No dancing for Brian for twelve weeks (minimum!) Yep, that was the verdict of the surgeons who attached three pins into the head of my left femur, which I had just cracked almost clear across by letting my front bike wheel contact an oil slick as I was slowing down and turning to enter our […]
Read MoreMichael Ealem wrote to the list recently about several problems he encountered from dancers at milongas he hosted: >>> There seems to be a tremendous amount of resistance to basic milonga etiquette, specifically: 1. Not dancing against LOD (not just an occasional backstep, but extended sojourns) 2. Not camping out in the outer lane or […]
Read MoreWhen I started tango, I once remarked casually to my teacher-of-the-moment that tango seemed to be a wonderfully safe way of meeting people – you keep your clothes on, it’s hard to catch diseases, and it’s over in four minutes or so. She fixed me with a stare and said slowly, “Tango…is NOT safe. If […]
Read MoreIn the late 1800’s, millions of European immigrants arrived on the shores of the Rio de la Plata in South America, in the two port cities of Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Most of them were Italian and Spanish, and the vast majority were single young men looking to make their fortunes in America. […]
Read MoreTango – the Art History of Love by Robert Faris Thompson This fascinating collection of obsessive scholarship turns upon a single thesis – that the multifaceted cultural treasure that is Argentine Tango bears the strong influence of musicians and dancers of African descent, far out of proportion to their numbers during the period of tango’s […]
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