Getting high on a Tango overdose

My first milonga by myself was actually a lot of fun. It was called Maldita (damned) Milonga - (Which I found out later is named after a song which the orchestra who hosts that Milonga plays) I arrived there at 8:30pm as I was told thats when they have a group lesson pre milonga however I was the only person there (other than the musicians and the hosts). The lesson started at 9pm, and till then I chatted and befriended Adan, the bass player in the Orchestra. The lesson started with the very basics (majority of the people who showed up were complete beginners). After 20 min of warm up the group was divided into beginners and intermediates. The class was all about Giros (turns). After one hour of practicing giros I was getting dizzy (estoy Mariada.... I learned to say that in spanish). I danced with Adan who could not and does not dance, with Guillermo, who was almost a beginner. They were both from Buenos Aires (one of them a tango musician at that) and still do not dance Tango - Apparently the tango population is not too big here - especially with the younger people.

Talking about younger people, this Milonga had only 3 men with white hair.. meaning it was mostly a young crowd. (Which is why Maria recommended me to go here - and she was right). Even though I was by myself, I did not feel alone. I was seated with a French woman who talked to me about her travels to India. And then I danced some. My first dance (the most critical as thats where the other men judge you) felt good. I was reaffirmed in that I got asked to dance the next tanda by another guy who I had seen dancing before and was a good dancer - He told me that he saw me dance and that I dance Muy Lindo (which I think means beautiful). Unfortunately for him, my dance with him was not too good. Nor was the next two ones. They were not bad - but I could feel that I did not dance well. I do not understand why is it that I am able to connect and dance well with some people yet with others, however good dancers they may be, I am just not able to dance well. I tense and stiffen up at times. I have been told many times to relax. Still, I was able to dance some more. I stayed till the end (2:30am) and Adan was nice enough to drop me back home (as I was worried about getting a Taxi in that - san telmo- neighborhood at that time).

Today... i had three group lessons. One was Tango Nuevo at Escuela DNI which was a good class. In the evening I had another one with Sergio and his partner and there was just one other person in the class, so it was pretty much a private class for me. I enjoyed the class immensely, as I got to dance for 2 hours practicing and improving my dance. Sergio said that for 4mths, I dance quite good and that I must have an excellent teacher to have taught me as well. Incidentally this is the 4th person to have said that and I do agree - Louie has been a great teacher - everything I have learned from him, I hear in all the classes here - His style is as authentic as any Porteno. Infact a few days back at a Milonga, one of my dance partners asked me if my teacher was Argentine. Who would have thought I would get to find a Tango teacher in Little Rock - let alone an excellent one at that. My next class was with Puchu, a really good dancer who I had seen perform at a local show. It was a good class, however only drawback was the class was in Spanish so I missed all that he said, just watched his feet and movements instead. In this class, a woman actually hated me .. (Ingrid said she must have been jealous).. I was standing closest to Puchu so every time he demonstrated a step, he danced with me.. the woman said in Spanish that I am a terrible dancer and that I do not have the right posture and steps and that he should dance with someone more experienced like herself to demonstrate the figures... poor Puchu was put in a spot so he danced with each of the women.

At the end of the class, I was talking to Maria and Susanna about wanting to learn Chacarera (a folk dance) and Susanna got Puchu to show me and Ingrid how to dance it. I love Chacarera. It is a flirtatious dance where the man tries to woo the woman and the woman is all coy and towards the middle of the song she flirts back and in the end they are together. The music is so catchy and the dance fun a lot of fun. Unfortunately I sucked at it. I am no good at being flirtatious and coy. Later Puchu told me that I may not be good at Chacarera but I am very good at Tango and that if I keep on dancing, in one year I too would be able to perform. I don't know if he said that to make me feel nice after the other woman's nasty comment - but it worked - I have been in high spirits.

Below is a video of people dancing Chacarera at La Ideal



The good mood lingered through the night when Ingrid and I went to a Milonga at Club Gricel. We were not there for too long. I had 3 dances and my last one in particular was very good. On that high note we left Gricel and came back to the casa. Now, just one more night of Milonga in Buenos Aires left.... sob!