2445 Keith: Meet in the Middle Tango Festival Mt Vernon MO Aug 6-8
Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 10:01:01 -0500
From: Karen Whitesell <kglass@MO-NET.COM>
Subject: Keith: Meet in the Middle Tango Festival Mt Vernon MO Aug 6-8
Hey, Keith, don't forget me:
https://thelearningdepot.com/murrays-1/tango-festival.htm
https://thelearningdepot.com/murrays-1/tango-schedule.htm
What makes a festival? Huge city? Huge community? Huge distance? Huge Price? Not, to all of the above. What makes a festival is excellent =
dancers, instructors, music, and ambiance. This, I can offer.
Maybe it's the length of time, longer than a weekend, that makes a festival a festival. I'll work on adding more days for next year.
Thanks, Keith, for the update for all there is to do in the tango world and reminding us of the benefits from travel.
If you learn from many, then you will dance with many.
Karen
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:52:27 -0700
From: catmum <catmum@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Meet in the middle
Mt. Vernon, Missouri; August 6-8, 2004
Wow, I am still riding high from this incredible weekend at Mt. Vernon.
Those of you who were there, you know what I speak of... those who
weren't... well, clear your calendars of anything and everything and
absolutely plan on going next year. I have a feeling
word will spread even further and we'll have to register early to
ensure a spot before it fills to maximum capacity.
The PEOPLE:
First of all, over 80 people were registered for the weekend and over
120 attended the Saturday night event. It was truly a "Meet in the
Middle" event... There were dancers from Minneapolis, Tulsa, Austin,
Houston, Chicago, Champaign-Urbana (IL), Boulder, Kansas City, St.
Louis, Springfield (MO & IL), Branson (MO), Fayetteville (AR), Iowa,
Memphis, California, Toronto, and that is just what I can now recall.
People really showed up for this.
What a great opportunity to dance with new dancers…for those who travel
know what I'm talking about, those who haven't traveled to dance yet –
I highly recommend it -- this is like walking into a brand new candy
store – you see the dancers and then, as the evening or weekend
progresses, you get to taste and experience all the new and unexpected
flavors of each new candy. Wow! (And I never knew consuming candy could
made my feet hurt so bad!) People were so friendly and we had time to
meet (or re-meet) and connect over meals and between classes...What a
neat, unique opportunity to bring a lot of people from area tango
communities closer together...! I believe this strengthens
relationships and facilitates more people traveling between local tango
communities for each other's events...we all win!
The PLACE:
Karen Whitesell’s building—- Murray's Vintage Venue --is absolutely
gorgeous. Located in Mt. Vernon, Missouri (population 4,000) on the
town square. It was built in 1893 and restored by Karen in 2000. I had
seen it on the web but pictures simply don't do it
justice. The upstairs is this huge, beautiful ballroom – high ceilings
(original tin) and three crystal chandeliers. Simply the most beautiful
place I have ever danced. There is an outside patio that overlooks the
street outside. The first floor has chairs and tables for eating plus
another smaller mezzanine level overlooking the main floor that was
perfect for a second tango class or private lessons and was used for
additional seating from dinner on Saturday evening. Also, Karen studio
creates stain glass windows and there were many exquisite stained glass
windows of tango dancers – wow!! You have to see this place to believe
it... and to know that Karen, our fellow tanguera/organizer/woman
extradinaire did much of the work renovating herself. Check out her
website to see pictures and details.
The TEACHERS:
Robin Thomas & Jennifer Bratt from NYC, Robert Hauk from Portland, and
Barbara Durr from Atlanta were just awesome... Each couple taught two
workshops on Saturday and one workshop on Sunday and classes before
each of t! he evening milongas. It was so hard to choose between the
two options! I participated in Robin and Jennifer's class on Dancing to
Pugliese – Moments of Silence. It was just absolutely jam-packed with
technique – great for everyone – beginners or more advanced
dancers,leaders and followers. Also, it really played with the music
and showed various ways for both leaders and followers to dance within
the pauses of the music. I heard that their Turning Ocho Cortadas class
was great, as well. I attended Robert and Barbara's Waltz class and
also their Women's Technique class. For the Technique class, we first
did exercises with big stretchy exercise bands, showing how to really
strengthen our hips – very important for balance and strength for the
standing leg of the follower. The classes were all great. I know a
couple of people from the St. Louis group took privates with Robin –
and said he was wonderful – and his privates we! re very affordable.
I was impressed that the teachers (all 4 of them) really danced with
everyone at the milongas both evenings… and, LOL, I heard from one
leader that Robin was one of the best follows he had led that weekend!
The MUSIC:
We had the opportunity to hear Kansas City's fabulous tango band, Tango
Lorca play during dinner and later at the milonga until midnight
Saturday evening. Live tango music is always a treat and they were
absolutely spectacular. Robin DJ'd Friday evening and
Robert DJ'd Saturday after midnight. Great music all around. Karen's
sound system is wonderful.
The FOOD:
I have never been to a tango weekend or workshop where food was
included – there were barbecue sandwiches and pasta salad on Friday
evening. Fruit and fudge from a local fudge maker (absolutely amazing!)
were provided to keep us going during Friday's milonga...Saturday
morning was a wonderful breakfast (ham, biscuits and gravy, assorted
muffins, chocolate dipped strawberries and oranges, and loads of fruit)
lunch Saturday (3 kinds of croissant sandwiches, fruit, homegrown
tomatoes, cookies, chocolates, potato chips) and dinner on Saturday
night (prime rib, spinach dip alfredo pasta, salad, dinner rolls and
about 8 assorted wonderful desserts) plus more food (wraps, fruit,
homemade cookies) after midnight Saturday. Brunch on Sunday included
quiche, coffeecake, bagels and all kinds of goodies. We also received
four drink tickets (wine, beer, soda) that could be used during the
two evening milongas. We also each got to take home a Murray's Vintage
Studio wine glass... Oh yes, and the local ice cream truck came by
every afternoon at 3 p.m.and provided everyone with their choice of an
ice cream treat. All of this included for the incredible weekend price
of under $100 ($60 for students)!
Last but not least, the TANGO…
It was simply wonderful...and there was lots of it. Workshops,
classes, praticas and milongas – Friday we ended at 1:30 a.m. and
Saturday at 3:00 a.m. My feet are still aching Monday afternoon at
work. Good dancers, lots of dancers, and very evenly mixed between
leaders and followers. What more could a tanguera want? Karen's remark,
about going to tango heaven, after her beautiful birthday dance, was
right on the mark.
Thanks to Karen Whitesell for making it all possible – what a lady,
what a place, what an event. See you there next year (Aug 5 -7, 2005).
Warmly,
Rachel Stevenson
St. Louis, Missouri
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 11:24:32 -0700
From: Rachel Stevenson <tangocats@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Meet in the Middle Tango Festival
The Meet in the Middle Tango Festival at Murrays Vintage Venue in Mt. Vernon, Missouri was absolutely fantastic! After last years experience, I didnt think it could get any better. I was wrong it did. Imagine.the gorgeous venue (a renovated historical three story building on a town squarethe top floor was a ballroom featuring huge, arched windows, high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, a beautiful wood floor and stained glass tango art), the dancers (they came from all over the country old friends plus many new faces great dancers everywhere!), the world-class teachers who taught amazing workshops (Robert Hauk & Barbara Durr, Jennifer Bratt & Robin Thomas) and the round-the-clock meals and snacks (an example: Sunday morning brunch consisted of various quiches, apple-filled crepes, fresh fruits, deli meats and cheese and croissants, loads of homegrown bright red tomatoes, plus mimosas in a take-home wine glass with Murrays logo).
On Saturday evening, Tango Lorca played during dinner, then at a tango show and they finished with about an hours music during the Saturday milonga. They were wonderful. I am not much for tango shows (as Im usually just itching to dance myself) but the tango show/concert was an exception in presentation and talent. It was simply phenomenal. The Horseshoe theatre was newly openso new that Karen had varnished the stage floor as of Friday! The theatre was packed--as it was open to the public as well as all of the weekend participants. The show began with Korey Ireland playing bandoneon while his partner Mila Vigdorova sang a beautiful tango song in Spanish. (She is amazing not only is she an incredible dancer/teacher/performer she speaks multiple languages fluently and, as it turns out, she sings, too!) Korey and Mila danced to several numbers and it was delightful to see to see her in a different Mila-signature costume each time. The most memorable performance was a
spectacular number where she and Korey both wore (and danced with, yes - danced!!) beautiful, theatrical masks. The audience was absolutely riveted. Other numbers included dance performances with Ney Melo and Jennifer or Robert and Barbara or Robin and Jennifer, etc etc. All were absolutely amazing and unique. The last song began with dancers Robin & Jennifer, Robert & Barbara, Korey & Mila on the floor and then finally Ney led Karen Whitesell (the organizer, hostess, building renovator, stained glass tango art creator and woman extraordinaire) to the floor and joined the others in a beautiful dance with her. It was a perfect moment in a wonderful weekend. The song ended with thunderous applause and everyone on their feet in a standing ovation crying Otra! Otra! Otra! and these four couples then delighted us with another song. More applause, another ovation and we were all headed back to Murrays to dance at the evenings milonga, with happy hearts and aching feet, until the
wee hours of the next morning.
Thanks a million to Karen Whitesell who made this wonderful event happen Im already looking forward to next years Meet in the Middle tango festival. See you there.
Warmly,
Rachel Stevenson
St. Louis, Missouri
