Monthly Archives: February 2012

Through the tanda glass

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

There are many things on my mind and they feel, tonight, as though they had been literally placed there like a high, wobbly stack of books balanced precariously on top of the squishy grey cauliflower of my brain. And there … Continue reading →

Posted in Buenos Aires, Sunderland, The embrace | 11 Comments

Cabeceo cruising

Posted on February 23, 2012 by

For Goran, who was there to witness it This upstairs room is atmospherically dark: the mood lighting adds a flavour which is intimate and louche. The row of upholstered booths along one wall reminds me of a diner — but … Continue reading →

Posted in Buenos Aires, Cabeceo, El Yeite | 6 Comments

It’s always carnival

Posted on February 20, 2012 by

Outside, on Avenida Corrientes, a beglittered, bespangled throng is approaching from several blocks away. I hear the gradual crescendo of the loud pulse of drums, can just make out the bouncy, jerky, hip swinging movements of their dance and know that fountains … Continue reading →

Posted in Active following, Buenos Aires, Cabeceo, Decorations, El Beso, Floorcraft, Inebriation, Multiple tandas with the same leader | 2 Comments

Dancing it

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

I feel a few droplets of sweat trickling down over my back inside my T-shirt and a nagging itchiness at my ankle from a recent mosquito bite. Our teacher’s calm, very deep and resonant voice carries over the intermittent buzz … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning and Teaching, Solo technique practice | 4 Comments

Good vibrations

Posted on February 12, 2012 by

I love the faded grandeur of this venue, with its glass awning, the Roman pillars flagging the doorway and the broad sweep of its staircase. And it is atmospherically crowded tonight, as the milonga is celebrating its anniversary. Striped slivers … Continue reading →

Posted in Active following, Buenos Aires, Decorations, Musicality, Yira Yira | Tagged | 2 Comments

The loneliness of the long-distance dancer

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

“I long for your embrace,” he writes. Words which to the non-initiate would probably evoke the heaving bosom of a Victorian heroine on a divan, fainting from the constrictions of lace and whalebone, driven to hysteria by the hypocritical restrictions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 25 Comments

¿Bailarín compadrito?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

Guest post by Derrick del Pilar (Poesía de Gotán) Sometimes, when I’m out on the pista enfolded in the firm yet supple and responsive embrace of a skilled woman, and I feel that instead of dancing we are soaring and … Continue reading →

Posted in Beyond Buenos Aires, Frustrations, Tango lyrics, Tango through male eyes | 16 Comments

Leaving a trace

Posted on February 4, 2012 by

With a soft, pitty-patty maternal gesture, I dust his slimy left palm with baby powder. It is a sticky, rain-pregnant, grey and gloopy 39°C (102°F) outside. His forehead is dotted with tiny pearls of perspiration, as if the rain which … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginners, Learning and Teaching, Sweat, The embrace | Leave a comment