Breaking News: Dance floor burned up last Thursday at the Firehouse! (Sent by Fran Chesleigh from NYC - forwarded by Sue Dallon from Argentina)
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Things were sizzling hot last Thursday as we danced our way through week 3 of our four-week Milonga month at the Firehouse. Richard Ariza's music was better than ever (how he keeps topping himself, I just don't know!), Terri's set-up and serve crew treated us all like royalty, and Steve's breakdown gang put the icing on the cake at the end of a truly fabulous evening. As always, we hosted our regular group of stalwarts, and very happily introduced the Firehouse to quite a few newcomers. Next week, we'll be finishing up our Milonga series with a look at ochos and traspie, and we'll be delighted to welcome Joe and Sue Dallon back from their recent two-week trip to Buenos Aires. Do you think they had a great time? We can't wait to hear all the stories! Fran and Pat's Milonga DVD series now available
If you haven't gotten your copies of Fran and Pat's Milonga DVDs, make sure you pick them up soon. This is a series of four DVDs, which cover everything we've done during our four weeks of Milonga at the Firehouse, along with lots of steps we didn't have time to work on. The series costs $100, and is packed with information about Milonga right from the basics all the way to some very challenging advanced material. People who already have these DVDs think they're great (thank you very much!), and we think you will, too. Be sure to add them to your collection. Tango tip of the week
Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. If you've been in my classes, you've heard me say that Tango is a dance which consists of movement and stillness. To put it another way, when we dance Tango, we do a lot of starting and stopping. What does this mean? Why is it important to understand?
If you have a sense of the American progressive social dance tradition as exemplified in, let's say, Foxtrot or Peabody, you're aware that when we dance either of these quintessential American styles (among others), we start moving with the music, and the structure of our dance basically consists of stringing steps and/or sequences together one after another in combinations that occur to us in the moment. Most importantly, we don't stop moving until the song is over.
In Tango -- at least in the classic form of Tango as personified in the "Golden Age" tradition -- the kind of movement I described above doesn't necessarily happen. Instead, people tend to take a few steps, stop, take a few more steps, stop again, maybe throw in a learned sequence or two, come to another stop ... the idea of continuous movement just isn't part of what they do. (Of course, I'm talking here about people whom I consider to be among the "better" dancers in Argentina. To be sure, there are lots of folks even in Buenos Aires who plod along from step to step in the same way we often see unsophisticated dance students doing in this country.)
To be able to dance in the Argentine way, both leaders and followers who come from what I'll refer to as the "American tradition" have to learn right from the beginning that being able to stop after any given step or sequence is an essential skill. In Argentina, the tradition of movement and stillness is so ingrained among even the most basic-level dancers that people seem to take it for granted as the appropriate way to dance. Here in America, however, it literally goes against our prevalent tradition of dance movement. If an American student simply learns to walk continuously -- as is often the case in dance classes -- this tends to strongly reinforce the inappropriate habit of movement inertia -- of not stopping.
In my own view, nothing is more important for the beginning student than to discover, first, that being able to stop voluntarily after any given step is important, and, second, how to make this skill a priority in their learning process. If you have not yet had the opportunity to explore this crucial Tango skill, now is definitely the time to start. Getting better at this single aspect of skill development will greatly enhance your balance, improve your ability to respond creatively to music, and make you a far more sophisticated dancer of Tango. Saturdays with Fran and Pat at Dance Manhattan
Fran teaches at Dance Manhattan from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. every Saturday. 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 material you're working on. If you want to take Fran's classes, call Dance Manhattan at 212-807-0802 to register. If you'd like a private lesson, call Fran directly at 212-662-7692 or email him at
franchesleigh@mac.com. 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! The Turi report
Smooth is the word for this evening's clean up operations. Richard Ariza's wonderful tandas had everyone moving in a groove and the mood carried through in the well-practiced clean up team. This included Tony Mele (ask Terri about him), Wonder Woman (Terri), Tsipoyra, the invaluable Steve Maisch, Hilda and Rafael (both this week and last), the energetic Jesse B., with assists from Elena S., Mary E., Steve T., and a welcome new team member, Marina. Thanks to our team and to each of you who help so much by disposing of your finished dishes, napkins, glasses, etc. Muchas gracias! --Steve Turi The Terri report
Hi Sue: Another great night, needless to say, great energy, music and dancers.
Richard's music was out of the park
As usual, Steve and I, with the help of many, performed without a hitch our tasks of getting everything to run smoothly from beginning to end. Steve M, Jessie, Mary, Rafael, Hilda, Tsipoyra, Maro, Elena, and Steve T. helped with the break down. --Terri Lopez
Sue and Joe in Buenos Aires
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Message from Sue
I am making great progress in my quest to dance with every milonguero in every milonga in Buenos Aires. Still, I am eagerly anticipating seeing all my friends next Thursday at the Knights' Hall. I certainly hope that you all miss me as much as I miss you. Thanks to Terri, Steve, Richard, Fran, Pat, and our always-willing Firehouse friends, I can enjoy this wonderful city without even a teeny-tiny concern for the home front. My day in Buenos Aires
This vacation is awesome. I'm exhausted, and my feet are killing me. I need to get home so I can recuperate. Here is my daily routine: 8 am Start the day by taking the elevator to Eva's apartment. There I find a sumptuous breakfast served on fine china and linen tablecloth by the world's best hostess. Spanish lesson Tango lesson Lunch Prepare for an afternoon milonga
First dance goes to Joe. Then tango, milonga, and vals till I drop (Joe is much more conservative and selective. I just want to pursue my goal as stated above) Dinner Study Spanish and do my homework Fall into bed exhausted
I call this a perfect day.
Milonga Month continues at Firehouse Tango (all levels)
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For four Thursdays in October (3, 10, 17, 24) Fran Chesleigh, our incredible Firehouse Tango resident instructor, is teaching one all-level milonga class (from 7 to 9 PM) in place of his usual beginner and intermediate classes. For the best results, please try to come at 7.
As many of our regulars know, Argentine social dancing includes not only tango, but two other dance forms as well - vals and milonga. Since tango is what we focus on primarily in our weekly classes here at the Firehouse, people are often a bit timid about getting up to dance when a vals or milonga are played. In October, however, all that's going to change. Because starting Thursday, October 3rd, and running for four solid weeks, Pat and Fran will be teaching a month-long series of special classes in milonga. Their goal is to bring everyone from beginners to advanced dancers up to speed on this exciting Argentine dance. They will begin with the absolute basics of the dance, and move quickly through as much material as time and your progress will allow. By the end of October, you'll know what milonga is, how it's danced, and how much great fun it is to dance.
During October, while Sue and Joe have been gallivanting around Buenos Aires, Firehouse folks have been learning milonga (the dance, not the place) in New Jersey. We will return for the last milonga lesson and prepare for our fabulous Halloween bash. Here is the schedule for the rest of the month:
October 24 -
Milonga Month Continues Sue and Joe return from Buenos Aires, just in time to celebrate Judy Assisi's birthday with cake
October 31 -
Normal beginner and intermediate tango lesson schedule resumes
Firehouse Tango's 11th Annual Halloween Milonga
October 24 - Birthday of Judy Assisi
At Judy's request, we celebrate her birthday with cake but no dancing. Judy has been with us for years, and we are delighted to be able to honor her on her special day.
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
Halloween at Firehouse Tango
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Calling all Tan-ghosts and Tan-goblins - Halloween Milonga Next Thursday October 31st - Come costumed or not to Firehouse Eleventh Annual Halloween Milonga Our Halloween party features:
Belly dance performance by Belly-Tangueras Debbie Glaser and Brenda Gaines Door prizes Parade of the Firehouse Tan-ghost and Tan-goblins Awards for best couple, most creative, funniest and sexiest costumes
Additional half hour of dancing Tango lessons by Fran Chesleigh and Pat Altman Buffet dinner Milonga
Join us Thursday, October 31st for our eleventh annual Firehouse Halloween Milonga (regular lessons from 7:00 to 9:00.) If you don't have a costume, don't let it keep you away, but come, dance and cheer for your friends. Costumed or not, expect a great evening. In addition to awards for the most creative, best couple, funniest and sexiest costumes, we've got some great door prizes (costume not required to be eligible.) Of course, also included in the low price of only $15 are basic and intermediate tango lessons taught by Fran Chesleigh; a buffet dinner; and dancing and socializing with the fabulous Firehouse tangueros.
Milonga Los Pitucos this Saturday
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Milonga Los Pitucos - this Saturday - Octobeer (Note from Sue - I was about to correct the spelling, but then decided that it might have been intentional - Felix has been known to be a joker, after all) 19, 2013 ...a monthly Tango event in Caldwell, NJ See below in this newsletter for details 7PM - Free Lesson (This month Andres Bravo & Carolina Jaurena will not be teaching) 8PM - Tango 'til 11PM
This month, Andres and Carolina will not be teaching. Our Best wishes to Carolina and the new baby! 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
Note from Sue
Thanks for the overwhelming good wishes for a great trip.
Firehouse Tango hot line - We rarely cancel
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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. 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 Jill & Ed Zybert - Apple Cake Herb Goodfried - Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels
Bonny - Olive Spread & Guacamole Jack - Cheese & Chips Hilda & Rafael - Ensaimada
And these people brought wine
Barbara Lombardi Naum & Slava Khromov Dan & Georgina George Ngo Flo Salierno Bob Brillo
Fred Meyer Bill Krukovsky Enrique Zuniga Jack Block Edna Negron Rafael & Hilda Mike Porro Horatio Piccioni
Tango in New Jersey - Milongas |
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