182  Tangasm Defined - Labor Day in Denver

Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 19:48:44 -0800
From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
Subject: Tangasm Defined - Labor Day in Denver

Friends -

I would like to echo Robin Thomas's well-stated compliments and offer my
sincere, profuse thanks to Tom Stermitz and everyone that had a part in
organizing, hosting, teaching, and otherwise assisting in the Milonguero
weekend in Denver. I am profoundly moved by what I experienced. The event
exceeded any expectation I could possibly have imagined. At times, the
floorcraft, camaraderie, and overall spirit of the dancing was uncanny,
especially after the appropriate and well-presented set of lessons Saturday
afternoon. The event left most everyone including myself absolutely
mesmerized, even the most unflappable and experienced of dancers whom have
danced around the world. There were many personal highlights such as Dan
Diaz's incredibly soulful solo bandoneon performance and the opportunity to
meet many talented, humble dancers from every corner of the US and beyond,
not to mention every single dance I shared, bar none. I really liked the
grass-roots flavor of the event with the overwhelming focus on dancing and
an absolute minimum of hype and distractions, which allowed us to really get
to the core of our own individual tango experiences.

Finally, sincere thanks and appreciation to my fellow dancers who conducted
themselves on the floor as confident, generous, caring humans, and to those
whom I shared many uncommonly wonderful dances with (and for whom this
thanks is desperately inadequate) - you are truly beautiful people. You
are the people who give me lasting inspiration for this dance.

Dan Boccia
Anchorage, AK

Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2001 09:18:21 -0400
From: Phil Ferrigno <Phil.Ferrigno@MAPICS.COM>
Subject: Labor Day in Denver

I want to add my thanks to Tom Stermitz, the Denver Tango community,
teachers, etc. for their efforts in organizing such a wonderful event.
I'll be savoring the memories of it until next Labor day weekend (or
hopefully before) when we can do it again.

The Mercury Cafe with a charm all it's own provided a comfortable setting
that was walking distance from the downtown hotels. What a pleasure it was
not have to worry about transportation at 3:00 AM when the Milongas ended.

Over the course of the weekend the music was inspiring. Every tanda seemed
to be the right one at the right time. Each piece motivated and challenged
me to give my best.

And, of course, there were the tangueras from all parts of the country.
Without taking anything away from our own Atlanta dancers who I think are
some of the best around, many of the tangos I shared with these other
ladies were to die for. From the initial embrace to the final boleo, it
was magical. How great it was to dance with someone that you've never seen
before and have her settle into your arms in a close embrace as if you've
known each other for years. As the dance begins she responds to your every
move. You're thinking "Whoa, this woman can dance!". Soon, you're not
thinking anything, you're just lost in the dance. At the end when the
spell is broken you say WOW to each other without uttering a word.

Best Regards,
Phil