Tango on the Hudson - Next Saturday Night, August 31

Can it be Labor Day already?  Say goodbye to summer with a bang.  Join us at the magnificent Alpine Pavilion, where Firehouse Tango will dance under the stars on August 30.  It is a magnificent stone, open air structure built in the 1930’s by the WPA, nestled in the forested Palisades directly on the Hudson River, with a huge wood floor made for dancing.  Its protective roof, picnic tables and matchless ambiance make it perfect for eating and dancing rain or shine. 

Special West Coast Swing Workshop with Fran and Pat on September 16! 

When Pat and I ask Firehouse regulars what dance they’d like to learn the most (after Tango, of course), virtually everyone says “West Coast Swing.”  As it happens, we love West Coast Swing, too. In fact, I’ve been teaching West Coast Swing even longer than I’ve been teaching Argentine Tango.

Well, you asked for it. And here it is! On Tuesday, September 16, Pat and I will bring you a very special, 3-hour workshop in the dance you can’t wait to learn -- West Coast Swing. We’ll start right from scratch with the ABCs. We’ll cover all the fundamental 6-count movements, which make up the basics of West Coast Swing. Then, time permitting, we’ll explore some exciting 8-count whip figures, too.

If you’ve never taken a West Coast Swing class before -- or if you’ve had some lessons, but want to brush up on your technique -- this is the workshop for you. Come with or without a partner. Wear comfortable shoes (no sneakers, please). And get ready to have lots of fun, learning this great swing dance.

The date:  Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The time:  7:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.

The cost:   $25 in advance

                   $35 at the door

           The place: Knights of Columbus Hall

                              Maywood, New Jersey

Don’t miss this chance to learn West Coast Swing right here at the Firehouse!

Buenos Aires March 2009 - No Experience Necessary

If you haven't been there, you don't know what you're missing.  Everyone who goes falls in love with the city; and everyone who goes with Firehouse Tango says that we run the best (and friendliest) trip around.

Argentina is still comparatively inexpensive, and you get more "bang for your buck" than almost anywhere else. Not only that, but we guarantee that your dancing will improve exponentially, no matter what level you're at. 

To see pictures of last year's trip on our web site, http://www.firehousetango.com ,

click on Gallery and then choose Buenos Aires Excursion 2008.

 If you want to go to Buenos Aires with us this year, I strongly suggest that you make all of the arrangements immediately.  We can't include transportation, and with the rising price of fuel, airfare is going up every day. 

Our package is only $1975 (double occupancy - Single Supplement $450) and includes everything below.  It's a terrific deal, even after you add the airfare.  

The group leaves on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 10:10 PM and returns on Saturday, March 27 at 8:15 PM.  As I write, the round trip fare for American flights #955/956 is approximately $1200.  However, you may be able to get it or another flight cheaper through one of the discount fare companies.

Let me know now if you are interested in joining us.  You can contact me (Sue) at 201-825-1570 or firehousetango@aol.com.

What’s included?

·         8 nights/ 9 days in Buenos Aires with the friendliest group around

·        Stay at the excellent, centrally located Bauen Suites Hotel

·        Full breakfast every day

·        Transfers to and from hotel (included only if traveling with group)

·        Private group lessons with excellent local teachers (including Monica Paz) and hosts

·        Milongas with local hosts (male and female) who are there just to dance with us

·        City Tour

·        Full day at gaucho ranch with barbeque and show

·        Popular Tango show with dinner

·        Day at San Telmo Flea Market & enough free time for shopping, exploring the city, visiting museums, taking private lessons, visiting milongas on your own or resting (heaven forbid).

·        You most certainly will want to visit a shoe store (shoes cost about 1/3 of their price here).  Prices in Buenos Aires are amazingly low and additional costs will be minimal.

·        Excellent & affordable local teachers (Monica is one of them) highly recommended by us for privately scheduled lessons

·        Plenty of free time to enjoy and explore this fantastic city

Birthdays

No birthdays this week.

Tango Tip of the Week 

Hi everyone, Fran here with your Tango tip of the Week. We’re in the middle of a somewhat in-depth discussion about leading and following ocho. If you’ve just joined us, you can catch up on what we’ve said so far by logging on to the Firehouse Tango Web site, going to the Tango Tips, and bringing yourself up to date.

Last week, Pat wrote in some detail about following the first part of a lead for ocho – the pivot. An important thing for followers to remember, when rotating, is that they must not immediately execute the walk until it is led – as a separate part of the ocho. Many followers automatically take their step at the end of the rotation, without waiting for the lead to walk.

This week, I want to talk about how the leader invites this walk. As the follower is finishing her rotation, he simply turns his upper body in the direction he wants her to go. Responding to this, she will continue from the rotation or pivot into the walking action. (If he doesn’t give her this lead, she will simply stop, turn to face him, and wait for his next invitation. More about this next week.) The actual amount of body rotation the leader needs is somewhere around an inch to an inch and one half.

No more than that!

By giving the follower this small amount of body rotation, the leader is inviting the beginning of her walk. It’s up to her to respond by executing the entire walking action. Leaders often feel that they have to literally carry their partners through the walk – as if their followers will never be able to get to the end of the walk on their own. This is bad dance practice. Tango is a collaboration between leader and follower. The leader provides the invitation to move; the follower responds and executes the move.

Try this lead the next time you want to invite a forward or backward ocho. We’ll talk  about how the follower responds to this invitation to walk next week.

Saturdays with Fran and Pat at Dance Manhattan

For Firehouse dancers who might enjoy a day in the Big Apple on Saturdays, Fran teaches from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. every week. He offers a beginner class in Milonga & Argentine Waltz at 11:00 a.m. as well as an intermediate class in Tango at noon. From 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Fran and Pat host a special beginner/intermediate practice for bringing your skills up to speed. The cost for the practice is $10 per person. (Bringing a partner isn’t necessary.) Fran and Pat are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about your dancing, and to help you with figures you’re working on. If you want to take the classes, call Dance Manhattan at 212-807-0802 to register. For the practice, all you have to do is arrive with $10 and your dance shoes in hand.

See you every Saturday for a full day of Tango!

Lost and Found

A purple jacket, a pair of women's black low dance shoes in a dance bag, and a pair of men's shoes await their rightful owners.  

Reader's Corner

We welcome readers’ contributions about Argentine Tango in general and Firehouse Tango in particular.  Send your thoughts to firehousetango@aol.com

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Joe’s  birthday celebration

Thanks to all of you who sent e mails and cards wishing Joe a happy birthday.  He loved them all.

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Hi from Mary

Hi Jean,Sue, Joe, and Eva,

AND all of my friends at Firehouse,

I have been missing all of you very much. A torn meniscus has had me sitting instead of dancing for the past two months and I am going crazy missing Tango.

Moises and John keep telling me to come anyway, but I don't think they realize what torture it is to sit and listen to the music and NOT dance!!

I will be having surgery on Thursday the 28th of August to finally repair this stupid thing and hopefully, before not too long, I will be back on my feet. 

I will be looking forward to all of you Milongueros to help me get back into the "groove" ~giggle~.

I miss my fellow Tangueras as well.

Please tell everyone I said "Hi".

I'l be hobbling in there soon...

Everyone...Have a fabulous time on the Hudson!!!

Besos,

Mary Dinos
  

Other Argentine Tango happenings

HORA CERO Every third Friday of the month

Jose Fluk & Silvana Brizuela

Workshop:  8:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Performance: 9:30 p.m. -- 12:30 a.m. -- Milonga with authentic music from Argentina

Cost: $17 per person / $28 per couple

Light meal, coffee & cake served

Starlight Dance Center, 7 High Street, Nutley NJ 07110

Asada Milonga – Every second Sunday of every month

A Wonderful Evening of Great Dancing, Great Company and Great Music

Hosted by Greg Lordi and Jean Torsiello.

Community Club of Brookside
1 East Main St., Brookside NJ
Milonga Phone Number - 908.963.6284

Lesson - 6:30 - 7:30

Milonga from 7:30 - 10:??.

Admission is $15 at the door (BYOB).

For more information call 908-221-1033 or 201-585-8346

e mail info@tangoasado.com
Website:  http://www.tangoasado.com

New York – Friday Afternoon Milonga at Triangulo

The Afternoon Milonga at TriANGulO
Fridays 4:30pm to 8:30pm
135 West 20th Street #301 (bet. 6th & 7th Ave)
(212) 633-6445 Admission $10
Dj: djGuy
Hosted by Maura and Richard
More information:
www.TANGONYC.com

MILONGA: 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. with the world’s friendliest tango crowd!!!
 

Join us at the Maywood Knights of Columbus Hall every Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for an evening of Argentine Tango with a sprinkling of Latin and swing.  The Beginner lesson begins promptly at 7:00 p.m. and the Intermediate lesson is at 8:00 p.m.  (It's OK to come a bit early to warm up and get ready.) The milonga follows from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.   We serve a great buffet, and you can bring food and wine, if you'd like.  Admission of $15 covers both the lesson and the milonga. Dress is optional.  No one wears jeans or formal, but you'll see everything in between.  Singles and couples of all ages are welcome.

Send to this email address for additional information.  The Knights of Columbus address is below, and anyone who has questions or needs directions can call Sue Dallon at 201-825-1570, or Jean at 201-585-8346.  If you know anyone who would like to be added to our list or called with information, or if you want to be removed from the mailing list, reply to this email with details.

Sue Dallon

201-825-1570

Cell 201-826-6602

Firehousetango@aol.com

www.firehousetango,com

(Knights of Columbus Hall 105 Grove Avenue, Maywood, New Jersey 07607 - 15 minutes from GWB)

Firehouse Tango is a cooperative venture, run by dancers for dancers.  Our goal is to collectively provide an environment in which everyone who joins us has the chance to dance Tango, to meet other people who dance Tango, and generally to have a really wonderful time.