above sequence: 1.
Taking a side step to the left, I invite my follower to take a side step in the same direction. Since I will almost certainly finish this step before she does, I wait for her to come into balance before continuing. In fact, since I will now be traveling outside partner to my left (her right) - and because this will tend to take us both slightly out of front-to-front balance, I consider pausing here, taking a breath, and making absolutely certain that we're both ready for the next series of movements. 2. Now I lead three continuous, balanced steps to the cross. I make these steps continuous, because it feels quite uncomfortable to pause, when we're not in the front-to-front position. 3.
Here, I pause again in order to give my follower the opportunity to settle herself comfortably into this somewhat difficult crossover position. 4. I gently unwind her from the cross by inviting her to turn counterclockwise. 5. As she brings her feet together I lead the forward walk to my right side. 6.
As she completes her walk by turning to align herself to me, I continue turning her clockwise in order to set up the final walking movement. 7. I lead her final walk, which completes her ocho. 8. I wait for her to complete her counterclockwise turn at the end of her walk (which aligns her front-to-front with me). I check to make certain that she's completely balanced. 9. Then, and only then, do I consider leading the next step.
This is a far cry from "side, forward, forward, close, ocho, ocho, and out." But what I describe above is exactly what good leaders do, when leading any sequence. They carefully, meticulously consider what their follower is being invited to do, and they wait for her to finish and balance herself before leading the next movement. Do you think this way as a leader? Are you paying careful attention to your follower every step of this way? If not, now's a very good time to start.
Saturdays with Fran and Pat at Dance Manhattan |
Special Note: My two Saturday classes have been cancelled for the next four weeks to accommodate the fact that most Dance Manhattan students are away on their summer vacations. This means that my 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. slots are open for private lessons. If you'd like to take this unique opportunity to schedule a lesson or two during either of these times, see Pat or me, or contact us at the numbers below.
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!
Stardust Dance Weekend - September 20-22
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Catskills in the Fall.... Ballroom and Tango Dance Weekend Getaway Honor's Haven
Argentine Tango Schedule for the weekend - Note from Linda at Stardust
Sunday tango is as follows: 11:00 AM Argentine Tango (B) Intermediate with Daniel Rodriguez & Valeria Carmel 12:00 AM Argentine Tango (C) Advance with Daniel Rodriguez & Valeria Carmel
Ilene Marder is the Argentine Tango DJ for the Weekend. If we can gather a group, we can get a 10% discount or you can come for a one night Saturday stay only. Let me know.
SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2013 stardustdance.com
Head To The Country & Into Your Dancing Shoes!
Stardust Dance Productions is putting on another great dance event in the Catskills, and you're invited to share in all the fun! Come join us for Stardust's 95TH Ballroom Dance Weekend Getaway at the beautiful Honor's Haven Resort & Spa, Friday-Sunday, September 20-22, 2013
The heat of the summer may be over, but Stardust Dance Productions has another sizzling menu of dancing for you to keep the temperature up! Whether you're hungry for Salsa, Hustle, Foxtrot, Swing, or Tango, we'll feed you with the best music, the best company, and one incredibly entertaining-and hopefully not too exhausting-dance experience!
You'll enjoy Honor's Haven Resort & Spa, a full service resort in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Along with the beautiful fall colors, your mini-vacation includes:
Full-Service Dining - Seven Multi-Course Meals Champagne & Wine Reception Open Bar Cocktail Party & Smorgasbord Over 50 Dance Workshops Day & Night Dancing to Four Great DJs Theme: Saturday Night Fever (Costume Party with free weekend giveaway) Nightly Dance Performances in the Honor's Haven Resort Nightclub
Head over to StardustDance.com for more information and to RESERVE YOUR PLACE for this great Weekend Getaway! We'll provide experienced instructors, workshops, cocktail parties, fabulous entertainment, fine dining, and the hottest DJs!
So come along for an unforgettable experience... all you need to bring is your feet!
* * * Stardust's Ballroom Dance Cruise IX January 26-February 5th, 2014 Departs: Miami, Florida
Ports: Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cayman islands, Roatan Bay Islands, Honduras, Cozumel, Mexico
Firehouse Tango hot line - We rarely cancel |
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.
Terri Lopez - - Tony Mele
steve turi - Steve Maisch
- Jesse Barton
- Tsipoyra Sartan
- Carl and Jan for the music
- And lots of other folks for so much help. I was ready to pack up and send everybody home
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 -
- My apologies to Bonny Yankauer for leaving out last week's contribution of chips and guacamole. The home-made chips she brings from the Maywood Market are always delicious, as is the fresh guacamole.
- Thanks to Christine for bringing an apple pie.
And these people brought win
Tango in New Jersey - Milongas |
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