What a difference a man makes

Last night (Thursday) I went dancing for the first time in about 10 days - health problems - and so I was very pleased to be able to go to one of my favourite venues. Copacabana in Bondi Junction is a basement venue that is used by salsa, zumba and zouk groups on other nights and often has a sticky floor. Last night is was clean and not crowded. It is a really friendly crowd, and friendly hosts - and the music is Golden Age. There are rarely swoopers or those who dance like helicopters and mostly people follow line of dance! I enjoyed dancing with a number of men (it also had even numbers of men and women, not common in Sydney) and it was great to dance precisely and musically with one of my a friends I shall call Taffy, to dance with a young Argentinian who feels the music and tests his partner and the floor, to milonga with a tall young man who threw in a few interesting moves that I didn't always quite follow and to waltz with  the Silver Fox. Every man has his style and women have such a different experience of the dance because they must follow each man. Occasionally the Silver Fox asks if I think his dancing is boring, should he learn new steps - but never he is very musical... it is just that he is experiencing it differently to the way his partners do. When  you dance tango there is so much to learn and every dance is different, even when you have a regular partner - and when you dance with different men, the difference is greater.

Gorgeous venue, inspiring music

Sydney tango band, Fuego Blanco, performed with renewed passion at the gorgeous Victoria Room on Sunday night. Accompanied by their teacher, bandeonista Maggie Ferguson, the band showed that their short stay in Buenos Aires just a few weeks ago, had given them a great insight into tango music as it is danced! Their phrasing accompanied by their fine technical skills made it a night to remember. This is the third time they have performed at this venue which is in the heart of Sydney's Kings Cross and up some dark stairs. It is decorated as one imagines a Victorian drawing room may have been with comfy chairs and chaise lounges, bamboo curtains, table lamps, carpets, plush booths and dining settings. We enjoyed an excellent selection of tapas, washed down with some good pinot - my only disappointment was that I couldn't persuade the rest of our table to indulge in a chocolate fondue (next time!!). An evening such as this makes a change from the 'usual' Sydney milonga which is commonly held in an RSL or a pub where food is not star-rated and the organisers have to work hard to create the ambience. We enjoyed an evening of a modicum of dancing, excellent music, a fine repast and excellent company. I'm looking forward to the next one at the VR!