The Cats were not away, but still the mice did play! 

Hello everyone - Pat here! Our wonderful Firehouse Tango hosts - Sue and Joe Dallon - got to experience once again our Cat's Away Milonga on Thursday, March 20th! In the past, they have been living it up in Buenos Aires in March with a group of Firehouse regulars, which is how the Cat's Away Milongas came into being, way back in 2004! This year, we are delighted to have our Cool Cats with us and it was no surprise that as usual, our first Cat's Away Milonga of 2014 got off to a rip-roaring start with some truly fabulous home-cooked food.

There was one key person we missed greatly who was not present - Terri, who is typically our stalwart team guide and supporter. We are looking forward to having Terri with us for next week's Cat's Away!

A Firehouse Food Fest!!!

We cannot thank everyone enough for their generosity of spirit, their amazing gourmet delights, and the overall camaraderie that infuses our group and activates those endorphins (the little mites in our brains that create a sense of well-being!)

The evening was a non-stop whirl of people taking class, people arriving with their amazing preparations, and those of us on kitchen duty heating, stirring, washing dishes, and arranging the trolley prior to wheeling it out -- to the great distraction of those in class, of course! When the evening finally wound down, there was nary a morsel left...appetizers, entrees and desserts disappeared amongst comments and murmurings of admiration and delight.

Personal thanks go to my generous kitchen helpers-Jean (Shedlock), Barbara (Lombardi) Jan (Folmsbee) and Sue, who also lent a helping hand although she was supposed to be taking things easy! Other folks from the beginning to the end of the evening provided additional assistance. We also recognize all the people who offered able assistance to Fran during the classes.

And now on to the Acknowledgement Roll Call (in alpha order) - all these people deserve our sincere gratitude:

Barbara (Lombardi)-BBQ Chicken

Bob (Brillo)-Garden Salad

Bonnie and Jack-Dip and Chips, Fruit Bowl

Camille (Di Sclafani)-Vege dip and crackers

Dave and Anne (Schiebel)-Corned Beef & Cabbage (belated recognition of St. Patrick's Day!)

Eduardo (Campos)-his famous Flan de Coco

Herb (Goodfried)-All the fixin's for Judy's Chili

Jan (Folmsbee)-Cornbread Casserole with Chicken

Jean (Shedlock) and Enrique (Zuniga)-Chicken Broccoli Scampi

Judy (Assisi)-her famous Chili

Lynn (Gross-her famous Banana Bread

Marion (Levine)-Israeli Dried Fruit Compote with Grand Marnier

Mike (Porro)-Large Garden Salad with dressing

Naum and Slava (Khromov)-Waffle Cake

Pat and Fran-assorted cheese, crackers and chips

Steve (Turi)-Ice Cream in assorted flavors

Tonia (Gribok)-Paté Rolls

Phew!!! If you think all this sounds fabulous (it was!), then the big question is: What can we possibly do for an encore next week? Well, if for some reason you couldn't make it or wish you had been there - come on over this coming Thursday 27th for Cat's Away II. We have some impressive entries, and have just a couple of slots to fill for an Entrée and a dessert. Be sure not to miss this second-in-row extravaganza - some of our cooks on the roster are among the best in the business!! And bring your appetite!

Our group leaves New York on Friday, October 31, 2014 at 10:15 PM and returns Monday, November 10 at 6:15 AM. As I write, the round trip fare for non-stop American flights #953/956 is $1285. Let me know now if you are interested in joining us. You can contact me (Sue) at 201-825-1570 or  firehousetango@gmail.com.

How Much:

Cost of the trip including everything listed below (excluding air) is $2000 (double occupancy). Single supplement is available for an additional fee of $300. Airfare should be about 1,285.

Give check made out to Firehouse Tango for $400 together with your name, address and phone numbers to Sue or send to Sue Dallon, 16 Fox Hollow Rd. Ramsey, NJ 07446. For more information or references ask Sue or call 201-825-1570 or 201-826-6602.

What's included?

·         8 nights / 9 days in Buenos Aires with the friendliest group around

·         Stay at the excellent, centrally located Bauen Suites Hotel

·         Full breakfast every day

·         Transfers to and from hotel (included only if traveling with group on American # 953 Fri Oct 31 and # 956 Sunday November 9 (arriving Mon  10))

·         Welcome luncheon where you will meet the instructors

·         Private group lessons with excellent local teachers and local hosts as partners

·         Milongas with local hosts (male and female) who are there just to dance with us

·         City Tour

·         Full day at gaucho ranch with barbeque and show

·         Popular Tango show with dinner

·         Day at San Telmo Flea Market & enough free time for shopping, exploring the city, visiting museums, taking private lessons, visiting milongas on your own or resting (heaven forbid).

·         You most certainly will want to visit a shoe store (shoes cost about 1/3 of price here).  Prices in Buenos Aires are amazingly low & additional costs are minimal.

·         Excellent & inexpensive local teachers highly recommended by us for privately scheduled lessons.

Optional add-on - Four days in Mendoza - Argentine wine country

Four of us are going to Mendoza after the rest of the group leaves.  It is an awesome trip with visits to lots of wineries, a little more tango dancing on the west coast and sight seeing in this beautiful place.  Please let us know if you are interested in joining us.

Sue and Joe Dallon

Firehouse Tango

March 27  - Cat's Away Milonga II

 
 See above for more information about this terrific Firehouse tradition.  

• Sue and Joe are going
• Michael Nadtochi and Zoya Altmark teach all Argentine Tango workshops
• Special Sunday afternoon milonga with Ilene Marder

Joe and I always love these weekends and we're going to attend this one.  Let me know if you would like to join us, and we'll arrange to sit together.

You have the choice to "SIT IT OUT...OR DANCE". Stardust Dance Productions' 97th Ballroom Dance Weekend is almost here (April 4-6th). Don't be left out. There is no better place in the country than the experience of being in the Catskill Mountains of New York during this season..  Stardust Dance Weekend is being held at the beautiful Honor's Haven Resort & Spa located in Ellenville, New York.  Prices start at $385.00 per person which includes:

·     Overnight accommodations at full-service resort

·     7 meals - Champagne and wine reception

·     Open bar cocktail party and smorgasbord

·     Over 50 dance workshops

·     Dancing during lunch and dinner

·     Night and day dancing to 4 great DJ's

·     Top nite club entertainment each evening

·     Stardust's got Talent

The Stardust Sunday Tango Program
 APRIL 6TH  -  11am-4pm  -
Finale of the 97th Stardust Dance Weekend in Ellenville NY!

- Two Workshops with Michael Nadtochi & Zoya Altmark
- Elegant Dance Mix Lunch
- La Rubia's Milonguita with Host & DJ Ilene Marder

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-
11am-1pm Workshops with
MICHAEL NADTOCHI & ZOYA ALTMARK
11AM- INTERMEDIATE/ 12 NOON- Intermediate/ADVANCED

- 1PM-2PM- ELEGANT 3-COURSE LUNCH,WITH MIXED DANCING
 LATIN-SALSA-CHACHA-HUSTLE-WEST COAST SWING-LINDY-BALLROOM-TANGO

- 2:00-4:00pm: LA RUBIA'S MILONGUITA !
CLASSICS, MODERN, & NUEVO
HOST & DJ ILENE MARDER~ LA RUBIA DEL NORTE

---  ALL DAY SUNDAY PACKAGE: JUST $50
2 hours of Workshops; 1 hour Dance Mix Lunch; 2 hour Milonguita
 OR
- Dance Lunch & Milonguita Only: $35
 (- MILONGUITA ONLY: Complimentary, No Charge! )
_________________________________________________________________
 These Sundays are always productive, delightful and fun!
ADVANCE RESERVATIONS NECESSARY!
PLEASE CALL OR WRITE ILENE....
imhmedia@gmail.com /  (845) 399-9034
_________________________________________________________________
ALSO!!!
- FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT MILONGAS & STAGE SHOWS:

Each night....
- 9pm:  MILONGA WITH DJ LA RUBIA DEL NORTE
(9-10p DANCING/ 10-11p-SHOW/ 11p-1A+ MORE DANCING!)  
- 10-11PM- MULTI DANCE STAGE SHOW!                              
LATIN,BALLROOM, SWING, TANGO, et al
-11pm-1am+: MILONGA CONTINUES! 
____________________________________________________________________
MORE THAN 400 DANCERS COME FOR THESE EXCITING WEEKENDS! More than 50 classes and workshops!
MULTI DAY PACKAGES AVAILABLE.
CONTACT STARDUST:845-794-4982 or 845-796-6511/
http://stardustdance.com/images/emailart/STARDUST_WEB_BROCHURE.pdf

Honor's Haven ~ 1195 Arrowhead Rd Ellenville, NY 12428 ~ is a lovely, modern hotel located just off Route 209 in Ellenville, south of the Village (first left after the last gas station going south), directly next door to the famous Nevele Hotel. Approx. 35 minutes from Kingston, NY
 
 Friends, this is a wonderful fun weekend and I hope you will be able to join us...the Argentine Tango program is growing by leaps and bounds with many good dancers attending! We created the Sunday Tango Program to serve and involve regional tangueros.
Looking forward!
xox Ilene

Hi, everyone, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. When we dance, our Tango begins with el abrazo, the embrace. In the ideal, this initial contact between leader and follower can set the tone for a truly delightful occasion of social dance bliss. All too often, however, a badly conceived, badly formed embrace can be the start of a very uncomfortable -- sometimes even traumatic -- four minutes from hell. In our Tango Tip today, we'll focus on how to insure that both leaders and followers understand how to form an embrace -- and how to use it properly --in order to create an intimate and fulfilling dance experience.

We'll begin by addressing a commonly held notion that in the social dance relationship the leader controls, and the follow submits. Okay, if two complete neophytes try Tango (or any other social dance) for the first time, this "Me Tarzan, You Jane" attitude might well prevail. The leader grabs his follower, pulling her close to him; she leans on him, totally off balance, and expects to be thrown around the dance floor like a rag doll. Sound like fun?

Of course, even the most rudimentary instruction by a competent teacher quickly dispels this misguided nonsense -- as the couple ultimately becomes aware that the dance collaboration is far more complex and subtle than they may first have thought. Let's now describe what two well-informed, well-trained dancers actually do in order to make certain that their embrace is the beginning of a memorable Tango experience and not a forgettable disaster.

The leader:

1.     He approaches his follower. (In Argentina, this process is, of course, far more elaborate and ritualistic, and steeped in a unique, well-established social tradition. But in the United States, we generally abbreviate this "coming together" to a large extent -- although by doing so, many dancers believe that the romance of this moment is thereby negated.)

2.     When he is close enough to his follower, the leader encircles the center of her back with his right arm, placing his hand gently in the middle of her back. He does not draw her forward, pulling her off balance onto her toes.

3.     At more or less the same time, the leader takes the follower's right hand in his left without squeezing, and without pushing or pulling in any way.

The follower:

1.     Having accepted his invitation to dance, the follower permits the leader to form the embrace. As he places his right arm around her back, the follower places her left arm gently on his shoulder, or around his back. In doing this, she makes certain that she maintains her own "frame," and that she does not in any way lean on the leader.

2.     She takes his offered left hand in her right, again making sure that this arm maintains its own weight, and that it doesn't become necessary for him to have to hold her arm up.

3.     The follower makes certain that she does not squeeze her leader's hand, or use it to maintain her balance.

Both the leader's and follower's arms and hands remain "neutral" throughout the ensuing dance. Movements are led by the raising and lowering -- and at times the twisting -- of the leader's torso. Occasionally in "advanced" figures, one or both of the leader's hands or arms may be used to enhance a complex invitation. But this does not pertain to fundamental leading skill, and therefore I won't describe it here.

The ultimate goal of what I have described above is to promote comfort and balance during the dance. In order to be a good social dancer, you should consider working on these ideas with your teacher. In the meantime, Pat or I will be very happy to answer any questions you might have on the subject.

Sunday, April 6, 12:30 -- 3:30 p.m., All levels welcome

Last November, Pat and I teased your appetite with our "10 must-have Tango moves" workshop. Now, we're going to absolutely knock your socks off with our follow-up intensive, "10 More Must-Have Tango Moves You Should Know." Please join us for this one-of-a-kind, 3-hour intensive Tango workshop, and get ready for more figures, more techniques, and much more non-stop excitement. If you liked what you learned in November, you're going to absolutely love what we'll be bringing you this time!

Here are a few hot spots:

·      Create a surprise with one of Gustavo Naveira's unique alterations

·      Channel the magic footwork of Orlando Paiva

·      Add more great adornos to your repertoire

·      Master the traspie wizardry of Julio Balmaceda

·      Define the moment with a classic combo from Osvaldo Zotto

Fran Chesleigh's "10 More Must-Have Tango Moves You Should Know" offers you a unique opportunity to transform your Tango, Vals and Milonga into the polished, seriously authentic dances you've been working so hard to achieve.

Don't miss it!

Prepaid by Friday, April 4: $30 per person

Standard price: $35 per person

No refunds. No exchanges.

Dance Manhattan

Ballroom,Swing and Latin Dance Studio

39-47 West 19th Street

5th Floor

New York, NY

1-212-807-0802

dancemanhattan.com

 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, Spanish and Italian  information and a relevant recording. You can see all of them and listen to the recording by simply joining Monica Paz PractiMilonguero Facebook page. Below is the post for March 17th and a link to the Facebook page, where you can hear the music:

17 DE MARZO DE 1943

 March 17, 1943: Date on which Carlos Di Sarli and Roberto Rufino  recorded a beautiful tango: ADIÓS TE VAS. In 1936 Mendoza celebrated the first "wine harvest festival". Years later the wine festival included a musical march whose authorship belongs to Egidio Pittaluga. This professional musician is the composer of the tango we now hear. But he signed his creation with the name of Don Vargas.

Fecha en la que Carlos Di Sarli y Roberto Rufino graban un precioso tango: ADIÓS TE VAS. En 1936 se celebra en Mendoza la primera fiesta de la vendimia. Años más tarde se incorpora a ese festejo la marcha de la vendimia cuya autoría musical pertenece a Egidio Pittaluga. Dicho músico profesional es el autor del tango que oímos. Pero lo firmó con el nombre de Don Vargas.

 17 marzo 1943: Data nella quale Carlos di Sarli e Roberto Rufino registrano un tango molto bello: ADIÓS TE VAS. Nel 1936 si celebra a Mendoza la prima festa della vendemmia. Più tardi s'incorpora a questa festa la marcia della vendemmia la cui musica fu composta da Egidio Pittaluga. Questo musicista professionista è l'autore del tango che ascoltiamo. Però lo firmò con il nome di Don Vargas.

 https://www.facebook.com/MPTango

And the following one for her latest interview (She regularly posts interviews that she does with surviving old milongueros) : 

MP Tango Interview

MPTango Presents Jose Santoro at PractiMilonguero

http://youtu.be/9CWJ2gAELnU

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

• Tsipoyra Sartan
  
• Debbie Glaser
• Joseph and Nonna
  
• steve turi
• Elena Titova
  

• Barbara Lombardi - Chicken
• Jan Folmsbee - Cornbread, Stuffing & Casseroles
• Camille - Appetizers
  
• Jean Shedlock - Chicken, Broccoli & Shrimp
• Bonny Yankauer - Guacamole, Chips & Fruit Bowl
  
• Tonia - Chicken Liver, Pate Rolls, Home Made Sourkraut
• Marion Levine - Tropical Fruit Compote
• Judy & Herb - Chili, Rice, Cheese, Onions
• David Schiebel - Corn Beef and Cabbage
• Naum & Slava - Waffle Cake
• Michael Porro - Salad
• Eduardo Campos - Flan
  

• Bill Krukovsky
• Jack Messing
• Camille
• Enrique Zuniga
• Fred Meyer
• Horatio Piccioni
• Eduardo Campos