tango

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Interesting Photos

Yesterday I had lunch with Laurie, a friend of a Canadian friend. She is currently living in Chile and is here for a short holiday.

Over lunch we were talking about all things Argentina, including tango. She had never seen it and was thinking about going to a show. Now although the shows are lovely, we tango dancers call that “tourist tango” and it’s not the real thing. I was going to the milonga last night and I persuaded her to go there instead – didn’t take much convincing I have to say! She really enjoyed the atmosphere and watching the dancing, and she had an interesting approach to photographing it — just feet in tango shoes! Here are a couple she took of me.

Afterwards, Lina, Laurie and I went to Miramar, one of the old Bares Notables, for another Buenos Aires experience, which we all enjoyed.

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Got a “wow” for my dancing!

I’m on a bit of a high this morning! Last night was my night to go with my tango teacher to the milonga. Towards the end of our two hours, we were just coming off the floor and he said, “Wow!”

I said, “Wow?”

He said, “Yes, Helen, wow! That was amazing.”

He went on to say I am more and more taking part in the development of the dance instead of simply following, which is a huge step forward for me. Then he sent me a Whatsapp message later to say how proud he is of me. How cool is that?

While we were sitting out one tanda, we were watching the other dancers on the floor, and he was commenting on how few women do the adornos (decorative footwork) I’ve been working on. I asked him if, when he is at the milonga by himself, he would be more interested in dancing with those who do the fancy footwork, and he was quite definite that he would. Maybe that explains why I am getting more and more dances at the Wednesday milonga. And of course, the better I get at it, the more I love it!

The woman who runs the Wednesday milonga has a slogan: Bailar y bailar que la vida se va — dance and dance as long as you live. Good plan!

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One Bar Notable Is Pressing On

There’s been news over recent weeks about several of the famous Bares Notables and other well established eating places saying they won’t be able to reopen after lockdown ends.

But today a friend sent me a link to a new-look website for online sales of products from El Gato Negro. I’ve written about this lovely cafe before, and it is certainly one to include in my book. It has a reputation for its wonderful selection of teas, coffees, herbs and spices, which are not only used in the food they serve in the cafe, but also for sale.

Here’s a page from the new site, describing the items for sale — this is just the top of the page, and scrolling down I could see there are many more.

And the great thing is that during lockdown they are delivering, so I think I’ll be placing an order soon!

Milongas in Trouble Too

Obviously, given the nature of tango with its close embrace, milongas were among the first places to close, way back in March. It’s pretty much accepted that it may be a year before they open again, but there’s evidence that, as with the cafes and restaurants, some may not make it.

One of my favourites, Sueño Porteño, held a crowdfunding event a couple of weeks ago to raise funds to continue paying their employees. I was glad to contribute, and I hope their efforts pay off.

Someone else sent me a YouTube video suggesting that El Beso, a Buenos Aires fixture for a very long time, may also be closed for good. I watched the video, and although it was challenging to follow the rapid Spanish of the report, I never actually heard them say they were closed for good, just that they were closed because of Covid-19. I’m holding on to that, although it may be wishful thinking on my part.

Some people are suggesting that tango may come back in a different form, more smaller gatherings in smaller venues or even people’s homes. That’s better than having it die off altogether, of course, but the milongas are such an integral part of Buenos Aires culture that I can’t even imagine the city without them.

In this as with all things coronavirus related, I’m trying to be positive.

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Tango!

I haven’t written anything here for quite a while — I have a theory about why that is, and I’ll share it in my final post before I leave for Toronto at the end of April.

But in the meantime, I had to share this video. It’s my last tango lesson for this stay in Buenos Aires, because Alejandro is leaving for Europe next week and won’t be back till I’ve gone. So we shot this little video, which I hope will show that I’ve improved since last year’s effort.

Alejandro chose a slow, sensuous tune time time, and although I actually prefer dancing a slightly faster tango, I have to admit this does show off the “flirtatious” nature of some of the footwork! I hope you enjoy it — I certainly did!