tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17714065796220614822024-02-07T19:15:54.191-05:00Irene and Man Yung's Tango BlogIrene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.comBlogger549125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-16490052013055027722020-06-22T17:49:00.000-04:002020-06-22T17:50:56.371-04:00COVID-19 and TangoThe last milonga we attended must have been back in February before the lockdown. We had just received news on Facebook before we went to the milonga that a dancer with the coronavirus attended a festival in Italy and many people fell ill after contact with that dancer.<br />
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The atmosphere at the milonga was quite tense. Many people stayed away, there were temperature checks at the door and a box of anti-septic wipes on each table. The organizers were doing their best to keep the attendees safe from what they knew about the coronavirus at the time, and, to try and keep tango going in our city. People tried to be calm but there was a lot less hugging and kissing hello for sure.<br />
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In fact, we had been afraid since November/December last year hearing the news and rumours coming from Hong Kong and China (Man Yung always keeps abreast of the news from that region) about the mysterious and deadly coronavirus. The Chinese Government can't be trusted to be transparent about what is actually happening. It was just a matter of time before the threat reached our shores.<br />
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I felt extremely relieved that after that milonga, all the milonga organizers in Toronto decided to shut down their milongas due to the coronavirus. This was before the government mandated lockdown, before everyone was ordered to social distance and to stop gathering in groups larger than 5 people. Close proximity and close contact in Tango is just too dangerous, it takes just one sick person to attend a milonga and so many others will also fall sick. I really applaud the tango organizers in our City for taking that difficult step of closing down quickly. It shows how much they care for the safety and wellbeing of the tango community and the public.<br />
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I don't think Tango will start up in earnest again until a vaccine can be found. Well, maybe some people may try to get milongas started up before a vaccine is available but we won't be going to any Tango events until that time. From what we know, washing hands often, checking temperatures, wearing a mask, dancing outside, head-to-toe disinfection etc. etc. reduces coronavirus transmission rates but they are not foolproof, people can still get sick if they get in contact with someone who has it. Man Yung is a senior citizen with "pre-existing" medical conditions and I am no spring chicken. We aren't going to risk it. We won't even be going to practice in the dance studio we usually rent each week by ourselves. People using that studio will be exerting themselves physically during exercise/dance and if they have coronavirus, they will aerosol it into the air with every breath.<br />
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I know it is very tough for all the Tango organizers and teachers right now. We hope they will be able to pull through and that the vaccine is only months away rather than years away. As for us, we have been very lucky. Man Yung is retired and can stay at home and even though I have to go to work (the nature of my work doesn't let me work from home), my office is taking all precautions by making all staff wear facial masks and not allowing any outsiders into our office.<br />
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Yes, there is no tango dancing but we are comfortable, we can stay home and watch Netflix and drink more alcohol than we would normally drink. I've gained 4 pounds since the lockdown started and it's all from gin and tonic.<br />
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Man Yung listens to tango music every evening on Youtube. I think he is practicing a million steps whenever he closes his eyes. He told a friend on the phone that he would be "fine" if he doesn't dance tango again but I think he is just putting on a brave front.<br />
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I have been having several bad dreams in which Man Yung drags me to a milonga while COVID-19 is still raging. People are dancing without any face masks. I have also had several dreams of finding myself in a supermarket and people are shopping without any face masks. I just had a dream last night in which a horde of angry clients (without face masks) burst into our office and we have to call security to remove them. I think this is becoming a recurring nightmare and phobia. Instead of crowds of zombies I'm afraid of crowds of people without face masks.<br />
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As far as we know, our friends in Buenos Aires have also been in lockdown. They aren't dancing, they aren't going out. But that's ok, they are healthy and keeping safe and they assure us through email and Facebook that they are prudent and listening to what the government is telling them to do. They are also quite hopeful we will all return to dancing soon. The most important things right now are health and family and they are making sure to maintain their health and to keep their families safe and we totally agree.<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-23909258412300938122019-05-05T15:58:00.000-04:002019-05-05T15:58:41.083-04:00StudySome people like to study with championship tango dancers and watch videos of championship tango dancers dancing tango so some day they may also win a championship. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2018/08/sorry-no-points-for-that.html">And if you don't win this time, try, try, try again!</a><br />
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Some people like to study stage tango movements because if they can't get people to pay attention to their low key, boring social dancing, they can kick it up a notch by flinging their partner into outer space (and other people)! </div>
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Does anybody really want to study how to dance well on a crowded dance floor anymore? Where the best dancers can express the music with the simplest movements while they are shoulder to shoulder with the couples around them?</div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Maestros Blas Catrenau and Myriam Pincen dancing on a VERY crowded dance floor. Perfection!</span></i></div>
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I don't know about others, but I think this is the highest form of Tango expression. I leave ambitions about winning championships and showing off for other people!</div>
Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-5409765579297715632019-03-10T16:25:00.000-04:002019-03-10T16:26:46.441-04:00Osvaldo<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QcCHCb_P0Vk" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">Osvaldo and Coca performing a beautiful Vals at La Nacional - "Con Tu Mirar"</span></i></div>
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Today would have been Osvaldo's birthday. We remember the first time we celebrated Osvaldo's birthday, we were at Confiteria Ideal on the closing night of Martha and Manolo's Camicando festival in 2007. It was the first time that we were in Buenos Aires, and Osvaldo and Coca were teaching milonga at the festival. It was a wonderful night - live performances by all the maestros of the festival, live music by Tubatango, and even a group performance by the students. A night to remember! <br />
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Our dear milonguero friends and maestros were full of life, living their tango lives to the fullest with milongas every night, busy teaching schedules and teaching tours lined up for months in advance. In a blink of an eye, we have lost Alberto, Martha, Osvaldo....and we miss them every day.<br />
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Last night we were talking to two veterans of Toronto Tango, both have been dancing Tango for over 20 years. They had seen and experienced even more of the old maestros than we had, the ones that passed before we even started learning. How quickly things change in life and in Tango! A mere five, ten years ago, tangueros and tangueras all around the world wanted to dance with the milongueros and like the milongueros. <br />
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Now everyone wants to train and dance with the newest and shiniest cookie cutter competition winning couple, learn the fanciest figures and adornos, and maybe even win a competition themselves. Milonguero? What is that? Those old people danced strange and funky. They didn't follow competition rules. We don't want that!<br />
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Luckily we have the magic of Youtube to keep examples of the old style milonguero dancing alive and accessible to all - along with hundreds of videos of performances by Osvaldo and Coca. When Osvaldo was alive, they performed almost every night and everywhere they went. They were beloved, and they always brought down the house.<br />
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Would there be a day when everyone will become tired of Tango turning itself into Ballroom dancing? Would they re-discover the Milongueros and want to dance in the old way?<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-50567269753147144512019-03-03T11:24:00.000-05:002019-03-03T11:24:25.164-05:00PracticingAs a follower, I hate it when a leader "practices" on me in a social dance (that means "milonga") setting. <br />
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Recently, I danced with a relatively new local leader. He was a eager lesson taker and had improved quite quickly. He could dance all evening non-stop and he had quite a lot of the "good followers" on his dance card.<br />
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He was also quite aggressive (and clever) in befriending Man Yung and I in order to ask me to dance.* Can't really say "no" to a "friend", can you?<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>* Has someone used this tactic on you? Do you use this tactic yourself sometimes to get dances with people who aren't cabeceoing you? This can be a subject of a whole post by itself.</i></span><br />
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The first couple of times I danced with him it was "ok". Sometimes it is easier to just go ahead and dance with someone who is a "friend" even though it isn't "great", rather than rejecting them and risk being seen as "unfriendly", not "nice" or maybe even "an asshole".<br />
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Unfortunately (or maybe Fortunately) he had just taken a slew of private and group classes with some visiting teachers and he couldn't restrain himself from unleashing his newly acquired steps and adornments on me, even if it meant tripping over his own feet and almost falling on his face. Obviously he didn't know how to do any of those new steps well yet but what a fantastic opportunity to PRACTICE on an experienced follower!<br />
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That was wonderful because it turned me completely, utterly, WTF off and I didn't care about being rude or unfriendly the next time he asked me to dance. I could turn him down guilt-free!<br />
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In my opinion, when social dancing, it is inappropriate to practice stuff you don't know well on your partner UNLESS they have consented to it beforehand. It is also inappropriate to practice in a milonga if it will be disruptive to others on the dance floor.<br />
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Ideally, practice on people who are not your regular dance partner (or any practice at all) should only be done in a class, or in a practica where it is understood that people are there to practice.<br />
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When I lead I like to err on the side of caution. When introducing a step (that I actually know I can lead) to a follower, I stop immediately at the slightest sign that either of us are stumbling. I am not going to try, try, try again until we both get it.*<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>* Yeah Man Yung, stop heckling me on the sidelines when I am dancing with some of the best milonguera followers in Toronto - I am NOT going to practice NOTHING on them so there!</i></span><br />
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I don't think being able to lead or making (or forcing) followers do a gazillion trillion steps enhances the dance experience. Rather, I think there is more merit and enjoyment in being able to connect with a follower on a level that is comfortable for the follower, and being able to express and communicate the music and feeling in Tango simply, WITH LIMITS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO. <br />
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To quote W. Somerset Maugham "To write simply is as difficult as to be good." Applies to writing, applies to dancing too.<br />
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I was joking to a woman leader in ballroom/latin dance a few weeks ago about how NONE of the followers I was dancing with wanted me to throw some back sacadas and enganches at them to spice things up.<br />
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She laughed and said, "Yeah, me too - I ask my followers whether they wanted me to do a triple axle double salchow and they all said no too!"<br />
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So, if you want to practice, find your OWN partner and go torture them with the complete step repertoire of Forever Tango at your leisure. If you are lucky your partner will be a super adornista and she will have a great time toe tapping and foot flicking all over you too!<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-84533466115314703912019-01-26T09:40:00.001-05:002019-01-26T09:40:32.379-05:00Juan Ventura Esquivel and Thomasina Gabriele - Tango Exhibition in PortlandRecently, we received an email from the renowned milonguero Juan Ventura Esquivel and his lovely partner Thomasina Gabriele with links to their Tango exhibitions in Portland. <br />
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We wanted to share their beautiful milonguero performances here! They are dancing to Tangos by Fresedo and D'Arienzo:<br />
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<a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/search/label/Juan%20Esquivel">Juan Ventura Esquivel</a> is one of the core members of the show "Milonguisimo". We had the great fortune of seeing him perform at the show in Glorias Argentinas the first time we were in Buenos Aires. We had the pleasure of bumping into Juan numerous times at milongas in Buenos Aires over the years. He and Thomasina are great friends of Osvaldo and Coca so sometimes we even get to go to the milongas with all of them together.<br />
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It's really cold in Toronto these two weeks - snow and ice and wind chill up to minus 27 C! Not even a hug could make us warm!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvDPugf9w_mMm6tkIZhB-rxOW5s2RAW7ij4JY41Kq72ym2Ntt_aBlmDaTQui4eb-1-Ud6HwuWMh2_GcySHkHzZzEcUQFFen-6gJER7mWxCMQ-mVOPctWEwr7tuNUSRR3t6u9nm7FwAU8/s1600/IMG_3688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvDPugf9w_mMm6tkIZhB-rxOW5s2RAW7ij4JY41Kq72ym2Ntt_aBlmDaTQui4eb-1-Ud6HwuWMh2_GcySHkHzZzEcUQFFen-6gJER7mWxCMQ-mVOPctWEwr7tuNUSRR3t6u9nm7FwAU8/s640/IMG_3688.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Freezing at Centennial Park last week (No, the hug did NOT help)</span></i></b></div>
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However, did you notice Thomasina's gorgeous strapless dress with the colourful birds design in the video? OMG I wish I had that dress! It is the most enchanting dress ever. Makes us think of springtime even in the middle of winter.</div>
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Keep warm and enjoy Tango!</div>
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-68173667475698692942018-12-09T11:57:00.000-05:002018-12-09T11:57:04.609-05:00Advice I followed (and advice I didn't follow)We recently received a comment on one of our <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2010/09/hokey-pokey.html?showComment=1543495939243#c6208024601996386216">old posts from way way way back in 2010</a>. I had mentioned in the post that our great friend and teacher Alberto Dassieu had told me three little things that took my following to an entirely new level - but I didn't actually say what they were.<div>
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So Mikhail very kindly made a comment (And thank you for reading our old posts, by the way!) and asked me whether I could share Alberto's advice. </div>
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Sure! What Alberto told me was (Drum roll please):</div>
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1. Do not go faster than the leader</div>
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2. Do not stick out your hips/butt when you are doing a giro</div>
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3. Do not do any adornments unless the leader gives you opportunity to</div>
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I will also throw in the advice that the legendary Osvaldo Cartery gave me:</div>
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1. Pick up your feet! (Meaning don't drag your feet on the floor making feet draggy sounds when you are walking. Yeah, I know that's four words and I had said "three words" - and it was three, in Spanish, and I forget exactly what they were but that's what they meant.)</div>
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A lot of you out there may be going "Pffffft! I ALREADY KNEW THAT!" and "<a href="https://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2017/02/but-thats-what-everybody-says.html">But that's what everybody says!</a>" but hey, those little things were EXACTLY what was wrong with the way I was dancing. They are still my golden rules and I follow them to this day.</div>
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People seek and receive a lot of advice about Tango. I know some dancers who take every single group class and private class available from local and visiting instructors regardless of the style or ability of the said instructor (That's right, I look at some of these instructors and think "WTF? Should they really be teaching?") and continue to pester the instructors for more tips at milongas outside of the classes. </div>
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With so much time, energy and money thrown into Tango you would think these people would be really really fantastic dancers and teaching their own classes by now!</div>
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Reality is they don't improve. They keep on dancing the same ol' way OR WORSE, they get so confused by the landslide of good, bad, conflicting and/or irrelevant advice they completely ruin their dancing.</div>
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I think what it boils down to is judgment - or luck. You either have to "know" when someone is telling you something that won't work (or is a total crock of bull****) - or you have to be really lucky and meet the right teacher at the right time who tells you just the right thing and nothing more or less.</div>
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We were lucky and we had really great teachers who didn't bull**** us and knew what they were talking about. Some other Tango Professionals/Long-time veteran dancers gave us advice too, and I'd say we exercised some really good judgment about most of it.</div>
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So off the top of my head, here's a random sample of some advice that we had received over the years which we followed or did not follow:</div>
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<b>1. "It doesn't matter what shoes you wear to Tango!"</b></div>
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That was stupid and dangerous advice. Man Yung followed this advice being a newbie (and because he likes a challenge) and wore street shoes with non-slip ridged soles.</div>
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This story ends with him wrecking his feet and bleeding all over our carpet.</div>
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<b>2. "You have to do MORE adornments and show off to people your beautiful footwork!"</b></div>
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Maybe this is good if you are an instructor selling "Happy Spectacular Tango Fancy Feet Whizzing Flicking Tapping Drill" workshops. </div>
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Otherwise, this level of adornistatic enthusiasm truly ruins your following. See above Alberto's advice to me.</div>
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<b>3. "To look more grounded and "Milonguera", your feet have to stick to the floor with every step."</b></div>
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Tried it, filmed it during studio practice, and it didn't work. Trying to make your feet stick to the floor doesn't make your feet look like they stick to the floor. </div>
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However, relaxing your feet and ankles and NOT dragging them on the floor (as per Osvaldo's advice above) makes your feet look more grounded and "Milonguera". Go figure.</div>
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<b>4. "A leader has to keep his left arm back while dancing - you have to be able to put an umbrella in that space between left hand/shoulder. All good Tango leaders practiced with the umbrella!"</b></div>
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This is great advice. I have observed that most women leaders actually get this (WITHOUT practicing with an umbrella!) and have their left arm in the correct position. Do you know why women leaders get this? Because they have all been on the receiving end of a man leader who DOESN'T do this. If the leader has his left arm pushing forward the follower ends up with a really really (and sometimes permanently!) sore right shoulder.</div>
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I have been told I am one of the most comfortable leaders to dance with. That's because I have had the most permanently aching sore wrecked right shoulder from leader left arm pushing and I don't want to inflict that on anyone I dance with (yes Man Yung hint hint).</div>
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<b>5. "Remember to Pause while dancing."</b></div>
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Absolutely mandatory advice.</div>
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You think Tango happens when you are doing a triple gancho boleo volcada enganche piña colada with a banana split and a cherry on top? </div>
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It's all happening the Pause, baby! Yes it is!</div>
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<b>6. "Dance no more than ten (10) steps during the whole milonga."</b></div>
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Our Maestro and friend El Gallego Manolo told us this and he knows a gazillion steps. </div>
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There really isn't any need to do all gazillion at once. If you are doing a gazillion it means that for at least a trillion billion of them, you aren't that familiar with them and you are practicing steps at a milonga which is a no-no.</div>
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In any case, from a follower's perspective a walk and a giro feels exactly the same whether the leader is doing them regular with two legs one after the other, with a hop, skip and a jump, or with a costume change in a telephone booth in between. </div>
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<b>7. "Be natural."</b></div>
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Osvaldo told us this. You shouldn't be dancing Tango like "I AM DANCING TANGO NOW!"</div>
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Tango walking is just like any other walking (Osvaldo would mime taking Coca by the hand and walking down the street to the market).</div>
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Man Yung explains: "If you eat an apple, you just eat an apple. You are not trying to impress people with your apple eating skills, you are not showing to people how elegantly you are eating an apple. You are just eating an apple."</div>
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<b>8. "I have no more advice for you. You are fine as you are!"</b></div>
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Alberto said this to me. And he was right - at some point you don't need any more. </div>
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However, Alberto, Osvaldo and Manolo always had more advice for Man Yung. Lucky Man Yung!</div>
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And some of it was even repetitive advice :-(</div>
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Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-33335124345659303202018-11-18T11:10:00.002-05:002018-11-18T11:10:18.308-05:00CatsThe last of our original four cats died at the end of September. It was a very difficult and sad time, but he had a long and happy life. Two of our cats were strays we found on the street; the two others we adopted from the local shelter. We had them before we started Tango, so they accompanied us on our Tango journey and witnessed all the ups and downs of our Tango adventure - and were really mad at us whenever we disappeared for two weeks to travel to Buenos Aires!<br />
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It was devastating to come home after a milonga late at night and have no kitties waiting for us at the door. Sometimes we would forget that we had no more cats and we would open the door thinking he was still waiting patiently in his usual spot for us.<br />
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Man Yung didn't want to adopt any more cats. He complained it was too much work to clean and care for cats, and he was getting older and too tired to deal with another cat. And we can't travel guilt-free if we have pets at home. <br />
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Actually I think he was most afraid of having to go through the grief of losing another cat.<br />
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I knew we had to adopt another cat. There are so many cats in shelters waiting for their forever homes. Having a cat is beneficial to mental and physical health and we would be doing a good deed. <br />
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And a home doesn't feel like a home unless we have a cat.<br />
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After much debate, we went to the shelter and adopted a feisty tiny two year old Tortie. She had been found abandoned with her litter of kittens. We don't know what happened to the kittens (the shelter wouldn't tell us) but when we got back to our condo, Mrs. B jumped out of the carrier and made herself home right away like it was destiny.<br />
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It's been only four weeks but it feels like we have had Mrs. B forever already!<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #990000;">Man Yung with Mrs. B, wearing his brand new </span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #990000;">Alice Starmore Kinsale fishermen's sweater that I knitted for him. </span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #990000;">It is a huge bonus that Mrs. B lets him carry her around like she was a baby :-)</span></b></i></div>
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Mrs. B doesn't Tango she doesn't know what the fuss is all about. No partner is good enough for her! Joking aside, she can only be the sole cat in a house because she is very territorial and she attacks other cats. She is great with people though. A complete cuddle bug who purrs up a storm.</div>
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Mrs. B may not want to Tango (with other cats), but loving and caring for her and all of our original kitties IMHO made us better dancers. And better people (hopefully). There's nothing more wonderful than to infuse our dancing with all the (kitty cat) love in our hearts.</div>
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Just look at that sweet face!</div>
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Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-23745132232921033352018-08-26T11:51:00.000-04:002018-08-26T11:51:14.934-04:00Death of the EmbraceA couple of years ago a very respected veteran Toronto Milonguera told me that a Milonguero Encuentro could not be organized in Toronto.<br />
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I was surprised she would say that. There seemed plenty of "Milonguero Style" Toronto dancers in Toronto. It's not like everyone is flocking to Nuevo Tango. Why wouldn't an Encuentro work?<br />
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She was right, of course. There are maybe TEN really good Milonguero Style dancers in Toronto now.... and most of them don't even come out to dance anymore.<br />
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Another Toronto Milonguera told me recently that she goes through phases of not wanting to come out to dance. It was just too disheartening, arriving at some of the more popular milongas in town, anticipating a having a good time dancing - but leaving disappointed because:<br />
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1. The FIVE really good Milonguero Style leaders have all decided to stay home (and not get kicked in the shins at the crowded and crazy popular milonga);<br />
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2. Being asked to dance and having to dance with Flingy leaders who just want to do ten million giros, enganches and ganchos - all in the same tanda. And not leading them very well either.<br />
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3. Not being asked to danced by any of Competition Tango Laddies, because they like to stick with the Competition Tango Ladies who have all gone to the same classes as them and have been trained by the same Competition Tango instructors and therefore have a chance to understand WTF they are leading. <br />
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4. Being asked to dance by any of the Competition Tango Laddies, and then not knowing WTF they are leading because hey, she never learned the same "Choreography". <br />
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5. Not being asked to dance, or refusing to dance, because it's a raging seething sea of Flinging and Tango Competition Choreography out there.<br />
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#1-5 above means no fun AND it also means the Embrace is dead. Or dying. Or people think the Embrace is something that it is isn't what it really should be.<br />
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Even Flingers and Tango Competition Choreographers can write f'g beautiful, literate, convincing, bring tears to your eyes essays about the Embrace. They truly may believe they are good/excellent/Tango Gods of Embrace because they have lots of dance partners/placed well in a Tango Competition/Teach and Perform Tango.<br />
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But come on, are they even Embracing?<br />
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Flingers only need the "embrace" like a Judoka wants you to put your hands on any part of his or her body in a fight. Someone's gotta be touching you in order for you to execute a (Judo) move on them. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Please hold me tight... so I can throw the s*** out of you.*</i></span></b></div>
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Tango Competition Choregraphers<i><b> look</b></i> like they have perfect embraces - of course, they score points for them in Competitions! The better the "look", the higher the score. Some of these types of dancers will "rearrange" their partners embrace (basically by pushing them out of it) so it would look better and they will have some space to do some nifty Tango Competition Standard movements and adornos.<br />
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No, no, no!<br />
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I am in the minority I guess in the Brave New Tango World of flinging and competition but that's not the Embrace for me.<br />
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I won't Embrace someone just so I have a grip on them and can make them "do stuff".<br />
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I am not Embracing someone in a certain way so that I would "Look Good" and "Score Points".<br />
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Embracing someone and thinking "Moves!" or "Looking Good!" is a failure to Embrace.<br />
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To Embrace, you have to be completely present in it, not elsewhere with your thoughts.<br />
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You have to give your whole Embrace to your partner, and in return they have to give their whole Embrace to you.<br />
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All those Tango pauses you are supposed to do with the music? They aren't to show off your Tango posture or to show off your ability to pause strategically to win points and admiration. They are moments to feel the Embrace more deeply and intensely.<br />
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And to connect with your partner completely.<br />
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Dancing Tango without the Embrace is like stuffing your mouth with shovels of food, but Tasting absolutely nothing.<br />
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<span style="caret-color: rgb(153, 0, 0); color: #990000;">*By Mhultstrom - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27764362</span><br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-937466115978848492018-08-06T10:54:00.000-04:002018-08-06T10:56:06.068-04:00Sorry - No Points for thatA couple of Toronto's more notorious high kickers and reckless Tasmanian devil whirligig flingers just participated in the Canada Tango Championship last week. I shuddered and eye rolled until my eyes disappeared into the back of my head when I received word that they were competing. <br />
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There was big collective sigh of relief all around when neither of them placed in the top three. Thank God!<br />
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Do we really need these freakin' dangerous dancers to believe that they are entitled, via "good results" in the competition, <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2010/09/why-everyone-should-go-get-themselves.html">to kick and knock the bejesus out of everyone around them</a>? Hell no! Now don't laugh, but I truly believe that since their heads are so inflated with their own imaginary greatness already, placing in the top three will make their heads so big they will start hitting people with their faces when they dance.<br />
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However, the fact they didn't "win" this time only gives me temporary comfort. I'm sure they are going to try try try again. And one of these days they are going to make it into the top three, or maybe even WIN, because you can actually win these things (especially in Canada with it's small pool of dancers) by being persistent and signing up year after year after year. Once the "best" tango couple wins, there's going to be a vacuum and the "next" best will win the next time. And so on, and so on. One of these days, your local obnoxious kicker/flinger is going to make it and unfortunately, not because they've miraculously become better, or more caring dancers. <br />
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As you know we are NOT fans of the "Tango Competition". It has set a rather superficial and skewed standard of what is considered "good" in Tango in order to make what is not quantifiable quantifiable for ease of judging and now, as we have rightly predicted back in 2008(!), the <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2008/05/resistance-is-futile.html">Tango Borg has taken over the Tango Universe. </a><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Coming to a Tango Community near you! Or maybe they are there already :-(</i></span></div>
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These days, thanks to "Tango Competition", a lot of dancers believe that the only indicator of "good Tango" is how much one can conform to Tango Borg standard, a great deal of which is about looking attractive while dancing and not breaking rules. Unfortunately, few or NO points are going to be given for any of the following:<br />
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1. Creative, original, idiosyncratic steps.<br />
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2. An embrace that makes you melt.<br />
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3. Musicality that makes you smile.<br />
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4. Ability to adapt to any partner - regardless of size, height, experience - and make them feel wonderful and not inadequate or awkward when they dance with you.<br />
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5. Ability to dance on very crowded dance floors without hurting yourself, your partner or other people. That means being agile, considerate AND also means being able to edit the stuff you do and still make your dancing lovely and fun, and being able to restrain yourself from showing off the whole goddamn space-hogging figure you were taught/invented.<br />
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6. Being completely bad-ass skillful with the cabeceo.<br />
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7. Being a top notch Chamuyo bull-shitting flirty charmer with your partners. And making them laugh!<br />
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8. Willingness to dance with ladies who have been sitting all night and haven't been invited to dance because they are not young/attractive/skinny/or don't conform to Tango Borg standard of beauty and skill.<br />
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9. Being "yourself" and no-body else in Tango. Unless you were born Tango Borg, in which "yourself" means same same same as everyone else who is competing and you will probably WIN.<br />
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10. Just being a great person and a joy to meet and talk to at the milongas. We have some wonderful people like this in Toronto Tango. They make everyone feel welcome and at ease and everyone loves seeing them at the milongas. They may even organize Tango events for charity. Beautiful souls.<br />
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The important things that makes Tango truly Tango for us unfortunately does not score points in Tango Competitions and it really seems like to us that this whole competition thing is rapidly making Tango go to Ballroom competition Hell in a hand basket.<br />
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Yes, we have been talking about this topic FOREVER (more blog whining <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/search/label/Mundial">can be found here</a>) but do people ever listen?<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-22682050212366043852018-07-22T10:37:00.000-04:002018-07-22T10:39:17.401-04:00"Just the Way You Are" (sometimes isn't enough)<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tJWM5FmZyqU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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I've been thinking about writing about this topic for a long time but have hesitated/procrastinated because honestly, I didn't want Man Yung to read this and get mad.<br />
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OK, honey, remember you promised that you won't get mad? <br />
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I used to admire dancers most for their skill. For their musicality. For their elegance, their walk, their moves, or even, ha ha, their "authenticity", whatever that may be.<br />
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Yes, all of the above is still admirable, but there's something that trumps all of that.<br />
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It's so rare that in fourteen years of dancing and watching other people dance, I have only seen it in three (ok, maybe four) couples.<br />
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Those three couples (or four) were so into each other AND into each other's Tango that they didn't give a rat's ass about ANYTHING else.<br />
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Now, when you are a couple in Tango, things are not necessarily going to be "Happily Ever After".<br />
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You may have met before Tango. Or you may have met while dancing Tango. <br />
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You may have the most wonderful relationship outside of Tango. Or not.<br />
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You may think you are better at Tango than your partner. Or worse.<br />
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You may wish that your partner could dance better. Or you wish that you could dance better because you feel your partner isn't exactly happy about the way you are dancing.<br />
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You may have an ideal image of what you and your partner should look like or dance like in Tango and let's face it, your partner's skill, height, looks and dress does not fit into those parameters. <br />
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You may prefer to dance with other people not your partner. Or you want to dance with your partner very much, but he/she seems to prefer dancing with other people rather than you.<br />
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Or neither of you want to dance with each other really. Or you only want to dance together sometimes for appearance's sake because after all you guys are a couple but let's sit apart in the milonga so that other people won't be afraid to cabeceo us (separately).<br />
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Why not one person stay home and play mahjong/watch Netflix/do some online shopping while the other goes obsessively every night to milonga? Or, in order to avoid any kind of confusion for other tangueros/tangueras that you may be together, why not go to different milongas on different nights...on different continents?<br />
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Now, the following describes US (and I just had to google "Irene and Man Yung Tango Kill Argue" to get to the link without having to sort through all our past posts):<br />
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<a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2014/09/things-that-man-yung-did-in-tango-that.html">You argue a lot over Tango and want to kill each other constantly.</a><br />
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And people still go up to us and say to us, "Wow, you guys dance so beautifully together! You guys look like you are so in love!!!!"<br />
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Thanks for the compliment, but we are NOTHING compared to the three (or four) couples I've seen.<br />
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Man Yung keeps on saying to random ladies he dances with, "Love means never having to say you are sorry".<br />
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Well, there's absolutely no place for apology in the Tango of those truly blessed couples.<br />
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No need to say sorry to each other - when the leader isn't really leading right and the follower isn't really following right. Nothing is a "mistake", you know each other's Tango so well you just carry right on over any glitch.<br />
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No need to say sorry to anyone around them - when the intensity of their uninterrupted eye to eye staring vertical tango love making is making other people think "For God's sake go Get a Room!"<br />
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No need to say sorry to Tango itself - because it doesn't matter how cheesy or "wrong" their Tango is, their all-consuming "Love" makes it right.*<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">* You look at them and objectively, they are dancing all wrong and ridiculous but it looks fantastic because they are so much in sync and have so much chemistry. So there.</span></i><br />
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Do you know what I'm talking about? In fact, the turdier they dance, the more it shows how much they truly love each other because they just DON'T CARE. They can be dancing like s*** or maybe not like s*** but it doesn't matter because they are thinking all the time their partner is TANGO PERSONIFIED and OMG TANGO WITH HIM/HER IS THE BEST TANGO IN THE HISTORY OF ALL TANGO.<br />
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Yes I envy that and wish that Man Yung and I can be like that instead of "Irene and Man Yung Tango Kill Argue" but oh well.**<br />
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<i><span style="color: #990000;">** Man Yung says: "No, I cannot be like that, Irene! My goal is continuous self-improvement, and that includes Tango. I am constantly improving MYSELF in Tango by watching Youtube vids on continuous loop for more steps. You must too! No rest in turdy Tango for the wicked Mwahahahaha! Crack the whip! Back to work! <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2016/01/">Roll that watermelon!</a>" ***</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>*** This post is totally serious and we have discussed this topic together and we really do admire those couples for the way they love each other and love each other's Tango. A love like that is even better than winning any Mundial!</i></span><br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-11182633328441263322018-06-24T11:14:00.000-04:002018-06-24T11:14:47.131-04:00Pedro Vujovich and Graciela CanoThe first time we went to Buenos Aires, we were eager to see a number of dancers live.<br />
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One couple we would have loved to see dancing in the milongas was Pedro Vujovich and Graciela Cano. They had won the Metropolitano (Buenos Aires city-wide) competition in 2005 and we saw snippets of them dancing in Oscar Hector's Milonguisimo show in a youtube video.<br />
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The few seconds we saw of them dancing in the video of the show were totally awesome - their musicality was impeccable and their style completely unique. However, when were in Buenos Aires we didn't have an opportunity to catch them and shortly after our visit we heard that Pedro had passed away.<br />
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We have been searching for videos of them dancing every since. We discovered recently their son Gustavo had posted some videos on Youtube of Pedro and Graciela dancing as a tribute to them. Here's one of them dancing an exhibition of Tango, Vals and Milonga:<br />
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There are quite a few more videos of them dancing in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzo2lOKnYtk_ghuapAKAdFw">Gustavo's youtube channel</a>, including videos of them while competing. It's fantastic that we are still able to see these examples of their dancing, it's such a treat.<br />
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Confession: Man Yung has been trying to steal Pedro's steps! But he has not been successful. I think it's because Pedro and Graciela's style of dancing formed organically from decades of dancing together and you have to look at it as a whole. It is impossible (as Man Yung has learned) to take out and dissect/steal any one part of it!<br />
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We had the pleasure of meeting Graciela once when we went to Club Oeste and Man Yung even had the opportunity of dancing with her. She's a beautiful dancer and we were happy to know that she still went to dance in the milongas.<br />
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A short and charming biography of Pedro Vujovich can be found on the Todotango website <a href="http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/1824/Pedro-Vujovich/">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-19395563251979277872018-06-17T10:54:00.000-04:002018-06-17T10:55:41.845-04:00Non-Tango things that have made my Tango betterWe know people who are avid class takers and who dance tango literally, EVERY NIGHT. Good for you! Keep it up!<br />
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I've commented this before to some of my friends while watching particularly horrible awkward dancing: "Give them 20/30/40 years in Tango....eventually anyone can turn into a Milonguero." </div>
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I may have said that ironically but also in total earnestness. A tried and true way to dance Tango better is to just do more of it. Either lots in a short time span or less but consistently over more time. </div>
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Good Tango is sometimes just mileage.</div>
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But BETTER Tango is more than that.</div>
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Without doing any Tango Drills, going to any Tango Festivals, taking any Tango private classes or watching any Tango videos on Youtube, I can just wake up on a random morning and find myself a better Tango dancer. </div>
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I don't know why it happens. </div>
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I'm kidding. Of course I know. But if I tell you, you're going to say, "Gosh, Irene is weird."</div>
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And then you will go secretly try those same weird things yourself to see if they work. </div>
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Heck, I'll give you a list anyway since I've promised myself to write at least two posts a month this year and I'm kind of behind:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Various Non-Tango things that have mysteriously enlightened Irene's Tango:</span></b></div>
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1. Watching a <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2010/08/meteors.html">Meteor Shower</a>.</div>
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2. Reading D. H. Lawrence's "The Rainbow" and "Women in Love". </div>
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3. Going to see a <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2017/03/dangerous-experiences.html">Philippe Jaroussky concert</a>. OMG listening to him sing live was the most intensely beautiful 2 hours of my life.</div>
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3. Losing 15 lbs of weight gradually using the <a href="https://dailyconnoisseur.blogspot.com/p/books.html">"Madam Chic French Moderation" method</a>. Yeah, laugh all you want. Don't be mistaken, I didn't dance better because I lost weight - I danced better because I LIVED better.</div>
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4. Playing piano again after a break of almost 10 years. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
5. Persisting in playing my old piano that I got in Hong Kong when I was eleven even though it is crappy and cannot hold a tune or be tuned anymore. Even my cat cringes when I play. Hey, I don't care - me and my piano have a history together.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
6. <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308?th=1&psc=1&source=googleshopping&locale=en-CA&tag=googcana-20&ref=pd_sl_2ya6kmqiet_e">Marie Kondo</a>-ing my house. Kind of like the experience of losing weight as in #3, but instead weight reduction I was decluttering.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
7. Having better relations with my parents and brother and sister. However, I am still going to laugh at their <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2010/06/tango-now-selling-condos.html">Tango ignorance</a> (Oh-no - maybe my Tango will become even better when I stop laughing at them?)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
8. Writing a Tango Blog (OK, this is a Tango thing. But writing about Tango and analyzing it front to back and top to bottom and actually solidifying thoughts into words helps me immensely).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
9. NOT RECOMMENDED: Suffering horrible, awful loss, and gradually coming to terms with it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I don't wish this kind of sadness on anyone. Not to make light of this kind of heart breaking and spirit destroying experience, but my Tango did get a lot better.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
10. Falling in love with and being proud of my home town Scarborough. Growing up I thought my neighbourhood sucked and it was just the sleepy boring old suburbs. After learning that it was in fact "T<a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/news/we-re-calling-it-scarborough-food-capital-world">he Food Capital of the World</a>" and actually trying out the different awesome cuisines available locally and meeting lovely people from different cultures living here, I realized that the place where I grew up in ROCKS.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
11. Letting go of anger.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
12. Forgiving people who were once my enemies - even loving them a little.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
13. Becoming older and wiser.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
14. Understanding myself more.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
15. Understanding Man Yung more.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
16. Accepting both myself and Man Yung more.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
17. Having Man Yung understand me and accept me more. Yes Man Yung! This is important! <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2013/05/partners.html">Partnership</a> is not a <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.com/2008/04/forging-ahead-courageously-while.html">Chairman Mao Communist Totalitarian Regime</a>!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In summary, I danced better whenever I was touched by beauty, when I found out something about myself, and whenever I strived to be a better person.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Man Yung said after reading what I wrote, "Yes, life is like that! Like the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter."</div>
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Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-10456721303553035692018-05-26T11:29:00.001-04:002018-05-26T11:29:59.504-04:00Tango StaycationI would have written this post over the Victoria Day long weekend here in Canada, but I was too busy on a glamourous Tango "Staycation".<br />
<br />
Now, of course we would rather be on a glamourous Tango "Vacation" and we miss visiting our wonderful friends in Buenos Aires, but we have to be home every four to six hours to feed and massage an ancient constipated pet cat. This one (on the left - I don't know who the guy in the chicken hat is HA!):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CLg2m8mCGGh0EbD0eV14ZlZyiEZzpUDBKH5FvRZqCcTphp5wNvYpQfCwVF1jlYnq2slRssRx3rWz6pV8u_QZqeNGiHF4EPq7K00ygBAH1LabHD4GvYZpD-eFe4_uWCpKno3IXlor16I/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CLg2m8mCGGh0EbD0eV14ZlZyiEZzpUDBKH5FvRZqCcTphp5wNvYpQfCwVF1jlYnq2slRssRx3rWz6pV8u_QZqeNGiHF4EPq7K00ygBAH1LabHD4GvYZpD-eFe4_uWCpKno3IXlor16I/s400/IMG_0061.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And when we told Manolo the reason behind us not flying to Buenos Aires to visit him, he said "Does he taste good with a side of rice?"<br />
<br />
HE WAS JOKING! About getting rid of the cat and about what Chinese people eat! Cat Lovers and Chinese people, it's JUST A JOKE, OK?<br />
<br />
Well, in any event, Vacation/Staycation is just a state a mind and we will use all our powers of Imagination/Zen/Self-Delusion to bring you the following:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THINGS WE CAN DO ON TANGO STAYCATION THAT MAYBE PERHAPS MAKES US THINK WE ACTUALLY TOOK A TRIP TO BUENOS AIRES:</b></span><br />
<br />
1. Wear same set of wrinkle free "travel clothes" for days on end. Wash them in the sink and hang them all over the place to drip dry OR screw that, wear them for days on end and do not wash them. Did you know merino wool clothing supposedly never smells bad and self-cleans? <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kScOl4qu1dQdLR9KSpSyhonp4ZkUXhrJXHIiIfIKHExJ6l7QGBDdB5Q0jrSug0i1xboMvibXyUplvuVtz_ihJAaxb6YFrDMhaJOk-8y3ZwplAsMIIe-QR_Y2xOZTNc2uf7sc2HWbuIY/s1600/IMG_2371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kScOl4qu1dQdLR9KSpSyhonp4ZkUXhrJXHIiIfIKHExJ6l7QGBDdB5Q0jrSug0i1xboMvibXyUplvuVtz_ihJAaxb6YFrDMhaJOk-8y3ZwplAsMIIe-QR_Y2xOZTNc2uf7sc2HWbuIY/s400/IMG_2371.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;"><i>Irene demonstrating how to look conspicuously like a tourist. You don't even need to be in Buenos Aires - we guarantee that this outfit will make anyone stick out like a sore thumb anywhere in the world!</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
2. Eat pasta and pizza and red meat with abandon and wash it down with gallons of beer/wine. Gain 5 lbs in 7 days!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiWlqWvhS7hH7N2VyC1y3SPtJa2v8Gh6FQmB9JS0jpI-YD8umAm3rMtssx5WmzLw9dsBHGGod36aNinAbibWXvv_dTu6PfNLWHeQRMmj6avziYclDM61u-7NPfm6Uhv5l2LjqbtBuTww/s1600/IMG_1226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZiWlqWvhS7hH7N2VyC1y3SPtJa2v8Gh6FQmB9JS0jpI-YD8umAm3rMtssx5WmzLw9dsBHGGod36aNinAbibWXvv_dTu6PfNLWHeQRMmj6avziYclDM61u-7NPfm6Uhv5l2LjqbtBuTww/s400/IMG_1226.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9egZLUN3CnbmliSX67oz5XU2tVlzBjpswQWAyfuBfCVeFj4Clui4wAeRTMRnNqctb5Y6hwYLP1yIsSXTj93zEm_mCvEav_AWiigSj2lDZGDwwKMlv-4lLbUXd6CcakmwIKvF2FG0Lxg/s1600/IMG_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9egZLUN3CnbmliSX67oz5XU2tVlzBjpswQWAyfuBfCVeFj4Clui4wAeRTMRnNqctb5Y6hwYLP1yIsSXTj93zEm_mCvEav_AWiigSj2lDZGDwwKMlv-4lLbUXd6CcakmwIKvF2FG0Lxg/s400/IMG_1007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000; font-size: small;">Yes, we can get pretty great pizza here in Toronto. But would it really be as good and excessively cheesy as the ones at El Cuartito?</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3. Buy random stuff because that's what people do on vacation.<br />
<br />
Or better yet - DO NOT buy random stuff and be good to the planet.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-EPCcnk8Eu3PKrvuuolhSSmzIu3XgUBBfGOOqpt5fFVHAD8_RCEI1_YzeZ6O7P4l01Ty7VF-xF9pK77h5M7r1D9hv1TN5Iwx29SuSa_xxoaQJV8j9v4wLyb4Z2KrGUS_Lc-0QXdZTiE/s1600/IMG_2420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-EPCcnk8Eu3PKrvuuolhSSmzIu3XgUBBfGOOqpt5fFVHAD8_RCEI1_YzeZ6O7P4l01Ty7VF-xF9pK77h5M7r1D9hv1TN5Iwx29SuSa_xxoaQJV8j9v4wLyb4Z2KrGUS_Lc-0QXdZTiE/s400/IMG_2420.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="color: #990000;">"Man Yung, I can't believe we took a photo of this incredible HANDBAG STORE in Buenos Aires and didn't go in or buy anything from it????? WTF!!!?"</span></i></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
4. Since cannot buy new tango shoes easily when not in Buenos Aires, do next best thing - resole tango shoes, or wear existing tango shoes in one's possession that don't fit well for that brand new tango shoe feeling. Hobble awkwardly in ill fitting tango shoes at local milongas, it makes it feel like you are dancing on unfamiliar floors!<br />
<br />
5. Dance all night. Or at least until <strike>1 a.m.</strike> midnight. Because we need beauty rest + have to go home and massage the cat. By the way this past week (in Toronto!) we danced Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Monday and Thursday we massaged the cat MORE.<br />
<br /><strike></strike>
6. Forget to put on sunscreen because so busy/exhausted.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, this happened all the time when we were in Buenos Aires. It is not a good idea! The secret to looking and staying young: Sunscreen, sleep and Tango. OK, when we were in Buenos Aires didn't get much of the first two but the surplus of the third made up for it.<br />
<br />
7. Go and see the sights and eat the eats in <a href="http://utsccommons.utsc.utoronto.ca/fall-2016/features/were-calling-it-scarborough-food-capital-world">Scarborough, food capital of the world</a>. Or don't, and nap all the time when not eating and dancing because old and exhausted from dancing + massaging the cat.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPhe-x7-QEKO-v60zmR2WkrnfjO55AnQ5BGdC036BycnGE5Nxf_LFGZQd86qzpuX0H9VY2UGyfrB1OG3reTs9_AwUS0NDkcj7oYsS0OG2FtQMocY9l1Ws0dYXQxfDUw3MCcLsa8KMRew/s1600/IMG_3241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPhe-x7-QEKO-v60zmR2WkrnfjO55AnQ5BGdC036BycnGE5Nxf_LFGZQd86qzpuX0H9VY2UGyfrB1OG3reTs9_AwUS0NDkcj7oYsS0OG2FtQMocY9l1Ws0dYXQxfDUw3MCcLsa8KMRew/s400/IMG_3241.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>If Scarborough is the food capital of the world and we live right in it and have a million choices of what to eat, why do we end up eating the same fifty chicken wings and plate of fried noodles at the same Chinese restaurant?</i></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
8. Watch soccer matches broadcast in a non familiar language. There are lots on Youtube. Brings back memories of watching soccer in Spanish in Buenos Aires hotel room (when not passed out from exhaustion or doing laundry in the sink).<br />
<br />
9. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2014/09/things-that-man-yung-did-in-tango-that.html">Argue. </a><br />
<br />
Why, don't other people argue while on vacation?<br />
<br />
10. Answer work emails. <br />
<br />
Why, don't other people answer work emails while on vacation? How else can I make sure my inbox is clear and I'm up to date?<br />
<br />
There must be more stuff we can do to add to the list to make our "Staycation" sound more exciting but I'm tired from dancing/writing/massaging the cat and need a nap now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-89912762540439283862018-05-12T15:48:00.000-04:002018-05-12T15:51:55.751-04:00I replied to Felicity's comment and realized we had been dancing at the same milonga... on different continents<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;">Yep. What a coincidence! Felicity's original comment (to the previous post "<a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2018/04/why-cabeceo-is-important.html">Why the Cabeceo is important</a>) is in black, and my responses are in blue:</span></div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Hi Irene, <br />
<br />
"It is always BETTER to dance with someone who is willing to dance with me
than someone who isn't."<br />
Agreed: why would anyone want to dance with someone unless they also want to?<br />
<br />
Comparing notes, my reasons for not dancing with (any) guys this weekend:<br />
<br />
1. Couldn't see good dancers </div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;">Agreed. Getting rare
in Toronto too. Toronto full of hot
headed flingers. However have still a
handful of leaders I still enjoy dancing with.
I am often tempted to pray (with incense and <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2010/01/crispy-bbq-pork-equation.html">crispy BBQ pork</a> offerings - actually, doing complete opposite of the <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2012/03/evil-eye-chinese-way.html">evil eye ritual</a>) that they do show up at milonga but realize that praying is completely useless due to <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2008/12/dance-popularity-quotient.html">my low dance popularity quotient</a>. </span></div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br />
2. I like dancing with the guy but he just danced with someone I can't bear and
so is contaminated (at least for that day). This is a fairly new one on me. It
surprised me too! </div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;">Actually this happens to me after Man Yung danced with someone who forgot deodorant
or has a problem that deodorant cannot fix.
I have to get him to change before I can dance with him. Otherwise the urge to vomit will override
ability to follow. Man Yung either has nasal blockage or likes B.O. of strangers does not understand about the fuss I am making.</span></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><br />
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><br />
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;">I have also been put off by the smell of green peppers
that attached itself to a leader I like to dance with from a follower I
dislike. Go figure.</span></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><br />
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br />
3. I really like dancing with the (visiting) guy I've known for years but he
has been sending confusing messages during the last year at the two milongas
where we last met. I don't know where I stand so I won't look or say anything
about dancing even though we're sitting next to one another and (finally)
talking again...</div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m a straightforward person, I don’t understand leaders
who send out confusing messages either. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I prefer to dance with someone who is as consistently eager to dance with me as I am with him. Not BS "Oh I LOVE dancing with you!" and then when there are other "more preferred" followers in the room he forgets to cabeceo or even say hello.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If he is "hot and cold" he better be some hot stuff in Tango. No wait - EVEN IF he is some hot stuff he can go stuff it. I'm too old for this game playing s***</span><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reasons for not dancing much with women this weekend:</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">- At two of the milongas: no space / chaos. Space alone wouldn't necessarily be
an issue if it weren't for the snails-pace ronda and dangerous floorcraft.
Couples were dancing for themselves, not aware of the couples around them. Or
were but didn't care, or couldn't dance well enough to manage. I was prevented
from moving, was bashed many times, squeezed, tailgated and cut up by guys. I
was kicked and scraped by the slim, well-dressed woman several people tried to
tell me was a good dancer. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_6328608435779225175gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: blue;">Luckily have not had too much bad luck or accidents while
leading on crowded and crazy floors. I
have feeling guys in Toronto are more considerate to women leaders, well, at least to
me. They don’t generally bash into me
and my partner unless by pure accident, I have a feeling they have their eye
out for not bashing. Actually, apart from one or two
really rotten apples, leaders on a whole in Toronto have become more considerate
on the dance floor in the past year.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">However, that being said, I think we have the twin of the slim well dressed woman "so called good dancer" here in
town. Or perhaps it is the same woman? She has the longest legs and most honking
huge feet with stilettos the size of machetes on said feet. She also flails and kicks highest with the
most abandon. Frenetic displays of reckless high kicking signal "I'm a good dancer", like how red and blue bottoms on Mandrill monkeys means "YEAH BABY! Sizzling white HOT!"? What is this (tango) world coming to. Milonga organizer had to
announce “Keep heels on the floor” but the rockette apparently is deaf because
she was still slashing her heels up and down for hours after that announcement. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Other cavorting, spinning and leaping Mandrill monkeys on the dance floor were noticeably excited by her tango courtship display.</span><br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: blue;"> Hot Stuff</span></span></i></div>
</div>
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<br />
- Couldn't see dancers I like</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Sad. See above re: lack of good dancers. Sometimes good dancers were (deliberately?) hiding behind not so good dancers I was trying not to cabeceo. Sad x 2. See above re: confusing hot and cold. Not so good dancers I was trying not to cabeceo may be going "wtf?" too re: my cabeceo/not cabeceo (sorry, it was for the person BEHIND you)</span></div>
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<br />
- Poor music. B or C sides of famous orchestras. Orquesta tipica Maglio.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">OMG this CONFIRMS we were at the same milongas. A DJ played Maglio (and equivalent) all friggin’
night too.</span></div>
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<br />
- I'm not convinced enough she wants to dance with me to want to risk a clear
look (from my seat).</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Yep, I’ve had ladies say they want to dance and then not
even try to cabeceo. Talk about ambivalence. This has been
ongoing for a few weeks now. </span></div>
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<br />
- That quiet, good-dancing girl I like isn't looking my way. She refused /
avoided me once. I won't invite her again unless she makes it really clear that
she wants to dance. </div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="color: blue;">You and I, we must be trying to dance with the same girl. Sometimes I think she just wants to dance with her favourite guy
leaders, or doesn’t want to dance with a girl in front of certain guy leaders
who would scoff at women dancing with women. That’s ok. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">I'm the same: My best lady friends in tango know that I'm not available for leading if my favourite guy leaders are available.</span><br />
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<br />
- She could be looking but I don't want to dance milonga / vals / this
particular tango tanda. <br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="color: blue;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Actually, I’m pretty much up for anything at this point. Have heard so much Maglio had to make decision: either dance to the friggin' Maglio, or not dance at all and waste $15 entrada. </span></div>
<br />
PS:<br />
I danced 6 tandas over three milongas this weekend. All with women. Good music
is always a pre-requisite but curiously, the reasons one does dance are not
necessarily the converse of why one doesn't dance:<br />
<br />
1. We smiled as she came in and she sat next to me. She was a nice person and
turned out to be a good dancer.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">That's lovely :-) </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2 & 3 An experienced lady told a woman or women I didn't know near me in my
hearing that I was a good dancer and she should dance with me. So I risked
inviting one and later the other.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Solid dance reputation being built this way. It's great! I hope that I'm getting positive reviews too. Rather than people whispering "OMG avoid her she sucks" :-(</span><br />
<br />
4 A woman who looked familiar reminded me as she arrived that we'd danced in
Cambridge <br />
<br />
5. A good dancer I didn't know sought me out with her eyes<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">You are better at the cabeceo than I am. I still have to engage in conversation with ladies at beginning of the evening about willingness to dance later and THEN cabeceo to seal the deal later.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
6. A woman I've seen dancing well for years I thought had looked my way some
time last year but I hadn't liked the music at the time. I invited her this
time.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Thanks for taking the time to comment Felicity! I hope we will really meet one day at the same milonga and we can cabeceo each other for sure :-)</span><br />
<br />
<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-61112821654718871862018-04-29T17:05:00.000-04:002018-04-29T18:39:18.002-04:00Why the Cabeceo is importantA very nice newbie gentleman asked me recently:<br />
<br />
"Is it ok for me to ask you to dance?"<br />
<br />
"I prefer to use the cabeceo. You have to ask with your eyes," I replied.<br />
<br />
"So I just need to look at you and you will dance with me?" he asked.<br />
<br />
"No, I have to return the look. If I don't that means no. Thank you for your understanding, the cabeceo is important to me."<br />
<br />
Now, since the gentleman in question was a real gentleman, this was totally ok with him and he didn't ask "why" or "why not" or try to sit and chat with me until I relented. <br />
<br />
Now that I follow and lead, I understand even more why the cabeceo is so important in tango. Maybe there's a lot of people who feel differently, but for me, there's a sacred space in the embrace. I have to trust and accept the person I allow into that space in order to create a tango that is 100%. <br />
<br />
I hate dancing half-assed tango. There's no point to it. Are any of you out there just "going through the motions" because you have been forced to dance with someone you don't want to dance with, just to be nice? Well, you have got to stop. You are hurting your <i>Tango duende</i><b style="font-style: italic;">*</b>. <br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">* Tango duende - a protective tango muse spirit that has to be carefully nurtured in order to develop into full potential to grant the protectee special tango powers. Too much abuse of the Tango duende will make the Tango muse flee in horror and turn your tango into a kind of partnership line dancing.</span></i><br />
<br />
Let me break it down on both sides:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Follower's perspective on a non-cabeceo invitation to dance:</u></b><br />
<br />
You know what? I am purposely not looking in your direction because I don't want to dance with you. I see you fine. I am not blind or ignorant. <br />
<br />
Yes I am busy looking at my phone but that doesn't mean you get to stand three feet from me and wave in my face to get my attention. Has it crossed your mind that I think whatever is on my phone would be a better use of my time than a tanda with you? Well, it's true.<br />
<br />
Do you really want to know the reasons why I don't want to dance with you?<br />
<br />
It may be <i>nothing</i> personal. I am tired. I don't like this tanda. I don't know you and I don't know how you dance. Maybe my knee hurts. No, I don't want you to sit and share with me your traditional folk remedy involving cabbage and frozen peas for fixing knee joint pain for the next twenty minutes.<br />
<br />
It may be <i>absolutely</i> personal. Here's a list:<br />
<br />
- I don't like the way you dance. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2018/04/did-you-know-that-dancing-with.html">You fling</a>.<br />
<br />
- I don't like the way you dance. You have no musicality.<br />
<br />
- I don't like the way you dance. WTF are you leading? I don't get it.<br />
<br />
- I don't like the way you dance. There's a 1 in 5 chance you are going to fall over and/or step on my toes.<br />
<br />
- Your embrace sucks. I enjoy hugging trees more than hugging you.<br />
<br />
- I am trying to cabeceo the gentleman behind you because I enjoy dancing with him more than you. Stop being in the way.<br />
<br />
- Our height difference gives me a crick in my neck and a twinge in my back. <br />
<br />
- I don't like your choice of cologne. <br />
<br />
- You have put on too much cologne and it's more like a toxic gas than a pleasant citrus/floral breeze. Besides, I want to smell like the perfume I put on before I came to the milonga today and not like what you put on.<br />
<br />
- I don't like smelling your natural body odour/oh gawd, you friggin' STINK.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>This reason is a biggie for me. I can't dance properly if I am gagging at a horrible stench!</i></span></div>
<br />
<br />
- I don't like your bad breath.<br />
<br />
- I don't like your personality.<br />
<br />
- I don't like talking to you. Or listening to what you have to say.<br />
<br />
- I get an allergic reaction from one or all of the above. Hives. Runny nose. Urge to vomit.<br />
<br />
- I would dance with you if you use the cabeceo. But since you didn't I don't want to.<br />
<br />
If I had to say any or all of the above to a non-cabeceoing leader, that's quite bad enough. <br />
<br />
But not quite as bad as me having to say "No" straight to your face and have you slink all the way back to your side of the room in humiliating defeat while everyone in the room is watching. Right?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Leader's perspective on why it is better to get a dance from a follower with the cabeceo:</u></b><br />
<br />
It is always BETTER to dance with someone who is willing to dance with me than someone who isn't.<br />
<br />
I don't see the point of forcing or pressuring a follower to dance. I don't care how "good" she is (I know some leaders out there are like "She's such a good dancer I've got to try her out!" Like she was a new car and they want to go for a test drive).<br />
<br />
I've danced with ladies who didn't really want to dance with me. Maybe they were curious about following a woman leader or their friend who had danced with me and enjoyed it pushed them to ask me to dance.<br />
<br />
I don't know if other leaders can feel the difference, but I do. <br />
<br />
Followers who aren't willing just don't connect.*<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #990000;">* No <a href="http://tangocommuter1.blogspot.ca/2009/10/entrega.html">entrega</a>. As to what this means and what this feels like, this is a subject of another post.</span></i><br />
<br />
If someone is willing to return my cabeceo, that's actually the beginning of our connection. We can dance a real tango if we connect. <br />
<br />
If someone isn't accepting my cabeceo, I tell you, it's for a really good reason (see above).<br />
<br />
I'm man/woman enough to accept AND respect that. <br />
<br />
In fact, even though Man Yung and I are partners, a tanda that begins with a cabeceo between the two of us is more Tango than one that does not!<br />
<br />
More of our posts on the are Cabeceo <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/search/label/Cabeceo">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-83237321435479687972018-04-08T16:40:00.000-04:002018-04-08T16:40:46.894-04:00Did you know that dancing with the Milongueros is like Heaven?I know that some red hot* Toronto tango newbie girls recently went down to Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>* Red hot = young, skinny, pretty, popular and wearing something tight and/or revealing. As opposed to old and/or fat and/or ugly and sitting on the side all night and never asked to dance. No, I'm not jealous but just stating the sad realistic facts.</i></span><br />
<br />
I hope that when they were there, they didn't just dance with flingers. They go to flinger classes here and dance almost exclusively with other young Toronto flingers and boy do they worship and gush over them. They think the youthful flinger lads are the best thing since sliced bread. A million gazillion Facebook likes! <br />
<br />
I look at the said flinger lads flinging and 1) hope they don't fling into me and 2) roll my eyes and want to barf at the red hot newbie adoration they are getting. Are you all mad?<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I really do think they went down to Buenos Aires and just went to flinger classes and flinger milongas and just danced with other young gleeful flinging people. The girls think flinging is the real authentic Tango and anything else is just bizarre.<br />
<br />
They do not know that dancing with the Milongueros is like Heaven. They mistakenly believe that the near-death experience of being flung in Tango at high speed is like Heaven. As one tanguera has described to me quite aptly, "When he flung me and I clung on for dear life, my life flashed before my eyes!"<br />
<br />
It is so sad that in a space of a few years, Tango newbies can't access how milonguero tango feels like even if they want to. Most of the old milongueros have passed on. People who have learned to dance with the milongueros or who have danced with the milongueros and who can transmit that wonderful tango feeling are few and far between (probably quit tango after being flung into). Everyone is flocking either to the competition tango or the flinger tango bandwagons. <br />
<br />
I've danced with the Milongueros, girls, and flinger Tango pales in comparison.<br />
<br />
With the Milongueros you feel and hear the music.<br />
<br />
With the flingers, they aren't listening. They just want to fling and they are thinking of the next flingy step they can throw at you.<br />
<br />
With the Milongueros, you are dancing with gentlemen. They will protect the women they dance with and respect the people around them.<br />
<br />
With the flingers, you are dancing with jerks and they don't care who they hit with a careless fling because they are so busy flinging.<br />
<br />
With the Milongueros, you feel their warm, steady and confident embrace.<br />
<br />
With the flingers - well, they've flung you out in a wide orbit and you are gripping on with your fingernails or else you are going to be flung to Mars.<br />
<br />
It's too late now, but next trip, I hope that instead of doing the Flingtastic Tango Tour, they will go and take lessons with the few milongueros and milongueras who are left. There are a few still teaching. Like <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2018/02/blas-catrenau-and-myriam-pincen.html">Myriam Pincen and Blas Catrenau</a>. Absolutely a match made in Tango Heaven for sure. <br />
<br />
They recently performed at Salon Canning. I hope you enjoy this video of their performance!<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qC6B_MGYstw" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-5658777912987641142018-03-24T20:25:00.002-04:002018-03-24T20:25:35.724-04:00Villa UrquizaThere was a time around 2006 when the label "Villa Urquiza" became the latest trendy thing in Tango. Tango videos had recently started to become widely available on Youtube and a few clever Tango entrepreneurs used the label on themselves and on a certain "look" and style of dancing in those videos as an indication of the highest quality of authentic Tango. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tangueros and Tangueras all over the world just lapped it up and soon everybody and their mother said they were dancing "Villa Urquiza" style.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I am not an expert on Villa Urquiza tango and I am not going to go into great detailed analysis of it. I am also not going to tell you what it is or what it isn't. How tiresome that would be and anyway, I'm sure someone must have done it already in a much more eloquent and poetic and even novelistic manner than I could possibly do because I write these posts on the fly and don't give a damn. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However I think it was a great marketing tactic and made people who thought they were dancing Villa Urquiza tango feel great about themselves and more superior to a lot of people who were dancing whatever it was that was not "Villa Urquiza".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Unfortunately it also led to people starting to want to dance "the same" and now pretty much all the people who are dancing "the same" and who enter into competitions and win them these days for following strict rules that have put Tango into a neat little ballroom box would probably say "Yeah, I think I'm dancing Villa Urquiza", although I believe all those people dancing the "same" may have moved on to the next trendy "authenticating" label which appears to be "Tango Salon" or "Tango de la Pista". </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That being said, on our first trip to Buenos Aires, we had just met Alberto Dassieu and his lovely wife Paulina (<a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2010/03/three-and-half-stories-in-reverse.html">on the first night of our trip and at the first milonga we went to in Buenos Aires</a>) and they were gracious enough to accept our invitation to dinner the following week.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
During our conversation over asado and limoncello, I asked Alberto, what is "Villa Urquiza"?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"That is MY tango," he said. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Which shocked us because we had been watching Youtube and what we had seen with the label had (in our inexperienced and ignorant eyes) little to do with what Alberto was dancing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But Alberto was indeed "Villa Urquiza", and more authentic than all those people dancing "the same", because his style came from a time and a place and from people he knew and the way he thought and felt the tango and therefore was his and his alone. Unique.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When Alberto was young, he hung out with El Chino Perico and they would go together to dance in the milongas. He said that the very very best follower he had danced with ever was actually El Chino's sister. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
They'd go to the renowned milongas of Villa Urquiza. Gerardo Portalea was king. Alberto told us there was a competition once at one of the milongas. When he knew that Portalea was in the competition, he knew that there was no way that anyone could beat him. And as he had said - Portalea won the tango competition. And Alberto - I think he said he won the one for Rock n' Roll?<br />
<br />
Anyway, Alberto would go to those milongas with his buddies to watch Portalea dance and try and steal Portalea's steps. Alberto said that after watching and watching and watching, he managed to get it. <br />
<br />
We thought he meant he got Portalea's steps the way Man Yung would "get" them which would be like, regurgitating 75% of all the sequences he was dancing which was garnered from replaying Youtube vids again and again in slow motion. <br />
<br />
Alberto demonstrated Portalea's salida to us. A simple step to the side, followed by a step forward.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And he beamed with satisfaction and pride, because in that salida was the entire Villa Urquiza universe. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you understand what I just said, you just do - but if you need to ask, you aren't there yet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was almost impossible for me to follow Alberto at first. Even after dancing for three years and becoming quite a good follower by Toronto standards, the first time I danced with Alberto at Glorias Argentinas (on the first night we were in Buenos Aires) I had no idea how to follow him because his style was so different from what I had experienced so far in Tango.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, it only took a couple of private classes with Alberto and a few tips from him and my following was changed forever. Yes, it did not take very long, and no, I didn't have to do hours of technical drills or listen to hours of philosophical musings. I've heard that a lot of teachers these days would milk the hell out of nothing and charge you $150 an hour for it for years and at the end of it, you will suck at Tango more than when you began.<br />
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Alberto's precise and concise teaching was like the salida showed us - so deceptively simple, but in it contained all. And it worked.</div>
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We enthusiastically recommended Alberto to everybody who asked us about teachers in Buenos Aires. He was especially fantastic with followers. I wish that Man Yung could have learned to follow from Alberto, but back then he was concentrating only on learning to lead.</div>
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With Alberto, you do not break the embrace. It is always close. The follower could not look down to see what her feet or doing, have her mind elsewhere or practice fancy but meaningless adornments because it would mean she would miss what came next. </div>
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Giros have to be tight around the leader's axis and to the music. No leaning your weight on the leader despite the unbreakable embrace. And the follower MUST be slower than the leader. MUST NOT ANTICIPATE, EVER. There are Alberto's elegant paradas to contend with. Any iota of anticipation, any movement even just a little ahead, will result in a trip, a fall - in all, disaster. </div>
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Man Yung's style is different. When he leads he says it doesn't matter what the follower does. Rabid adornistas, total beginners, gals who auto-gancho and auto-enganche - he can and will adapt to them all. Totally laissez-faire, completely "whatever". Leader has to deal with it, he says.<br />
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In Alberto's Tango, if the follower does not follow and become absolutely one with the the lead and the leader, there is no Tango. Following Alberto was difficult, but correct. Because everything that Alberto demanded of the follower was correct, and because the way Alberto danced was correct. </div>
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I remember watching a documentary in which a milonguera discussed about how it was dancing with Portalea. She was a veteran, a skilled and desired follower. <br />
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But dancing with Portalea - the first time she danced with him, she was shaking, she said. </div>
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She had to hold herself, comport herself in a different way. Even when she was dancing with someone who is a good dancer, it was crucial for her to mould herself to her partner, to adapt to his style. </div>
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And when they interviewed Portalea in the same documentary, he said that for a leader, the main thing was to be able to have a partner who can dance.</div>
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Alberto said a similar thing. We asked him when he goes to a milonga alone, how does he decide with who he would like to dance?</div>
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His answer was, "With the best dancer."<br />
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Why?<br />
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"Because I know she is going to know how to interpret everything that I feel."<br />
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Simple enough as an answer - but it meant everything.<br />
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Once again, if you need to ask what that meant - you aren't there yet.<br />
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Alberto would go to the milongas with he best floors, the best DJs, the best dancers. He would sit and wait patiently for the perfect music, so he could cabeceo the perfect partner, and create the perfect Tango moment. <br />
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This was Alberto's Villa Urquiza. It took decades of dancing and experience to create. And it was difficult because he demanded so much. Who said perfection was easy?<br />
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Alberto said that he had one wish, that there'd be someone dancing his style.<br />
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Are there any leaders who are? I'm not sure. In any case, maybe Alberto's style is not something that can - or should - be duplicated, in all its perfection and difficulty and uniqueness. A copy would not do Alberto justice.<br />
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I wonder about the followers who learned from Alberto. How would it be like to dance with her? Will she still retain the perfection he imparted to her? Will she interpret everything that I feel when I lead her? Will dancing with her reveal to me the sentiment of Tango from the quiet leafy suburban streets of Villa Urquiza from times gone by? <br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s-mLiSZ-rGs" width="560"></iframe><br />
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More posts about our great friend and teacher Alberto could be found <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/search/label/Alberto%20Dassieu">here</a>.<br />
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Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-65338396387995395352018-03-18T15:46:00.001-04:002018-03-18T15:49:16.727-04:00An Email<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.666666984558105px;"><b><i>My cat told me I have too many freakin' shoes and none of them are right</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b>From:</b> Irene<br /><b>Sent:</b> March 18, 2018 10:47 AM<br /><b>To:</b> Irene<br /><b>Subject:</b> Shoes!</span><br />
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<br /><br />Dear Irene of 2005,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Hi! I'm Irene - that means you - in 2018. No, this is not spam and you are not high. I'm really you. I have to tell you something and luckily (bizarrely) I discovered I had your email address. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Don't worry, it's not something serious. Everything is well here in 2018. You're (I'm - We're) still dancing Tango. I just have a little bit of Tango shoe situation. Like, too many Tango shoes and I'm not using like 95% of them. I keep on wearing the same four pairs and they are wearing out! I wanted to give you a little bit of advice before you buy so many goddamn pairs and fill up all the available closet space in the house - especially since Man Yung won't let me throw any or them out or sell them. I'm sure as hell not going to wear them if I'm going to dance like a turd in them and have Man Yung complain and whine about my dancing. It's the same husband by the way. Unfortunately, George Clooney married somebody else (no, really!) and she really does have the nicest shoes ever (darn!)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The best Tango shoes for us are Comme Il Faut. You don't need to consider any other brand.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Get size 37 only, that's our size. You will be tempted to get 38s because your feet are going to swell like crazy from tight ahem, <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2010/08/heartbreak-in-my-tango-shoes.html">"custom made" ill fitting foot destroying Tango shoes </a>(forget about getting multiple pairs of those - Comme Il Faut will eventually come to Canada and you can wait) but 37 is our true size.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our best heel height is 3 inches - stick to that. Higher heels do not make our feet look more elegant, rather, elegance comes from having a relaxed foot. I'm not going to tell you what a relaxed foot is, trust me, you will get it from practice and experience. Just give it some time.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You also don't want higher heels because you're going to be leading in those heels. Yep. Don't be alarmed, we will be fine leading in heels because we won't start early (In fact, you and I never wanted to start leading, we're going to say no, no, no, no, no to Man Yung who keeps on saying it's good for you (yeah right, I don't buy it) to lead for the next decade. That is, UNTIL we find out it is handy to take over the lead in situations where Man Yung is getting pissed off at some crazy flinging leader who is tailgating and wants to head butt/kick them while he is dancing). In fact, we're not going to start leading until our following is rock solid. But it's not going to work in 4 inch heels - we aren't going to follow well at that height, of course we won't be able to lead well.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We need open toe shoes. Not peep toe, because you can't grip the floor. And the best kind of shoe for us doesn't have a heel cage, just straps. Everyone you talk to say they like their shoes super tight and encasing (afraid to get stepped on probably) but we are the exact opposite. Obviously, what works for other people may not work for us, and vice versa.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As for colour - we don't need black shoes. Screw the idea that you need black shoes like you need a classic little black dress. They don't look right on us. They make us look short and even with relaxed feet you will look stubby.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I guess all other colours are fine so long they are not too dark or boring beige. However, the best shoe colour for you is GOLD! It goes with our skin tone so well, it's just like a neutral. It elongates our legs and goes with everything in our closet (except silver dresses).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So that's my advice for you: Get more gold, size 37, 3 inch high strappy Comme Il Fauts, the more the better.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Gotta go now.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />What? You want more advice?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />OK.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2011/12/mean-girls.html">You will never regret saying "No"</a>. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2015/03/shouldve-known-better-i-told-you-so.html">But you're going to regret every reluctant "Yes"</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's a good idea to start filming your Tango practice and watching them. The earlier the better. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2009/06/burn-after-watching.html">Then you will have no illusions about your crappy dancing</a>. Oh what a shock you will have <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2013/01/80-javier.html">when you first saw a video of your dancing!</a> LOL!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Don't get embroiled in Tango politics and don't side with Tango people who come to you with a pity story hiding daggers behind their backs. They have their own agendas, they will take advantage of your good and generous nature and they are nasty! <br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />You might not want to get so many <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2011/10/scarves.html">scarves</a>.<br /><br />Oh, before I forget - cherish the moments you have with the special people you meet in Tango. You'll be surprised how little time we really have with them. <br /><br /><br />There's not much other other advice really. We don't have any ulterior motives for <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2008/06/20-aspirations.html">"Tango World Domination" or want to profit or become famous from Tango</a>, we just want to enjoy dancing so our Tango journey will be just fine. There's nothing right or wrong, nothing really to regret. Treat everything that comes your way as another opportunity to learn. Just enjoy the ride, I guess.<br /><br /><br />See you in 2018. Take care.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-52163190659912909942018-02-25T09:56:00.000-05:002018-02-25T10:33:19.610-05:00Blas Catrenau and Myriam Pincen exhibition at La NacionalJust came across a very recent video of an exhibition by two wonderful milonguero dancers we adore... Blas Catrenau and Myriam Pincen performing to D'Arienzo's "El Flete" at La Nacional:<br />
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We have loved Blas Catrenau's dancing since we saw a little clip of him dancing La Cumparsita with his previous partner Graciela Lopez on Rick McGarrey's "Tango and Chaos" website. Blas and Graciela were the first Metropolitano competition champions in 2002 and we had the pleasure of meeting Blas and taking his class in 2009 and actually writing about it here:<br />
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<a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2011/08/buenos-aires-2009-part-8-sunday-march-1.html">http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2011/08/buenos-aires-2009-part-8-sunday-march-1.html</a><br />
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It is such a treat to see Blas, who is an absolutely amazing, top milonguero dancer, paired with the awesome top milonguera <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/search/label/Myriam%20Pincen">Myriam Pincen</a>! <br />
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This is what I wrote about Myriam a few years ago:<br />
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<b>A Toronto Tanguero who is enjoying all these videos of the milongueras asked us, "What is it like dancing with Myriam Pincen?"<br />
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I want to dance like Myriam one day! She is a wonderful dancer, her
footwork and adornments are perfect and subtle, she is musical, she
follows EVERYTHING. She is a real, living Goddess of Tango - but she is
more than that. Would you be able to find anyone with even half her
talent who is so warm, welcoming and humble? I think it would be very
difficult. <br />
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And what's more, Myriam finishes each tango with a beautiful, bright smile!</b><br />
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The combination of Blas and Myriam is the creme de la creme of social tango. It is becoming rarer and rarer now to be able to see such wonderful dancing since so many great milongueros have passed away.<br />
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For leaders, it would be a dream to dance like Blas; for followers, it would be a dream to dance like Myriam. And a dream come true for me to be able to watch them dance together!<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-63325310561008551082018-02-10T16:50:00.003-05:002018-02-10T16:50:55.881-05:00Tango vs. Netflix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i>...And the chain-smoking philandering alcoholic Mad Men won!</i></span></div>
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Instead of going out to a milonga last night, we stayed in to watch Mad Men on Netflix. Of course it wasn't just that watching Netflix was more tempting than an evening of "tango boogie" - there was 10 cm of snow and some freezing drizzle making the prospect of driving all the way downtown daunting. And Man Yung had some kind of running nose/sniffles. And I am fed up and tired out with all this bad weather and brutal slushy commutes to and from work all week. And our cat has constipation and needs some heavy duty massage to poop. <br />
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HOWEVER we have to face the fact that bad weather and germs and fatigue and cat constipation didn't used to stop us from going out to tango before. To illustrate, this was our list of non-work non-sleep activity priority as recent as 2015:<br />
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<b>1. Tango!</b><br />
<b>2. Staying home because not feeling good/tired/snow storm/tornado</b><br />
<b>3. Spending time with family because have to/birthday party/wedding/special occasion</b><br />
<b>4. Going to a concert</b><br />
<b>5. Eating out</b><br />
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This is the revised list of priority as of beginning of 2018:<br />
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<b>1. Staying home because not feeling good/tired/snow storm/tornado</b><br />
<b>2. Tango! </b><br />
<b> (But sometimes tied with or losing to Netflix)</b><br />
<b>3. Spending time with family because have to etc.</b><br />
<b>4. Eating out</b><br />
<b>5. Watching a robovac vacuum our carpet</b> <b>(We are too tired and old to sit through a 3 hour opera or 2 hour concert now). After much deep thought, we have given our robovac the very original nickname of "Robot". </b><br />
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Back way back when people would flock to the milongas because there wasn't anything but re-runs of Seinfeld and Friends on tv. But now Tango has some serious competition. People have other "better" things to do, like sitting on their asses eating ice cream and chips while online shopping or binge watching shows on Netflix.<br />
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It's time for Tango to "try harder". And it is. But I think, it's trying harder in all the wrong ways. Like too many freakin' festivals/marathons and visiting tango teachers. Too much exclusive obscure and no-body has played before frackin' "special" music. And too much friggin' competition style tango.<br />
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I wouldn't be bored at all to go to a milonga to dance to the greatest hits of tango with dancers who have great embraces and who listen and express the music with their dancing. I wouldn't give a s*** about Netflix if that was the case.<br />
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Instead I go to some red-hot Toronto milonga and I immediately regret not staying home to watch "Paul Blart Mall Cop 2". About 90% of the dancers think they are top of the pops because they've gone to lots of workshops by "famous" dancers. They don't want to embrace and don't want to be embraced because 1) they want space to see what their feet are doing because they learned some really nifty! "Tango de la Pista!" steps and 2) they need space for their feet to do lots and lots of adornos. And they don't want to hear the same old stuff. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2017/10/random-complaints.html">Bring on the Circus Music please</a>!<br />
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Not like they are listening anyway they are too busy showing off, or putting 100% of their concentration into duplicating their workshop steps correctly and in the right sequence. Recently, a couple dancing behind us was so engrossed in tango salon steppage, the leader stepped right on top of Man Yung's feet.<br />
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Unfortunately, I don't see that things are going to change in the near future. The people learning to dance now may be taking workshops on "Floorcraft" or "Dancing to music from _________ orchestra" or "Steps for dancing in a Milonga" but the people they are learning from don't have good floor craft, can't dance to any music from any orchestra with any meaning and moreover their steps aren't suitable for dancing in the milonga. So sue me.<br />
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Netflix costs $10.99 per month in Canada. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-85759765398216227482018-01-14T11:17:00.003-05:002018-01-14T11:17:58.833-05:00A GentlemanCame across this on one of my portable usb drives - it's a videoclip of me dancing Tango Salon with our Maestro and wonderful friend El Gallego Manolo after a class at Escuela Argentina de Tango in 2009:<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>After class with Martha and Manolo at Escuela Argentina de Tango, 2009</b></i></span></div>
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I used to cringe when I was watched it. I screwed up so bad on some of the steps near the end! :-(</div>
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However my haircut was REALLY GOOD. This was before my hair started to fall out from sheer frustration at having to learn to lead and not being able to do anything except <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2016/09/a-six-headed-man-eating-monster-on-one.html">turn to the left in endless circles</a>. And before I gained 15 lbs from <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2008/07/mango-ice-cream-recipe.html">homemade ice cream</a>. </div>
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After things like that one does not cringe anymore looking at one's past shitty dancing. I am too busy admiring my lustrous hair and svelt figure in the video to cringe. </div>
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"What I remember most about that video is that after you danced with Manolo, Manolo apologized for YOUR screw up!" said Man Yung. "What a Gentleman!"</div>
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"Oh yeah, that's right!" I said, remembering. Manolo is the epitome of a Gentleman. He always makes sure that his jacket is buttoned when he gets up. Opening doors for ladies. Getting up from his seat and standing when someone is greeting him and kissing him hello. His presence puts everyone at ease, he radiates confidence, courtesy, kindness and grace.</div>
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"Manolo is the perfect Gentleman, I agree. Quite different from what I get from you!" I said to Man Yung. "When I screw up following you, not only do you not apologize, you give me the evil eye! And when YOU screw up following me, I apologize to you and you still give me the evil eye!"</div>
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"Ah, you know what they say," said Man Yung. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_means_never_having_to_say_you%27re_sorry">"Love means never having to say you are sorry!"*</a></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #990000;">*Yeah right! Love means I'M constantly apologizing. And I've got dual British and Canadian citizenship which means I apologize at least 200% more! ** </span></b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>** Man Yung would like to say that since he is Cantonese Chinese Macho, he apologizes 200% less meaning there is a 400% apologizing deficit. ***</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>*** He better treat me to a nice lunch and give me a foot massage because that's a reason for stabbing right there!</i></b></span></div>
Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-30330914166183145732018-01-07T11:16:00.002-05:002018-01-07T11:17:08.940-05:00The good old days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yY2kmEONnBhY8HZe1gKaxVeDXb_7W1G9xUKwPOB4ZcnkKAmU1ieiJJVJu-OA6RxjbZLBW7-8zqRpqX-GrgPnvFLUCafLDPqsWvoUaeIoY2a0Mw3SdoJt4OBRxkR2AJoG9bX3q-nLs2g/s1600/polar+vortex.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="610" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yY2kmEONnBhY8HZe1gKaxVeDXb_7W1G9xUKwPOB4ZcnkKAmU1ieiJJVJu-OA6RxjbZLBW7-8zqRpqX-GrgPnvFLUCafLDPqsWvoUaeIoY2a0Mw3SdoJt4OBRxkR2AJoG9bX3q-nLs2g/s400/polar+vortex.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Happy 2018 record breaking freezing temperatures!</span></i></b></div>
<br />
We're entering our 15th year dancing tango! This qualifies us to reminisce about the "good old days" and "way back when" of Toronto Tango like a couple of annoying old fogeys:<br />
<br />
1. When we started Tango, there were only a few milongas each week and on any given night, there would only be one milonga and not two or three competing ones and the whole of Toronto Tango would crowd into at that one event to kick each other in the shins.<br />
<br />
Now there are plenty of milongas to choose from and milongas are less crowded, even deserted in some cases. If you want a good shin kicking you have to choose to go to a milonga that has a super small space to dancer ratio, or super aggressive dancers, or both.<br />
<br />
2. Tango instructors would go to milongas of other tango instructors to dance with and try to steal students using their superior dance skills and/or smooth talking. People used to get pretty worked up and angry about student poaching!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately this doesn't work very much any more, everyone has seen better dancing on Youtube and no-one is impressed by anyone's dancing or talking. <br />
<br />
3. There wasn't a lot of tango information available back then. Youtube did not exist and video footage of tango was limited to copies of Tango Shows and things that people copied off "Solo Tango" TV channel in Buenos Aires. We were once given a videotape with snippets of choreographed pieces that were "dubbed" with tango music on top and the action had no relation to the soundtrack. No wonder a lot of people danced like they couldn't hear the music! That was what they saw on video and in shows and that was what their instructors saw too.<br />
<br />
Now there really isn't any excuse because Youtube has lots of examples of great dancing to the music. Dancers on the whole are better but strangely, some people still dance like they are deaf and they aren't even from those way back when days.<br />
<br />
4. You used to be able to get whole sets of video instruction from famous Argentinian tango dancers. There was the "Asi se baila el Tango" by Mora Godoy and Osvaldo Zotto, "Asi se baila Milonga" by Pepito Avellaneda, "Asi baila Cayengue" by Martha Anton and Luis Grodona, "Un Tal Gavito" by Carlos Gavito and Marcela Duran, "Tango Estilo del Centro" by Daniel Lapadula and the Bridge to Tango series featuring old time dancers like Rodolfo and Maria Cieri, Petaca, Manolo El Gallego, Juan Bruno, Pupi Castello etc.<br />
<br />
Getting the videos was not easy, you had to find trusted websites to order from or get them from stores in Buenos Aires either directly or from friends who were traveling there. The production values and the content on the videos were quite good. A lot of thought and planning went into most of the videos in presenting a whole and complete - and unique - "systems" of dancing of the featured dancers.<br />
<br />
I don't believe that instructors are producing these kinds of videos any more, it isn't worth it people can easily rip out footage and post on Youtube and no-one pays for any copyright. Besides, search for any kind of step or movement you want to learn on Youtube and you will get hundreds of search results, who would bother paying now when you can get it for free?<br />
<br />
5. Back then, people used to travel a lot more to Buenos Aires and even planned to move and live there.<br />
<br />
I don't think people are doing this as much any more. Maybe it has become too expensive. Or we are talking to people from the good old days more than people who started dancing recently. The good old days people have seen the good old days of Tango in the 90's and early to mid 2000's in BAs and the Tango scene has changed so much since then Most of the fantastic older dancers have died and a lot of the milonga venues have closed.<br />
<br />
When we first went to Buenos Aires in 2007 there were some really good, interesting, unique dancers to watch on the dance floor and milongas that we would look forward to going. It's not the same. Things just don't seem to be as much fun. <br />
<br />
6. There used to be only a handful of Tango Blogs and Tango websites. Then there was an explosion of Tango Blogs. In fact, at one time, we used to have like five or six regularly updated blogs by Toronto dancers.<br />
<br />
Now, who even blogs anymore? Are they Facebooking Tango blogging? Or What'sapping Tango blogging? Or Tweeting Tango Blogging? Help me out here, I'm an technology ignorant old Tango fogey and I don't know what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
7. People used to be more excited about visiting Tango instructors. Now they come so frequently and dance so much alike. <br />
<br />
People used to care about the annual Tango Mundial thingy too. Now we don't even remember who won...the last ten times. <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2015/09/winners-and-losers.html">Meh x Infinity.</a><br />
<br />
8. Remember we said <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2010/07/death-of-new-tango.html">New Tango is dead</a>? Yes, we were right! Back then a whole bunch of people danced it recklessly on crowded floors to look cutting edge and cool.<br />
<br />
If someone dances it now in the milonga, not only does it not look new, it looks <b>anachronistic</b>.*<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>* "WTF Irene, you are still talking about this?" asked Man Yung. "That is so passé no one even talks about this anymore!" </i></span><br />
<br />
If you feel like it, there's more old fogey reminiscing <a href="http://ireneandmanyung.blogspot.ca/2012/01/ignorance-is-bliss.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-43367826295310520672017-11-11T20:18:00.000-05:002017-11-11T20:46:14.313-05:00How to look like a Maestro* in front of other Maestros<span style="color: red;"><i>* OK, maybe not really like a Maestro, but at least not like a turd.</i></span><br />
<br />
It's "Tango Festival" time! Or "Visiting Maestro(s)" time! I think every tango community has experienced it - when reknowned, famous, very important glamourous and amazing tango professionals from Buenos Aires (well, at the very least "not from here" or "from the next village over") drop in on our humble communities for special, big, huge, mega awesome events. <br />
<br />
As everybody knows, when Tango VIPS visit, everyone puts on their poshest tango outfits and shiniest tango shoes. They dance beautiful elegant steps, always follow the compas and pay special attention to floorcraft and safety on the dance floor. That's because the presence of Tango Maestro-y Greatness is so inspiring. I can say with a completely straight face - these are occasions that truly bring out the best tango in everyone.<br />
<br />
I lie! It actually brings out the WORST!<br />
<br />
Fast dancers dance 500% faster!<br />
<br />
Dancers who know a million steps too many suddenly know a gazillion more!<br />
<br />
Adornistas who adorn excessively completely forget how to follow and just do machine gun adornment drills around their partners!<br />
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Leaders who bump into other people...well they bump a whole lot more.<br />
<br />
And why?<br />
<br />
They just want the visiting Maestros to look at them and say "Good Job!"<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoKSWnJKItmNCKMeVBqeOFR9diIoxBNJhKy-xBsnU62oiLy_ZhbxzKiQqalti8U6QUXE0JxOKlNK6VK1FiVHKEnyAIj_hjEXHegJKEphmS4xvtB4P6oEyAeKcRZ380WlO2SFSWf7k_Y0/s1600/Great+Job.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1275" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoKSWnJKItmNCKMeVBqeOFR9diIoxBNJhKy-xBsnU62oiLy_ZhbxzKiQqalti8U6QUXE0JxOKlNK6VK1FiVHKEnyAIj_hjEXHegJKEphmS4xvtB4P6oEyAeKcRZ380WlO2SFSWf7k_Y0/s400/Great+Job.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_379170500"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i>I know you were aiming for "Great Job" and not just "Good". </i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Doing-Freaking-Great-Job/dp/0761184473">BTW This is an actual book you can get on Amazon and you can get it and read it while you are waiting and waiting and waiting for the Maestros to give you the thumbs up.</a></i></span></div>
<br />
Come on people, all the stuff you are doing to impress the Maestros is just making them laugh!<br />
<br />
Dancing faster doesn't make you look more professional, it makes you look like you drank too much coffee and Red Bull. <br />
<br />
Dancing a gazillion tricky steps (and falling over your own feet) is the Tango equivalent of verbal diarrhea. Let's just call it what it is: Tango Diarrhea.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to say anything about adornos. It is very entertaining to see ladies doing a merry adorno jig around their partners and any entertainment when you are paying double the price for half the fun is appreciated.<br />
<br />
Bumping of course, is obviously not a sign of Tango Greatness. It is the sign of a Tango asshole.<br />
<br />
Folks, dancing like this is not the way to impress a Tango Maestro.<br />
<br />
You must do the opposite. Dance SLOWLY like you have all the time in the world. Dance only a few steps CLEANLY and CORRECTLY and TO THE MUSIC, because you enjoy it and not because you want people to look. Stop doing auto adornos. And STOP BUMPING OTHER PEOPLE.<br />
<br />
All in all, dance like YOU are the Maestro and like you don't give a damn about any thumbs up. <br />
<br />
In any case, the Maestros are not even looking. They are too busy drinking maté/beer, chatting with their friends, and worrying about how they will look when they dance/perform. Because they would like you to clap and applaud and say "Good Job" too!*<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: red;">* "Ah, Irene, now I know why you dance the way you do at Tango Festivals," said Man Yung. "I was wondering why you are leading like you have drank Red Bull and a triple Espresso with no concern for music or other people and you are laughing your head off while doing it. You know the Maestros aren't looking! It's a free for all, dance floor Armageddon and no-one will give you thumbs up or down. It's like hiding in plain sight. Good job!"</span></i><br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-31085204077999103392017-10-07T21:03:00.000-04:002017-10-07T21:06:12.335-04:00Random ComplaintsMan Yung asked me last week, "Hey, why haven't you written anything on the blog lately?"<br />
<br />
"I don't feel like saying anything," I said.<br />
<br />
"Are you afraid of offending someone?"<br />
<br />
"As if!" I replied. "I've got lots of complaints. I just haven't gotten around to making a funny story about them!"<br />
<br />
<u><b>1. Ladies with their stiletto heels in the air</b></u><br />
<br />
Seems to be a trend lately. The skinnier and younger they are, the more they kick. Spiked feet slicing through the air without any consideration for others. And sometimes the leaders aren't even leading boleos!<br />
<br />
They even end every tango with one leg snapped upwards. Scroll through photos of these ladies in Facebook and in 50% of the photos those heels are pointed to the ceiling and ready to impale.<br />
<br />
Is it just empty headed reckless dance enthusiasm or some strange mindset about tango aesthetics? Doesn't it matter that they may hurt some tango sister nearby? Is there no chivalry among women anymore?<br />
<br />
Keep those darn heels on the friggin' floor!<br />
<br />
<u><b>2. Have Tango DJs finally run out of Canyengue music - and have to resort to Circus tunes?</b></u><br />
<br />
It's bad enough that at some milongas we have to hear Canyengues interspaced with tandas of D'Arienzo, Biagi and Donato. ALL NIGHT.<br />
<br />
But it could be worse. They could run out of Canyengues. That's when the cleverest DJs in Toronto will start to play Circus Tango Music. Monkeys on unicycles sliding down tightropes under the big top kind of music. Just to complete the picture - the monkeys are chomping roses, wearing tuxedos and red sequinned fishnet dresses with fringes while yodelling, spinning, leaping and juggling bananas.<br />
<br />
What, you don't know what I'm talking about?<br />
<br />
Then you failed to make the mental association, and in fact enjoyed dancing the tanda enormously - even applauding the DJ heartily for the lively and "fun" tanda.<br />
<br />
<u><b>3. Stomping randomly at tango music is not a "good" tango step. In fact it is not even a step.</b></u><br />
<br />
The step sequences on Youtube are just too difficult to copy. But the leader did stomp. I can stomp. Maybe I should do it too! <br />
<br />
Whoops, you missed the beat when you stomped.<br />
<br />
Apart from being meaningless, your stomping is actually showcasing your lack of musicality. You should really stop doing it and stick to the 8 count basic. You can fudge the music less noticeably that way, trust me.<br />
<br />
<u><b>4. How did so many people lose their sense of smell?</b></u><br />
<br />
I can not stand dancing with people who smell like ripe armpits. Or onions. Or rotten fish. I couldn't even stand dancing with people who just smell like "nothing" or "neutral".<br />
<br />
Give me a dance partner who smells like a citrus grove or a flower explosion any day.<br />
<br />
But why is it that so many people are still happy to dance with dancers who smell awful? Are they just being polite? Is there something wrong with their noses?<br />
<br />
Or are the smelly people dancing so fantastic that their awesome dance skills override any urge by their partners to vomit?<br />
<br />
<u><b>5. What's up with staring at yourself in the mirror while dancing?</b></u><br />
<br />
I can't believe people are still doing this. I thought people had stopped deluding themselves.<br />
<br />
Fourteen years ago when we first started tango, there was this guy who would stare at the mirror the whole time he was dancing. It was like he was so amazed by his own cirque du soleil tango moves he couldn't stop looking at himself.<br />
<br />
He eventually realized that he wasn't as good as he thought he was. Doesn't dance tango very much anymore. Good - because all that looking at himself in the mirror and not looking at where he was going was seriously bad for his navigation skills.<br />
<br />
Now there's ANOTHER guy who can't stop staring at himself in the mirror when he dances. And the way he dances - he's practically the first guy's spiritual dance twin.<br />
<br />
They should get together and do a show. We'll play Circus Tango music while they fling and stare endlessly at themselves in the mirror. It may be tricky for them to juggle bananas without keeping their eye on the bananas, but I'm sure they will be incredibly impressed with themselves anyway.<br />
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<br />Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1771406579622061482.post-19344867757154545762017-08-09T23:41:00.000-04:002017-08-09T23:41:40.624-04:00The amazing, astounding music of the Franco Luciani Trio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeJKxMsjqhiwY3QLAHmZsuw9Bvmar9HRa6Z9Z3bFIJRgwsy6Zm7deYu4QxxrTm2wjtmYdg4eIq4MaN3Sr5C2E_bMGGEi1qSJw3x8i8qvHSp5N51tGMgUZm7oDFqKLhPXjXT38P8G59go/s1600/IMG_2862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeJKxMsjqhiwY3QLAHmZsuw9Bvmar9HRa6Z9Z3bFIJRgwsy6Zm7deYu4QxxrTm2wjtmYdg4eIq4MaN3Sr5C2E_bMGGEi1qSJw3x8i8qvHSp5N51tGMgUZm7oDFqKLhPXjXT38P8G59go/s640/IMG_2862.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Franco Luciani Trio at Lula Lounge, August 7, 2017</span></i></div>
<br />
For those of you who couldn't make it to Toronto Tango Club or Lula Lounge over the long weekend: Sorry guys, you missed two fantastic, unforgettable nights of Argentinian music from the Franco Luciani Trio.<br />
<br />
We caught the Trio in concert on both nights (for a steal of a price of $25 per person including milonga on both nights) and we are still jumping up and down with joy (literally!) from the experience of hearing them and watching them perform.<br />
<br />
There is a informative biography of Franco Luciani on his official website in English and Spanish (link: <a href="http://francoluciani.com.ar/">http://francoluciani.com.ar/</a>) I'm going to put a little excerpt here:<br />
<br />
<b><i>Instrumentalist, composer, vocalist and harmonica interpreter Franco
Luciani is considered by Argentine critics and the media to be one of
the most remarkable and talented musicians of the new generation. Born
in Rosario (Santa Fe, Argentina), in 1981, he started out studying drums
and percussion. He attended the National University of Rosario
[Universidad Nacional de Rosario], the Municipal School of Music
[Escuela Municipal de Música], and the Provincial School of Music
[Escuela Provincial de Música] in his hometown, graduating from this
last institution with the nationally validated degree of Music Teacher
Specialized in Symphonic and Drum Percussion. However, he ultimately
carved out a professional career as a harmonica player, covering all
types of harmonicas, but specializing in the chromatic one. He is an
exponent of Argentine popular music, both rural and urban (folk music
and tango, respectively). This inclination led him to compete in the
Pre-Cosquín Contest of the Cosquín National Folklore Festival in 2002,
where he was the winner in the ‘Instrumental Soloist’ category, and then
granted the 2002 Cosquín Best New Artist Award [Premio Revelación
Cosquín]. This festival, in which Franco has taken part non-stop since
then, is considered to be the most important festival of Argentine folk
music, and one of the main folklore festivals in Latin America.</i></b><br />
<br />
Franco Luciani's biography also lists his extensive recordings, tours, prizes and mentions that he has <b><i>"also shared the stage, toured and taken part in recordings with a
large number of renowned Argentine and foreign artists, such as
Mercedes Sosa, Fito Páez, Raúl Carnota, Chango Spasiuk, Pedro Aznar,
Jaime Torres, Divididos, Guillermo Fernández, León Gieco, Luis Salinas,
Teresa Parodi, María Volonté, Horacio Molina, Maria Graña, Amelita
Baltar, Dúo Coplanacu, Víctor Heredia, Eva Ayllón, Juan Carlos
Baglietto, Jairo, Gotan Project and Lila Downs, among others." </i></b><br />
<br />
Franco Luciani's biography is truly impressive and his performances in Toronto with his Trio did not disappoint. The Trio consists of Franco Luciani on the harmonica and vocals, Leonardo Andersen on the guitar, and Alberto Munarriz (who is an Argentinian musical scholar living in Toronto, teaching musicality classes at the Toronto Tango Club) on the double bass.<br />
<br />
Honestly speaking, the Franco Luciani Trio is the BEST group we have heard performing live Tango for dancing, and we have heard many world famous groups and orchestras over our fourteen years dancing tango in both Toronto and in Buenos Aires.<br />
<br />
The Trio performed two very generous sets of forty minutes each at Toronto Tango Club on Sunday. They were only three musicians but they had a HUGE, beautiful sound backed by clear, driving compas. All of the music was danceable, you just can get on your feet and dance and the music never strayed from that core danceability.<br />
<br />
At the Lula Lounge the following Monday, the Trio demonstrated their broad artistic talent with a showcase of music from Franco Luciani's latest CD, "Anda en el Aire". In the first set, we enjoyed a mesmerizing mix of folklore, tangos by Astor Piazolla and contemporary compositions by Franco Luciani himself. Later in the evening, we danced to more live Tangos, Valses and Milongas from the Trio.<br />
<br />
How would we describe the music?<br />
<br />
Franco Luciani is a wizard of the harmonica. In our opinion, he is Hugo Diaz but even better - because we can really dance to his music!<br />
<br />
There is a wonderful comraderie between the members of the Trio. They are world class musicians but their music never loses that ease and delight comes from jamming between good friends.<br />
<br />
Their music is human, moving, passionate, and close the roots. Man Yung says that he feels a lot of joy and peace listening to their music because it is SIMPLY SO GOOD. <br />
<br />
Man Yung bought Franco Luciani's latest CD 'Anda en el Aire" right away and we've been listening to it on endless loop since Sunday!<br />
<br />
Looking at Franco Luciani's Facebook page, he is going to be on the last leg of his North American tour starting this weekend in Montreal for the International Tango Festival. If you are going to be in Montreal for the weekend, make sure you catch one of his concerts, you are in for a treat.*<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>* And if you are a Milonga organizer and Franco Luciani is touring near you, you got to book him for your milonga. Dancing to his live music is such a splendid experience, there are no words!</i></b></span><br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/72pSfH1wW44?list=PLUF1-j7dgUV_KCqpjEGOqFqxw_V84ZP8z" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>"Violentango" by Astor Piazolla from Franco Luciani's newest album.</i></b></span></div>
Irene and Man Yunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06902209997189563931noreply@blogger.com1