As you might have noticed, the formatting in this newsletter has been getting funkier and funkier.  This is my initial attempt at improvement.  I'm sorry to have to send last week's newsletter for the second time.  This should prove easier to read.

Every New 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.

3/20/2003 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.

3/27/2003 Sal and Laura Zullo host first session of Tango Co-op while Sue, Joe and Eva are in Buenos Aires.

 4/1/2003 Sue Dallon publishes first weekly newsletter.

5/29/2003 Fran Chesleigh teaches first lesson as guest instructor.

6/12/2003 Tango Co-op members vote to change name to Firehouse Tango.

7/20/2003 Fran has accident - recommends Jak Karako as replacement.

7-29-2003 CJ Puotinen publishes interview of Fran Chesleigh, first of a series of Firehouse Tango instructor interviews

9/4/2003 Jak Karako teaches first lesson as guest instructor .

2/3/2004 Goodbye party for Jak

2/10/2004 Fran welcomed back as permanent instructor.

3/16/2004 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.

4/20/2004 Firehousetango.com web site is launched.

4/29/2004 Firehouse Tango outgrows firehouse. Moves to Maywood Knights of Columbus Hall.

5/6/2004 Firehouse Tango celebrates first anniversary in new home with live music by Hector Del Curto trio. The anniversary celebration will become an annual event.

6/17/2004 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

8/30/2004 First Firehouse Tango on the Hudson picnic milonga. These will continue as an annual tradition.

06/15/2006 Fran Chesleigh's Tango Tip first 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.

5/31/2008 Monica Paz from Buenos Aires visits Firehouse Tango and gives first Saturday workshop. She will continue to visit Firehouse on her trips to the U.S.

2/31/2009 New Year's Eve is Thursday night, and Firehouse Tango has New Year's Eve Milonga

3/2011 Rich Ariza, Hector Scotti and Felix Pacheco join Joe Dallon as regular Firehouse DJ's

12/23/2011 Norma, Terri and Marion suggest a Christmas/Hanuka party with everyone who wants to bring a dish. It's a resounding success and we decide to continue the tradition every year.

1/5/2012 Firehouse Tango starts its tenth year with Fran Chesleigh's Argentine Vals lessons

6/28/2012 Firehouse Tango celebrates its ninth anniversary with lots of original friends starting the anniversary dance and new friends joining in.

Thanks to Maro, we shared a very special New Years' cake. Two coins were baked into the cake, and those who got them would have good luck all year long. Congratulations to Bob B. and Bill K., who found the coins.

Don't miss this awesome evening of live music by bandoneon maestro, Raul Jaurena http://www.rauljaurena.com/biography.html with Mauricio Najt on piano. The schedule for the evening is:

7:00 - 8:00 Basic lesson with Fran Chesleigh and Pat Altman
8:00 - 9:00 Intermediate lesson with Fran Chesleigh and Pat Altman
9:00 - 9:30 Buffet open and recorded music by DJ Joe
9:30 - 11:30 Dancing to live music with Raul Jaurena and Maurizio Najt. Recorded music by DJ Joe during breaks
11:30-12:00 Recorded music by DJ Joe

The cost is $20. As always, admission includes dinner, lessons, dancing and socializing with some of the nicest folks around.

Pick up a flyer at our front desk to order Terri Lopez' new book about coming of age in Spanish Harlem in the 40's and 50's. It's also available on Amazon. com. Here's the link:

In 2003, our friends Carlos and Rosa announced their move to Paris and asked if we wanted to take over their milonga. Though terrified, we agreed. Just one year later, Paramus Firehouse # 4 had become too small, and we found our current home at the Maywood Knights of Columbus.

Now it's ten years, and we want to celebrate with something special. Tsipoyra suggested that we ask our Firehouse friends what they would like. Any ideas?

We welcome readers' contributions about Argentine Tango in general and Firehouse Tango in particular. Send your thoughts to firehousetango@gmail.com

Fran Chesleigh has been writing weekly Tango Tips for Firehouse since 2006. You'll find them all archived on our website at www.firehousetango.com under Tango Tips.

Hello everyone, Pat here with a problem that many followers unconsciously adopt when being led to walk forward.

Follower's problem #2:

Every time I lead her to take a forward step, our embrace comes apart and we get totally out of sync.

Followers are far more used to being led to take back steps than they are forward steps. When some followers are led forward, they panic, and instead of moving directly into their leader's space, they awkwardly step to the outside of his feet, which creates a most uncomfortable, jerky movement for both leader and follower. In addition, followers who are unskilled in walking forward in Tango, will jerk their feet forward in a manner that can completely unsettle the leader, and cause the follower to become off balance, sometimes even falling against her leader!

Followers, the correct technique when being led in a forward step (assuming your leader is not pulling you off balance towards him) is to create a smooth movement in which your foot and your body move forward at the same time , while keeping your balance and upright body position. Keep the stepping foot very close to the floor and move directly towards your leader. At the end of this movement, you should be completely in balance, with no need to cling to or fall into your leader. You can easily practice taking forward steps on your own, trying to achieve the best technique that you can.

Note to leaders: As Fran mentioned in last week's Tango Tip, remember to avoid pulling your follower off balance with your right arm as you invite her to move forward. At the completion of each step, give your follower a chance to bring herself into balance before inviting the next movement.

If you have any questions about this or any of our other Tango Tips, Fran or I will be happy to help. In the meantime, please accept our best wishes for a very Happy New Year!

For Firehouse dancers who might enjoy a day in the Big Apple on Saturdays, Fran teaches from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. every week. 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 figures you're working on. If you want to take Fran's classes, call Dance Manhattan at 212-807-0802 to register. For the practice, all you have to do is arrive with $10 and your dance shoes in hand.

See you every Saturday for a full day of Tango!

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.

If you lost something, we probably have it. We have a black ladies' scarf. There are also various items of clothing and jewelry in the closet. Ask Tibor at the front desk.

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

• Terri Lopez 
• Tony Mele 
• Tsipoyra Sartan 
• Stephen Maisch 
• steve turi 
• Jesse Barton 
• Mary Epiphan 
• Rafael and Hilda