L'Apertura

I came across this short film on youtube, while digging for, yes you guessed it, tango related videos.:)
For those of you who have not seen it yet. Here is some info on it:
La Apertura
Daniel's big chance to get everything he wants—his dream, his love, a way out of his poor Buenos Aires Province—has finally arrive Daniel's big chance to get everything he wants—his dream, his love, a way out of his poor Buenos Aires Province—has finally arrived. But at what price?

Awards
Zinebi Festival of Documentary and Short Film, Spain - Best of the Festival Audience Award

Festivals
La Biennale di Venezia
Clermont-Ferrand
Cinequest
Seagate Foyle
DIBA
Seattle
Arcipelago
River
Aye Aye
Silhouette
Ismailia

Tango and its caricature

Well, its hell of a caricature, but its funny to watch...

I wonder...

I wonder about one thing.. I have been reading different posts and everyone talks about how milongas are in BsAs and how the non-Argentines should prepare this or that way, or about what to expect, or misconceptions and misperceptions etc... I find all of this actually very interesting, on one hand I can see how some of it can be very very useful, on the other hand, I have not been to BsAs yet, hopefully next year, but I cannot help but think, perception is a weird thing, and no matter what I read, I am sure what I experience will be quite different than what I expect.
Having said that I am curious about one thing... What do milongueros who experienced milongas abroad think about those milongas? What would an argentine milonguera think about a milonga in NY or Montreal? How is it different? Do they like them? Are there things that these milongas abroad have innovated that they find novel, interesting, nice?
I wonder... I know that for many milongueros or tangueros (aside from those who are teaching across the world) travelling abroad is very expensive and I am sure not many of them can afford that. I wonder about those who have experienced it, what do they think???

Sitting and thinking....

Just got back form Tango de los Muertos in Boston... Great.. Influx of emotions, seeing old friends... Making some acquintances into new and close friends... Making some good old friends into mere acquintances. Evolution of my tango experience, along with my life and friendships...
Tired, sore...Filled with bliss non the less.. This is why I love tango...
But here is a question for you.. Do you think these kinds of festivals make us younger or older? I mean, going to bed at 7 am three nights in a row, during a regular weekend, Flying long distances for tango, sleeplessness, aches and pains on my back and feet, blisters... Dancing until I feel like I am no longer dancing, but in some sort of a trans, whirling like dervishes...
Have much to reflect on. Cannot write what I have not yet internalized. Give me some time:)
But I wanted to share this beautiful thing on Youtube. I want to share that with you. 500 years of women in paintings... It is really beautiful. Seeing it made me think a little. Many artists throughout centuries tried to capture the woman in a moment, in a mood, in a mind set. What is beautiful is that their cumulative efforts really truly captures what a woman is. I see my self in every sort of mood in this presentation, ever so changing, some times ugly, sometimes pretty, sometimes shy sometimes promiscuous, sometimes strong and sometimes vulnerable, happy and sad....
Take a look:

Tango as a force of life...

Tango is not a dance but all sorts of things for me. Its music, and not just any music, its music that is able to tell a compelling story in 3 minutes, as Placido Domingo indicates in the previous post. It is poetry. It is emotion. its a juxtaposition, where simplicity and complexity fall in love...

Tango is the wardrobe, the shoes for me. Tango is the hair, the shower I take before the milonga, and the one after. Tango is the eyeliner, the dress. Tango is the parfume, the cologne, tango is the pheromone.

Tango is the embrace for me. it is powerful enough to make me leave my excess baggage and hang ups at the entrance of a milonga. Through tango, I embrace a total stranger, with the attempt to create an inner connection. It has the power to peel the layers that we so carefully build, trying to harden ourselves against the blows of life.

As the music peels my layers one by one, I realize how great it is to feel again, to breath, to loosen up. The more vulnerable I am, the better the connection, the lighter the step, the prettier the melody, the more tender the embrace.

Tango is the women: old and young, sometimes irresistible, sometimes needy, sometimes pouting, sometimes full of life,sometimes seducing, sometimes shy, but never dull, always dramatic...

Tango is the men: Sometimes tender, sometimes forceful, sometimes wise and sometimes childlike, sometimes insecure and yet armed with the strength to make you feel safe in their arms. Tango, with its embrace, allows us women and men to take care of each other.

Tango is the community, with its gossip, rivalries, jealousies, with disagreements, but also with its solidarity and diversity.

Tango has the power to make life seem more vivid for me. It makes me more sensitive to everything. In any other circumstance, I could not bear to hold a sweaty man (whom I do not know at all) that close to my self.:) In any other circumstance, I don't think I could tolerate spending hours, in a badly lit, sometimes smoky, definitely
humid environment with an intense crowd, whirling like dervishes. In any other circumstance, I would have taken those heels off way before. Tango is my pain killer. So tango gives me the power to bear things beyond my capacity, or what I think is my capacity. It pushes my limits, it expands my horizons. Actually that makes me think, is it because I am in a trans, like the dervishes, who whirl without getting dizzy?

So, by the end of a perfect milonga, when I get out on the street, with my aching feet, my not-so-well hearing, my palpitating heart, I feel like I am breathing the fresh air for the first time. That is why it feels so good to breath in the cold air in the winter. That is why it feels good to walk outside after amilonga in the summer.

Next time you get out of a milonga, ask your self, why does it feel so damn good to hurt? To pass your bed time? To be dehydrated? To fall in and out of love?
For me it feels so damn good because tango is a force of life for me... And for you?

miercoles, jueves, viernes, PLACIDO DOMINGO...

If there is one person I want to meet in this world its Placido Domingo. And you know what, it makes me feel so good to know that someone as talented amazing as him also appreciates tango:) Here is to Placido Domingo, here is to tango!

Tragicomic...

Ok, here is the perfect example.. Bad posture, complete choreography, lack of connection, lead, follow, and most apparent to even a nontango dancer, lack of grace!
My god!!! I got tears from laughing as I was watching it...
Thanks to Alex for posting it:
http://alextangofuego.blogspot.com/2007/09/bad-tango.html