At the end of February, a dear friend to this list and the tango world, Sergio Suppa of Erie, unexpectedly passed away in Argentina at his sister's home. Sergio started the Erie tango community and would often come to Pittsburgh to support our events in our early years. Tall, handsome, and elegant, he was the epitome of the Argentine tango dancer, standing out wherever he went. A doctor by trade, he also taught both ballroom and tango dancing to spread the love of dance. Under his guidance, the Erie community blossomed. And boy could they party! Tangueros from Pittsburgh and Cleveland would often head to Erie for fun milongas where wine flowed freely and tango ruled the dancefloor (with occasion breaks for ballroom). It was one such trip that Donald Hsu convinced Sean & I to take that sparked our interest in traveling elsewhere just for milongas.
His influence, though, stretched well beyond the tri-state area to all around the world through his meaningful essays on tango shared on several listservs, which pre-Facebook was the main way tango dancers communicated worldwide. As an older Argentine who had lived in the States for many years, he provided great insight into Argentine culture and traditions. Of particular interest was his explanation of male/female dynamics in Argentina and its influence in tango, such as the concept of machismo. His essays on Argentine history and music, also educated many, as well. These listservs were mostly populated by teachers and organizers, such as myself and Sean, who found his essays useful in guiding and educating our own communities. His words have helped guide the foundation for tango communities around the globe. While we will miss him on Earth, it is comforting to know that he will be joining his other tango friends from Erie in a big milonga in Heaven. Sergio, may you dance in peace. An article Sergio wrote on tango history. http://www.totango.net/sergio.html Another piece Sergio wrote on machismo. http://www.totango.net/equal.html _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list Tango-L@mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
