Day Ten: Mi Buenos Aires Querido...

This city grows on you... It is remarcable how in just 10 days Buenos Aires has become so normal, familiar, and so comfortable... Last night, at dinner, for a second I caught myself thinking that I already miss this city without even leaving it yet... It has a very profound effect on you! I do not think it has only to do with Tango... It is just such a different place! The multitude of cultures, the mixture of traditions, the atmosphere on both social and political levels (and those are subjects for a completely different discussion)... all that provide an unforgettable experience for anyone who comes here...

Each medal has two sides... Buenos Aires is a city of contrasts... At the same time as you may be struck by its beauty and elegance, you come in contact with the people who are caught in the mess of the political system... Yet, you do not feel the misery, but vice versa... you sence their hope that one day it will all stabilize and the country will regain its strength and get up on its feet!

Now I understant why every single person who comes here, wants to come back! I think I lost count of how many young people, who I have spoken to over the past 10 days, have come here to study, and stayed... or at least returned to Buenos Aires for a prolonged period of time!

This City opens up your eyes! It allows you to look at things from a slightly less hectic standpoint, from which we are so used to observe everything in the United States! It allows your mind to slow down... It allows your heart to open up... It allows you to enjoy, and just like in Tango, savour each moment!

It was impossible to experience everything that Buenos Aires and Argentina have to offer in just 10 days! But the curtain was opened... It was alike a sweet seduction... where you got just enough of a glimpse of an unforgetable beauty... and feeling posessed... with everything you got... with all your nature... with all your senses... you can not wait to taste more...

Day Nine: Actually Night... But... Speaking Of Enthusiasm...

Wasn´t I the one who, just a few hours ago, wrote in the previous entry of this blog "Curb Your Enthusiasm..." Well, yes I was... but... that is not the point... It is 3 in the morning right now in Buenos Aires (to be even more exact, it is 3:09), and I just got out of Salon Canning milonga where they had a night of all nights! It was a benefit for Puppi Castello - a very well-known Tango teacher here in Buenos Aires! Let me just mention a few names of the people who were there... Osvaldo Zotto and Lorena Ercimoda! Miguel Zotto (I TOOK A PICTURE WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... OK OK... I promice I will take a tranquilizer when I get back into the hotel... it is just too &^$%ç cool...)! Eduardo and Gloria Arquimbau! Julio Balmanseda and Carina de la Rosa! Ezequiel Paludi and Sabrina Masso!

Osvaldo, Lorena, Julio, Carina, Ezequiel and several others performed, including Puppi himself! What a presentation! Absolyutely Amazing! The milonga was full... people where sitting on the manantanace ladders that were stucked along the walls (apparently the hall is being slightly painted)! I videotaped everything, and after almost an hour of kneeling down next to the dance floor, I could not really walk, until my feet regained circulation... BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!

The energy of the milonga and the dancers... The elegance of the performers and grace of their movements... The presence of the Maestros... it was all wonderfully overwealming, but, at the same time, inspirational beyond the point of human recognition...

What a night...

Day Eight: No Pain... No Gain...

Today I took a "milonga con traspie" class with Gustavo Chidichimo and Virginia Martorani... Great Teachers!!! Great time!!! But... It was a lot of work... I sweated like crazy... My feet were in pain... my body was in pain... my brain was in pain... but I was it was utter joy!

It was very interesting to see the manner of teaching here in Buenos Aires! I came to Club Gricel (where there teach) in a little early... maybe about half and hour, or so, before the class. There was another teacher giving a private tango lesson. I had a chance to observe! The session had a feeling of being both... slightly laid back... but very meticulous at the same time... The instructor did not go on until the student got the step completely right... One thing here, is that not everyone speaks the same language. People come to Buenos Aires to learn tango from all over the World! But it is quite interesting to watch how the dance itself makes people understand one another...

Milonga con traspie is a beautiful way to dance... it gives you a chance to play with the rythm and with the beats... but, it really requires a very precise lead from the man! You have to dance very close with your partner, and communicate the signals with very clear connection in the upper body... It requires the lady to wait for the man´s next lead before making another MOVEMENT (not even a step). I observed people in the milongas dancing a Milonga con Traspie, and in the crowded floors it really opens up a lot of possibilities! However, not everyone dances traspie! It truely requires the partners to be "on the same page".

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned here, can be stated quite simply: "CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM"! Of course, it can be interpreted in many different ways, but... if you think about it in terms of human communication and communication with you partner on the dance floor, it is golden! In a tanda you dance four tangos or four valses or three milongas... You will have enough time to show off your talents! As they say - "You seldom get a SECOND chance to make a FIRST impression"... Take your time... Gentlemen, as you invite a lady to dance, YOUR FIRST FEW STEPS TELL THE LADY WHO YOU ARE... "Tell" her something... Allow her to "reply"... Instead of just "shouting" something at her, and have her "scream" back at you (sometimes quite literally... I am telling you, it is a very interesting experience when all of a suddent, in a crowded milonga, someone´s elbow or fist makes a "casual fly-by" your eye...)Some of the best dances happen when both partners can listen to each other... when they are on the same page, and when their dance is an actuall "conversation", rather than a colletion of random steps!

Think of it this way... Your first dance in a tanda... is your first date... :) It will determine if the lady would like to "go out" with you again, or deside to "screen your calls" :)))

Ahh... Tango... It is just like life...

Day Seven: Slowly But Surely...

Today is a holiday in Argentina... Immortality of Gral. José de San Martín (I think... they explained it to me, but I might be missing something) Pretty much everything is closed! Still feeling a little worse than desirable, I desided to sleep in late... I rolled out of bed some time around 2 in the afternoon... and instead of going sightseeing, I went looking for a pharmacy... Strangely, many of the people I talked to today also felt kinda sick... One to watch out here is stepping outside after dancing... You are all winded up! Sweating! And if in LA, we can cool off outside with our gentle weather, in Buenos Aires, in cold and wind of winter time, it may not be such a great idea... Well, I guess my desire for a little cold slightly backfired... :) But, that is OK... It really broadens the scope of my experience in Argentina!

Last night I went to two milongas: "La Viruta" at the Association Armenia and to Bar "Tasso"!
"La Viruta" was packed... Actually, that is an understatement! There was no place to breathe, move, or do anything of that sort! 300 people at the least! It was awsome! Very mixed crowd! Many younger dancers! Music was great! They played a tanda of Rock and Roll, and watching people dance to that was a total trip! Apparently, Rock-and-roll is very popular here in Argentina! After talking to many people, I found out that upon their stay in Buenos Aires they are studying not only Tango, but a variety of other dances! Rock-and-roll seems to be the one most popular after the Tango itself!

After "La Viruta" I headed to Bar "Tasso". "La Viruta" is located a little bit further away from the center of the City where I am staying. Despite the late hour, the main streets were packed with people and cars! The traffic was nowere close to the one we have in LA, but it did start to slow us down... The cab driver went through the little city streets, and not only did that speed up the trip, but it also gave me a chance to see another side of Bueno Aires at night. Some houses and streets look like they walked off the pages of some antique book! Heavy brick walls... tall narrow windows with wooden covers... elaborate bariliefs on the facades... and stone-covered roads, illuminated by the dim glow of the street lights! What I kept wondering very often is how old are the places that I am passing by.

Bar "Tasso" was a much more quet place than the one that I came from... It did not have too many people, and after "La Viruta" it was somewhat a little refreshing... People were dancing, but the floor was not busy! 15 couples at the most... There was no admission fee (or at least nobody bothered to charge me money when i came in...)! The walls were covered by the tango artwork, and the lights above the paitings were all the lit the room! It was a very casual atmosphere! Casual, but very very warm... and very very comfortable... I spent the rest of the night there... and not wanting to "push" my cold further than I needed to, I headed home at about 3 in the morning...

Today, after scouting (successfully) for antibiotics, and loading myself up in the all-you-can eat buffet, I spent several hours in the afternoon milonga "La Ideal" (Confeteria Ideal). I had gone their before already last week, but many people have highly reccomended to check it out on Monday afternoon... They were right! As I have mentioned before, "Ideal" is a more classic place... Beautiful columns, ornamented lamps, red wood all over the place... and of course, that scent of the pastries, that really adds a whole new allure to the milonga...

When I came in at about 3:30 in the afternoon, if was already pretty filled with people... As a matter of fact they told me that they had no free places... But, I was hoping to meet some of the people who I knew there, and they let me in...

I really get a kick out of watching how the dance floor fills up with people... You can not see when the people invite each other, but all of a sudden, a lady steps out on the dance floor, and the gentlemen from a completely different part of the room comes up to greet her and leads her in the dance... and while you are watching them, 10 others went through the same ritual... and all of a sudden, after you saw only one couple, the dance floor is filled with dancers! Amazing...

Day Six: Back To The Roots...

What a day... Just in a glance, I have visited the Recoleta Cultural Center, went to a Shabbat Service, and partied with the Russians... more than a "handfull"... to say the least... but... what a day!!! I spent most of the afternoon at the Recoleta! I visited the historic cemetary, saw the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Basilic church, and visited the art exhibits at the Recoleta Cultural Centre. The only way to describe Recoleta Cemetary is to say that it is a "City withing a City"! It reminded me more of a museum than a cemetary! I have heard about a memorial park similar to this in New Orleans, but I have never visited anything like it! Quite an experience! As you wonder throught the little "streets" of the cemetary, you transcend the years and epochs, and you can almost feel the history of Argentina unfold in front of your eyes! Many well known political figures, cultural icons and celebrities are burried there! I saw the tomb of Evita! For those who might not know, she was the wife of Juan Peron, former Argentinean leader. She was absolutely loved and adored by the people of Argentina! She is burried in the "Familia Duarte" tomb (her name was Eva Duarte). Most tombs are very elaborately decorated! Statues... barieliefs... marble monuments... it all adds to the more museum-like quality of the place, rather than just a semetary! The Nuestra Señora del Pilar Basilic is an old, and very very beautifully decorated cathedral! People come in, pray, and may walk through the exhibit of the ancient religious artifacts! Some of the items on display are books that are 100s of years old! Quite an interesting thing ot see! The Recoleta Cultural Center, among the great collection of modern art, bared another surprise! As I was walking through the halls, I bumped into a friend, also fellow Russian, who I have not seen for years... You should have seen our facial expressions! They were worthy of a "MasterCard" commercial... :) It is a small world after all... (well, it is either the world is getting smaller, or I know too many people... most likely it is the second... I just need to keep up with the birth-rate... :))) In the evening it had a chance of attending a Shabbat service at a local synagogue - Congregacion Israelita de la Republica Argentina. It is actually simply known as "Libertad" because of its address: Libertad 733. Beautiful building! Wonderfully decorated interiors! There was something very special about this service! I am not a really religious (but I am pretty "ethnic" - common, matza ball soup with a chop liver sandwitch, followed by a poppy seed strudel at Jerrys Deli after a milonga... hey, you can not argue with that... :))), but I do strive to learn more about the culture, traditions and everything that has to do with the Jewish people! I feel that It is important to me, to learning more about myself and my cultural identity! Growing up in Russia, under a much more stricter rule, it was impossible to learn (I am not even speaking about practicing...) much about Jewish culture! I was always aware of being Jewish, but my awareness extended no further than conversations with my parents and grandparents... Needless to say, I did manage to get in trouble at the temple... I used a camera inside... on Shabbat... that is not supposed to be done... I did have to explain to the Rabbi that I was visiting and everything was settled! :) Everyone was very friendly and we carried on a little conversation with a mixture of English, Spanish, Russian and Yiddish words... :) And guess what, they even had tango classes... well, not necessarily at the sinagogue, but organized by the local youth club! I did not get to attend that, but that leaves something to put in my planner for the next visit to Buenos Aires! The rest of the evening I spent with my newly-aquired Russian friends! They have been living here in Buenos Aires for a while, and were very gracious to show me the City, and make some very good reccomendations! Originally we were supposed to go for a walk on the Avenida Florida - a very popular "hang out" spot, something of the sort of our "3rd Street Promenade", but we made a little detour and came to visit another Russian family (their friends). To my surprise, it was a little "tussovka" - or what we call in russian a small, informal party! What a joy! It was very interesting to see fellow Russians in their "natural habitat" in Buenos Aires! Most the the people at the party have been living in Argentina for a very long time, and the biggest challenge for me, was to adjust to hearing them jump from Russian into Spanish! For years I myself have been "jumping" from Russian into English and vice versa... we even manage to conjugate English words to the Russian style, when we speak among ourselves... But here, in Buenos Aires.. THEY DO THE SAME, BUT TO SPANISH... Instead of Castellano... it is "casterusso"... he he he... It was a very warm reception! Russian style... wine... wiskey... (surprisingly, they do not drink Vodka over here)... We did go to the Avenida Florida afterwards... but needless to say... Milongas that night did not happen... Sunday afternoon I went to San Telmo! The whole place is a party! Loads of little antique stores... performers on the streets... Tango... Tango dancers, tango singers, little cart vendors! Take our "3rd Street Promenade", multiply it by 10, add a few 100s of merchants and you might imagine what San Telmo looks like! But accented by the very elegant architecture, and the feeling of antiquity on the small side streets and all around the place really leaves an unforgettable impression on you! To San Telmo we took a bus! If you think that cab drivers drive like crazy... you know nothing until you had the experience of riding a Buenos Aires bus... :) Large streets, small streets, corners... no problem... I had a feeling I was participating in the bus version of Nascar... The man was on a mission to get us where we needed to be fast! Very fast... :) From San Telmo we walked back to the center... about 30 quadras (that is what they call city blocks over here)... but it was all worth it! I got to see Casa Rosada and the Change of Guard in front of it! Today I am feeling a little "under the weather"! So I am planning to go rest for a few hours until hitting a milonga... but before that... I have my heart set on "Cafe Billiardes 36"... I am craving pasta... with Alfredo sause and Mushrooms...

Day Five: Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder...

One of the most amazing things about dancing here, in Buenos Aires, is the abilility of this city to "transport" you from one world to another within a matter of minutes... Just like no Tango is ever the same, each milonga has a very very distinct feeling to it... Starting from the trip to the milonga... the streets and the barios that you pass... the atmosphere on those streets... the entrance... the setting... the people...

In one evening most people go to two or three milongas... You feel one way - You start from the milonga that suits your mood... Your feelings change throughout the night - hey, no problem! Just go to the one that is right for you that particular moment!

I have been averaging two milongas a night. Yesterday I checked out a place called "Confeteria Ideal"... It is an afternoon milonga that goes from about 3 in the afternoon till about 8 in the evening... It is pretty crowded, but not as packed as the night milongas. It is set in an amazing hall - red wood all over the place... antique chandelliers... and the best... the scent of the sweet pastries and chocolate... (I still have this smell inside my head as we speak...).

After meeting up with a friend a little later that evening we have gone to see the show at "La Rural" convention center. The show was part of the International Tango Competition... and featured Juan Carlos Copes and his Dance Company! I do not remember the name of the orchestra that was performing at the event (But I will definetely look it up...), but they were exceptional... The piano player was a "killer"! When they played Piazollas "Adios Nonino", the huge hall felt like it was holding its breath... nobody seemed to take their eyes off of his hands... the speed... the technique... and best of all... the interpretation of the music... "Adios Noniño" in itself is an amazingly powerfull piece of music! Astor Piazolla wrote it for his father... and when interpreted and performed by a talented musician... it is an unforgettable treat!

Speaking of Piazolla... In here they have a TV station called "Solo Tango"... it is a TV station dedicated ONLY to tango... (guess what I am thinking... :))) OK OK I will do one thing at a time...), and yesterday, upon my return from the milonga I had a chance to watch the recording of Osvaldo Pugliese and Astor Piazolla perform "La Yumba" together in one concert! It was breathtaking... recoding... on TV... but breathtaking... two legends on one stage... giving it all... Undescribable!

At night, after the show, we went to "Club Gricel"! Gricel is another place that is very "comfortable for the soul"... smooth warm lighting... nice-size floor... and a very good selection of music! The walls had photographs of Nito and Elba, Natalia and Francisco (who, by the way, were there last night) among others, and the sign "Club Gricel" headed the establishment in large green neon letters! They played not only traditional tango repertuar, but also a little selection of swing, salsa, and rumba... and the floor was packed for all of them!

For me, being a visitor, is very hard to keep track of the time over here... Actually more of the days and the dates... If in most places you can tell that it is late when the amount of people in the club declines, here it is definetely not so... The people at the club constantly change... One portion leaves, another one arrives... I looked at the watch yesterday at about 4 in the morning, thinking that it was only 21 or 2... :) Day becomes night... and night just turns into the morning... Usually when I am dozing off, the sun is slowly starting to rize, and I am starting to hear the signs of life on the streets outside my window...

Day Four: It Is a Small World After All...

It is really funny how you have to travel very long distances (quite literally) to meet people from LA that you have not seen for years! Last night, at the Niño Bien milonga, I met up with someone who I have not seen for, probably, a year-and-a-half at least... who used to dance in Los Angeles... It was quite a surprise... And after confusing each other with our languages (I spoke English - she started speaking Spanish - I attempted to speak Spanish while she went back to English...), we desided to drop the verbal, and "discuss" everything we have not spoken about with Tango (I mean, this is a truely universal language... forget Esperanto :)

After recovering from La Boca, I made reservations to go watch "Querandi - La Cena y Gala De Tango" - The Tango Dinner Show... Very interesting experience... The three-course dinner starts at about 8:30 PM and goes until 10... followed by a 1-and-a-half hour show...
"Querandi" is one of the oldest locations in Buenos Aires. It has a very classy black-and-white decor, with a L-Shaped room, housing a stage in the corner between the two halfs. The food was good, but the show was a true "dessert"... Beautiful live music! Great voices of the singers! Beautiful dancing (choreographed by Carlso Rivarolla - those of you who have seen Carlos Sauras movie "Tango" should remember him from there)! The show at Querandi is called "Nuestro Tango" - Our Tango - and it is their take on the evolution of the dance.

One of the most memorable moments in the show for me, surprisingly was not the dancing. The program consists of various periods of the tango evolution. During the "modern" period, represented by the music of Astor Piazolla, the bass player performed the solo of "Contrabandista"... WOW... extrememly powerfull! Just the contrabass... and nothing else... amazing performance... and when, it was the time for the rest of the orquestra to join in the performance of this great work, it was seemless... It gave me chills...

I arrived to Niño Bien at abour 12:30 at night... Lets just put it this way... It was everything they told me it would be, plus something more... People... People... People... ON A THURSDAY NIGHT... PACKED... 300 people at least... if not more... The friends I made at "Dandi" the night before, arrived earlier and had a table reserved...

I sat down and watched a little... this was by far the most crowded milonga I have been to so far over here... After a while I invited a lady next to me to dance... With barely noticeable steps I moved her around the floor... in about a three-feet radius... NOTHING MORE... It is quite an experience when you start the dance in the same place and end it in pretty much the same place as well... with the same people around you, that you have had next to you when you started... And let me tell you, after the whole danda like that, it really creates a special "bonding" between you and your "band of brothers and sisters" who you where "attached by the hip" with in the past few dances...

As a leader, the man really has to pay attention over here... I not only had to listen to the music and my partner, but I had to really tune into the whole environment around me... Guess what, ladies and gentlemen - ganchos and strong boleos here are equivalent to pretty much screaming "I am an egomaniac and have no manners..." And that is absolutely understandable and true! On the dance floor, where there is no place to move, leading ganchos and boleos can be a very dangerous tactic... And, gentlemen, when the lady becomes a "weapon of mass distruction" in your hands, this might not necessarily be the reputation that she would want to uphold :)

I learned it the hard way... getting a little bit carried away, I lead a gancho, but the lady, with a kind smile explained to me that I should stay away from such artistic expressions if I would like to dance in this town again (well, not in so many words, but that definetely was the message... :)

On Friday evening the International Tango Competition is starting... It was a star-spangled night at Niño Bien: Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau, Sergio Cortazzo, Julio Balmaceda & Corina de la Rosa...

And now, I am on my way to check out the afternoon milonga at "Confeteria La Ideal"...

Day Three: One.. Dva.. Tres...

OK, lets put it this way... In Russian there is a saying that many immigrants jokingly use: "You have not learned English yet, but you have already forgot Russian..." My brain somehow switched into Spanish (not like I know it... or anything...), and every time I hear another language it somewhat comes as a surprise! Yesterday, at a milonga a lady, who was also from United States, said something to me in English, and the first thing that poped into my mind was "...hmm, this language sounds kinda familiar..." :))) So, I am in a sittuation where I "... have not learned Spanish yet, But I am starting to forget English..." (OK, OK, Just kidding...) But in all reality, I am used to switchin only between Russian and English, and after meeting a few of my fellow Russians here at the milongas I have to switch from Russian into English, from English into Spanish, from Spanish back into Russian... (not necessarily in the same combination...), and sometimes my brain makes up sentenses in all three languages at the same time, and... by adding a little bit of the "Yiddish Flavour" (guess what, I even got to use a little bit of this one here as well... who knew... :) to it, this makes for quite an interesting conversation!

Yesterday I went to see the show "Tanguera"! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Those of you who are planning to visit Buenos Aires HAVE TO GO SEE IT! Beautiful lighting, beautiful choreography and acting! The show was actually nominated for one of the Theater awards here for best lighting, choreography and music. The score was arranged by the same person who arranged the music for Forever Tango - Lisandro Adrover! Needless to say I came out of the show beyond energized and inspired!

My next stop for the evening was milonga Dandi! That place just "hit home"! Great atmosphere! Very classic setting! Beautiful music! There were not too many people there, yet every table was taken and the floor was pretty crowded! I observed a little and after having a little practice the night before with inviting the ladies to dance with just a nodd of the head, I caught an eye of a milonguera and we hit the floor!

It does take some getting used to dancing without major movements. They man really needs to pay attention. ALL THE LADIES DANCE WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED! ALL! It is up to the man to guide and to watch the dance floor... Any wrong move and you will send a couple next to you into the couple next to them... and then... "the domino effect"... This scene gives such a remarkable opportunity to connect with yourself and to connect with the music and connect with your partner!

In Dandi I met up with a few fellow Russians! They were from different parts of the world, and have done a lot of traveling themselves! It was quite interesting to hear their opinion on Tango in Europe and other countries! All I got to say... I am very much set on tangoing in every country that I can imagine! But... that with time... lets not get too carried away (and trust me, in this city it is quite easy... :)

After Dandi closed, around 3 AM, a few of us moved to "La Nacional" - the milonga that is held at the Italian Association! You know what I life - the contrasts... You go from one very classic place to a scene that is completely different... same night... same music... but a completely different feel! What a joy!

"La Nacional" had a more younger crowd and was PACKED! I danced a little, and sat observing the dancers... The people were a little more "nuevo" over there... More elaborate moves... but... still very small... As opposed to the other milongas where the floor resembled something more of a square, in "Nacional" the floor looks more like a very long rectangle... making the line of dance even more of a challenge for me, than it already is! But, I loved every minute of it!

Something that I think is very instrumental about the tango... EVERY MOTION COUNTS! I am not talking about "moves"... (media vuelta, giro, gancho...) but I am talking about "MOTION"... the shrug of the shoulder... a SLIGHT turn of the foot, a wink of an eyebrow... movement of the ladys hand over the mans shoulder... stuff like that... ALL THESE THINGS ADD SUCH A UNIQUE CHARACTER TO THE DANCE! The floors here are crowded here, and it is NOT about how many steps you know... but what you DO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW... How you can color your dance... what is the "story" that you will tell with your tango or a milonga or vals...

I got home at 5:30 or so in the morning... Fell asleep and got up at around 1... Most of the afternoon I spent in La Boca! Those who are not familiar with it, it is a very historic "bario" (area) of Buenos Aires! It is absolutely beautiful! Old painted buildings, tango performers (I even got to dance with one of the ladies at a restaurant...), gift shops all over the place... art for sale (I even saw a picture of someone I know from Los Angeles!!!!)... It is right next to the port and was one of the first places where immigrants settled at the beginning of the 20th century!

I just got back to the hotel and after a little rest I am planning to go to "Niño Bien"... They say it is a place to be on Thursday nights! They reccomend to get their early and, if possible, make reservations... I am looking forward to it... thats for sure... :)