Happy New Year from Firehouse Tango - Next milonga Thursday, January 2, 2014

Published: Fri, 12/27/13

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December 26, 2013 Newsletter

Happy New Year from Firehouse Tango (our eleventh year)

   


 

The Food

 

Our Firehouse friends brought loads of delicious food.  You also were the beneficiaries of my unprecedented Christmas overbuying and overcooking.  My mom taught me that making food for people meant that you loved them.  How true!.  Happy, Happy New Year to all my dear Firehouse friends.

 

 

  • Sue Dallon        Roast pork in gravy, lasagna  and sweet potato souffle, bread, cake, cauliflower souffle
  • Terri Lopez        Arroz con Pollo
  • Mike and Debbie - salad
  • Francis and Marie Gregoire     Their famous shrimps
  • Judy Assisi       Dried fruit compote with Grand Marnier
  • Rose Whitehill    Variety of bagel crisps with dips
  • Eva Roth            Lamb stew
  • Judy and John Wynne   Banana nut chocolate bread
  • Lynn Gross        Banana bread
  • Elena Syrett        Mince pie and apple pie
  • Maro                pizza
  • Two pies
  • Barbara Lombardi - Panettone Cake
  • Mary Pagano - Candy
  • Dana Harrington - Veggie Platter
  • Bob Brillo - Cookies
  • Elizabeth Pachella - Ham
  • Bonny - Cookies Chips, Guacamole & Eggplant Caponata
  • Rose Whitehill - Chips & Dips
  • Eva Roth - Lamb Stew
  • Elena Syrett - Mince Pie & Apple Pie
  • Jorge Sturam    Champagne for toast

 

The Door Prizes

 

Congratulations to the winners of our door prizes.

  • Steve Maisch
  • Andrew Gauld
  • Eva Roth
  • Edna Negron
  • Charles Morman

 

 

 

The champagne toast

 

Thanks to Jorge S, we shared a wonderful champagne toast to the new year.  It was a wonderful end to a wonderful year and a wonderful beginning to the new one.

 

 

 



New Year's Message from Sue

   

 THANKS TO EVERYONE - WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU

 

The text below comes directly from last year's end of year newsletter, which comes from the year before that and the year before that all the way back to 2009.  I can't do much better, so I just changed the year and maybe one or two other minor details.

 

In 2013, Firehouse Tango continued its tradition of being the best place to dance Tango in New Jersey and the ONLY place to be on Thursday nights. 

 

Though many of you thank us, the truth is that it's you, our dear Firehouse friends, who generate our success.  So at the beginning of the New Year, we want to thank you all for helping and for bringing wine, food, and other wonderful goodies.  Mostly, thank you for coming every week and for the pleasure of your company.   

 

 

We wish you all a year filled with good health, love and friendship and as the song says, "If you have the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance."

 

 

 

RESOLUTIONS

 

 

 

My resolutions for 2013

  1.   Learn to converse fluently in español
  2.  Keep visiting Buenos Aires
  3.  Shorten this newsletter
  4. Exercise six days a week

 

 

How did I do? Successes and failures

 Buenos Aires

We spent five weeks in Buenos Aires last year,.  Thanks to Eva Roth for all her help in all of the arrangements and for the shared breakfasts and conversation. 


Spanish

I've really been working on my Spanish, which has improved greatly, but not enough. 


I learned a great deal from my Spanish conversation class at William Paterson University.  Special thanks to Rafael and Hilda, who reviewed my weekly homework and helped with my presentation of el cabeceo en español,  Thanks to Horacio for allowing me to interview him (en español) about his background in Argentina. 


 Thanks to Georgina for continuing to habla conmigo in spite of my failure to understand much of it.  I appreciate the help that I received from all of my Spanish speaking amigos. Please keep it up, no matter how much I might resist.


Newsletter

As for shortening the newsletter, it's always been a lost cause, but think how long it would be if I didn't try. 


Exercise

The exercise thing has really gone down the drain.  I did at least 20 minutes every day until October.  One trip to Buenos Aires and two to San Francisco followed by my eye surgery and Joe's hernia operation provided all the excuse I needed to discontinue distractions like exercise.  I will start again in January.  Here's to better luck next year.

 

 

 

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

 Wish me luck!

 

 


 

January 2014 at Firehouse Tango 

 


 

 January 16 - Estelle and Rose

 

Estelle Stanger

 

Our first celebration of 2014 will be for one of the greatest ladies of Firehouse Tango --  Estelle Stanger.  We are always thrilled to see Estelle walk through the Firehouse door.  We're certain that Bert looks down at the scene with joy and approval.  Estelle won't dance, but we will sing to her with great enthusiasm.

 

 

 

Rose Whitehill

 


Rose is a great dancer and lovely lady who has been a Firehouse fan since our Firehouse # 4 days.  She has also been to Buenos Aires with us seven times.  We are thrilled to be able to celebrate her birthday.  As for the birthday dance, I'm sure that the Firehouse Tangueros will keep cutting in as long as we would let them. 

 


Marie Gregoire - birthday celebration Thursday, January 23

 

As always, we are thrilled to be able to host another Gregoire celebration.  This time it will be Francis and Marie's anniversary.  We will do it on Thursday, January 23rd.  Marie and Francis have been loyal Firehouse followers for many years and have been to Buenos Aires with us as well.  Moreover, we are very happy to be able to call them our friends.  Francis and Marie will start the birthday dance together and then the guys and gals can cut in. 

 

As they always do, Marie and Francis will bring lots of goodies for us. 

Wonderful news!!!

 Tibor, our ticket taker and computer expert who everyone knows and loves, is going to be a daddy in May.  Make sure to congratulate him on this fabulous news.


  


Celebrations

 No celebrations next week.  Just some great tango dancing.


  


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



View Monica Paz' terrific tango Facebook posts - my pick from this week is below

 

 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 December 26 and a link to the Facebook page.

 


Calendario Milonguero

 

26 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1944

 


December 26th, 1944: Date in which Juan D' Arienzo and Alberto Echagüe recorded ME GUSTA BAILAR MILONGA. Its composer, the Uruguayan pianist Pintín Castellanos registered some 200 themes. The latter was an honored author, responsible for introducing the "candombe rhythm" into the milonga. His most famous work is LA PUÑALADA. D' Arienzo recorded 13 milongas that belonged to him.

 Fecha en la que Juan D'Arienzo y Alberto Echagüe graban ME GUSTA BAILAR MILONGA. Su compositor, el pianista uruguayo Pintín Castellanos, tiene registradas unas 200 obras. Autor distinguido por escribir el ritmo candombe en la milonga. Su obra más famosa es LA PUÑALADA.  D'Arienzo grabó 13 milongas que le pertenecen


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) : http://youtu.be/EUjsOreThMc

 

 

Reader's Corner 

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 Faye and Lou Levine

Hi Sue,  Lou and I are disappointed that we can\'t join in on the holiday celebration because we both have bad colds.  We wish you and Joe and our tango friends a happy and healthy new year.  We\'ll see you soon.  Love, Faye


From Cris Grapa

I am glad you enjoyed your chocolates just as much as I enjoyed every morsel of my Birthday celebration with everyone at Firehouse. May we all have a new year full of chocolates, dancing and, good friends to enjoy it all with. Hugs. Cris.




From Gay and Walter Monteblanco


DEAR SUE AND FIREHOUSE TANGO FAMILY:

FINALLY, BACK FROM NAPLES FL., WE MISSED THE LAST CELEBRATIONS AND WE'LL MISS THE REST OF THIS YEAR TOO, WE ARE LEAVING ON A CRUISE NEXT WEEK COMING BACK ON JANUARY 2014. WE WANT TO WISH EACH AND EVERYONE  OF THE FIREHOUSE TANGO FAMILY " MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014"


LOVE,
GAY AND WALTER MONTEBLANCO


Holiday Milongas  

Tango Tip of the week

Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. The New Year is fast approaching, and you know what that means. That's right, it's time to make a bunch of New Year's resolutions that we'll probably end up not keeping, but know our lives would be oh so much better, if only we could!

High on my personal wish list for 2014 is to become a better Tango teacher. For Pat and me this means trying really hard to give our students (that would be you, of course) less of what they want, and more of what they actually need in their quest to improve as Tango dancers. The challenge we'll be facing is to somehow convince them (yes, I mean you!) that the step-by-step learning process is the one true means of really getting better -- as opposed to the far more enticing -- but ultimately unproductive -- endless pursuit of complicated stage figures.

This is a difficult challenge both for Pat and me and for our students. We would love it, of course, if everyone we teach could become an accomplished social dancer in just a few short lessons. And we know that the majority of you are impatient to be doing the kinds of figures you see the pros handle with such apparent ease.

But in our hearts we all know that we have to crawl before we can walk, and we have to walk before we can run.

Our hope for the New Year is that some of you -- maybe even just a few -- will decide you really do want to become better Tango dancers. Our hope is that you will finally accept the challenge of step-by-step learning, and that you will put the "I want it all now" attitude aside for the time being.

Whatever you ultimately choose to do, Pat and I hope above everything else that you have a wonderful New Year, with nothing but happiness in 2014!

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.
Firehouse Tango hot line - We 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 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. 
A final thank you

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 Lopez
  • Tsipoyra Sartan
  • Bartender Mike Porro
  • Steve Maisch
  • steve turi
  • Bob Brillo




    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 -

    The folks who brought food are listed at the top of this newsletter
    And these people brought wine
    • Adrienne Burton
    • Bill Krukovsky
    • Steven & Linda Gooen
    • Tonia
    • Bob Brillo
    • Enrique Zuniga
    • Flor Salierno
    • Edna Negron
    • Horatio Piccioni
    • Marta Bautis
    • Jorge Sturam
    • Francis & Marie
    • Eduardo Campos
    • Terri Lopez
      Tango in New Jersey - Milongas