Sorry for the late newsletter.  I'm in my new home with almost all of my boxes unpacked.  I don't know how I did it.  My cell number is still 201-826-6602.  My new address is 31 Mulberry Court, Paramus, NJ 07652 (about three miles from the Knights' Hall.)  I love it!  I'm overwhelmed.

 Felix Pacheco was the DJ at Firehouse last Thursday and this one.  The energy was sky high both nights.  Thank you so much, dear Felix, for relieving me of at least one task at this crazy-busy time.  I will return next week with a new playlist.  I don't know which cortinas to use.  

Last Thursday
finished with an ovation for Felix's music.  El Tordo incorporates composers from the
 "Golden Age of Tango" to replicate the best of the Milongas of 
Buenos Aires. 

Milonga Los Pitucos is the first and only Milonga to offer gourmet food,
 prepared fresh, by our chef "El Tordo". 
 Chef Tordo takes pride in creating a new dish for every event.

Hi everyone, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. Last week, I started talking about what I referred to as the "sixth" fundamental element in the basic vocabulary of Tango. This single transitional action opens the door to an entire spectrum of more advanced Tango movement such as ocho, molinete, calicita and boleo.

We call this element el pivoteo or the pivot. As I mentioned last week, in social Tango the pivot is most often invited by a leader, and executed by a by a follower, although there are, to be sure, many instances of the use of pivots by leaders in more complex movements and sequences.

The pivot consists of a rotation of one's entire body, using the ball of one foot as a fulcrum or point of support, while the other foot remains inactive, carrying no weight. As a leader, your goal is to invite your partner to rotate in one direction or the other, in balance, on one foot. Once she has accomplished this, you'll most likely continue immediately with an additional lead in order to produce an ocho, boleo, or other complex, multi-faceted movement sequence. But for now, we'll concentrate exclusively on the pivot as an isolated element in itself. I'm going to break the lead down into three distinct elements:

·      Initiating the pivot

·      Enabling and monitoring the movement from beginning to end

·      Facilitating the follower's balance

As we've done in the past, we'll talk about each of these elements separately.

Initiating the pivot:

During past Tango Tips in this series, we've talked extensively about the leader's use of his/her upper body/torso/chest in order to produce various leads. We've enumerated his upper body movement possibilities as:

1.     Lateral (to the side)

2.     Forward

3.     Backward

4.     Lowering

Today, we're going to introduce a new possibility -- rotation. In order to invite the follower's pivoting action, the leader rotates his upper body very slightly. His follower feels this, and recognizes it as an invitation for her to pivot. The direction of the leader's rotation is determined by his assessment of where he wants his follower to end up at the conclusion of her pivot.

Okay, take a deep breath here: If, for example, he has her weight on her right foot (the leader's left side), and he wants her to turn in order to set up a forward ocho to his left, he rotates his upper body clockwise. His follower responds by pivoting clockwise, therefore ending with her free left foot ready to step forward to the leader's left. Conversely, if he wants her to prepare for a backward ocho to his left, he rotates his upper body counterclockwise in order to invite his follower to pivot counterclockwise, therefore ending with her free left foot ready to step backward to his left.

I apologize, if this explanation makes you somewhat dizzy; but if you read it several times patiently -- better yet, if you try it with a partner who knows how to follow -- you'll get the picture. An important thing to be aware of is that the amount of the leader's upper body rotation will be slight, whereas the follower's response will be much greater. The lead is the indication or invitation for her to move; her follow is an execution of the lead, and has a very definite life of its own.

Enabling and monitoring the movement from beginning to end

From the moment the leader initiates his rotational lead, he starts monitoring his follower's response. Has she understood the lead? Is she responding in the way I'm asking her to do? Is she moving through her pivot from beginning to end, or is she expecting that I will be carrying her through the entire movement? It takes both a skilled leader -- and a skilled follower -- to dance Tango in the "right" way; therefore, a good leader will recognize immediately whether his follower knows how to respond appropriately to his lead or not. He will also be acutely aware of the crucial moment when she has finished her pivot, and is therefore ready for the next lead, which will produce an ocho, a molinete, or some other movement, which is generally begun with a pivot. This overall awareness of his follower's journey from the beginning of her pivot to the end -- this monitoring of her action -- is what makes it possible for the leader to produce a coherent continuation of the dance with his next lead.

Facilitating the follower's balance

When a follower attempts to pivot on one foot, she necessarily places herself in a potentially precarious situation. The least push in one direction or another will send her reeling. For this reason alone, it is imperative that her leader be extremely careful while leading this very delicate movement in order to avoid disturbing her balance in any way. An unskilled leader often inadvertently adds a lateral element to what is supposed to be a rotational lead. This forces the follower to grasp him in some way in order to protect herself from falling. Furthermore, even if his lead is perfect, the unskilled follower may hang on, because she's afraid that she might lose her balance during her pivot. With practice, and with a growing confidence in her leader's ability to facilitate her balance during a pivot, things will eventually get better. But practice is very, very important for both leaders and followers in developing good skills in pivoting.

Next week, Pat will share her thoughts on the follower's role in pivoting, and in following a skilled leaders' invitation.

Hi everyone, we have decided to postpone our Cat's Away Milonga until sometime in the future, when we have more time to prepare properly. Thanks very much to all who offered to participate. We'll be calling on you again soon, when the timing is right.

Fran & Pat

Starting October 5, 2015, there's a brand new way to fire up your Tango skills, and get serious about learning this fabulous dance. It's Fran's Fundamentals Class, every Monday at 6:30pm at Dardo Galletto Studios. Now, you can finally approach Tango the way it's supposed to be taught. You'll move step by step, progressing from basic building blocks to more complex techniques, sequences, and improvisational skills -- all at a pace that's perfect for your needs. What about individual attention? Both leaders and followers will enjoy plenty of intense, hands-on work to ensure that they really do learn the primary elements of Tango.

Are you ready to get started?

When? Mondays, 6:30pm, starting October 5

Where? Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 W. 46th Street (between 6th & 7th Avenues), 11^th Floor

How much? Only $20 per class, when you sign up for a 5-pac of classes online to use as your schedule permits; $25 at the door. (Checks or cash are also fine.)

Want to learn more? Visit our Web site today:franchesleigh.com

A Special Workshop with Fran Chesleigh and Pat Altman

Sunday, October 18, 2015

12:00 -- 3:00 P.M.

Pearl Studios, 519 Eighth Avenue (between 35^th & 36^th) 12^th floor, Room C

All levels welcome

Top Ten Turns to transform your Tango! is a fast-paced,

3-hour, intensive Argentine Tango workshop that will beef up your classic Tango repertoire, enhance your overall balance, movement, and adornment skills, and bring you closer to your goal of becoming a more complete social Tango dancer.

A few hot spots:

·      Add the "best of the best" turns to your personal step list

·      Learn how to "keep it together" during even the most complex turn

·      Beef up your crucial balance skills as a leader or follower

·      Enhance your adornment profile

·      Show the world that aguja, enrosque, rulo, and lapis are more than just fancy words

With Fran and Pat's Top Ten Turns To Transform Your Tango! you have a unique opportunity to fine-tune your social Tango into the polished, seriously authentic dance you've been working so hard to achieve.

Don't miss it!

REGISTER ONLINE: $35 per person at franchesleigh.com by Saturday October 17^th

$40 per person at the door on Sunday October 18th

Checks and cash also accepted. No refunds. No exchanges.

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

• Steve Maisch
• ​​Steve Turi and Lynn Gross (Thanks for encouraging me to sleep for an hour in your car.  I would not have survived the night, otherwise)
  
• Rafael and Hilda (And thanks for taking me home)
  
• Tsipoyra Sartan ​​