Firehouse Tango started in 2003 and has been going strong ever since.  Amazingly, we are still here, celebrating our eleventh anniversary. 

We are planning to add lots of extra-special delights next Thursday including.

•           Visit by Monica Paz, our dear maestra and tango teacher from Buenos Aires
•           Special treat from Fran and Pat
•           Performance by Monica Paz and Johnny Tablada
•           Belly dancing by our own Debbie Glaser and Brenda Gaines
  
•           Extra hour of fun and dancing
•           Door prizes
•          1 hour combined lesson to provide time for even more dancing
•          Let's dress up and have a ball. 
  

As always, admission of $15 includes dinner, lesson, dancing and socializing with some of the nicest folks around.  The event is at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 105 Grove Avenue, Maywood, NJ 07607.  For additional information call Sue at 201-825-1570 or 201-826-6602. 

The schedule for the evening is:

7:00 - 8:00      All-level Argentine Tango lesson with Fran Chesleigh & Pat Altman   

8:00 - 10:00     Buffet opens and recorded music for dancing by DJ Sue

10:00 -            Performances and drawings

10:30 - 12:00    Dancing to recorded music by DJ Sue

Admission includes dinner, lesson, dancing, and socializing with some of the nicest folks around

Monica's web site with 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.


Facebook page and Calendar

Every day, Monica 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. I enjoy these posts so much that I share them with my readers every week in my newsletter (See below.)

TANGO LOCO V

Workshop & Milonga

Featuring

Monica Paz

Direct from Buenos Aires

Brush up on your dance steps

Learn new movements

Experience the beauty of Argentine Tango

Saturday, May 10, 2014

7-11:00 PM$15

7 - 8:00 PM Gathering Milonga

8 - 9:00 PM Tango Lesson

Musicality and Movement

9 - 11:00 PM Evening Milonga

Refreshments and beverages.

BYOW

Grand Ballroom Dance Studio

Midland Park Shopping Center (around the back)

85 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432

For additional information call 201-768-0218

Or email: porro@erols.com

TANGO LOCO MILONGA is a spontaneous event that arises when the spirit moves us and we have the opportunity to host extraordinary teachers of dance for our tango community.

Be sure to visit Monica's website www.mptango.com for historical information and interviews with milongueros of Buenos Aires AND to visit her studio at 30 Riobamba when in Buenos Aires.

Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. Have you ever seen those cartoons that show someone with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other? The angel is trying to get them to do the right thing, while the devil is always pulling them in the other direction? Tango has its own version of that dynamic; it applies both to leaders and followers, and all of us have experienced its not so comical effects on the dance floor at one time or another.

In keeping with my premise above, let's call this dynamic "devil or angel."

Here's how it works. As a leader, you've no doubt heard something about using lead/follow as a way to dance social Tango at a high level. What I mean is that you've heard the words themselves; but if you're like most students dancing Tango today, you probably don't know much about this rather complex skill set. Basic -- and even intermediate -- students aren't really adept enough to be able to understand, appreciate, or apply sophisticated lead/follow techniques in their dancing with any degree of skill or consistency. And all too many teachers give the development of these skills short shrift in the classroom, either because they really don't know how to teach them, or they feel that students find lead/follow tedious and difficult -- not good for keeping those attendance numbers up!

What students do learn almost right from the beginning is how to memorize figures, which their teachers are more than happy to show them, and which these unwitting students think will make them look as if they know more about dancing Tango than they actually do. And at the same time many students -- ever in a huge hurry -- start down the road of becoming YouTube addicts, where they spend lots of time trying to increase their repertoire by memorizing more and more performance-oriented material.

Sound familiar? 

So here's the angel/devil situation. On one shoulder we have the rather abstract, undeveloped, and frankly difficult-to-grasp idea of lead/follow. And on the other shoulder we have the very sexy, mouth-watering -- albeit ultimately empty -- promise of Tango ecstasy in the form of memorized dance steps. The leader's choice becomes one of:

1.     Trying to skillfully lead every individual movement of every figure he wants his partner to execute --something he's really not very good at anyway.

2.     Relying on an "agenda-driven" process of doing his part -- if he can remember it -- and hoping his follower will somehow figure out for herself what she's supposed to do.

Which one of these choices do you think most leaders opt for?

At the same time, the follower is also plagued by her own version of this dilemma. On one shoulder her small angel's voice is saying: "Do I Insist that my partner actually lead me every step of the way in executing any given figure? (Do I, in fact, possess the lead/follow skills even to understand what a good lead is?)" Meanwhile, on the other shoulder, her devil is either telling her to just go with the flow -- which means let herself be pushed and pulled around like a rag doll -- or try to outguess what he's trying to get her to do, thereby "anticipating" -- back-leading -- her brains out.

Ugh!

You can very easily figure out what my recommendation is here. Leaders need to learn how to lead; followers need to learn how to follow. If you do this, your devils will simply disappear forever. If you don't, they'll always be right there, perched on your shoulder, weighing you down, waiting to lead you inevitably down the path to disaster.

Isn't it time you dumped those devils once and for all? Learn to lead. Learn to follow. Learn to dance.

My resolutions for 2014

1.      Keep improving my español and study Spanish every day

2.     Keep visiting Buenos Aires

3.     Shorten this newsletter (HaHa)

4.    Exercise every day when I'm at home and try to continue when I'm on the road

How did I do?

 Buenos Aires

We spent five weeks in Buenos Aires last year.  Our group trip in November is on, so we'll go at least once in 2014.  Joe and I would like to try to squeeze in one more time before that. 

Spanish

I've really been working on my Spanish, which has improved greatly, but it's never enough for me.  I'm still taking two group classes every week. 

I love my weekly lunch meetings with Hilda for "habla" sessions.  I also continue to meet with Horacio every few weeks for the same. 

To my Spanish speaking amigos: Please keep "hablando espanol conmigo", no matter how much I might resist.

Newsletter

In an effort to shorten this newsletter, I replaced most of my New York and New Jersey tango listing with a link to Richard Lipkin's web page.  It is comprehensive and up to date.  Check it out.  http://www.newyorktango.com/NJTango.htm

Exercise

I am proud to say that through the end of April, my exercise routine has been right on track.  I've done my 20 minutes every morning.  My problems always come when I go away, but I kept right on course during my week's visit to San Francisco.  I took my exercise bands and diligently used them every day that I was on the west coast.  Horray for me, so far.  I hope to do the same during next week's visit to San Fran.

 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 21st and a link to the Facebook page, where you can hear the music:

29 DE ABRIL DE 1942

April 29, 1942: Date in which Miguel Caló and Raúl Berón recorded a landmark tango in the typical style of this duo: AL COMPÁS DEL CORAZÓN. His musical author is Domingo Federico, then first bandoneon with Caló. The lyrics belong to Homero Expósito: a romantic tango poet. The sound and singing transit the melody with safe levity, without pompous emphasis.

Fecha en la que Miguel Caló y Raúl Berón graban un tango emblemático para el estilo típico de este dúo: AL COMPÁS DEL CORAZÓN. Su autor musical es Domingo Federico, entonces primer bandoneón de Caló. La letra corresponde a Homero Expósito: un tanguero romántico.  El sonido y el canto transitan la melodía con segura levedad, sin énfasis ampulosos.

29 aprile 1942: Data nella quale Miguel Calò e Raùl Berón registrano un tango emblematico per lo stile tipico di questo duo: AL COMPÁS DEL CORAZÓN. Il suo autore musicale è Domingo Federico, a quel tempo il primo bandoneonista di Caló. Il testo è di Homero Expósito: un tanguero romantico. Il suono e il canto trasmettono la melodia con leggerezza sicura, senza enfasi ampollose.

 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

http://youtu.be/iBvxXlJp3FU

Dear Sue,

 I must compliment you for your beautiful way of giving the reports about Firehouse Tango! I always love to read them.

 Brigitte

From John and Judy W.

The music was great once again tonight. You and Joe have raised the bar.   Keep up the great work.

John and Judy

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

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
• Steve Maisch
  
• Jesse Barton
• Joseph and Nonna
  
• Bob Brillo
  
• steve turi

• Eva Roth - Vegetable Tray
• Bonny Yankauer - Chips & Guacamole
• Herb & Judy - Peanut Butter Pretzels
• Marta Bautis - Cake
• Rafael & Hilda - 2 Flans

• Rifky Mackeen
• Stephen Maisch
• Bill Krukovsky
• Carl Schaefer
• Bob Brillo
• Edna Negron
• Horatio Piccioni
• Jesse Barton
• Eduardo Campos
  
• Terri Lopez