Dancers en La Viruta

La Viruta is probably one of the most famous places to dance tango in Buenos Aires, not a classical/formal milonga but a mixed one. By mixed I mean the music varies a lot, starting from classical to more modern tango vibes.

What are dancers in a tango context? So ... people who dance tango, right?

But being a dancer is a little bit more than that, and the more is added by the ability to switch feelings and music and rhythm smoothly. And the bit part is not just being able to dance tango, than waltz and after a fast milonga, which is the general acceptation of being a tango dancer.

So, why are dancers from La Viruta any different from the one going to Villa Malcom, La Glorieta, Confiteria Ideal or Club Gricel (other famous tango spots in Buenos Aires)? Here comes the “dancers”, not just tangueros or milongheros in place. In La Viruta quite often you can have music changing fast, one tanda (group of 4 songs sharing the same theme) of tango, one of milonga.. and one of salsa cubana, followed by lindy hop, and then back again to tango. And this is what makes La Viruta a dance temple, not just a tango hot spot in the boiling porteno city.

The dancers are the same, they do no change, no changing partners, the dance floor has the same number of dancers, who switch from tango to salsa and to lindy hop, and they are good, very good in fact at all three styles of dancing. Because that is why they are dancers, not just tagueros.

Dancing is a mindset and the music is the blood that flows and makes the dancer move and express the music. So, no matter the dance, they keep on dancing as the music makes the alive.

Make-up test

Make-up/hairstyle test.

Why I dance tango

DNI Tango. BsAs. Tango demo. Photo by Adrian Iacomi

I did emphasize the “I” in the title because it’s a personal statement, so anyone can disagree. Of course there are many reasons why you should or could dance tango. And if you dance for more than few years you will know much better the reason.

As a beginner you dance because you are curious, or your loved half is doing it, and you don’t want to be the one who touches her/him less than others, or you got a present, or love the music, or are bored, or in need for some light fitness, or whatever.

But no matter the reason you started with, there will be a better question to answer in 3-4 months, after you (hopefully) mastered some basics, like walking, smiling, inviting, a cross/gancho (tango tricks) and made some friends. And the question is: why do you keep on dancing?

As a fitness alternative you get it it’s a failure, just creates leg cramps and broken toes. If you were a jealous person, it won’t make things easier. The music is still great, but sometime is not what you like, a partner with a good musical sense is hard to find, etc. So, why do you still dance?

Some people would dance to better, or the best, better than the rest, win a tango championship, dance with the stars on TV and stuff… which is all great, but how we can’t all be that good, and all of us dancing there on TV, we must establish some other goals on why we dance, right? Something more personal? Well, it depends from each individual to another. Some people would dance to be so good, that the best dancers would dance with them, and they would avoid to dance with beginners.

So why do I dance tango? Plenty of reasons I have to say. The people, some people that is, few people I like and enjoy dancing, chatting, connecting, discovering, sharing some dancing and doing some tango tricks. The music of course, not all of it, but the pieces I love to dance on. The discovery, the pleasant moment of dancing the first time with somebody you don’t know, and creating a connection like for a lifetime of friendship. So, what are all these for, what is common denominator (for me) of all these? Being happy?

Happiness in tango, the pure joy of dancing and connecting with somebody, disregarding the level of the partner. Not always to improve, but to discover the moment and the complementarity of two people dancing tango. Sure, there will be some missteps, maybe not always sharp on the music, but still there, together, dancing in the moment. The rest of it is just background noise.

So, (I) dance to be happy and (I) enjoy it. (I) worry less and (I) dance more. 

The simple things in life - a BsAs memory

Photo by Adrian Iacomi.

Buenos Aires in winter, at Villa Malcom, a milonga. I was with some friends talking, drinking a cola and wandering who to dance with, outside our own circle. It was not long before this thin, smiley gringa came to our table and greeted my friends. A tango dancer she was of course. Tall and with a dancer walk she was. She had just come back after a trip outside town, she felt a little rusty. All right, I said to myself. I invited her to dance, no cabeceo complexity involved.

She fumbled for her shoes, failed two times to tie them properly - lucky me, as that gave me time to forget I had not danced properly for more than four bloody long months. And there we were, with a big smile, face to face, preparing to enter the ronda. Closed my eyes were, I breathed in, extended, breathed out and she was in my embrace, we created the connection, so perfect that we started to breathe together and time seemed to had stopped, it was just us and d’Arienzo, and some faded buzz around.

We moved, all too simple, a short ocho milonghero and a planeo, then one more. We just stood there for a moment, enjoyed the embrace and breathed. The music had stopped suddenly. The first dance had finished so soon as time had frozen in a wonderful embrace. We danced a little more, not many figures as it was very crowded. The tanda was over fast, way too fast and we brooked the embrace and smiled at each other as two kids who just made a prank to the teacher. I was happy and so was she. It was a perfect tanda. 

Sitting at the table, we talked and I found out she had been dancing for just three months, a beginner as they say, but a perfect partner with a wonderful smile in a crowded milonga.

Expriment in Jazz

A simple experiment with great jazz music. The right spot light, a little bit of zooming in, long exposure.. and it looks like Photoshop :)

Nanne Emelie Andersen. Jazz singer.

Photo by Adrian Iacomi. 

Smile.

Sanna M S. Caravaggio inspiration.

Venture capitalist

Jan Leschly. Former pro tennis player, current venture capitalist.