Giving back

Over a decade ago a group of enterprising Queenslanders organised a milonga to raise funds for the children of Argentina. They called their event 'Milonga Para Los Ninos' and over the years various events have been held around Australia - and the world - to raise money for those who help children who would otherwise live on the streets and in serious poverty. The people behind the charity made sure it met all the rules in Australia for charitable organisations and continue to do their best for the people they support.
Their latest venture is a milonga in Adelaide - in fact it seems to have grown into 2 milongas. Igora Designs together with Coriole Wineries are putting on a Gypsy Bread Workshop and Milonga. Now I don't normally plug individual milongas, even my own! but this one promises to be worth buying a ticket to - even it if involves a plane ticket as well. Lucy and Frank from Igora Designs will demonstate how to make their famous Gypsy Bread, then after a sip or two of delicious Coriole wines, there will be a milonga at the winery.
I have just returned from a weekend at Coriole for their Music Festival (which has absolutely nothing to do with tango and everything to do with fine music, fine wine and fabulous food), so I can vouch for the venue. It is superb, as the Sangiovese and Barberi wines I imbibed during the festival! So - if you are anywhere near Adelaide do yourself a favour and enjoy a fabulous night at Coriole... 18th May, starting at 4pm with the workshop.
Contact Lucy or Frank - book your place and know that you are also helping a great cause. And please post a comment when you get back!!

The changing world of the milongas

Here in Sydney milongas come and go - usually from venues rather than actually closing down. Days and dates are guarded jealously by those who organise the milongas and if someone is ready to move on they will usually offer their date or venue to another. If they have lost their venue for one reason or another they will frantically search to find a new one, rarely do events close in Sydney for other reasons. Sadly the same is not the same in Buenos Aires. In 2011 Maipu 444 closed down - this was the venue for a number of famous milongas (El Maipú, La Marshall, Chirulo, Sentimental y Coqueta and Lujos) - some (did they all ?) found new homes, but the venue is gone. Recently Buenos Aires has seen the closing of two famous milonga Villa Malcolm on March 22 (apparently the venue was sadly run down) and Niño Bien on April 4. We also believe that the Tangocool milonga has closed. It is tough in the tango world. I am sure there are those who look at teachers and milonga organisers and think they are sitting on pots of gold, but this is rarely so. It isn't easy in Sydney, but is much worse in BA where tent and taxes have been going Up! Inflation has hit many of the locals and they can't afford to go to milongas in the way they did in the past. Even the Aussie tourists who have been to BA in the past and are there now are emailing about the rising costs. Writes the blogger at New Orleans Tango life " Today, with more and more Europeans “teaching” and people learning to dance from You Tube, there are worse dancers than ever on the floor. This discourages the locals even more from going out dancing. The only ones who seem to be doing well are the tango for export dinner/show venues which are raking in up to 50% of the 1.5 billion tourist tango pesos." And I would add to that the teachers/performers who travel to teach and perform tango most of the year. For those who have never been - and those who want to feel nostalgic there a number of videos on Youtube, including this one uploaded in 2007 and go to youtube for a longer one called 'Requiem for Niño Bien by Alberto Paz. If you know more about what is happening in Buenos Aires - please comment. There are many who are interested.

Tango is a challenge

Sydney has just had a tango competition. Organised privately by one of the organisers of a Tango Festival, the Challenge, as it was known, got off to a quiet start, thanks to the many other tango events that were taking place earlier in the year, but with Carolina Bonaventura and Francisco Forquera as the judges it drew quite a deal of interest and a good crowd over Easter. At least so I am told. I was busy with family and was not able to attend. Some years ago I was involved with the organisation of the Australian heats of the Tango Championship (as the Tango World Cup was once known) at the Sydney Opera House. Bound by many rules and regulations because it was a private franchise operation, it required enormous organisation and I still have mixed feelings about its impact on tango dancing in Australia. I know it nearly squashed my love of the dance and the tango culture. However I was enormously pleased to watch the (very) young couple who won, dance at a milonga on Sunday night when we managed to excuse ourselves from the family Easter. They are elegant and dance very well, having been taught by some of Sydney's best teachers and will get enormous pleasure out of their trip to Buenos Aires and their stay at the villa owned by the judges. Follow this link for a video taken by one of the audience.

Leading...

A very dear friend of mine sent me this... his words 'I think it speaks to tango' ...I agree

The Red Rose and Tangalo

Here is a clip from a recent show "The Red Rose" produced in Sydney by Belen Tango for  "Made in Argentina" Festival. Tangalo is the band - and they are amazing. The production company and the orchestra are the Bright Young Things of the Sydney tango scene - and they are bringing us some very special events.

They are performing again in Sydney tonight at Blue Beat (I believe it's sold out) and tomorrow at the Tango Entre Amigos Milonga at Marrickville along with Fabian Rodriguez.
The MIA Festival was an unexpected delight - it seemed to materialise out of nowhere for many and the events, workshops and dancers were a breath of fresh air - if you are in Sydney town this weekend, don't miss this orchestra!!

A memorable day

Last time we were in Buenos Aires it was Easter time (last year). This year the cardinals have elected an Argentinian pope.  I do not have a religion but for those who are Roman Catholics and for those who like to make a day,  I include this photo taken outside the new pope's cathedral in BA last year! This was a blow-up figure such as those you see in the front of used car yards in Sydney!
Another remarkable thing - I received a text earlier in the day from a friend in Perth (4+ hours away by air for those who don't know) who runs a tango group, saying she had been asked by the local press for a comment on the election of an Argentinian pope - she was perplexed, not least because she is Jewish!
So there we have it!
And in the meantime Sydney continues to host many tango couples - performances have almost become a little ho-hum and there is so much to choose from that we could almost be in BA. If you want to know more read the TangoAustralia newsletter for March.   And there are quite a few couples who will visit other centres and leave out Sydney. I would love to see more musicians and even bands coming to Australia, though I have to say our tango musicians are improving at a great rate and there are more bands and musicians to choose from.

Depressed? Tango may be the answer

Recent research by a Sydney psychologist on the effects of tango on depression has just been discovered by the local media and today there are 2 stories on this research. It is fantastic to read such positive news on tango... and the best article appears in The Canberra Times where they interviewed the psychologist, Rosa Pinniger, and her PhD supervisor.
The writer reports that "
So successful was the tango program that participants have formed close friendships and continued dancing in their groups well beyond the study, with the teacher and dance partners volunteering their time.
It has led Ms Pinniger to set up an organisation - the Institute of Tango Therapy..."
One point that is clearly made and very important: a regular tango class is unlikely to have the same results - if you are a tango dancer it is pretty obvious that the cabaceo and other elements of social tango would not be suitable to people with depression - these classes were especially tailored to the participants. Great stuff!! 

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/untangling-lifes-missteps-with-the-tango-20130221-2eunk.html#ixzz2Lbu67Kd6

Tango news weekly online

I have just been alerted to this amazing resource... if you are a traveller - and many Aussie dancers are - then you will find this really interesting. And there's lots of Aussie news. The editor of this online newspaper is a great newshound and you will find all sorts of interesting titbits. Subscribe - I have! Mind you it can be difficult to find time to read it all....
http://milonga.me/

So much happening this week... new classes, world class performance...

This is a busy week for TangoAustralia.
On Wednesday we begin running classes with Leonel Colque as teacher. Regular classes are a new experience for us, but we felt that if we wanted to take TA up a rung we neeeded a world class teacher on board... we hope that we will have new people coming to tango, as well as regulars brushing up on their technique.
You can read more on the website.
Then on Friday we are giving a milonga for the Made in Argentina Festival. Leading performers are Laura Melo and Ricardo Barrios, from Argentina. Currently on the judging panel for the Tango World Cup (originally called the Tango Championships) this couple have just arrived in Australia to take part in this new Festival - and a show at one of our leading theatre restaurants.
Here are the details of the milonga.
This Festival has been organised by Belen Silva, a beautiful young Argentinian who recently made Sydney her home.
Watch Laura and Ricardo here - and if you are in Sydney please join us on Friday for a Fabulous Night of Tango.

Another dimension to tango

Yesteday I was privileged to be invited to watch a tango class with a difference. This class is attended by women who are blind - or almost blind - and who have been dancing tango for about 2 years. Dressed for a milonga they twirled and ocho(ed) around the floor for almost an hour with sighted partners. The women were aged from their early 70s to their late 80s - and they told me how much they loved tango, the dance, the music, the need to be aware.
These women have found an activity that helps them with their confidence and balance and gives them a social outlet that they would hate to lose. Not much different to the benefits we all feel who dance tango! But how wonderful to see the dance reach another dimension and provide such enjoyment in an unexpected way.