Firehouse Tango History and Time Line |
At appropriate times during the year, we take a look back at some Firehouse Tango highlights. We sincerely thank all of you who have been with us from the start, the newcomers, and everyone in between. Every one of you contributes to making us who we are.
03/20/2003 Argentine Tango
instructors Carlos and Rosa announce they are leaving for Paris and ask if we would like to continue Pasional, their weekly milonga at Paramus firehouse # 4.
03/27/2003 Sal and Laura Zullo host first session of Tango Co-op while Sue, Joe and Eva are in Buenos Aires.
04/1/2003 Sue Dallon publishes first weekly
newsletter.
04/17/2003 Fran Chesleigh teaches first lesson as guest instructor.
06/12/2003 Tango Co-op members vote to change name to Firehouse Tango.
07/20/2003 Fran has accident - recommends Jak Karako as
replacement.
07/29/2003 CJ Puotinen publishes interview of Fran Chesleigh, first of a series of Firehouse Tango instructor interviews.
09/4/2003 Jak Karako teaches first lesson as guest instructor. .
02/3/2004 Goodbye party for
Jak
02/10/2004 Fran is welcomed back as permanent instructor.
03/16/2004 First Firehouse Tango trip to Buenos Aires. Fran Chesleigh and Pat Altman run milonga and buffet and write newsletter. They call it the Cat's Away Milonga, and it becomes an annual tradition.
04/20/2004
Firehousetango.com web site is launched.
04/29/2004 Firehouse Tango outgrows firehouse and moves to Maywood Knights of Columbus Hall.
05/6/2004 Firehouse Tango celebrates first anniversary in new home with live music by Hector Del Curto trio. The anniversary celebration will become an annual
event.
06/17/2004 Fran's half-hour basic tango class is expanded to full hour.
07/2004 Fran adds one hour intermediate lesson and teaches from 7 to 9 pm every week
08/30/2004 First Firehouse Tango on the Hudson picnic milonga. These will continue as
an annual tradition.
06/15/2006 First Fran Chesleigh Tango Tip published in Firehouse Tango newsletter
09/2006 Firehouse Tango's first Milonga Month. Fran Chesleigh teaches a two hour milonga lesson for entire month. This becomes yearly tradition.
05/31/2008
Monica Paz from Buenos Aires visits Firehouse Tango and gives first Saturdayworkshop. She will continue to visit Firehouse on her yearly trips to the U.S.
02/31/2009 New Year's Eve is Thursday night, and Firehouse Tango has New Year's Eve Milonga
03/2011 Rich Ariza, Hector Scotti and Felix Pacheco join Firehouse as guest DJ's while Joe
recuperates. Sue then takes over and when Joe returns, they begin to alternate weeks.
12/23/2011 Norma, Terri and Marion suggest a Christmas/Hanukkah party inviting everyone who wants to bring a dish. It's a resounding success, and we decide to continue the tradition every year. It's so much fun that we add a new year's party, as well.
1/5/2012 Firehouse Tango
starts its tenth year with Fran Chesleigh's Argentine Vals lessons. This, too, becomes an annual tradition.
05/23/2013 Firehouse Tango celebrates its tenth anniversary with lots of original friends starting the anniversary dance and new friends joining in.
09/12/2013 A night to Remember. Lightning, thunder, floods, and no electricity could not keep the Firehouse folks from
dancing the night away by flashlight, proving once again that we are, indeed, a very special place.
12/26/2014 Good-bye to Joe Dallon, co-founder of Firehouse Tango. His spirit dances on.
THANKS TO EVERYONE - WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU
In 2017, 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, I want to thank you all for helping and for bringing wine, food, and goodies. Mostly, thank you for coming every week, for the pleasure of your company, and for all of those wonderful
tangos.
I 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."
Celebrations - Anniversary of Rafael and Hilda and Hilda's birthday last week - Milonga cancelled -
Too bad. We'll have to schedule for April, when Rafael and Hilda return. Hilda had made a luscious tiramasu and a flan for the celebration,
and she brought it to me so that we could share it this week, even though it was without them. It was incredibly delicious. |
Next Week - January 18, 2018 - Birthday of Estelle Stanger
(No dancing just cake and singing) Our dear Firehouse Tango friend, who
doesn't dance, but we just love her visits, and we especially love to celebrate with her. Unfortunately, I will be out, but the A Team will celebrate in style and Johnny Tablada will be your DJ. See below.
Last week, January 11 No birthdays, just great
dancing, eating, and socializing with wonderful people.
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
Sue out next Thursday, January 18 Please support our A Team |
January 18
Sue out - A team takes over
I'm off to Florida
This week, I will play hooky. I'm passing up Firehouse for fun in the sun. Fortunately, I can leave my baby (That would be
Firehouse Tango) worry free because I have incredible friends who are more than willing and able to keep the Firehouse fires burning brightly. Please support our wonderful back-up team.
The logistics - The A Team
Terri Lopez (Wonder(ful) Woman) and Steve Turi (aka Superman) have generously offered to head up our milonga logistics team in addition to their normal invaluable weekly help. The tasks involved in running Firehouse are monumental,
and we are incredibly fortunate to have so many fabulous friends willing to step in whenever needed.
But What about the Music? Johnny Tablada DJs
Not to worry. While we are away, your tangos, milongas and valses will be spun by fabulous guest DJ, Johnny Tablada. Many of our tangueras have had the pleasure of dancing with Johnny, who comes to Firehouse every Thursday. Now, you can enjoy listening to his incredible music, as well.
I promise you will not be disappointed. Johnny has an amazing and extensive knowledge of Argentine Tango.
How about the newsletter?
This Firehouse Tango newsletter has been published nearly every week since March, 2002 and thanks to Fran and Pat, the next two weeks will be no exception.
Among his countless talents, our remarkable instructor, Fran Chesleigh, is a professional writer. As always when I am out, he and his equally
extraordinary assistant, Pat Altman, flawlessly and with a style of their own, take over the task of writing the Firehouse Tango newsletter. I will send his handiwork out when I return.
This awesome duo is usually found at “Fran’s Table” in the alcove closest to the DJ table. They are always happy to answer your Tango questions or show you how to do something you might have missed, so make sure to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn
tango.
Hudson Dance Studio Milonga in Edgewater, NJ - Second and Fourth Fridays - Sue
Dallon DJ's on January 26 |
I will be the DJ at this milonga in Edgewater on Friday, January 26. Please come and support me. Information below under Tango in New York and New Jersey. I'm waiting for more suggestions for cortinas. Let me know if you have some favorite non tango music, and I will
try to play it. I was all set to play Chilean cortinas in honor of Rafael and Hilda, but alas, it was not to be. I will save that for April. This week's cortinas were by Edith Piaf.
A cortina (curtain) is a short piece (20–60 seconds) of non-dance music that is played between tandas at a milonga (tango dance event). The cortina lets the dancers know that the tanda has ended. The partners can then without insult thank each other and return to their own tables, to
find a new dance partner at the next tanda. Cortinas are used at many of the milongas in Argentina and Uruguay but are increasingly common elsewhere. -
Wikipedia
Let us know if you are celebrating an occasion and would like to request special music for that night’s cortinas. We will try very hard to accommodate you. We welcome readers' contributions about Argentine Tango in general and Firehouse Tango in particular. Send your thoughts to firehousetango@gmail.com We welcome readers' contributions about Argentine Tango in general and Firehouse Tango in particular. Send your thoughts to firehousetango@gmail.com From John Wynne (We miss John and Judy very much)
Hi Sue,
Saw my orthopedist today, and it is probably not good news. He didn't even ask, but said I must have surgery on the L3/L4 disc, asap. That was a surprise,
since the last time I saw him, no surgery was imminent. That was before he saw the latest MRI.
But, the MRI results also showed problems with the T11/T12 thoracic disc. The thoracic spine is where the ribs connect to the spine. I will be going to my neurologist Thursday to get an opinion on that, as my orthopedist does not work on that part of the spine. If there is a problem there, and it gets worse, the result could be paralysis.
Nothing is decided yet, but it looks like we won't be going back to Firehouse. I only lasted a bit more than an hour last night at Nash tango. But I did figure out an Ocho cortado on the other side.
John
From Michael Ditkoff - (Thanks to Mike for letting us know about Triangulo and about the new Saturday afternoon
milonga)
Hello Sue:
A new Saturday afternoon milonga begins January 27
Playwrights Rehearsal Studio 440 Lafayette Street (Lafayette off of Astor Place) 3rd Floor, Studio 3G (347) 510-8842
Milonga Media Luz hosted by Jeni Breen and
Matthew Liam O’Toole; 4:30-8:30pm $12
Traditional afternoon milonga.
Michael
Sue: It was announced at last night’s milonga that the Friday afternoon milonga is moving to Galleto’s, effective January 5 from 4:30 to 8:30. Eddie and Maura are hosts. (No Richard) You won’t see any information on the Triangulo website because the milongas won’t be part of Triangulo.
Saturday afternoons are already reserved for Steve Curlen and Carolina Escalona at Galleto’s. BUT the schedule is inconsistent. They were open Dec 2 and 16, closed the other December Saturdays and all January
Saturdays. The hours are 4:30-7. 151 W 46th, 11th floor.
No word if Maura is going to looking for another place for Saturday
afternoons.
Happy New Year.
Michael
Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. One of the questions I like to ask my students on a regular basis is: “What are you working on?” My students know exactly what I mean by this question: What is your specific plan of action for this dance? What are you trying to accomplish in the way of making sure this
particular dance is in some tangible way “better” than any other dance you’ve ever done before?
The answer to this question will, of course, vary from one person to the next.
· I’m going to work on making sure that I find solid balance at the end of every step. · I’m going to be checking my feet to make certain they come together neatly as I complete each movement. · I’m going to see whether I can actually lead each component of a new figure I’m working on so that it all comes together. · I’m going to add that new adornment at least once during the dance,
using the appropriate technique.
These are just a few of the many things you might be concentrating on, when you and a partner walk onto the dance floor. In my opinion as a teacher, the important idea here is that as a student, one ought to be focused on something rather than nothing.
Some people
balk at this suggestion. “Why do I always have to be working on something? I just want to have a nice dance.” The whole point of dancing, after all, is to find a welcome release from the worries and cares of everyday living — to kick out the blocks and just enjoy a bit of fun.
Right?
Well, yes and no. As you
and your partner are “just having fun,” does he tend to neglect his lead so that you really have no idea what he’s asking you to do? (And then maybe he sort of blames you for not doing what he wants?) Does she suddenly decide to throw in a few extras steps all by herself (you didn’t lead those movements, did you?) Does he hold you in a vice-like grip so that your right hand turns white from loss of circulation? Does she routinely fall from one foot to the other at the end of her steps, putting
the whole partnership totally out of sync?
Are you really “having fun?”
What you might consider is that instead of just going brain dead as you’re having that “fun” dance, treat it as a conscious experiment in what can go right — and what can go wrong — when you don’t bring a special focus to the interaction. Make a
mental note of things you might like to change once you shift from “just having fun” to making the commitment to becoming a more accomplished dancer. And don’t wait for Pat and me — or your regular teacher — to put the question to you. Every time you find yourself on the dance floor, ask yourself:
“What am I working on?”
Fran and Pat now offer a new class in American Social Dance
In a recent interview appearing on YouTube, the renowned milonguero Flaco Dani said he strongly believed that passing down the music and dance tradition of one’s country from one generation to the next was a necessary mandate for those who had the power to do so. Pat and I
agree, and to this end we’ve begun what we call the American Social Dance Project, an all-new initiative designed to preserve and nurture real American social dancing – the way it was meant to be.
We’ve kicked off our project with what we call “Class One” – a weekly exploration of three important American Social Dances: Foxtrot, Triple Swing, and Salsa. (Yes, we know Salsa is from the Caribbean – but
here in America, we’ve adopted this and many other social dance forms as our own since the 1920s.)
We hope you like the idea of keeping American social dance alive, not competitive or performance dancing, but real social dance the way it was traditionally done. To that end, we invite you to join us every Monday evening at 8:00 p.m. for a fun-filled social dance fix. We guarantee that you’ll have a
ball!
Here are the details:
Class One Concentrating on authentic American Foxtrot, Triple Swing and Salsa Mondays, 8:00 p.m. Studios
353 353 West 48th Street, Second floor (between 8th and 9th Avenues) New York City
Saturdays with Fran and Pat at Dardo Galletto Studios
The longest-running and friendliest practica in NYC! Come join our happy group of social tango dancers, whose sole purpose is to enjoy dancing and to practice what they’re learning. Everyone dances! Essential Tango
Therapy! Pat and I will be on hand to answer any questions you may have, and help you with material you’re working on. Plus you get a new “must-have” move each week! No partner required, all levels. Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 West 46th Street, 11th floor, (bet. 6th & 7th Aves) www.franchesleigh.com
If you’d like a private lesson, you can visit our website at www.franchesleigh.com, call Fran directly at 212-662-7692, or email him at franchesleigh@mac.com Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/franchesleighllc
Jersey since
2009. Simply Social Dancing - January and February https://www.facebook.com/lisa.skates.7
Latin
Night at La Havana 59
There is no La Havana event in December.
Monthly class: 3rd
Saturday January 20th February 17th
Women's Exercise & Technique
Classes 8:00 to 9:00 am Strengthening and Stretching to support your dancing
9:00 to 10:00
am Technique class for Latin, West Coast Swing, & Tango dancing 201 694 7087 Lisa
******************************************************
Latin Night at La Havana 59110 Moonachie Ave,
Moonachie NJ
Tuesday, January 30th Tuesday, February
27th 7:00 to 10:00 pm
Mostly Salsa and Argentine Tango... some Bachata, Merengue, Rumba, & Cha
Cha. A beginnerArgentine Tango lesson to start.
$20.00 cover includes 2 house drinks or 1 drink & 1 Latin Night
appetizer
For reservations and directions: 201 964 9515
*******************************************************************
Biagio's Restaurant for Dinner &
Dance 299 Paramus Rd, Paramus
NJ
Sunday,
January 14th6:00 to 9:00
pm
A
mix of music for all types of partner dancing. A
beginner dance lesson to start off the
night.
$35.00 for dinner and
dancing / Cash bar
For
reservations and directions: 201
652
0201
Lisa
Skates Simply Social Dancing 201 694 7087 |
|
Our cancelation policy - We STILL rarely cancel
|
Even though we had to cancel once last year because of a blizzard and once this year for the same reason, 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 my cell phone 201-826-6602. Feel free to leave a message.
We cancel only when absolutely necessary (only about ten 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.
The following folks helped set up, break down and clean up before and after the milonga. Without them, there would be no Firehouse Tango.
- The Knights Hall's wonderful neighbor, Angelito, will now be doing most of the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively) both before and after our milonga. Three cheers for Angelito.
And of
course, without Terri Lopez and Steve Turi we would have to close up shop. 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 - - Henry Kim - Cookies
- George Ngo - Grapes
- Ingrid Jacob - Apple Cake
And these people brought
wine
- Mary Pagano
- Barbara Lombardi
- Bill Auer
- George Ngo
- Fred Meyer
- Bob Brillo
- Camille
- Eduardo Campos
Tango in New Jersey and New York |
|
|
