Crazy Week In London Tango!

London is getting very busy with tango these days.

There are so many planned events that it is getting difficult for many how and what to choose, where to go, and which ones to attend if we could survive this mid May clashes of programs.

The competition between organisers should pay dividend as far as the dancers are concerned. Perhaps everyone would benefit if there was more coordinated approach to organising some of the events but I am very doubtful if this happens!

This week we have major and entertaining evenings and events taking place between 13th to 17th May at the following:

• 13th-17th May, TANGO ROJO, , London, Festival of passion and TANGO ART
• 15th May, NegrachaTango Club LIVE MUSIC CONCERT by AURELIANO Tango Club +SHOW
  by PAULA & MARIANO
• 16th May, Aureliano Tango Club live in Corrientes
  
• 16th May, FIESTA DE TANGO, Tango In Action evening with Miguel Zotto and Daiana
  Guspero.

...and these are just the ones with special programs in London for this week that stand out tall from the rest. There are many other of our regular venues running their normal evenings in and around London that the list can go on for some long time if we were to list them all.

We all have our favorites so good luck to all who can or try and make the most of all there is for this week alone!

I do hope that they ease off on the clashes of program planning so we can enjoy even more of some such treats.

MilongaCat.
The Only Cat Who Loves You Back!

Who Loves To See You!

It was last year, the place was The Corrientes and the time was one o’clock am exactly. The music suddenly stopped in the middle of the tanda. The organiser “Giraldo” put his head over the balcony above the dance floor and said “Sorry, times go forward, it is 2 o’clock and this is the last tango!” Well it was not, he was wrong but….!

Please note that the British Summer Time does changes at 2 am and NOT 1 am. That lack of attention is beside the point here because if it mattered to them then they would have found out such simple details.

As simple as that! The lights came on, music stopped and they started hurriedly gathering the glasses off the tables. Everybody was annoyed with the way it was done. No prior warning, signs, explanations or anything that indicated prior to 1 o'clock what was planned. In fact up to 12:25 people were still paying at the door and coming in. These included a few of my own friends who joined us thinking we’ll be dancing together till almost 2 am.

Tango dancers as a rule are very polite customers but some organisers see us: the customers, as an encumbrance and a burden!

It reminds me of the old ways some English Pubs and bars used to operate when they had to stop serving at 10:30. One could buy a drink or more at 10:25 but the pub owners wanted the customers OUT as immediately as possible past the 10:30!

The Corrientes has tried to improve and tidy up its act however it is still a far cry from its glory days many years ago. It became very careless with how it received everyone till there was a point in time about 4 years ago when it reached the bottom. I suppose once one gets there then the only way is up.

I hear also that the rude old woman collecting the money at door is no longer there. Many had expressed their opinions on how they found her most annoying and irritating with her personal remarks. I don’t think she had any idea how just incredibly rude she was to the paying customers. Thumbs up on not having a mad person at the door and it seems that the penny had finally dropped.

I must add that I have had some wonderful evenings over many years at the Corrientes. I attribute them mostly to the good company of friends and dancers whom I have been lucky to share my evening with.

Personally I only vote with my feet. Those who are glad to receive our custom should know that it matters if the place is clean, the hosts are polite and look as if they are glad to see us there.

I am not sure what The Corrientes is doing this time around as the clocks change again for the British summer time. I do however know that people did not get an extra hour when it was British Winter time change!

Regardless of these I shall be enjoying myself at the Crypt with The El Once Club de Tango this week. I know there is a warm welcome awaiting many with the lovely hosts Paul & Michiko from El Once Club whose care and concern for their guests has always been exemplary any evening of the year. Maybe other organisers should pop in from time to time to observe how good hosting is done!

MilongaCat.
The Only Cat Who Loves You Back!

Classes, Work-Shops, Seminar!?

It is good to learn. Some of us may spend a life time trying to learn what we find interesting. Learning any subject can be either a very easy or near impossible, and it is not just about achieving tasks. Passionately loving to learn is just one part of the equation in any learning process. The rest mostly comes from a good solid and well tried and tested “Methodology” designed for learning that specific subject with the help of a medium and any media that can do that job.

In some tango “Shops” where sadly “Tom(s), Dick(s) or Jeannets(s)” have neither a clue what a “Methodology” is nor they would give a hoot about such complexities, many students are failed by their teachers’ inability to teach. Every week they are asked and shown how to Copy moves. In certain cases Greed also plays a major part when some teacher deliberately knocks out the students’ confidence in order to ensure more frequent attendances.

The adverts come thick and fast. There was a time - NOT very long ago - when we all knew what the terms Beginner, Intermediate, Improver, or advanced meant. The word “General Class“ meant something very distinguishable from a “Technique Class”. There were sophisticated things we knew of called “Courses!”.

These "courses!" were a series of General or Technique Classes. They began at some specified level, and progressed systematically and methodically over a period of time to advanced levels. They took the students to a higher well-specified level. There were no fuzzy, willy-nilly, randomly selected clap-trap terms and names describing almost anything under the blue sky or next to nothing on a dark rainy night. There was a purpose, and aims and achievable were explained and they would be different for different courses and not the same silly paragraphs for all the meetings of the year.

Finally there were “Work-Shops”. These were special and would not be stringed together just because the teacher fancied how the words “Work-Shop” sounded in relation to their own names.

Workshops were places and times in which students who had accumulated knowledge and expertise gained from one or more “Courses” gathered and were given the opportunity to concentrate on some areas of shared difficulties. Students were able to enhance their knowledge, and to complete their fluidity.

Workshops were run by the help of true expertise of a “Master”, and in the company of students whose equal level of abilities and interests offered them the opportunity to clean up and polish what was not possible to do so in a normally attended/organised course. Workshops lasted over a few hours to “master” one topic, and they were not delivered as a series of small run-of-the-mill classes of steps & sequences!

In our current Tango scene and in many “Tango-Shops”, no one seems to teach a Class any more. For example it is now common that the poor students are often invited to take “Work-Shops” only to find themselves over-charged by a factor of 2 or 3 times to repeat another “Technique Class”. They would practice for an extra half hour of what they were meant to lean in a class and pay a lot more and still not know what it is that they are lacking!!!

The insult gets fully completed when there are talks and claims of giving a “Seminar”. Do they really know what the word Seminar means at all? Have they ever been to a college or university course, never mind those!? Have they looked up the word “Seminar” in a good dictionary? Have they then thought to ask the most basic following questions:

• Is there going to be a small group of advanced students in a college or post graduate school engaged in some kind of “Original Research”?

• Is there going to be an intensive study plan to discuss students’ reports and findings under the guidance of a professor who meets regularly with them over a study term?

• Would there be a meeting for exchange of ideas in the format of a conference where equally knowledgeable researchers could discuss the merits of their own developed ideas?

Unfortunately none of the above would take place in any Tango “Seminar” organised by “Tom(s), Dick(s) or Jeannets(s)”.

So Let me just conclude that personally I would like to see more of those dedicated teachers who run proper “Tango Courses” and a lot less of those title inflated “Work-Shops”.

Maybe there will also be some hope here for disengagement of the ignorance and arrogance, and that we would not see the abuse of the word “Seminar” when a Tango Course is being advertised and sold.

MilongaCat
The only cat who loves you back!

Tango Obscurity

The other evening some of us went to a new tango venue in the West End of London. I like to welcome the new addition but let us reserve any comments on it till it becomes a regular weekly event as it is promised to be in the new year, 2008.

Competition is always good for everyone involved, with so many teachers gathering and dancing in some of our popular venues in London, one can not ignore the competition they enter to on and off the dance floor. They show themselves off delightfully whenever the opportunities are there. I suppose it is expected that they turn up to size each other up, and to see what the others are up to.

For some of us the main show of the evening is whenever a popular piece is being played late in the evening, this is the time to watch the dance floor suddenly flourishing into some impromptus competition by the teachers and their partners. It can not be denied that these shows are very amusing. The occasional unplanned nature of these competitions - not that they would themselves admit to taking part - in the midst of all others dancing and in between the crowd, certainly worth the time and attention of any discerning observers, a feast for the eyes.

It is easy to see that there are many new faces teaching in London. Everyone is trying hard to find their feet (excuse the pond!) especially if this is their chosen new home. It may take them a while to culturally adjust to new situations and people here. I like to wish them all good fortunes and success while they stay.

The competition and venues are increasing in numbers and I am very much hoping that this increase will be reflected in the quality of the classes and venues being offered. It may be worth mentioning that there had been some teacher(s)/organisers in the past who had mistaken the London dancers simply as cash-cows to milk without offering much in return. They are now either not here any longer or living so much on the peripheries that it does not matter what they may be doing with themselves at all.

Politicians know that there is an island called "Obscurity", they travel there for refuge when their opportunistic past can not be erased. Not many ever come back from that island and if by some fluke of circumstances they they do they never speak of who else lives there, surly the politicians are not the only ones living there.

MilongaCat.
The only cat who loves you back!

Thames & Tango

The start is here again. With autumn and the weather getting cooler, students returning to universities, summer holidays are soon to be just memories and pictures, the evenings will begin to extend and sunsets rapidly getting earlier than the immediate days before. These are the times that Tango evenings become more feverish and crowded .

In our milongas we shall see many more faces, some are old friends who come back - we have missed you in your absence -, and there are also many who are new to the joys of dancing tango, with their bright smiles and sometimes shy and uncertain look in their eyes hoping to master the challenges they see as steps and moves, they make themselves instantly known or just try to hide in the corners a little longer. Let us all give them a warm welcome to both our old friends and the new.

This weekend on the 15th and 16th September 2007, London is having its annual Thames Festival. This year, for the second year running, Tango will play some major part in celebrating this river and its history.

Right outside The New Tate Modern, one of the most wonderful galleries of art, there will be hopefully hundreds of people who'd embrace each other warmly and dance tango all day long both on Saturday and Sunday.

This two days event is accompanied by many other social attractions and fun celebrations along the river.

For the Tango dance lovers, I believe the Thames Festival and The River Tango program make a unique and very popular way with which to herald the commencement of our new season of tango here in London.

We all have our fingers crossed for autumn sunny days this weekend. The weather forecast is good. Even if you live a little far out, it is worth the trip into London. Travel here and stay the weekend, you will regret it if you don't, turn up, dance and enjoy and let us celebrate the Thames and the start of the tango season in style!

Hope to see you all!
MilongaCat.
The Only Cat Who Loves You Back!

The Dome - The Zero Hour

London milongas have been expanding in numbers and to some extent changing in the way they cater and serve their visitors. Gradually gone are now the days when "Milonga" was an extended practica session after the lesson had ended.

The dancers, and their friends turning up to London milongas, are becoming more mature in their expectations from a night-out of Tango.

The established (major/main-stream) London Milongas that run regularly are just a few. MilongaCat tries to highlight them here in our 24tango articles called "London Milongas". There will be no particular order for these other than randomly selecting and giving you the reader a "personal view". Please feel free to agree or disagree with MilongaCat's opinions by making your own comments known.

Zero Hour Tango Club
(locally known as The Dome)
Milonga Evenings: Wednesdays,
Dancing: 9-15 to Midnight , Fee: £6.

The Dome is one of the longest established London milongas. Once you come up the stairs onto the first floor you enter its milonga room, an impressively large hall, tall ceilings, and decorated appropriately to look dark and moody.

Once the evening has begun, it is lit just dimly enough by the right shades of pink, red and odd rays of blue lighting that either by design or coincidence manages to create lighting moods that suit almost all needs. There are "dark and shady" corners for those who want to hide from others briefly or at length, to rest or not being directly spotted, found, wanting not to be asked to dance or viewed, or alternatively take your place in the sitting areas that are available in front; in the "Light & Bright": in full view; where some gather to see all that goes on; and wish to be certainly & immediately seen by all - even though there may not be any dancing by these for most of the evening at all!

The large and powerful speakers are wonderfully old. They produce the kind of music sound that have a tone and vibration very unique to old dancing halls, a deep and reassuring sound, specially when they play older tango songs. The DJs differ depending on their scheduled planning however generally speaking the DJs play the most popular tango songs. The well familiar tangos, waltzes and milongas are played in well-co-ordinated tandas that rotate from one to another with relative ease . There are no cortinas between the tandas but the tandas are always complete in sets and numbers.

During Some evenings there may be a break of 2 songs of salsa or other, this is in the middle of the evening (about half ten) followed by just a few tango Nuevo tracks to divide or change the evening's mood, other than these the evenings are generally run by traditional rhythms and sounds.

If an average is taken then the dome's milonga crowd is international and 'young' with a very good mix of abilities from very good regular dancers to beginners who may have just joined one of the frequently organised tango courses run by the dome.

Most people are friendly and would happily ask each other to dance. Followers can feel free to approach and ask any friendly social dancer however there is the small group of "tango snubs" there too. They are similar to the ones whom you may find everywhere else around the world, just ignore these ones, they keep to their own, they are generally harmless when left alone!

The bar, inside the hall, sells a good selection of soft drinks, beers and wine. Nothing too fancy on their list - just like a typical London's local pub. No one minds this simplicity at all, in fact the drinks are always well chilled, very reasonably priced, and served by the friendly bar staff. The bar is open from the time the milonga begins (after the classes) to just about the very end when the evening finishes.

On the negative side it is let down by lack of care shown about the air conditioning that is not always switched on (the excuse given in the past is: "the noise their fans make is too loud!"). The other common complaint that sometimes gets talked about is about the ladies and gents toilets. They could certainly use a bottle or two of bleach to clean and freshen them up. These changes and works are not expensive, anybody would have thought they would make sure that these essentials are done, unfortunately they are, at times but not always, neglected!

Apart from that, the place is clean and tidy with ample sitting areas at stools, tables and chairs and benches around the milonga room.

The dome operates with minimum of gimmicks. The care is instead shown in having table covers, lit candles, good mood setting decorations and presentation of the milonga hall and room. It gives a wholesome and almost consistent good weekly milonga experience on every Wednesday. It offers its dancers a balanced evening of songs that are spread equally between tangos and waltzes and then peppered with enough milonga tracks to keep the momentum.

There are good transport links (tubes and buses) as well as ample free street parking near the venue. The dome's milonga staffs are friendly and welcoming, and happy to help with most things if they can.

On the whole The Zero Hour (the dome) is among one of the best and popular milongas that London has got to offer its tango dancers. It is very good value for money and worth spending your money and time making your way there. Hopefully you'll enjoy your evening too!

MilongaCat.
The only cat who loves you back!

The best London Christmas Party of 2006

In my opinion the award for the best London Christmas Party of 2006 goes to The Crypt.

The grounds for the crypt to come top are many but they are worth mentioning that there were: fabulous live performance by Los Moreados Orchestra with their very varied and delightful selections of songs, plenty of delicious foods of many kinds including vegetarian, sea-food, meat, spicy, traditional English snacks as well as lovely popular selections of good cheeses, in addition to all kinds of fruits and more.

Wait there is more: to accompany and complement the good and generous food there were good & tasty bottles of both red and white wine(s). These were constantly being opened and served to anyone who wished some, and then even some more! All these were done for the guests with big smiles and warm welcoming words and gestures.

Their good hosting at the Crypt continued non-stop to the very end of the evening. It is difficult to imagine if there was some way to improve the evening further, they did it well and all.

Their effort must be mentioned here so that they hear how their guests had such a lovely and special evening at the Crypt with dining, drinking, dancing and enjoying the live music.

It was a memorable evening ,
Well done & Many Thanks!

Milongacat.

Negracha: One more of our London milongas

It is that time of the year again when we hear that every milonga starts to get going again with some trouble and gusto.

London tango scene can be very entertaining depending on what taste of milonga one has. The popular middle of the road (traditional tango) music dictates the music choice by almost all London milongas. In other words the dreaded safe populist approach rules the greater if not most or even all of an evening's music in all London regular milongas.

Naturally there are variations between the milongas but they are mostly run under similar guidelines for the type of the music that organisers believe is liked by "the majority".

It is in the light of that above that a few milongas have started to make their mark against the popular. One of these milongas is called Negracha Tango Club where there is a specific effort made to make the choice of music more varied, entertaining, challenging and certainly more of the European tango dancing influence.

Even at Negracha Tango Club they are careful not to brake the mould completely and they have devised the plan of playing different music at the two separate dance floors where one is dedicated to traditional and the other "Electrica Tango".

The Negracha Tango Club has been truly nomadic for over a year now, it has been hosted in 4 different locations to date but it still finds a good following whenever it it finds a home to be hosted and run and this Friday, 13 January will be its first late evening milonga of the year. Their website of www.negrachatangoclub.com usually updates the dates and the location where they are running their milonga in London.

The current place has fabulous two floors , good sound system, great space to dance at and the touch of entertainment that is unique to Ivan who organises and runs the Negracha. He always has a special movie or some multimedia ready program to show his guests as well as treating everyone to more of modern music than others would normally dare in London milongas.

More on other London Milongas at a later date.

Two For Tango at The Welsh Centre

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UPDATE: 2008 This venue is now closed! THE ARGENTINO WAY no longer exists at the Welsh. Many thanks to them for good memories.

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It is not surprising to find out that the Welsh Centre kicks off the first milonga of the New Year in London in 2006.

This Friday, not only "Two For Tango" (24tango) blogger but many more will be hopefully showing up there to start off the 2006 Tango joys and Tango pains.

TANGO - THE ARGENTINO WAY is affectionately known as The Welsh amongst many who visit it without fail every week.

The Welsh is different in the way that it has different visiting teachers almost every week, it is right at the centre of the London which makes it accessible to all. It has a very good dance floor and the DJs are themselves from the regular devoted tango dancers.

The music that is played there is under the recommendation guidelines of the milongas organisers and it tends to be a little too conservative for many of younger dancers.

The Welsh is a milonga that is a meeting point/place for most of the London dancers and everyone feels that it is home. During its many long years of Tango existence, it has been a point of introduction for an incredible number of world famous names of instructors/teachers from Europe, USA, and Argentina.

The regular, myself included, always like to complain about its chaotic dance floor but it seems no one wants it changed! The reason is that it gives us at the very least something to talk about or maybe one good enough reason to complain about the Welsh since everything else about this milonga is difficult to fault.

This Friday 6th Jan 2006, Pablo Alonso is the designated teacher and the DJ there. The class is at 7:30 to 8:30, and the dancing continues till 11:00.
(The address for those who need to know is 167 Grays Inn Road London W1)