Joe's hernia surgery Wednesday wasn't exactly the breeze that we expected, and minor complications kept us both away from Firehouse Thursday night. 

Our holiday milonga had already been scheduled and folks were on their way.  They would be bringing tons of food that had to be heated, organized, served and cleaned up.  The hall had to be decorated and readied for Santa's visit, the birthday dance had to be announced and played, the prizes had to be awarded, the music had to be played, and the folks had to be welcomed. 

At 5:00, I told Terri and Steve that I couldn't be there.  A five minute tutorial in iTunes was all Steve needed.  Terri didn't even get that.  They chased me away with reassurances that everything would be fine.  And it was! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Terri, Steve, Tibor, Fran, Pat, and all the Firehouse folks who pitched in to make the night as good as it gets. Once again, I marvel at just how lucky we are to have so many incredible friends who support us without question.  

Christmas / Hanukkah / Thanksgiving Milonga

Red, red and more red - and  blue too; Christmas and Hanukkah decorations; goodies galore; Santa hats; holiday outfits; door prizes; an extra half hour of dancing time and a visit from fat man in red himself - This was our special Firehouse holiday milonga!    I was at home taking care of my recovering husband, but I am certain that the wonderful Firehouse Tangueros enjoyed themselves to the very last moment. 

Last year, we gave Mr. Claus some bad information, and he had to be replaced at the last minute by his twin (Rafael.)  This year, we made sure that our original Santa (Ricardo) knew exactly when to come, and we were delighted to see him welcome the season at Firehouse.  Thanks to both Santa and his twin for spreading Christmas joy to the tango world.  . 

·        

• • Meg
  • Carl Remmes
    
  • Victor (Natalia's friend)
  • Steve Maisch
  • Florin (Bao's friend)
  • Olga

Thanks to the folks who brought food for the Holiday Milonga

Here is the HUGE list of contributors to our Christmas / Hanukkah milonga.  Believe it or not, everything was gone by the end of the night.

• Sue Dallon    Brisket with carrots, potatoes and stringbeans, sweet potato souffle
  
• Terri Lopez - Arroz con pollo
• Jan and Carl
• Eva Roth            Broccoli Kugel, Spinach-Macaroni in White Sauce
  
• Lou and Faye    Fresh pineapple
• Judy & Herb       Dried fruit compote with Grand Marnier
• Flo Salierno      Dessert
  
• Elena Syrett      Dessert
  
• Michael Wainer Christmas Cake
• Heidi Fedor       Cake and cookies
  
• George Ngo        60 Empanadas
• Judy and John Wynne Pumpkin chocolate nut bread
  
• Hilda and Rafael Two flans
• Camille                 Appetizer
  
• Mike and Debbie    Salad
• Rose Whitehill        Assortment of chips and dips and bread
• Bonny Yankauer      Chips and guacamole, brie eggplant caponata
  
• Jack Block                Chopped liver
• Francis and Marie Gregoire    Shrimp and wine
• Barbara Lombardi - Pie
• Jean Shedlock - Deserts
• Mary Pagano - Candy
• Stephen Maisch - Bread
• Pat Flaherty - Apple Cider
• Tsipoyra - Box of Chocolate

December 26  New Year's

Our holiday milonga was so great that we will repeat the entire process on December 26th for New Year's.

The New Year's milonga will feature:

•  Fabulous door prizes
• An extra half hour for dancing
  
• Special food
• Festive atmosphere with decorated hall
• Dress up for the holidays
• Holiday cortinas

As always, our $15 milonga admission charge will include beginner (7 - 8) and intermediate (8 - 9) lessons taught by Fran Chesleigh; a buffet dinner; and dancing and socializing with some of the nicest folks around.

Bring a dish to our New Year's Milonga

 This is what we have so far:

• Sue Dallon    Roast pork in gravy  and sweet potato souffle
• Mike and Debbie - salad
• Judy Assisi       Dried fruit compote with Grand Marnier

If you would like to contribute something for the  New Year's milonga, please let me know.  You can send an e mail to firehousetango@gmail.com  or tell Tibor at the front desk.  It can be an appetizer, main dish, or dessert.  It doesn't even have to be home made.

December 12 - Elena Titova Birthday and Veronica Diaz Birthdays next Thursday

See details for Elena and Veronica under Celebrations

December 19 - Cris Grapa Birthday

December 26 - New Year's Milonga

See above for information about our New Year's Milonga on December 26

December 12 - Elena Titova Birthday and Veronica Diaz Birthday next Thursday

        Veronica - (Also See her message under Readers' Corner )

Veronica, my Spanish teacher, is a native of Buenos Aires and loves Argentine Tango. She misses her Thursday nights at Firehouse only when her very busy schedule interferes. 

Months ago, Veronica  made sure that I wrote down her birthday because she was so excited about celebrating with us.  We are delighted to do so, and we urge all tangueros to join her birthday tango.  You definitely should not miss dancing with this awesome tanguera. 

        Elena

Elena joined us about a year ago, and she has quickly become a great Firehouse friend.  Check out her smile, which lights up the room.  We're so happy to be able to celebrate her birthday at Firehouse on December 12.

 This week, two cars were ticketed for parking too close to the stop sign (one fiercely debated) and another car blocked a neighbor's driveway.  Please, please, be careful where you park. 

 Every day, our dear friend and teacher in Buenos Aires posts a historical tango fact of the day. These interesting and informative tidbits always include English and Spanish information and a relevant recording.  You can see all of them by simply joining Monica Paz PractiMilonguero Facebook page. Below is the post for today.

5 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1946

 December 5th, 1946: On this date Carlos Di Sarli recorded the first of the three versions of EL ONCE, song which belongs to Osvaldo Fresedo, its author, who named the theme EL 11 (A DIVERTIRSE) or "on the 11th ball, let's have fun" . This happened because the tango was released at the eleventh and last graduation dance for future medicine graduates. Each year on these events, the doctors to be, invited a director with an unreleased track. The first belonged to Francisco Canaro and was called EL MATASANOS (the health killer).

From Veronica Diaz

Hola Tango Peeps!

I know it is a crazy time of the year but I hope you can come and toast (and dance, of course) at Firehouse in Maywood, NJ on Thursday, December 12.
IT IS MY FIRST TANGO BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION EVER AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!
I am bringing wine for all of us to toast. If you cannot dance (you know who you are...), you can certainly drink! ;)

Chau!
Vero

From Terri Lopez

  Aol is too problematic.  I'm trying to switch over to gmail.  Please send out the new address

From Rose Whitehill

Sue,

Here goes (press release writing ain't my forte...) There is a new tango teacher at Rogers, Hackensack (and Fairfield), Zoya Altmark.

She is also an incredible ballroom/latin dancer as well.  She is appearing in the Esquina Carlos Gardel show at the Malbec and Tango House in New York (www.tangohouse.net) Tuesdays through Saturdays (not Thurs.) through Dec. 14. 

2013 is almost gone.  Progress with my resolutions is mixed.  These were my resolutions for this year.

·        Learn to converse fluently en español by studying every day

        Visit Buenos Aires twice

·         Exercise 6 days a week

·         Keep this newsletter interesting for my readers.

Exercise - I give up!

Since 2013 it's almost over, I think I will skip this section and start all over again next year.  I'm OK while I'm home, but anywhere else is a disaster.  Any ideas for keeping this resolution in 2014? 

Buenos Aires - yes!

Two trips to Buenos Aires in a year is all my poor tootsies can stand.  I'm really happy though, and both trips were as good as it gets. 

  Espanol - yes!

The final Spanish presentation for my conversation class at William Paterson was a complete success, due largely to Hilda and Rafael.  They met with me, encouraged me, and cheered me on.  Hilda also corrected my homework every week.  Horatio allowed me to interview him for the same class.  Gracias amigos por mi exito en esta clase. 

Thank you, all my amigos, for all the help that has made me semi-conversant en espanol.

Newsletter

As anyone who knows me realizes, brevity is not my strong suit.  I do try, but there's always so much to say.   

 

 
In conclusion

Yes, I am just a bit obsessive compulsive - but sometimes that helps get things done.

Yes, that's right. Fasten those seat belts, ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be a Physics class!

In America, we are exposed to two types of partner dance movement -- progressive and in-place or "spot." With progressive dancing -- Foxtrot, Slow and Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Peabody, and what we call "American" Tango -- dancers move more or less continuously around a line of direction. Once they start, they don't stop moving until the dance is over and the music has come to a halt. With in-place or spot dances -- Salsa/Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Merengue, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, Bachata, all the various Swing dances, Hustle, and what I'll call "Disco" dancing -- participants remain more or less in a fixed place or spot on the floor, and employ a combination of predetermined and improvised steps in place, accompanied by specialized body movement in order to create their dance.

In each of the types of partner dance movement referred to above, the challenge of inertia -- and therefore of balance -- is solved for dancers in simple and very specific ways. In progressive dancing, the dancers keep moving -- a body in motion tends to remain in motion. The only time they stop is either when the dance is over, or perhaps when some kind of obstruction prevents them from continuing. In spot dancing, the partners deal with the challenge of inertia by not moving at all -- well, by not moving through space at any rate -- a body at rest tends to remain at rest. (Of course, I confess that I'm not being quite accurate here. Whereas leaders tend to remain more or less at rest during contemporary spot dancing, followers usually end up moving constantly from one side of the leader to the other, or spinning like tops until at the end of the dance, when they stagger dizzily off the floor for a well-earned -- often mandatory -- moment or two of rest and rehabilitation.)

Now, we come to Argentine Tango.

Those of you who attend my classes and workshops have often heard me say that "Tango is a dance of movement and stillness." Ultimately, what I mean by this is that in Tango the solution to the challenge of inertia is quite different from -- and far more complex than -- the solutions we bring to bear in either progressive or spot dancing. Any individual step (forward, backward, or to the side) and/or any rotational element (among which we include such techniques as ocho, boleo, calicita, and colgada) can segue into another movement -- or can stop completely at its end.

For leaders, this means developing two related skills that would not be necessary either in progressive or spot dancing. First, the leader needs to carefully define each individual step through his lead so that his follower can feel that he intends to continue at the end of any given element. (In progressive dancing this would be a given, but in Tango it is always optional). Second, the leader needs to learn how to slow any individual step down during its progression -- if that is what he wants -- so that it ends comfortably in a stop without confusing the follower or compromising her balance. (Once again, this skill is not necessary in progressive dancing, but is crucial in Tango.)

For followers, things are a little more straight-forward, at least in theory. A follower needs to develop the skill of coming to a complete stop at the end of every step she takes! The reason for this is that she has no idea from one moment to the next what the leader has in mind. And because she doesn't know what he wants, she can't anticipate that he will invite her to take another step. Her job is to end each step in balance, and wait for the next invitation. In progressive dancing she would know that her leader intended to continue, that there would be an unbroken inertial flow. But in Tango this is not so.

If you've been asking yourself why Tango is so difficult to master, I believe that the main reason has far more to do with facing the challenges posed by the fundamental movement and stillness of the dance. Individual figures may seem to be the problem, but they're not. If you want your Tango to improve, consider focusing on developing the skills you need to achieve more consistent balance in your dance by becoming a better leader or follower, and stop chasing figures and adornments -- at least for the time being.

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 and Steve and all the Firehouse folks who made this night possible will be recognized next week.

• Barbara Lombardi
• Joe Weintraub
• Adrienne Burton
• Enrique Zuniga
• Bill Krukovsky
• Jackie Mastrogiovanni
• George Ngo
• Natalya Kaganovic
• Bob Brillo
• Vadim Surikov
• Emerson & Gunilla
• Hilda & Rafael
• Susan Berardini
• Marta Bautis
• Edna Negron
• Cris Grapa
• Maro Dimitrakopovlos
• Eduardo Campos
• Terri Lopez