Art

In Tango, going from Toronto to Buenos Aires is like once thinking that this is art:

... to realizing that Art is really more like this:

Of course, not every dancer from Buenos Aires is great.  Some are just terrible, and teach the dancers here in Toronto awful things - movements that are inappropriate for the dance floor and the music and that have neither grace nor dignity.  But some dancers here worship these traveling charlatans - who are, despite their padded resumes and slick advertising, nobodies in Buenos Aires. The poor fools here can't help it, they have seen and only understand stick drawings - they can't conceptualize a tango that has beauty, emotion and colour.

We always tell our teachers from Buenos Aires - no matter whether it's Martha and Manolo, Osvaldo and Coca, or Alberto Dassieu - that they should not travel so much to teach all over the world.  They are getting on in years, and traveling is tough for them.  They have family and friends in Buenos Aires. Many of them don't need the money (or the financial or health-related risks) of a tango tour abroad and could live quite comfortably just teaching tango in their home city. They could get sick or worse, navigating strange cities and living with strangers, dragging their heavy suitcases with them wherever they go.

Not a single one of them could be persuaded. For them, teaching the world how to Tango is more than a mission - it's a duty.  If their efforts could illuminate, for even just one person, what the Tango of Buenos Aires is all about - then it would be all worthwhile.

Thank you, Alberto and Paulina, for bringing Buenos Aires to Toronto. 

[Update 10/07/10 - Dear Readers, the videos of Alberto and Paulina at Toronto's La Cachila milonga are temporarily unavailable, as they wish to use the footage for an upcoming documentary someone is making of Alberto!  I can't wait until the documentary is available!]

Alberto and Paulina dance to Orquesta Tipica Victor's "Adios Buenos Aires"

Alberto and Paulina dance to D'Arienzo's "Valsecito Criollo"

Alberto and Paulina dancing late in the evening at Toronto's La Cachila milonga 

Alberto and Paulina dancing late in the evening at Toronto's La Cachila milonga