Passover Dinner Milonga next Thursday
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Our annual traditional more or less kosher for Passover feast will take place at Firehouse Milonga next Thursday, April 17 (coincidentally, also Eva's birthday.) If anyone would like to contribute a Passover dish, please let me know (You don't have to be Jewish to do so.)
Some items featured on our previous holiday menus were: Sue - brisket with potatoes and carrots, salad, pastries, dried fruits and nuts, macaroons, desserts, matzah Joe Dallon - Turkey
Judy Saul - holiday soup
Georgina Blitzer - Potato Kugel Tsipoyra Sartan - egg salad Judy Assisi- Sephardic fruit compote Herb Goodfried- red cabbage Jack B. - Tsimmes Bonny Y - Chopped liver and pickled herring Jack M. - Lamb stew
Janice G - Passover cake
Faye and Lou - pineapple Norma Arias - roasted carrots and fennel and chocolate covered matzah Mike and Debbie - Salad George Ngo - Chopped liver
Loads of thanks from Sue for a fantastic birthday
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The dance Thank you, thank you, thank you - for
making my birthday celebration the best yet (I say that every year because it's true: It just gets better and better.) Thanks especially to the long line of tangueros who wanted nothing more than to dance with little old me - so many that it took three valses to get through the line. I've achieved my junior high school dream, and you all made it happen.
The cake, the food, the introduction Thanks to Terri for the delicious chocolate and strawberry filled yellow cake topped with whipped cream and huge fresh
strawberries and complete with edible photo. Terri also made her awesome arroz con pollo (chicken and rice,) which the Firehouse folks finished with gusto.
More food
Eva brought the delicious
spinach and calabasa (pumpkin) because she remembered how many times I ordered it at El Establo in Buenos Aires. She also brought a leather passport holder and luggage tag in my favorite color, red.
The gifts Thanks to all of you who
showered me with flowers, cards, gifts and good wishes. I am incredibly grateful for the love and caring of my Firehouse friends.
Thank you Rifky, Adrienne, George, Bernard, Flo, Bill, Camille, Joseph & Nonna, Rafael & Hilda, Heidi,
Eva, and Steve T for the wonderful birthday presents.
The Incredible DJ - Richard Ariza
My birthday gift from Rich was an evening of his marvelous music. Rich took over DJ duties so I could dance the night away - and dance I did. His selection of three beautiful valses made for a perfect birthday dance.
Richard has rapidly become one of
the finest and best known DJ's in our area, and we are very fortunate to have him in our Firehouse Family.
Rich hosts the delightful Friday afternoon and Sunday evening milongas at Triangulo WWW.TANGONYC.COM. He has guest-DJ'd at many New York and New Jersey milongas, and we've had the pleasure of his company - not to mention DJ expertise - quite often at the Firehouse. If you haven't been to Triangulo, you don't know what you're missing. You'll find
information below in this newsletter about Rich's milongas at Triangulo.
Thanks again to Pat for Cat's Away Milongas
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At the start of last week's newsletter, I expressed my heartfelt thanks for Pat's incredible job putting together two fabulous Cat's Away Milongas. Here is her
response. In case you missed it, my note is repeated at the bottom.
Pat's response Hi Sue, I want to thank you for the opening of your Newsletter this week - your recognition of the considerable work involved with the Cat's Away is much appreciated. I think both weeks were pretty successful, and despite a somewhat slow Poster sign-up response initially, our Firehouse cooks came through quite handsomely in the end.
I'll be there next week - see you
then!
Best, Pat
Fran's response
Hi Sue,
Thank you very much for for
lead article in the newsletter. It was beautifully done, and I think Pat will feel appreciated for her efforts.
Fran
Sue's note
from last week
Thank you Pat, in absentia, for two wonderful Cat's Away Milongas
Muchisimas gracias to Pat Altman for pulling off two spectacular Cat's Away milongas. The cats (that's Joe and me) were actually here, but that was not a good enough reason for Pat and Fran to deprive their Firehouse friends of all the fun.
An enormous amount of work goes into organizing and executing a community dinner with enough appetizers, main dishes and desserts to feed the Firehouse crowd. Pat
pulled this off perfectly with her usual understatement and aplomb. She kept everyone informed by writing and submitting all of the newsletter entries preceding and following the event.
Pat had a previous commitment this week and so deprived me of the opportunity to shower her with gratitude in person. That doesn't make it any less sincerely felt.
Here's looking forward to next year's Cat's Here Milonga!
Firehouse celebrations next week Next Thursday, April 17 - Eva Roth
Eva - Birthday milonga Eva Roth, our dear milonguera from Buenos Aires who took Firehouse by storm a few years ago and cooks something different for us almost every Thursday, celebrates her birthday with us next Thursday. At Eva's request, instead of a birthday tango, she will have a birthday milonga. Get ready to welcome this wonderful
tanguera back from her extended stay in Buenos Aires.
Next Thursday, April 17 - Pot luck Passover milonga
See above for information about out annual traditional Passover milonga. 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
Monica Paz in New York and New
Jersey! |
Monica Paz to visit New Jersey - May, 2013 Great News! Great news! Monica Paz, our dear friend and teacher from Buenos Aires will be in New Jersey from Wednesday, May 7 to Monday, May 12. Happily she will join us for Firehouse Tango's eleventh anniversary celebration on Thursday, May 8th.
About Monica
Monica Paz was born and raised in Buenos Aires, and tango has been her full time profession for almost 20 years. She specializes in Tango Milonguero style (with
its strong chest-to-chest connection) which she loves to dance with the best old milongueros in the best milongas of Buenos Aires.
Two years ago, Monica realized her dream of opening her own studio in Buenos Aires (at 30 Riobamba near the Congresso.) One of the best milongueros in the city, Osvaldo Natucci, teaches group lessons on Tuesday and Thursday nights with Monica translating when necessary. Monica and Natucci also teach private lessons. If you are
in Buenos Aires, I highly recommend checking out these lessons.
Monica has taught extensively all over the United States and Europe, as well as in Australia and much of South America.
Monica's web site and Interviews of old Milongueros
Monica is passionate about preserving the traditions, codes, and history of tango. To this end, she continues pursuing her project of interviewing the precious few remaining old milongueros of Buenos
Aires. Their stories and the videos accompanying them, as well as other wonderful videos of Monica can be found on her web site at www.mptango.com Scroll down for English or Spanish selection.
And now for the best news! Lessons with Monica available in New
Jersey
Monica will be available for private lessons in Maywood or Ramsey from Wednesday, May 7 to Monday, May 12. You can e mail me at firehousetango@gmail.com or call me at 201-826-6602 for information. I recommend that you take advantage of this terrific opportunity. Here is Monica's schedule during her upcoming visit to NYC.
After one more year of experience teaching, interviewing and making the Milonguero Calendar, I feel full of information that I want to share with you all.
I will teach and perform at some of the popular milongas and I will hold a weekend of workshops.
Here is the schedule of my visit: - GUEST INSTRUCTOR at: All Night Milonga April 12th Triangulo 21th La Nacional 17th (to confirme)
-PERFORMANCE at Triangulo 15th
-WEEKEND WORSHOPS, Saturday and Sunday April 26/27 at Champion's Studios
Saturday 26 4:00 to 5:15 PM Tango: Giving and getting: What, how, when? Part 1: Part 1: Tips to adjust my dance according with my occasional partner.
5:30 a 6:45 PM Tango: Giving and getting: What, how, when? Part 2: Tips to adapt my dance according with the
different orchestras.
Sunday 27 5:00 to 6:45 PM Milonga: Lisa and with traspié.
Workshops at Champion's studios. 257 West 39th Street, 14th floor. Pre-registration required, first come, first served.
SATURDAY: One workshop: $40 Two workshops $70
SUNDAY: Milonga workshop: $50
For registration, please contact
Monica at: tangopaz@yahoo.com.ar
-PRIVATE LESSONS at Champions Studio - 257W 39th Street, 14th floor To book private classes, please contact Monica at tangopaz@yahoo.com.ar
Un abrazo milonguero, Monica www.mptango.com
Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. I often hear students complain that Tango is "the hardest dance they've ever had to learn." Many people who have been trying for years to make headway in Tango seem ultimately to get stuck in a non-productive rut, which they can't get
themselves past. Others decide suddenly to just give up after getting frustrated with feeling as if they've just been endlessly beating their heads against a wall without getting close to achieving the kind of results they've been hoping for. Today, I'll like to take a look at why I think all this may be so -- and possibly what might be done to make
learning Tango a bit more accessible. The first thing we all need to do is to just get real. The fact is that learning to dance at all is -- to say the very least -- a major
undertaking. I remember reading an Arthur Murray booklet on learning to dance Foxtrot in about 1953. It was one of those manuals, which contained footwork diagrams. One black shoe and one white. Remember those books? The Arthur Murray idea was that dancing was easy. Anybody could do it. Just put your feet in this or that pattern and move with the arrows. That's all there is to it! Except, of course, that this is all little more than wishful thinking. The Murray method, based on a fanciful idea called "magic steps" fostered the belief -- persistent even today -- that learning how to dance is directly equatable to memorizing footwork patterns. Sound familiar? That's because most classes in commercial dance schools are based almost exclusively on this notion right now! And let's face it -- it just doesn't work. Why then is this paradigm
still the only game in town? Because it sells the illusion that learning to dance is easy. You can have it all, and you can have it right now. As Arthur said, "anybody can do it!" The second thing is to
forget about learning steps. Oh no, not that! Yes, that. Most leaders live to memorize steps. They sincerely believe that this is what will make them appear to know what they're doing. Unfortunately, it actually achieves precisely the opposite effect, making them look grotesque and inept. The third thing is to focus on learning the right stuff. Here is where you've really got to bite the bullet, and face the fact that learning to dance Tango is going to take a while. You just can't figure it all out in ten minutes. Yes,
yes, I know you want to, but you can't. Instead, your first assignment is to concentrate on learning how to balance -- balance at rest and balance in motion -- by yourself. If that idea sounds absolutely thrilling to you, it's just possible that you can turn this thing around and learn how to dance Tango. On the other hand, if balance doesn't appeal, maybe Tango isn't your thing after all. After you've got your balance, it's lead/follow all the way to the top. The way in which two people interact in Tango is called the lead/follow relationship or maybe the lead/follow collaboration. Since I've spend lots of time talking about this very special relationship within these pages,
I'll let you find more information in the Firehouse Tango Tip of the Week archives for yourself. What's important to know here is that this is where you're going to find the focus of your learning process for, let's say, the next year or more. And, to tell you the truth, once you make a commitment to working on lead/follow. you'll be doing it for the rest of your Tango life. Every single figure you'll ever want to learn, for example, comes directly out of a solid, ongoing foundation of good
lead/follow practice. There are a great many people who finally "discover" the benefits of lead/follow technique after beating their heads against the wall for years and years. And within a very short time after they do, their Tango begins to improve. Then they often become zealots, trying to convince everyone around them that lead/follow is the only way
to go. This rarely has much affect on their peers, however, since each student really has to make the discovery for himself. In the long run, I can only stand on the sidelines and cheer you on. In my experience, no amount of coaxing from me or from any teacher will really help until you're ready to make your own commitment. And when you do -- I can
practically guarantee this -- you'll be asking me why I didn't just recommend this path to you in the first place.
Saturdays with Fran and Pat at Dance Manhattan |
Every Saturday, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Dance Manhattan, Fran and Pat host a special beginner/intermediate practice, geared toward helping you bring 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'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.
View Monica Paz' terrific tango Facebook posts - my pick
from this week is below
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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 April 9th and a link to the Facebook page, where you can hear the music: April 9, 1942: On this date Carlos Di Sarli and Alberto Podestá recorded the waltz
ÁLZAME EN TUS BRAZOS. It is believed, that this genre as currently heard, was born in Germany during the nineteenth century. The vals criollo created in Buenos Aires, kept the pace of 3 times and its rotating dance movements as well as the touring on the dance floor, although its steps became more complex, mimicking tango. En esta fecha Carlos Di Sarli y Alberto Podestá graban el vals ÁLZAME EN TUS BRAZOS. Se acepta que este género musical tal como
actualmente es oído nació en Alemania durante el siglo XIX. El vals criollo creado en Buenos Aires mantuvo el ritmo de 3 tiempos y los movimientos de su danza giratoria y de traslación; aunque sus pasos se tornaron más complejos imitando a los de tango. 9 aprile 1942: In questa data Carlos Di Sarli e Alberto Podestá registrano il valzer ÁLZAME EN TUS BRAZOS. É consenso che questo genere musicale come adesso si ascolta nacque in Germania nel secolo XIX. Il vals
creolo creato a Buenos Aires mantenne il ritmo di 3 battute e i movimenti circolari della danza con giri e movimenti di spostamento; tuttavia i suoi passi si fecero più complessi a imitazione di quelli del tango. Here is a link to her Facebook account 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 Jorge Garcia at PractiMilonguero Jorge García: "the things I learned from Pugliese are humility and equality, manifesting them in the form of cooperative that formed the Orchestra." "What I learned from him is
humility, equality, and he showed that by forming a cooperative with his orchestra".http://youtu.be/iBvxXlJp3FU
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 Judy and Jon (Tango teachers in Las Vegas and Buenos Aires) happy birthday in advance Sue. Wish we could be there to help you
celebrate Love
Judy & Jon
http://www.tangowithjudy.com
From Cris G
Dearest Sue,
I wish you the best of Birthday celebrations and the best of joy, love, music and tango with every day that follows!
Sorry to miss it but, will see you soon. Hugs and kisses.
Cris.
Firehouse Tango trip to Buenos Aires in November - Still time to sign
up
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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. How to Register: 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
Our cancellation policy - We STILL rarely cancel
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In spite of the fact that we have cancelled twice this year, we STILL 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 seven or eight times in all these years - including, unfortunately, the first scheduled milonga of 2014), 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.
The following folks helped set up, break down and clean up before and after the milonga. Without them, there would be no Firehouse Tango. - Tony Mele (Terri's son)
- Terri Lopez
- Tsipoyra Sartan
- Bob Brillo
- steve turi
- Debbie Glaser
- Steve Maisch - Welcome back, we missed you terribly
- Joseph and Nonna
- Lynn Gross
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
- Adrienne Burton - Irish Soda
Bread
- Bonny Yankauer - Chips &
Guacamole
- Jack Block -
Cheese
- Jan Folmsbee - Basket of Fresh
Strawberries
- Terri Lopez - Arroz con
pollo
- Eva Roth - Spinach and
pumpkin
And these people brought wine
- Rifky
Mackeen
- Mary
Pagano
- George
Ngo
- Bill
Krukovsky
-
Dan &
Georgina
- Bob
Brillo
-
Horatio
Piccioni
-
Marta Bautis
- Bernard
Glaser
- Edna
Negron
- Eduardo
Campos
- Terri
Lopez
Tango in New Jersey - Milongas |
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