Dancing with Susy was an incredible experience for Man Yung. Susy is a wonderful dancer and transmits the feeling of tango in every step she takes - a milonguera milonguisima through and through. Man Yung was ready to run off and elope with Susy after Lo de Celia (except that she said no) and now, an opportunity to perform with her too?
Susy has a very busy schedule traveling, working during the day and at night in theatrical productions and of course, Milonguisimo - so she was not in town the first couple of days when we arrived in Buenos Aires. We got in touch and met up with her and also our friends Roberto Segarra and Olga at Lo de Celia shortly after she returned - no, she had not forgotten about the exhibition.
Unfortunately, Susy was not feeling very well - all week she had been fighting an eye infection and taking medication for her eye, which was really bothering her. She wasn't able to go to dinner with us after Lo de Celia because her eye was feeling so uncomfortable, but she still wanted to go ahead with the exhibition on Saturday - just for us. Susy arranged everything - a phone call to Oscar Hector, the impresario organizer of Milonguisimo and the milongas at Glorias Argentinas and Salon Sur ("Of course, that would be a great idea!" he said - he remembered the little chinese people from Toronto who are always making videos at Glorias Argentinas and selling them for profit to the Japanese) and everything was settled. Susy will dance with Man Yung at Glorias Argentinas!
We told Osvaldo and Coca about the exhibition - and even though they had been planning to go to Sunderland, they decided to go to Glorias Argentinas to see Man Yung perform. They wouldn't miss it for the world. Osvaldo even dressed up in one of his best suits and a TIE - although it was pretty hot and he got rid of it pretty soon.
We all arrived early - and here we all are:
With Susy Tilbe and Osvaldo and Coca at Glorias Argentinas. Oscar Hector said - "Stop taking all these photos of the milonga so early, before everyone has arrived! It looks like no one has shown up for the milonga!"
"Do I look strange with sunglasses?" asked Susy. "I look like a giant ant, I think!" Susy's eye was still not feeling well and her eye was very sensitive to light so she needed to wear sunglasses, but she has sense of humour about it. Of course she did not look like an ant. With her beautiful shimmering dress, matching silver stilettos and sparkling scarlet sequined wrap, the sunglasses made her look like a glamourous Hollywood Star!
The eye infection certainly didn't slow Susy down. She danced with Man Yung, Oscar Denico, and many friends and familiar faces in Glorias Argentinas. She laughed and ate and told jokes. We had a lot of beer (hee!) She even danced Chacarera - with Man Yung:
Susy Tilbe dances Chacarera! With Man Yung.
And then, the big performance. "Let's dance to Di Sarli," Susy proposed. "Which one would you like to dance to?" Osvaldo and Coca had quick answer for that - "Why don't you dance to Ensuenos?"
Susy Tilbe and Man Yung - "Ensuenos"
We all stayed at Glorias right to the end. After the milonga, we took Susy home in a taxi from the taxi service that she always calls because Glorias is so far from her house - "More security," she said - and whizzing through the quiet streets of the Buenos Aires night, and then through the leafy suburbs of her beloved barrio, Susy talked about her family, the fond places that she had called home, her work, her dancing...
Holding Susy's hand and listening to her talk about all the things close to her heart, I felt the embrace of the city, the emotion of this wondrous thing called Tango. Susy's dance comes from her memories, her past that she holds so dear - and her present, in her love for her family and friends, her life and her work. It is the joy she feels and the joy she brings to all the people around her. It is love; it is passion. It is a beautiful dream - a dream that we make real every time we step on to the dance floor, bringing all that we are into the expression of that lovely music.
* "I hope I haven't given my eye infection to everyone I've danced with!" said Susy, after the milonga. "Thank god I'm going to be out of town because by the time they realize they got it from me, I won't be around!" (She was just joking. We love you Susy - don't kill us the next time you see us! And don't worry, your eye infection was not contagious - Man Yung was absolutely fine even after dancing so much with you! Even if he did catch it, the chance to dance with you would have made it absolutely worth it!)
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