TANGO DE LOS MUERTOS Halloween Tango Festival November 2-5, 2006 www.halloweentangofestival.com
In addition to all the other activities at Tango de los Muertos, there will be costumes at all the milongas! Below you'll find more information about the suggested attire. No, there is no stigma against wearing "normal" clothes. Dress however you want all weekend - t-shirt and jeans all the way or a suit the whole time, no problem, there is *no* dress code! But here's a brief explanation of why costumes are encouraged: there's a collective joy and unity that we get out of seeing someone be creative, take a risk, and tango happily with total concentration on the dance while wearing a two-foot-tall purple wig and go-go boots or as a cross-dresser for the evening in a vampy 1930s gown or a tux with tails. It's just delightful! *Thursday November 2: Battle of the Bands Milonga* Dress like a Band Groupie DJ Korey Ireland Show your support of the new tango music movement! Whether it's the dark glasses of Carlos Di Sarli's followers in the Golden Age in Argentina, the punk-cabaret look of modern day Dresden Dolls fans, showing your true colors as a metalhead or in a zoot suit, it's all welcome here. This is, after all, the first ever Battle of the Tango Bands - a definite occasion for celebration! * Friday November 3: Golden Age Milonga* Dress like a Golden Age Film Star DJ Robin Thomas The Golden Age of tango is usually considered to be from about 1930 to 1945, so think glamorous, drapey, bias-cut evening gowns and dashing, dapper suits or tuxedos. Emulate Carlos Gardel and his leading ladies, or Rudolph Valentino, Joan Crawford, Mae West, and a host of others from the 1930s and early 1940s. * Saturday November 4: Paradiso Milonga *Dress Like A Holiday * * Live music by Los Chantas, DJ David Liu *This milonga is a collaboration between Tango de los Muertos and Tango Paradiso<http://www.daylightpix.com/tangoparadiso.html>. * You're probably thinking that we mean you should dress like St. Valentine or Santa Claus - and those would certainly work - but there are so many more holidays that you might expect. Do you want to dress up for Dunce Day, National Roof over your Head Day, End of the Middle Ages Day, or Make up your Own Holiday Day? More holiday suggestions at: http://www.tangodelosmuertos.com/info.html#costume *Saturday November 4 (technically November 5) Sleepwalk Milonga* Dress in your pajamas DJ Ben Bogart Get ready to sleep, but then change your mind and decide to come dance all night! We think "dress in your pajamas" is pretty self-explanatory, but this might include your pajamas, bathrobe, wool socks, bunny slippers... *Sunday November 5 The End Milonga* Dress in Skulls or Skeletons DJ Yulia Kriskovets Celebrate Halloween *and* be oh-so-chic by wearing skulls or skeletons to this milonga. It's not morbid, it's fashion! No, you don't have to dress in a full body skeleton suit (although that would be fine), just find something with a printed skull/skeleton on it, or be creative! * Be careful when choosing your costumes to make sure there is nothing that will prevent you from having a comfortable embrace, or to prevent a free range of movement. * Keep your head pretty simple: certain types of hats and most masks (which are so popular on Halloween) will prevent a close embrace, as will decorative makeup that rubs off on your partner. And even if you don't want to dance close for some (strange) reason, don't wear anything that sticks out much further than usual (it's like driving a minivan when you're used to driving a car - you and others aren't sure how close you can cut the corners). Go to www.halloweentangofestival.com for information about the dozen excellent instructors, the workshop for musicians and the 23 workshops for dancers, the beautiful location, how to register, and more!
