3766 A wonderful weekend in Denver
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 14:20:19 -0700
From: Michael Knowles <binkster@BINKSTER.NET>
Subject: A wonderful weekend in Denver
I just wanted to share with the List my complete satisfaction with Tom
Stermitz's 6th Annual Labor Day Milonguero Festival in Denver. Tom is a
fine host; attentive and considerate as well as practical and determined
that the event keep its focus. I love the fact that this event is
exclusively for dancers who want to work on their close-embrace dancing.
https://www.tango.org/
Even though I have more than five years of tango under my belt, this was
my first time at a Milonguero Festival and I selected the lowest level
of classes (Intermediate) as my track so that I could work on the basics
once again. One of the most memorable Intermediate classes was given by
Avik and Yelena from Ann Arbor -- this class was about slowing down:
single movements that span more than one beat as well as natural pauses
with no motion. Avik and Yelena emphasized leader/follower connection
and the technique of stretching out normally fast steps. They made sure
our energy stayed present by asking the students to stay mindful of
their weight transfer during the entire slow step. They helped us
leaders by extending our pre-lead movements in time so as to indicate to
the follower that the step is going to be more deliberate. They kept
followers from dancing away from the leader by making sure they didn't
auto-complete any indicated steps. I found later during the Festival's
evening dances that such in-the-moment slow steps are a great way to
hold the feeling of intensity on a crowded dance floor. Thank you Avik
Basu and Yelena Silnenikova!
Close-embrace tango was the focus during classes and also at night
during the social dance events. I was very happy to find that the
nightly milongas were largely free of the few dangerously whirling and
scissoring dancers that can plague other milongas I attend in the SF Bay
Area. Floorcraft at the Denver Doubletree milongas was INCREDIBLE with
all the dancers staying in their lanes and keeping their movements low
to the floor and contained to their immediate space. Even when the floor
became crowded, the overall dancing experience remained delightful, not
fearful. The only time that floorcraft levels dropped noticably was
during a co-hosted outdoor event where dancers who weren't part of Tom's
Milonguero Festival came for that one special night. Even then, the
sheer mass of Milonguero Festival participants provided a solid wall of
impenetrable floorcraft skill that forced the few flamboyant show-style
dancers into the center of the dance floor. By the way, if you haven't
ever danced at Denver's Cheesman Park marble collonnade at sunset, you
have been missing what I consider the best outdoor milonga location in
North America. The site is amazing! Here is a link to photos showing the
monumental structure and its atmospheric elegance...
https://www.tango.org/dance/LaborPhotos.html
Another enjoyable Denver experience was hearing Extasis play live for
the dancers at the Mercury Cafe. Extasis' usual violinist was replaced
for this gig by a woman who blended expertly with the rest of the group
even though Evan Orman (bandoneon) announced she was sight-reading the
music. Extasis' dance-oriented live set came after a well-crafted
traditional Argentine DJ set by Ramu Pyreddy where we all discovered how
wonderfully satiny the upstairs dance floor surface is even though it
has a few spots where you'll find age-related and industrial-use flaws
that can trap a high heel. A beautiful and idiosyncratic floor that
feels fabulous as long as the ladies stay up on the balls of their feet.
BIG UP to DJs Robert Hauk, Ramu Pyreddy and Robin Thomas who kept the
dance floors filled each night and who individually struck an
appropriate balance between familiar, popular songs and less-heard but
delightful tunes. You guys are the greatest! The only roar of
disapproval came at the first strains of "La Cumparsita" signalling the
end of Sunday's all-night milonga -- a few of the dancers were NOT ready
to stop, even though the scheduled 6am Monday ending time had been
extended another hour due to the large number of all-nighters willing to
go the distance and beyond! Robin Thomas as DJ asserted his authority by
taking the most demonstrative and vocal gentleman in hand, leading him
to close the final number. Very appropriate at the moment and quite
amusing to the rest of us! A perfect close to a fulfilling weekend.
With fine and friendly folk attending, great music, excellent teaching,
interesting milonga locations and the welcoming atmosphere of Denver's
tango community, I will be looking forward to taking part again in the
future. Denver Tango rocks!
--
Michael 'Bink' Knowles
binkster@binkster.net
www.binkster.net
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 19:34:10 -0700
From: Derik Rawson <rawsonweb@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: A wonderful US tango evening without danger.... Re: [TANGO-L] A wonderful weekend in Denver
Total conformity. A wonderful evening without danger.
Is this what we all should be doing? Derik
--- TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU <binkster@BINKSTER.NET>
wrote:
> I just wanted to share with the List my complete
satisfaction with Tom
> Stermitz's 6th Annual Labor Day Milonguero Festival
in Denver. Tom is a
> fine host; attentive and considerate as well as
practical and determined
> that the event keep its focus. I love the fact that
this event is
> exclusively for dancers who want to work on their
close-embrace dancing.
> https://www.tango.org/
>
> Even though I have more than five years of tango
under my belt, this was
> my first time at a Milonguero Festival and I
selected the lowest level
> of classes (Intermediate) as my track so that I
could work on the basics
> once again. One of the most memorable Intermediate
classes was given by
> Avik and Yelena from Ann Arbor -- this class was
about slowing down:
> single movements that span more than one beat as
well as natural pauses
> with no motion. Avik and Yelena emphasized
leader/follower connection
> and the technique of stretching out normally fast
steps. They made sure
> our energy stayed present by asking the students to
stay mindful of
> their weight transfer during the entire slow step.
They helped us
> leaders by extending our pre-lead movements in time
so as to indicate to
> the follower that the step is going to be more
deliberate. They kept
> followers from dancing away from the leader by
making sure they didn't
> auto-complete any indicated steps. I found later
during the Festival's
> evening dances that such in-the-moment slow steps
are a great way to
> hold the feeling of intensity on a crowded dance
floor. Thank you Avik
> Basu and Yelena Silnenikova!
>
> Close-embrace tango was the focus during classes and
also at night
> during the social dance events. I was very happy to
find that the
> nightly milongas were largely free of the few
dangerously whirling and
> scissoring dancers that can plague other milongas I
attend in the SF Bay
> Area. Floorcraft at the Denver Doubletree milongas
was INCREDIBLE with
> all the dancers staying in their lanes and keeping
their movements low
> to the floor and contained to their immediate space.
Even when the floor
> became crowded, the overall dancing experience
remained delightful, not
> fearful. The only time that floorcraft levels
dropped noticably was
> during a co-hosted outdoor event where dancers who
weren't part of Tom's
> Milonguero Festival came for that one special night.
Even then, the
> sheer mass of Milonguero Festival participants
provided a solid wall of
> impenetrable floorcraft skill that forced the few
flamboyant show-style
> dancers into the center of the dance floor. By the
way, if you haven't
> ever danced at Denver's Cheesman Park marble
collonnade at sunset, you
> have been missing what I consider the best outdoor
milonga location in
> North America. The site is amazing! Here is a link
to photos showing the
> monumental structure and its atmospheric elegance...
> https://www.tango.org/dance/LaborPhotos.html
>
> Another enjoyable Denver experience was hearing
Extasis play live for
> the dancers at the Mercury Cafe. Extasis' usual
violinist was replaced
> for this gig by a woman who blended expertly with
the rest of the group
> even though Evan Orman (bandoneon) announced she was
sight-reading the
> music. Extasis' dance-oriented live set came after a
well-crafted
> traditional Argentine DJ set by Ramu Pyreddy where
we all discovered how
> wonderfully satiny the upstairs dance floor surface
is even though it
> has a few spots where you'll find age-related and
industrial-use flaws
> that can trap a high heel. A beautiful and
idiosyncratic floor that
> feels fabulous as long as the ladies stay up on the
balls of their feet.
>
> BIG UP to DJs Robert Hauk, Ramu Pyreddy and Robin
Thomas who kept the
> dance floors filled each night and who individually
struck an
> appropriate balance between familiar, popular songs
and less-heard but
> delightful tunes. You guys are the greatest! The
only roar of
> disapproval came at the first strains of "La
Cumparsita" signalling the
> end of Sunday's all-night milonga -- a few of the
dancers
=== Message Truncated ===
Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 23:32:11 -0500
From: Michael Figart II <michaelfigart@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re; A wonderful weekend in Denver
In response to Michael Knowles' message of satisfaction with the
Tangofest in Denver, Derik Rawson writes; <<<<<<<<<<Total conformity. A
wonderful evening without danger. Is this what we all should be doing?
Derik>>>>>>>
No, Derik, definitely NOT all of us. The first requirement is to
actually know how to dance Argentine Tango. And then, for this festival,
how to dance socially in a close embrace. And to the contrary, there was
absolutely no conformity other than the fact that we adhered to the line
of dance, and practiced the basic rules of floorcraft. There were as
many styles of Argentine Tango as there were people present. And yes, a
wonderful evening without the danger of being stomped, stilettoed, or
rammed into was very nice.
And many thanks, Derik, for keeping everyone on the list informed of
what Argentine Tango is all about. Your erudite postings provided all of
us "conformists" in Denver with many hours of amusing conversation. In
fact, I got kind of tired of picking up people who had fallen down
laughing.
Warm regards to all my conformist friends, and it really was a wonderful
weekend!
Michael from Houston
--- TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
6075&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b> <binkster@BINKSTER.NET
075&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b> >
wrote:
> I just wanted to share with the List my complete
satisfaction with Tom
> Stermitz's 6th Annual Labor Day Milonguero Festival
in Denver.
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 11:25:24 -0400
From: Richard deSousa <mallpasso@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Re; A wonderful weekend in Denver
It appears Derik still has "foot in mouth" disease... LOL
El Bandito de Tango
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tue, 6 Sep 2005 23:32:11 -0500
Subject: [TANGO-L] Re; A wonderful weekend in Denver
In response to Michael Knowles' message of satisfaction with the
Tangofest in Denver, Derik Rawson writes; <<<<<<<<<<Total conformity. A
wonderful evening without danger. Is this what we all should be doing?
Derik>>>>>>>
No, Derik, definitely NOT all of us. The first requirement is to
actually know how to dance Argentine Tango. And then, for this festival,
how to dance socially in a close embrace. And to the contrary, there was
absolutely no conformity other than the fact that we adhered to the line
of dance, and practiced the basic rules of floorcraft. There were as
many styles of Argentine Tango as there were people present. And yes, a
wonderful evening without the danger of being stomped, stilettoed, or
rammed into was very nice.
And many thanks, Derik, for keeping everyone on the list informed of
what Argentine Tango is all about. Your erudite postings provided all of
us "conformists" in Denver with many hours of amusing conversation. In
fact, I got kind of tired of picking up people who had fallen down
laughing.
Warm regards to all my conformist friends, and it really was a wonderful
weekend!
Michael from Houston
--- TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
6075&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b> <binkster@BINKSTER.NET
075&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b> >
wrote:
> I just wanted to share with the List my complete
satisfaction with Tom
> Stermitz's 6th Annual Labor Day Milonguero Festival
in Denver.
