Angelina's Tango Blog

Giving back

2013-05-07T22:30:00.001+10:00

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

The changing world of the milongas

2013-04-14T17:47:00.000+10:00

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

Tango is a challenge

2013-04-04T21:42:00.002+11:00

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.

Leading...

2013-03-25T21:06:00.001+11:00

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

The Red Rose and Tangalo

2013-03-15T15:49:00.001+11:00

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

A memorable day

2013-03-14T21:24:00.001+11:00

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!

Depressed? Tango may be the answer

2013-02-22T18:25:00.000+11:00

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

Tango news weekly online

2013-02-19T22:12:00.002+11:00

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...

2013-02-11T18:51:00.000+11:00

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

Another dimension to tango

2013-02-06T13:41:00.002+11:00

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

Ups and downs of the tanguera

2013-02-03T14:24:00.001+11:00

Many is the conversation I have had with women about waiting to be asked for a dance. Many are the women who have said to me that they feel like 'giving up' tango because the frustrations of going to a milonga and not being asked to dance by anyone - let alone someone they would really like to dance with - are too great and surely there are better ways to spend one's time! And many are the

Hot night, Tango Tranzas and a Festival milonga

2013-01-26T18:27:00.000+11:00

Last night was the Milonga and Show at the Petersham Town Hall. This is a grand old art deco town hall opened just before World War II, that still has the big wooden floor ideal for dancing and the huge ceiling with the big windows on each side that should open to let a cross breeze through. Built in the days before air-con this was not unusual... but for some reason the ability to open these

17 visiting teachers/performers in next few months!

2013-01-08T22:29:00.000+11:00

I have counted 17 visiting tango teachers/performers coming to our shores over the next 3 1/2 months!! Wow... In January there's Julio Balmaceda and Corina de la Rosa with Rodrigo Palacios and Agustina Berenstein - Sydney and Sven Elze and Aja Fenn in Canberra...In February there's Ricardo Barrios and Laura Melo visiting Sydney; Cecilia Gonzalez and Ney Melo with Michelle Marsidi y Joachim

The haphazard DJ

2013-01-06T21:10:00.003+11:00

Recently I have attended milongas where there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to the music that is being played. It is almost as if the DJ stuck a pin in the playlist and decided what would come next. I like to organise my playlist before the milonga and I also like to balance the music and give those who love to dance to milonga and vals more than one chance to enjoy. Everyone does not

Happy New Tango Year - and thank you

2012-12-31T01:00:00.000+11:00

I would like to thank everyone who reads this blog for their following!! and their comments in 2012. It has been an interesting year in tango in Australia... we have had many visiting teachers with many more to come in 2013; I have been to Argentina, briefly this time, for the 5th time; had some great dances - and some not so great ones; run some fabulous milongas and had such small numbers at

Manners, respect and tango

2012-12-30T15:49:00.000+11:00

My parents taught me, and I taught my children, not to interrupt conversations but to wait politely to be included. These days with mobile phones this just doesn't happen. If the phone rings it is generally answered mid-conversation - and often that conversation takes off. I find that offensive and I don't answer my phone in this situation but call the caller back asap. As I am no longer of the

La Yumba milonga and Pugliese's birthday

2012-12-13T21:38:00.001+11:00

If he was still alive Pugliese would have been 105 this December, as it was he lived for 90 years and his influence on tango was enormous. He was a legend in his lifetime and was honoured by a special concert at the Teatro Colon in 1985 (see below). Osvaldo Pugliese brought a sophistication and syncopation to tango music that raised it to another level. His music is loved by many dancers and is

Dancing to tango music

2012-11-28T08:30:00.000+11:00

My recent post on dancing 'tango' to music that is not tango has led me to read more widely on what dancing means to those who love tango and I have found some inciteful and thought-provoking stuff. Tango Commuter wrote recently about the days when dancers went to milongas with live music. He (i use 'he' as the blogger appears to be male but has no stated gender) makes the point that there was

Watered down tango - really?

2012-11-20T21:37:00.002+11:00

Argentine Tango is more than dance, it is more than the music… it is a culture. It has a rich history and it takes a lifetime just to scratch the surface of the great musicians and dancers that gave it the credibility to be named by Unesco as part of the world's cultural heritage in 2009.So why would you want to water it down? Why would you want to dance the movements of tango to pop music, or

A Good Tango Teacher

2012-11-03T15:25:00.000+11:00

Just because you can do something well, doesn't mean you can teach it well. The ability to teach is a very special gift, and not necessarily one that can be taught. I for one, turned down a Teacher's Scholarship to university when I left school!! (in those days many of us did) then I tried to teach (not dancing, my profession) many, many years ago when I was a young, inexperienced mother in

Pugliese - a musician of the people

2012-11-01T14:55:00.000+11:00

I frequently surf around buddhist sites - I love yoga and I love what little I know about Buddhism. Today I discovered this article about Pugliese written by Daisaku Ikeda, the former president of SGI, an Buddhist organisation. Ikedu met Pugliese in 1989 and was so impressed that he wrote an article about the man and the meeting for the SGI's online magazine. Writes Ikeda: "Pugliese's serious,

Melbourne Tango Photo Competition 2012

2012-10-29T10:23:00.001+11:00

Last year's Melbourne Tango Photo Competition produced some superb entries - the winner being Kylie O'Brien's at left - and some of the other prize winners are below. (Sorry they are badly arranged - no time to arrange the photos but want to get them up).It is open to photographers around Australia - it would be great to see this as a national competition. The 4th Annual Photo Exhitibion,

Daniel Nacucchio dances for his birthday

2012-10-19T14:16:00.000+11:00

Thank you to Janis for posting this video in response to my posting about visiting teachers not socialising when they are being paid to be at a Festival and milonga. Earlier this year we had the honour to host Daniel and his partner Cristina Sosa - and they were absolutely delightful. They did not expect to be treated as celebrities and they were warm and friendly with everyone. So I am not

The essence of tango

2012-10-16T13:42:00.001+11:00

FYI... Mas que milongueros, bailarines de verdad, son los que nos heredaron lo mejor de nuestro tango bailado: Enriquito y Lidia Alvarez, Jose y Mary Da Fonte, Roberto y Susana Grassi, Antonio y Susana Da Vita, OSvaldo y Nora Lopez, Eduardo y Sandra Giarnelli, Finito y M. Teresa, Victor y Tota Cruz. De la pelicula de 1988 Tango Bar. which translates roughly as (please excuse my mistakes)

The role of the visiting tango teacher

2012-10-08T10:16:00.003+11:00

I was sure I had broached this subject before, but it hasn't come up in a quick search - so here goes! It is timely because in the last week of attending milongas just about every night, the common topic has been the 'arrogance' of the masters at the recent Festival. By 'arrogance' I am referring to the fact that they do not get up and dance with their clientele. I am fully aware that they do