20101222

20101220

20101214

"Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts." Janice Maeditere

20101127

Christmas Eve Tango and Dinner in Buenos Aires - want to join me?

OK, the Christmas Spirit has got me, my tree is up and looking delightful, and I was having a little fantasy about what it would be like to Tango this Christmas in Buenos Aires, and came across the following...


Christmas Eve Tango Dinner in Buenos Aires



Celebrate an unforgettable Christmas Eve in Buenos Aires, capital of Tango. Tango is present in every corner of the city and it is an integral part of the customs of its inhabitants.

The ritual of Tango is more than a musical composition, a dance, or an instrumental and vocal performance. It is a passionate way of feeling and experiencing life and the world.

In the heart of San Telmo, this historically restored building has become a highlight of the cultural scene of Buenos Aires. La Ventana is a journey back in time. Its historical interior has been conserved and provides the perfect stage for this unique event.

The Grand Juan D'Arienzo Orchestra and a Quintet will join two tango singers, six dance couples, and a traditional dance company, with a total of 32 artists on stage.

Programme and special menu:

7:30pm - Gathering at Hotel lobby and transfer to Gala Tango

8:00pm Welcome to Gala Tango, drinks served

Tango lessons

Menu:

Appetizer
Chef’s Sampling

Cuts of grilled turkey seasoned with rosemary and thyme and served with Thone sauce (white sauce), Italian prosciutto, fresh tomatoes and bufala (fresh mozzarella) morsels with basil sauce.

Main Course
Traditional grilled tenderloin

A 12oz. beef tenderloin cooked to perfection over the wood-fire grill, served with a three-pepper sauce.
Side dish: Thin potato layers covered in mild cream of garlic with a touch of thyme.

Dessert
Semifreddo Sabayon (egg-based, Marsala wine) served with almond praliné (sweet brittle confection), sliced strawberries and chocolate sauce.

Drinks:
Alamos Malbec (red) and Alamos Chardonnay (White) from Catena Zapata Wineries.
Water, soft drinks.

Tango and Folkloric Show
Special party favors and show broadcast on big screen.

Midnight toast with Saint Felicien Nature Champagne and a variety of sweet and savoury treats.

Dancing with our exclusive DJ.

Courtesy shuttle back to Hotel starting at 12.30 am, and every 15 minutes thereafter.

AHHHH yummm... while I sit here and drool on, you can learn more by visiting the site -
click here to find out more

20101126

The Tango - Unesco Culture Sector - Intangible Cultural Heritage



From: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?RL=00258

Description
The Argentinian and Uruguayan tradition of the Tango, now familiar around the world, was developed by the urban lower classes in Buenos Aires and Montevideo in the Rio de la Plata basin. Among this mix of European immigrants to the region, descendents of African slaves and the natives of the region known as criollos, a wide range of customs, beliefs and rituals were merged and transformed into a distinctive cultural identity. As one of the most recognizable embodiments of that identity, the music, dance and poetry of tango both embodies and encourages diversity and cultural dialogue. It is practised in the traditional dance halls of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, spreading the spirit of its community across the globe even as it adapts to new environments and changing times. That community today includes musicians, professional and amateur dancers, choreographers, composers, songwriters, teachers of the art and the national living treasures who embody the culture of tango. Tango is also incorporated into celebrations of national heritage in Argentina and Uruguay, reflecting the widespread embrace of this popular urban music.


What is Intangible Cultural Heritage?

The term ‘cultural heritage’ has changed content considerably in recent decades, partially owing to the instruments developed by UNESCO. Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

read more at: www.unesco.org

Adela Galeazzi y Rino Biondi - Canyengue -El Chamuyo-Salon Canning

20101122

Tango Holiday in Italy

I was just visiting Volcada.com and read this tantalising entry...

Planning your holidays for 2011? Why not come to Tango in ... Italy.

Come to Italy for a combination of Dance, Arts, Culture, Food, Wine and more...

Spend a relaxing week in a romantic place like Villa La Rogaia in Umbria, in the hills above Lake Trasimeno between Florence and Rome.

Get inspired by Italy's wealth of culture and history: visit historical towns like Arezzo, Assisi, Perugia and many others.

We offer week long Tango holidays with internationally reknown teachers like Fabian Salas or Brigitta Winkler. Tango seminars for all levels from beginners' courses to master classes.

Have a look at our Tango program 2011 at Tango Holidays.com

Looking forward to seeing you in Italy next year!

20101118

and when the echo of applause

"And when the echo of applause no longer rings in my ears,
And when the curtain lowers, and the thousands of faces in front of me have gone,
And when the mirror reflects a face free of makeup..."

To read more you'll need to visit... Fabian Peralta.com.ar

Fabian, what a beautiful way of writing you have as an entrance to your site, you write as well as you dance, you are truly an inspiration.

My husband and I had the priviledge of learning with Fabian Peralta and Virginnia Pandolfi in Byron Bay and in Port Macquarie. It was a sheer delight.

20101117

Moti Buchboot and Glory Souder


Moti Buchboot and Glory Souder...

I received the following in an email from Moti Buchboot this morning, and thought how beautiful it was... if you would like to watch more of Moti dancing or to purchase his Tango Lesson DVD go to Organic Tango.info


Parallax

You never know
What will change the world-
a word lightly spoken,
a touch from a stranger,
a glance from a woman
in a red dress,
or a flower opening in your garden.
What you do know
down deep in your bones
is that the cells have
lined up in a new arrangement,
muscles grown
where before was weak and hollow,
and when you woke up this morning,
something else was on your mind
because the old furniture had moved
around to make room.
A momentary alignment of planets
has opened a door somewhere.
You never know how or when,
only that it means
Everything.

20101112

How many Argentine Tango shoes does a woman need?



Of course most of us would understand the need for hundreds of pairs of Tango shoes.

Jennifer Bratt - women's footwork

Aside from Jennifer Bratt's gorgeous footwork, how great are these shoes?

Close but not personal

"When you dance with a partner you are close and the dance is very suggestive, but it is not personal… Close is what the music inspire you to become. The embrace looks personal, but what we are actually embracing is the music.”

- Carlos Gavito

20101111

Tango is like writing a letter

"Tango is like writing a letter, it has a beginning, periods, commas, stops and an end. If you are doing figures and gyros (turns) all the time, people don’t see anything and that is why there is the walk- the invention of the people. In this dance of the people, which is what tango is, all the famous couples have used the walk, and they use it constantly.

The tango is on the ground, It is caressing the floor. It is the ball of the foot supporting the weight of the body, right on the axis and each person on his/her own axis. If you make pupils walk at the beginning, they get bored and want to learn steps and more steps - to show off at the dance hall. So you need to have the luck of meeting a teacher who tells you: No. Look. You must walk. First walk."
Miguel Zotto

20100924

Dance - The High Squirrel's Message

A single slip would be certain death or at the very least asevere injury.
I watched it run carelessly amidst what most would consider extreme danger.

It was a squirrel.

It ran across power lines located over 30 feet above the pavement. It seemed to dance, dart and dash above me as I stood transfixed in the church door.

Here was a creature in what I thought was great danger. Such a situation would have me nearly paralyzed with fright. The squirrel danced.

I thought of the many people whom I knew. I thought how some lived like the squirrel, looking in front of them but never dwelling on what's behind or below. They had tough situations in life. Frankly, some of the situations could make you shudder; yet, they were happier than many with far smoother
conditions.

That simple squirrel on the electric wire taught me something.

I took my cell phone and snapped a picture of it. It's not a high quality picture; it was a cell phone and the sun was setting but it captured the spirit of the squirrel.

Even when you face tough situations.
Even when things are down to a thin line for support...
Even when unpleasant things could happen if you fail or fall...
Even when the wind starts blowing.

Dance.

(and if it's argentine tango then all the better)

from: mountainwings.com

20100910

Tango in Perth

I just came across a site in Perth that deserves a mention... teachers who teach for the passion of the dance Perth Tango Emrace teaches classes and runs milongas for free...
"We have been exclusively trained by Argentine Teachers both in Perth and in Argentina".
"We see Tango as having an inward focus rather than seeking to impress an audience. The goal of the tango dancer is to move to the music and share what he is feeling with his partner, communicating the rhythm and melodie through the embrace.


This project is dedicated to teaching Traditional Argentine tango as it is danced in the Milongas of Buenos Aires - Argentina."

20100830

what makes me

"What makes me is a project developed by the Australia Council for the Arts and invites us all to think about what art adds to your lives. Part of the challenge is that for many Australians, 'the arts' is associated with images of snobbery and inaccessibility.

We want to encourage people to see that art comes in many forms, and that school bands, amateur comedy and circus are every bit as artistic as classical music and oil painting.

We want you to show what it is that you like about art by creating your own art cube. As everyone's cubes are combined, we will gradually be building Australia's largest collaborative digital story.We want to demonstrate that the arts are a powerful agent of change in our lives: they enrich our society and make Australia a better place to live, celebrating and defining us as Australians, as communities and as individuals."

it takes two: Cube image from What Makes Me - what makes me is a collaborative digital art project..." Create your own cube to be a part of the project

20100828

movement never lies

"Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it." Martha Graham

20100827

Sadler's Wells Ballet - Tanguera video link

Sadler's Wells Tanguera Video Link click here

cutting across the room

"Zigzagging is a big no-no, as is cutting across the room. In Buenos Aires, no matter how elegant or musical you are, if you cut the floor like a jigsaw you are considered a jerk. " Robin Thomas...
read Robin's article on floorcraft   http://www.tangonyc.com/floorcraft.html

when boleos go bad





Image from: laplanchadora.blogspot.com


Ah yes, when boleo's go bad...
love this pic of Jennifer Bratt and Ney Melo

Forms of tango...

“The forms of tango are like stages of a marriage. The American tango is like the beginning of a love affair, when you’re both very romantic and on your best behavior. The Argentine tango is when you’re in the heat of things and all kinds of emotions are flying: passion, anger, humor. The International tango is like the end of the marriage, when you’re staying together for the sake of the children.” - Unknown

20100824

Tango Football

Click on the link below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyMjpJAkrN8&feature=search

A Good Dancer

“A good dancer is one who listens to the music…We dance the music not the steps. Anyone who aspires to dance never thinks about what he is going to do. What he cares about is that he follows the music. You see, we are painters. We paint the music with our feet..” Carlos Gavito

20100820

No woman needs more than one pair of shoes

"No woman needs more than one pair of shoes.
But in matters of women's shoes and the word need is meaningless. "

Alicia Muniz
Founder of Comme Il Faut dance shoes

5 Fundamental Steps of Tango

Tango Space is a fabulous resource for tango dancers of all stages. One thing we know about you… …is that you want clarity in yo...