Archive for the ‘tango talk’ Category
Juan Bruno’s childhood anecdote
Juan Bruno was “El Pibe de Ciudadela” (The Kid from Ciudadela). He died in 2004 at the age of 79 . (dates are approx.) He was my closest friend among the dancers of the older generation. I bonded with him because he was such a gentleman, having real respect for the woman in the dance. And he was loyal to the tradition of men learning by dancing with each other. We spent hours and hours practicing together, comparing notes on tango, and refining ideas for teaching people who did not grow up with tango, and needed more than steps. With Juan I refined my tango translation skills.
In 1995 Juan came to the United States with me for the first time, and I think he had a lasting impact on the development of tango community here. He was a working class guy, and one with a lot of class. He danced with everyone, was extraordinarily gracious, and told endless fabulous stories of the Tango’s Golden Age. Read the rest of this entry »
Homage to the Followers- Part 1
In the 1980s when social tango was re-emerging in Buenos Aires among the returning milongueros, young people only came to the tango because they were interested in performing it. They came from one of two worlds, folkloric dancing (tango for schools or big folk performances) and tango for export (tourist oriented stage shows, and for the select few: Broadway!).
These young people included a class of women who had never really been a part of tango before, trained modern and ballet dancers, and they revolutionized the decorative part of the follower. Read the rest of this entry »