Simplifying

I just came to a realization today that I've been spending a whole lot of time on emails and phone calls from people I don't know. As a professional librarian, it's my nature to want to give people information, and it's a pleasure when I can, especially about something that I love so much: the tango.

But now that Ruben y Cherie Tango Buenos Aires has 15  5-star reviews on Trip Advisor, and as of this moment we are rated the No. 3 Attraction in Buenos Aires, the emails and phone calls come fast and furious, and include all kinds of questions such as what to wear to a milonga, where can they buy tango shoes, which is the best hotel, which milongas are closest to San Telmo, etc. And I've spent hours and hours answering such questions, many times for people who never took a class.

For some reason I've become the "go to" person in Buenos Aires regarding milongas. Yes, I get phone calls about addresses and times of milongas from locals and foreigners. And even, because Ruben does taxi dancing, I get phone calls at 3 and 4 a.m. for taxis!!!

All of this rather saps my energy from what I prefer to do--teach tango with Ruben. So from now on I'm simply going to recommend that folks purchase Sally Blake's very complete guidebook, Happy Tangos, and read therein all they need to know about tango in Buenos Aires.

Reading Happy Tango--click to buy on Amazon

And I'm going to stick to writing emails about dates, times, prices and class confirmations. And save my energy for our students. Maybe even for writing my own book!

How to Choose a Teacher for Private Tango Lessons

This question goes around the net from blog to travel site to personal emails to internet mailing lists. As a teacher myself of social milonguero-style tango, here's what I think:

1) Do a little research and know what syle of tango you want to learn, and then if the teacher in question teaches that style. For example, if you want to learn tango nuevo, find a teacher who is known for that. Ot social tango as it is danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires. Or stage tango. Or whatever. Be sure to know before you start if the fit is right for your goals. If your aim is to be a capable social dancer, then a stage tango star is not the best teacher for you.

2) If you want to learn social Argentine tango, it's usually not a good idea to select a teacher at a ballroom studio who teaches other ballroom styles as well.

3) Watch the person dance and decide if you like what you see or not. Is he/she musical? Elegant? Do they have a good embrace and connection?

4) Prospective students often think they need a man teacher if they are a woman, or a woman if they are a man, because they are thinking they must dance together during the lesson. The ideal situation is a teaching couple, so one can dance with the student, while the other watches, and they both correct and contribute to the student's learning. (Remember though that only a man can teach a man how to dance like a man.)

5) Does the teacher play music in class that is actually danced to (not as background)? Does he teach by counting or to dance by feeling the music?

6) Pricing: how long is the private lesson? Is there one teacher or two? Are there extra charges for studio rental, a practice partner, translation?

7) Weekend workshops from traveling teachers are fine, but you need to learn technique and the basics from consistent classes. Especially at the beginning of your tango journey, it can be very confusing to take a couple of classes from many different people who dance different styles. Heel first, toe first, weight on the balls of the feet, pivot or not to pivot, disassociation? One lesson can cancel out another lesson, leaving you all the worse for wear.

After the first lesson or two:
Evaluate--does the teacher act like an arrogant tango god who knows everything? Does he also include some culture and codigos of how tango is danced in Buenos Aires? Does he expect you to dance just like he does (or she does)? Does he teach complicated patterns or the 8 count basic instead of how to improvise? Did he tell you that the basic step of tango is the walk? Does he encourage you to go to milongas?

Here's what British Peter Campbell had to say about his first lesson in Argentine tango:

The 29-year-olds Valeria Sol Alvarez and Sebastian Acosta emerge from their dressing room in full attire, complete with sequins and dark suit, I wonder quite what is in store.
 
Their opening number is a traditional tango from before the 1930s, but as their legs flick seemingly effortlessly through each others, I ponder how I am going to avoid crippling my partner if I attempt a similar move...Sebastian continually, and graciously, reminds me on which foot I have to start for each sequence...

In the final moves he lifts her right above his head, spinning her round before dropping to the dramatic final pose as the music crashes to a halt. They remain in the final position, bent over each other in passion, for a final few seconds.

Seeing the way that the pair interact, their bodies moving so gracefully and effortlessly across the floor, puts my humble steps greatly to shame.

This kind of experience is liable to put off a prospective student forever!
Above all, after a few lessons you decide that you are not enjoying learning Argentine tango, don't give up! Just find another teacher. There are as many different ways to dance tango as there are people; you dance who you are. So please don't give up on the dance just because you didn't learn or enjoy your first teacher. There are many more out there waiting for you. Just find one that you like and who makes the classes fun. Tango should be a pleasure, and that includes time spent learning it.

The Best Students in the World

During a recent interview, a journalist asked me, Who is a typical student of Ruben y Cherie Tango Milonguero? What is the profile of the people who take lessons from you and Ruben and/or use your services?


My immediate reaction was -- anyone who wants to learn or improve their tango. Especially tango estilo milonguero.

But then I got to thinking about the hundreds of private students we've had over the years, and they do have two things in common.

First, they speak either English or Spanish.

Our students are from Viet Nam, India, Norway, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Nepal, Australia, England, Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, New Zealand, Slovenia, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Mexico, Italy, Pakistan, South Africa, Switzerland, Finland, Iceland...well that's off the top of my head. And of course local Argentinians and muchos Norteamericanos.

Where do they come from? Or rather, how do they find us? Generally it's from referrals, the internet, and from watching us dance in the milongas or on YouTube.

We've had very young-- a 21 year old girl from Hong Kong on a break from university--and retired folks (from lots of places.)

We've had well-to-do young couples on honeymoons and couples on retirement.

We've had total beginners and dancers of tango for 20 years, many who teach in their home countries.

We've had gay couples and gay solos.

We've had whole families and singles.

We've had long-married and newly divorced.

We've had parents with teenaged children.

We've had complete graduating classes from West Point and elementary teachers from San Diego, CA.

We've had "hippies" and trust-funders.

We've had doctors and house cleaners.

Who we haven't had are "assholes," excuse the expression.

The second commonality is the niceness and eagerness to learn of our students/clients; they are the best people in the world. How lucky are we? We usually stay in contact when they leave Argentina and we consider them friends. I like to think that the assholes who want to learn tango are drawn to the asshole teachers. Anyway, they don't come to us for whatever reason. Thank goodness.

We are blessed.

The Milonguero Way

I am a "professional" dancer because I teach tango and get paid for exhibitions. But I wouldn't be a pro here in Buenos Aires if it weren't for my partner. He is the draw. He is the Argentine who spent most of his life in the milongas, who lives and breathes and sings the tango. We work very well together, but if it weren't for me, he could also work well with someone else who has the same tango point of view.

Foreign dancers especially love getting to know a milonguero and hearing his stories and dance secrets that otherwise they wouldn't be able to do, particularly if they don't speak Castellano.

Ruben wasn't always a professional dancer; he used to work in television until the crisis of 2001. He was passionate about his job, traveled all over Argentina working, and danced tango every night for the love of it.

Now tango is his job. He earns his livelihood from tango. It's now more than pleasure; it's work--which he enjoys. He teaches, does taxi dancing, and gives historical Tango Tours of Buenos Aires.

Sometimes this puts him in a difficult situation with friends at the milongas we go to for enjoyment and socializing. (We also go to milongas for work when we do milonga accompaniment.)

Foreign women friends expect that Ruben will dance with them. Sometimes he does. But if not, sometimes they outright ask him to dance, which puts him in a bad place as it does with all milongueros. For one thing, milongueros don't like to be invited, nor do they want to refuse a lady, and for another, if he danced with all the women who wanted him to, what about me? What about our social evening together? We are at Los Consagrados or Chiqué to enjoy ourselves.

He will always dance one tanda with current students. It's part of their education and he likes to check their progress. And he will bend over backward to make sure our friends get their drink orders, are comfortable, and help them have a great time at the milonga.

But there are friends who expect dances with Ruben at the same time they are telling me they are taking classes at DNI, or El Beso, or expensive privates with Maximiliano Superstar. They ask me to "tell" Ruben to dance with them! Ruben owns his own dance. (I do not give him orders.) Read more here.

They expect him to give it away for free. They forget that the tango is what he has to sell.

Do these same people ask for free consultations from doctors and lawyers at social gatherings back home?

Ruben is a low-profile real milonguero, not a stage dancer who tours the world giving classes and making a big name for himself. He's in Buenos Aires every week of the year dancing in the milongas, as he's done for the past 30 years. All the women want to dance with him and all of the men want to dance like him. But he is a professional. Friendly, affable, funny, and fun as well. And available for classes and milonga accompaniment.

I wish the women would remember that at the milongas.

Back to Buenos Aires Free Tango Tune-Up

Ponerse a Punto!


Idle running slow? Need more air in the tires? Starter a little off?

Often when dancers return to their home country they lose some of what they've learned in Buenos Aires and regress into old bad habits. Sometimes the influence at home is just too strong for them to maintain the plateau they recently reached here.

Because many tango folks come to Argentina during the last three months of the year, Ruben and I are offering to any and all previous private students of ours a free half-hour private Tango Tune-up in our studio in Boedo. This is your chance to clear up any muddy waters, and remember what you've forgotten.

The only requirement is that before you leave home, you book your preferred time with us so we can ink you into our schedule in advance.

Ruben and I are anxious to see you out on the milonga floor dancing better than ever, smooth and elegant as a Ferrari!
It will be our pleasure!

Offer good from Oct 1-Jan 1.

If you're coming to Buenos Aires in 2009, book your Tune-Up now!

Tango Tour: Weekend With Raymond

A toast to tango in La Milonga de los Consagrados.



Buenos Aires celebrated the coming of Spring last weekend in a big way. First of all, the weather cooperated, and was lovely. Flowers were given out at many business, and the milongas voted on the Queen of Spring. On Susana Gimenez's popular TV talk show, a Mister Spring was chosen from 20 gorgeous young guys in white bathing suits.



Seeing the sights of La Boca. Raymond puts on tango drag and poses for the camera.








We had the good luck to spend the weekend with our tango student from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who took a three-day Tango Tour with us. We went to milongas at Region Leonesa, La Ideal, and El Arranque after private lessons. Here are some photo highlights.


El Samovar de Rasputin is our usual parrilla in La Boca, but was closed this day so we chose Los Gitanos next door.



























Boca Juniors stadium.
















Our favorite restaurant in San Telmo, Don Ernesto, where we can write on the walls.

West Point at Confiteria la Ideal

What a fantastic experience for Ruben, and especially me: to teach a class of young people from West Point Academy, and then to take them to a milonga to participate first hand in the culture of tango! Only one dancer (ballet--her career choice at the age of 17 was either professional ballerina, or the army!) in the group of 5 men and 2 women, but since they were getting class credit for it, they all gave tango their best shot, and maybe they will go back to West Point and start an Argentine Tango Club



See Mama Hen me at the far left? The extra big guy in the middle is the Major, and the responsible one.


Every one of the 7 young people was beautiful, smart, articulate, polite, appreciative, good sports, and buena gente. They made me feel so proud that my country will be guided and protected by the likes of them one day. And they all have the ability to dance tango well in the future if they carry on.































School starts in a couple of weeks and so they are leaving today for home. Most of the students are seniors and two will be spending the next semester in Zaragoza, Spain. All are Spanish majors, and since cultural diversity is part of their studies, this trip was put together for class credit. Ruben and I wish them God Speed, health and happiness, with many trips to Tango Heaven along the way! We thank them for sharing some of their precious Argentina time with us.




They made the front page of the West Point website!

Quiz From Australia

Who Are Those Men? And Why Are They Embracing?


John, a recent student with his wife from Australia, just sent us this quiz from his office newsletter upon his return to Sidney:

Five Days With Buzz -- A Photo Essay

A night at Gricel
















An afternoon at La Ideal






Lunch at La Boca





































Lunch at the Mataderos Gaucho Fair











Private lessons every day















Farewell asado on our terrace.





















Hasta pronto, Buzz!

Letter From Bombay

LE
















Dear Cherie y Ruben,
I hope I can come back very soon. I had a lovely time and precious memories of you all . also I am grateful for the help you gave when I needed to move out from where I was. You and Ruben were kind to me and I will remember it. also my classes, where not only did I learn tango but also to become tranquil!!! I shall forever remember escuchar, sentir y bailar. and your translations.
Also in retrospect I think it was so daring of me to go to a milonga as soon as I landed!!
I hope the new year brings you and Ruben many new wonderful students and experiences.
Please keep in touch and let me know when you write any more blogs.
love,
Divya
Bombay

Tango Lessons, Tango Tours, Tango Taxi Dancing 2010

About us: our tango classes are bilingual, and concentrate on the music, embrace, connection, improvisation, and sensuality of tango milonguero, the most popular and traditional style of the Buenos Aires milongas, where we are well-known. We do not dance stage tango, and do not teach choreography. We've been dancing together for more than four years, and were finalists in the Campeonato Metropolitano de Tango de Buenos Aires 2006.





I've been dancing tango since 1997, and have studied with Fernanda y Guillermo, Julio y Carina, Francisco y Natalia, Suzuki Avellaneda, Juan Bruno, Nito y Elba, Fabian Salas, Gustavo Naveira, and, most of all, Carlos Gavito.







Ruben has been dancing tango in the milongas of Buenos Aires since 1980. He came to the tango from a background of folklore and rock 'n roll.

What Ruben and I offer for dancing tango in Buenos Aires:

Private lessons for one person with Ruben and me, 1 hour; for a couple, 1 1/2 hours; (rates on request)



Note: With lots of tango teaching experience, we feel that it's better to start out with a few private lessons to make sure you don't develop bad habits (which can take years to break), and learn the fundamentals of technique before you learn steps and figures. After you develop a base of tango technique, then it can be fun to take group classes to meet new people.





Here in Buenos Aires, "everyone" is a tango teacher, even if they've had only ten lessons more than you. Cheap lessons aren't necessarily the best. There are shoe stores and hotels which offer free lessons. But sometimes you get what you pay for.

Group classes: to be arranged

Packages: a discount given when purchasing a package of classes and/or other tango services in advance;

Milonga accompaniment with both of us, explaining the codigos, etc., including entrance fees, soft drink, transportation to and from our studio in Boedo. (Discount given if a private student.)

Taxi Dance Service: Ruben or I will accompany and dance with a client in the milonga of their choice--$30 usd/hour -- two hours minimum, plus expenses (transportation, entrance, soft drink.)

If you are a tanguera from out of town and only have a brief time in Buenos Aires and want to dance as much as possible, Ruben's professional milonga accompaniment will allow you to hit the ground dancing! Everyone looks at who Ruben dances with! A great way to kick-start your tango vacation! Ruben is one of the very few milongueros who offer this service; the agencies use tangueros with much less experience.

Ruben does not sit at a table with his client but a short ways away, always with his eye on her, thus allowing other men to cabeceo her for a dance. This arrangement also looks more natural and will help the lady dance more when she goes alone to the milonga the next time.




Two-Day Intensive Tango Tour: a one-hour private tango lesson, coffee in an historic cafe, a parrilla lunch or dinner (not including drinks), a cultural/historical excursion, tango shoe shopping, a milonga accompaniment, transportation between activities: Inquire about rates for your private tour.




Escorted Day Trips to the Gaucho Fair at Mataderos, La Boca and Caminito, and to the Delta of Tigre.

We also can advise and help with music and CDs.

All of our friends and students are invited to join us at our table in La Milonga de los Consagrados, Saturdays from 7:00-10:00, Humberto Primo 1462. Please just let us know in advance that you are coming so we can save room.





Here's a video that shows some of our Tango Services:






YES, we accept credit cards in advance by way of safe and secure PayPal.

Hasta pronto!

FOR TESTIMONIALS: please see the Comments, or email me for referrals.

Ron y Susana en Buenos Aires

Dear Cherie,

Susana and I really enjoyed meeting you and Ruben during our trip to
Buenos Aires. In fact, I would say that our experiences with the two
of you were one of the highlights of our trip! Not only are the two of you
great teachers, but you are really nice people and a lot of fun to
spend time with. We really hope you can come to the US to teach. You
will be welcome in our town. In any case, we look forward to seeing
you again on our next trip to BA.

Ron y Susana

2003 World Tango Champions

Gisela Galeassi and Gaspar Godoy are from Cordoba, and won the Campeonato Mundial when they were only 18 and 19 years old.


Since then they've toured the world dancing and teaching and are working on their second instructional DVD.

Now I ask you, how can any teenager
1) Be a world champion of a dance that takes years to perfect and understand;
2) Teach it to normal people who want to dance socially?

Am I missing something here?

Winning the Campeonato Mundial in Buenos Aires in 2003 jump-started their career and suddenly they were all over the international tango festival map. They've made eight teaching tours to Japan alone. They are also the "official image" and tango teachers of the Abasto Plaza Hotel, which is marketing itself to tourists as "The Tango Experience."

You can read all about it in the August issue of La Milonga Argentina magazine.

They are beautiful and young and in love (they married last year). It's a great story. But what does it say about the future of tango? about the international tango present when people want to learn to dance like they do? Will these folks go to Maipu and Gricel expecting to dance like that?

Ruben and I have a private Argentine student (middle-aged) who came to us after taking a class at a large Buenos Aires tango school. Alberto has danced in the milongas for many years but the time had come when he wanted to improve his tango and make it more satisfying and interesting to himself and his partners. So he went to this big group class, and he walked out afterwards, frustrated and angry, never to return. Still in shock about how the class was taught, he told us, "What can a 20 year old kid possibly have to teach me?"

With the whole world dreaming to be stage dancers, what will happen to the embrace? And what will happen to the music? --the soul of tango.

P.S. Nancy just commented that she thought from my post that they won the Salon division. No, that might be even worse; yet though they won the Stage division, they are teaching salon!!! So I'm not sure which is worse, actually. What do you think?