Before you travel to Argentina you could benefit by spending some time with Deby Novitz's often funny, often insightful online diary of her years there since 2004. And if you want an apartment for that time she has one in Palermo.
http://tangospam.typepad.com/ http://www.lavidacondeby.com/Home/welcome.htm Deby writes -----------> To come here and not experience the culture - the food - pizza, empanadas, parilla, and the many other things that Buenos Aires has to offer is sort of sad. I have to agree (though understand that I'm not claiming that Michael did not). BsAs - indeed, Argentina - is a beautiful, fascinating place. It deserves for everyone to play tourist there, in a way that respects those around you. It would also be a good idea to learn enough Spanish before you go so that you can get acquainted with some of the people. Tango dancing there is wonderful, but the tango people there are wonderfuller. Well, many of them anyway! She also writes -----------> When people say they think that North Americans dance better than Argentines? What your little feet are pointing better? You have more figures? It's my opinion that non-Argentine tango dancers ON THE AVERAGE do dance better than Argentine tango dancers ON THE AVERAGE. Perhaps this is comparing apples with oranges. I think it's more like comparing a huge barrel of apples someone randomly picked with a tiny basket of more carefully selected ones. Or maybe it IS apples vs. oranges. I broached this subject to an Argentine at Lo De Celia who had lived in Boston for many years. He was amused and said something like, "You Americans! You take tango too serious. Loosen up! Tango is for fun." Deby also writes -----------> The one thing you do not have is that you do not understand the music, the soul of tango. North Americans, generally speaking are so concentrated on being the best technically they dance without soul. I agree with this, especially since Deby qualifies her statement as "North Americans, GENERALLY SPEAKING..." For I believe that there are plenty of exceptions to this description of non-Argentine tango dancers. That there are many, all over the world, who hear tango music and feel a deep intuitive connection to it and to what some pieces of it tries wordless to say, and to the dance which (when we are at our best) expresses those pieces of music. Surely others than Argentines can feel a deep sense of loss for a time or place or person forever lost? The joy of moving with the music and your partner and (if we are lucky) the others in the flow of dancers around the floor? The warmth of being with someone you like? The world- brightening breathless excitement of embracing someone you find attractive? I'm sure it works the other way. That there are many Argentines who hear the music and see the dance and are totally baffled and bored with what they see and hear. Just as there are many Americans who hear swing music and dancing, invented by (originally black) Americans, and are totally baffled and bored by it. Larry de Los Angeles - novelette "Lady Death" added to http://ShapechangerTales.com ____________________________________________________________ Click here for free information on how to reduce your debt by filing for bankruptcy. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/fc/BLSrjnsKB0GAeRry9ssI0n9iiMSYSwB9bfvYO8HyljEI0KLzn2naqoVPFfS/ _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
