Inside the Embrace

Index of Archived Topics
 

Everyday Goals
8 May 2008 — Susan Brown

According to Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham once expressed to a friend the thought that he hoped every day to do "something foolish, something creative, and something generous."
 

So Much More
6 May 2008 — Stephen Brown

At Tangri-LA, Johanna Siegmann writes:
"In the universe of the tango embrace, the supreme being is intimacy, not sex."
 

Taking Control of One's Own Development
2 May 2008 — Stephen Brown

At some point, most tango dancers choose not to improve because the cost of developing skills isn't paid back with a sufficient improvement in the quality of the dance experience.  A person with a greater interest in tango or lower development costs may pursue the development of their skills further, but still reaches a point where the additional cost of developing skills outweighs the gains.  In a partner dance, such as tango, the skills of one's potential partners can greatly influence how much furthering one's own skills improves the dance experience.  The return to developing one's own skills is greater when one's potential partners are skillful than when they are mediocre.

The required complementarity of skills in dance partners can lead to a situation in which an entire community remains mired in mediocrity—even though many individual dancers may wish that they and everyone else had better skills.  In an established community dominated by mediocrity, a number of individuals seemingly have stopped their development as tango dancers at a relatively low level.  High costs to developing skills could contribute to such mediocrity.  Maybe the community is mired at a low equilibrium created by group dynamics—and the view that everyone dances with everyone.   Each member of the community thinking strictly of their own enjoyment from dancing stops developing skills when their own additional enjoyment from developing those skills just offsets their own additional costs.  Each person acting individually bears their own development costs but gains only a portion of the improved dance experience.  Some of the benefits are distributed to their partners.  If self-interest dominates as might be expected, individuals don't take into account how their skills affects others and do not pursue the development of tango skills to the point that others in the community would like.  Consequently, each member of the community would like everyone in the community to develop a higher level of skills, but no one individual acting alone will do so.  In addition, highly skilled dancers may find it difficult to keep their skills honed while dancing in a community dominated by mediocre dancers—further reinforcing the mediocrity.

In many activities dominated by mediocrity, those who have the aptitude and the desire to improve often find that a strong personal drive to excel can propel them well beyond where their own community is mired.  But tango is a partner dance, and it is better to find at least one partner who is willing to work together toward the same goals of highly skilled dancing—by taking some private lessons, attending workshops in other cities and practicing a lot.  But even if an individual couple working together succeeds in boosting their skills dramatically, they could find their enjoyment diluted when they dance with others in their own community, or they could find themselves feeling isolated when they no longer want to dance with others in the community who haven't made a similar committment to develop their skills.

Perhaps a better idea is to form a small practice group of both men and women, in which everyone has similar goals, is willing to work and to create a supportive environment for each other.  In addition to practicing together, the group might want to consider organizing lessons for themselves, attending workshops in other cities as a group, etc.   Most importantly, everyone in the group must make a committment to developing a high level of skills for dancing tango.  When the group has succeeded and begins attending milongas in the community, there will be less dilution of the efforts because everyone in the group will have several potential partners from the group with whom dance at milongas.  Moreover, the group's development may act as an impetus for better dancing in the entire community because an increase in the number of better dancers in a community raises the return to improving skills, even for those were outside the group.
 

Some Thoughts about Leading
30 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

Shortly after dancing with Pablo Veron at the 1999 Santa Fe Tango Week a woman told me in a gushing, dazzled tone, "I didn't feel like he led me so much as I felt like he willed my movements."  Ever since then, what she described has been my goal as a leader—finding the balance between strength, grace and gentleness that conveys the lead in such a way that the woman doesn't feel at all pushed around, that she has a good idea what I am trying to have us accomplish, and that she is able to express her own voice.

On Tango-L, Tom Stermitz provides a list of the many ways to lead a woman's movement::
    - leader changes weight
    - follower steps on the slow beat unless prevented
    - leader shifts axis
    - leader lifts shoulder (uggh!)
    - leader bends axis
    - leader settles hips
    - leader pushes hips out
    - leader rotates (spirals)
    - leader rotates (pivots)
    - leader lifts and set down follower with arm
    - leader uses tummy to lift and set down
    - leader uses hands to move follower

Tom says that he uses all of the techniques on the list except shoulder lifts and axis bending.  He doesn't like these two for tango.  He adds, "The good leader uses multiple techniques at the same time, which can make the lead extremely subtle, yet extremely clear."  What Tom describes sounds to me a lot  like willing her movements.

I have taken a somewhat broader approach to learning how to lead, but one that is consistent with Tom's list.  As I see it, nearly all of the lead as conveyed by movement of the man's torso, regardless of style.  The man's right arm sometimes adds reinforcement as an extension of his torso's movement, but without any rigidity or sense of pushing.  Use of the hand in leading is usually reserved to signal a few of the occasions when the follower is asked not to shift her weight as the man moves.  There may be other exceptions, but nearly all uses of the hand to lead that I have seen taught are completely unnecessary and potentially unpleasant for the follower.  Dropping or lifting a shoulder or bending the axis can take away from the perceived quality of movement in tango.  The voice is not used for leading.

Whether one wants to pursue Tom's detailed list or take my broader approach as an avenue for developing leading skills, it seems appropriate to explore and be conscious about how each of the leader's movements contributes to the intended lead, and then develop a body sense for the appropriate leading movements.  Either way, I see the goal as being the same—finding the balance between strength, grace and gentleness that conveys the lead in such a way that the woman doesn't feel at all pushed around, that she has a good idea what the leader is trying to have them accomplish, and that she is able to express her own voice.
 

Gender Imbalance in Tango
24 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

In Dallas/Fort Worth area, the tango community seems to have a roughly equal balance between men and women.  In some North American cities, the gender balance in the tango communities can be quite unequal, usually with more women than men.

On Tango-L, Tom Stermitz provides some insight about why that happens:
"In the beginner classes, the gender ratios are always close to 50/50.  The problem is in the upper level classes.  I don't want to be harsh, but look at the Adv-beginner and Intermediate classes for the different teachers in one community.  Some are 50/50 some are 80/20.  In other words, the problem is methodological and intentional (or ignorant).

"Retention rates in tango are low, so the filtering process is determines the gender ratios.  Out of a new beginner class, maybe 90% quit.  If the rejection rate is unbalanced, say 90% women and 95% men, the teacher is creating double the number of women. In other words, the filtering is so drastic that very small changes in the filtering process has a huge effect down the road."

Tom also offers some specific suggestions for retaining men in his Tango-L post.
 

It Takes Two Minds to Tango
23 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

According to Judi Neal at Edgewalkers, "[A]n edgewalker is someone who walks between two worlds."  At Boundary Crosser, Carol Ross describes a boundary crosser as someone traveling in many worlds, fitting in none.

At Boundary Crosser, Carol Ross wrote:
"To find a group of natural boundary crossers, join a community of tango dancers.

"I recently attended a friend's 50th birthday party ... What had not changed [about my friend] was his distinctive, rich voice, his engineering-oriented career, and his love of tango. ... In fact 90% of the party goers were [his] fellow tango dancers. ... The first part of the evening was spent talking to tango enthusiasts, about how they got started, where they dance, why they love it so much, and what they do when they are not dancing.  During the second half of the evening, I was the keen observer of what makes this dance so magical, from the outfits worthy of a serious whirl on the floor, to the smooth moves from plenty of experts in full body motion.  It was full immersion into another world for one evening.

"[I]t turned out most people at the party had been practicing tango, consistently, for five or more years. ...  People don't take up the dance lightly.  And like my friend, most had long-time careers in something completely different.  The woman who sat across from me at dinner ... remarked how tango dancers fall into two camps—those in the 'touchy feely' professions (e.g., musicians, massage therapists, artists, nurses) and those in analytical professions (e.g., software developers, product managers, network administrators). She explained that it takes both sides of the brain to do tango and only those who can make the leap to the 'other side' become good at it.

"The dance takes close communication between the partners. ... It turns out that alot of the communication comes through the chest. ... If this wasn't complicated enough, there is no percussion in tango music. Finding the beat can be a challenge for newbies. Other oddities I observed included full stops in the dancing--complete pauses that are timed to integrate seemlessly with the rest of the movement—and a swiveling of the female hips reminiscent of a secret handshake. ... Unlike the stereotype of tango as a movement of wild abandon, I observed it to be a thinking and sensing person's dance, one requiring whole brain thinking."
 

Being Original
22 April 2008 — Susan Brown

"Be regular and orderly in your life like bourgeois, so that you may be violent and original in your work."  Gustave Flaubert
 

Exploring Movement
22 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

"To create a space where a person can explore his or her movement in a safe place is much more important on any level of dancing than the moves or technique."  Nina Pesochinsky
 

Kinesthetic Sense
21 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

On Tango-L, Nina Pesochinsky wrote:
"If someone is comfortable with his/her own body, there is nothing and no one that can 'make' this person to be uncomfortable.  What happens instead is that people ignore their discomfort in the regular life activities, move themselves out of the body and into the head, and stay there until they arrive to tango.  Tango is just a mirror of what is already there.

"Walking in Buenos Aire is good for tango, true.  But what is much better is to ride the old Mercedes buses.  If you can keep your balance without holding on to anything, and do it every day, the tango improves dramatically. :)

"That 20 year old bodies are better than 40 year old bodies.  Not true.  20 year old bodies are ignored and disconnected usually because the person is some place else.  If one has been doing something with his or her own body since the age of 20, and has been doing it for 20 years (not tango, but something that involves some consistent and purposeful cultivation of the body), his or her body will be much, much better at 40 than at 20..  The problem is that many people arrive to tango after their bodies had fossilized, and after living in their heads for decades.

"The longer I dance, the less I understand who is a beginner and who is advanced.  I believe that the problem is tango dimentia that sets in after some time of dancing—one sort of forgets the way home and it does not matter. :)

"Tango alone cannot teach a person to move and to be connected with the body.  Other things are needed.  There is a reason why people come to tango.  More often than not it is subconscious.  But each person does know what he/she needs or wants and is able to pursue it, if the conditions are right.  To create a space where a person can explore his or her movement in a safe place is much more important on any level of dancing than the moves or technique.

"When people begin to dance, something important and big has already began to happen to their psyche.  Some call it the emergence of the authentic self.  It is a process for everyone.  I believe that it is a very painful process.  All transformations are painful.

"I believe that if a tango teacher recognizes that such a transformation is taking place in his or her students, he or she can tend to the space that is needed, and the trust that gets built, and gently help them move.  It is amazing to see the incredible speed with which people learn tango in these conditions.  The role of the teacher then become that of helping a person to emerge authentic in the dance."
 

Troileana
14 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

In the liner notes for her CD Troileana, Liliana Barrios wrote:
"[Anibal] Troilo was a passionate admirer of [Carlos] Gardel and spent his life fathoming the depths of the soul that had already been mapped out by the Mute One.  For this purpose, he used his musical genius and the compass of his poets.  Troilo, whose openess and generosity was legendary, was very parsimonius in his choice of lyricists: only the best would do.  And, if truth be told, a considerable part of great Argentine poetry can be found in tango lyrics.  Poetry that in Troilo's pieces carries the power of lived experience.

"This Gardelian exploration undertaken by Troilo and his friends lights up the the Golden Age of tango-song.  Tango that is felt through the music, imagined in the lyrics and danced by our feet.  This is the tango that I wish to celebrate in Troileana.

"Troilo's repetoire is magnetic, substantial, demanding.  It is demanding on the listener because these tangos make you (almost, almost) want to slit your wrists.  It is demanding on the musician because while its technical difficulty is first of all imposing, once this has been mastered, it must be abandoned in order to reach the emotion.  And it is demanding on the singer, who must embark on a rollercoaster ride of high and low notes, rapture and silence, coarseness and tenderness.

"If anything, I have attempted to interpret these pieces with truth.  With depth of feeling.  As if they were my own veins."

For more information, about Liliana Barrios and Troileana, see www.lilianabarrios.com.ar.
 

Close-Embrace-Style Tango at a Crossroads?
12 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

The terms used to describe styles of tango are not uniform.  What one person calls "close-embrace-style tango" another might call "milonguero-style tango"—neither term necessarily referring to the way that milongueros dance tango.  Whichever of these two term is used, what is meant is an attempt to teach a form of tango that is more suitable for dancing socially than for show.

On Tango-L, Trini de Pittsburgh (aka Trina Regaspi) wrote:
"It seems to me that we may now be at a crossroads.  The close-embrace 'movement' began as an answer to more show-style teaching methods (complicated patterns, open-embrace, etc.).  As close-embrace became better appreciated, taught, and practiced in the U.S., it started to incorporate some nuevo elements.  Both styles encouraged vocabulary that was organic.  However, the close-embrace that I see most of the time is different from the style that I see the milongueros do.  The milongueros do a lot of basic steps but add a lot of footwork for musicality.  But now that close-embrace (in whatever form) has become more of the norm, are we now interested in it becoming more showy?  I've noticed that it's the beginning women who want to do the showy steps (boleos, volcadas, leg wraps), and the men oblige them.  And I can see it heading back to where we started—show tango."

For some related thoughts, see On Style and Styles (4).
 

On Style and Nuevo Tango
4 April 2008 — Stephen Brown

On Tango-L, Nina Pesochinsky wrote:
"There is a huge confusion about 'styles' in tango.  Some 'styles' are nothing more than bad form, bad technique, and, on the whole, bad dancing. ... People often select a 'style' without having the technique to build it on.  Dancing in a 'style' without a technique is a lie, a cheap immitation of something that could be fabulous.

"I am all for tango nuevo in good form with technique and a lot of training. ... Gustavo, Fabian, Chicho and some others have technique that allows them to have a true style, chosen by them and not by default because they cannot do anything else.  Most of those who imitate [Gustavo, Fabian, Chicho] and call themselves 'nuevo' dancers usually do not have such technique, tend to be quite lazy in regard to mastering the dance in a technical sense because they cannot dance anything else, are usually aweful to dance with, look terrible and  appear to be deaf, since most of the movements tend to happen outside of the music.

"Originally, nuevo tango was something very exciting.  We all did it and worked like demons.  And loved it.  Now it is just a lot of bad dancing (with a few exceptions)."

For some related thoughts, see Incomplete Education, Approaches to Learning and Authenticity, and On Style and Styles (4).
 

Seduced by Tango
25 March 2008 — Stephen Brown

Seduced by Tango (aka Tango Seduction) is a feature-length documentary hosted by Robert Duvall and intended for PBS broadcast.  It follows acclaimed Tango artist Pablo Veron as he works with non-professional dancers from around the world.  Each of the dancers is from a different culture, and each has a different story to tell.  Although their differences might be profound, tango is what unites them as they work together toward a common goal: to perform tango at a milonga in Buenos aires, the birthplace of Tango.  Along the way, the viewers come to understand the dramatic history of tango as dance, music, and a metaphor for human connection.

In the video about Seduced by Tango, the producer/director Catherine Tatge says, "Tango has spread all over the world, and the passion that people have for it is just remarkable.  I mean once you start dancing tango, it's like you can't stop."

Do you dance tango socially?  Have you been seduced by tango?  Has your life been changed by your association with tango?  If so, you and your dance partner may be able to participate in the making of a feature-length documentary film, led by Emmy Award winning director Catherine Tatge.  For information about participating in the film, see the Tango Seduction or Seduced by Tango websites.
 

Argentine Nights
18 March 2008 — Stephen Brown

Can anything match Argentine Tango for first, second, third or lasting impressions?  This picture accompanies "Argentine Nights" an article in the March 16 issue of the New York Times about expatriates and various aspects of Buenos Aires nightlife including tango.
 

Improvising
7 March 2008 — Stephen Brown

"The greatest improvisers of all time spend their effort not on improvising but on practice."  Chris Kimball (of America's Test Kitchen)
 

Orquesta Color Tango in Dallas (2)
2 October 2007 — Stephen Brown

In Dallas for its fourth time, Orquesta Color Tango played a great concert on Friday, September 28 and an unbelievably wonderful milonga on Saturday, September 29.  Most who attended the milonga thought it was the best they had ever been to.  The Dallas Arts Center was a great venue with a spacious dance floor filled with hundreds of people, a high ceiling, crystal chandeliers, fabulous decorations, and windows that looked out at the City of Dallas and the lights of the State Fair of Texas.  The orchestra played wonderfully, and the sound system was first rate.  It was  fantastic to see everyone—old friends, new friends and strangers—dressed for the occasion and dancing to Orquesta Color Tango's music.

For a reminder of Color Tango performing, see these YouTube videos (filmed last year in Buenos Aires):
Nonino, Emancipación, Malena.

Also see Creative Tango's Color Tango webpage.
 

All Things
24 August 2007 — Susan Brown

"Be really whole and all things will come to you."  Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
 

Where to Buy Shoes in Buenos Aires
12 February 2007 — Stephen Brown

For those visiting Buenos Aires, buying new tango shoes is often a must.  On Tango Noticias' Forums, Janis Kenyon—a tango dancer and long-time resident of Buenos Aires—offers a very comprehensive list of places to buy tango shoes (organized by neighborhood).

Abasto:
Susana Artesanal — Anchorena 537 (phone 4865-3713)
Mala Yunta — Anchorena 563 (phone 4867-2457)
Lolo Gerard — Anchorena 607 (phone 4962-3860)
Madreselva — Corrientes 3190 (phone 6311-4466)
Tango 8 — Anchorena 602 (phone 4864-0471)

Almagro:
Greta Flora — Gascon 896 10-C (phone 4861-0539/cell 15-4991-8428 or 15-4399-3385)

Balvanera:
Susana Artesanal — Riobamba 448  (phone 4953-6874)
Neo Tango —  Sarmiento 1938 (phone 4951-8694)
Tango Leike — Sarmiento 1947

Caballito:
Candela — Bravard 1194 by appt. only (phone 4854-0990)

Colegiales:
Delia Gardel — Virrey Loreto 3124 (phone 4552-9661)

Flores (far from downtown):
Le Tango - Pergamino 1423 (phone 4612-1850/cell 15-5153-7580)

Palermo Viejo:
Fattomano — Guateamala 4464 (phone 4832-3156)

Retiro:
Comme il Faut — Arenales 1239 #3M (phone 4815-5690)

San Nicolas (downtown):
Centro Artesanal del Tango — Suipacha 256 (phone 4326-5377)
Darcos — Suipacha 259 (phone 4326-0232)
Flabella — Suipacha 263 (phone 4322-6036)
Scarpe Mahara — Suipacha 332 (phone 4328-3528)
Bailarin Porteño — Suipacha 251 (phone 4390-4067)
Tango Brujo — Esmeralda 754 (phone 4325-8264)
Mirtha Paulo — Esmeralda 461 (phone 4328-5970)
Victorio — Montevideo 224 (phone 4375-0237)
Alanis — Av.  R. Saenz Pena 936 (Diagonal Norte)

San Telmo:
Delie Shoes — Piedras 843 (phone 4300-8521)
Aurora Lubiz —  Carlos Calvo 960  P.B. 3 (cell 15-5699-3537)
Artesanos para el Tango — Av. San Juan 410 (phone 4300-9845)
Artesanias Ar-Sil — Avenida Juan Garay 908 (phone 4362-3936)

Villa Urquiza (far from downtown):
Linda's - Lugones 4110 (phone 4542-4750/4546-2642)
 

The Greatest Ideas
25 January 2007 — Stephen Brown

"The greatest ideas you will ever have are the ones that other people don't understand."  Craig McCaw
 

Hit and Run Milonga Through Christo's Gates
28 February 2005 — Stephen Brown

The last day that Christo's Gates were to stand in Central Park (Sunday, February 27), New York City tango dancers met at Bethesda Fountain at 1 p.m. to hold a hit and run milonga through the Gates.  Festooned in shiny blue scarves, the dancers performed to recorded tango music played on a boom box and speakers pulled through the Gates on a small luggage cart.

One of the organizers, Lucille Krasne, offered the following guidelines for successful hit and run milongas: "free or cheap space, open to public, little or no red tape, interesting environment.  And run or tango away quickly when chased by cops."  Busted by a park ranger for playing amplified music sans permit, the milonga came to an end after about two hours of dancing, but not before everyone involved had a wonderful time.

On Tango-L, Jennifer Bratt wrote, "[The Gates] made the bleak winter landscape of Central Park come alive, not just with vibrant color, but with crowds and crowds of people from NYC and from all over the world.  The pathways were crowded with all sorts of characters (the least strange of which were the tango dancers with blue scarves); and everywhere total strangers were talking to each other about the Gates, the sunny day, whatever."  To more see pictures of the hit and run milonga, see Jennifer Bratt's webpage Tango through Christo's GATES in Central Park, NYC.
 

2008 Archive
    Everyday Goals, 8 May 2008
    So Much More, 6 May 2008
    Taking Control of One's Own Development, 2 May 2008
    Some Thoughts about Leading, 30 April 2008
    Gender Imbalance in Tango, 24 April 2008
    It Takes Two Minds to Tango, 23 April 2008
    Being Original, 22 April 2008
    Exploring Movement, 22 April 2008
    Kinesthetic Sense, 21 April 2008
    Troileana, 14 April 2008
    Close-Embrace-Style Tango at a Crossroads?, 12 April 2008
    On Style and Nuevo Tango, 4 April 2008
    Seduced by Tango, 25 March 2008
    Argentine Nights, 18 March 2008
    Improvising, 7 March 2008
    To Dance Tango, 21 February 2008
    Why He Did It, 06 February 2008

2007 Archive
    Blogging: Truth or Truthiness?, 26 November 2007
    What Is a Master?, 17 November 2007
    Orquesta Color Tango in Dallas (2), 2 October 2007
    Orquesta Color Tango in Dallas, 20 September 2007
    All Things, 24 August 2007
    Staying Alive, 23 August 2007
    Education, 22 August 2007
    Finding Our Own Tango, 6 August 2007
    Tango Is Simple, 1 August 2007
    Who We Were Meant To Be, 1 August 2007
    The Woman's Role in Tango (2), 1 August 2007
    On Perfection and Heaven, 31 July 2007
    Practicing for Effective Dancing, 31 July 2007
    The Woman's Role in Tango, 26 July 2007
    The Embrace and Tango, 24 July 2007
    Open or Close Embrace?, 24 July 2007
    Tango Festivals and Approaches to Learning, 23 July 2007
    Learning the Structure of Tango, 23 July 2007
    The Structure of Tango, 20 July 2007
    Approaches to Learning and Authenticity, 19 July 2007
    Authenticity, 19 July 2007
    StepMeisters Abound, 16 July 2007
    Invierno Porteño, 5 June 2007
    Tamango on YouTube, 26 February 2007
    Otoño Porteño, 12 February 2007
    Where to Buy Shoes in Buenos Aires, 12, February 2007
    Illegal File Sharing Doesn't Affect CD Sales, 12, February 2007
    The Greatest Ideas, 25 January 2007
    Headlines and the Human Body, 24 January 2007

2006 Archive
    On Differing Styles and Overtraining, 17 November 2006
    Changes in the Tango Scene, 9 November 2006
    Bridge to the Tango Videos To Be Discontinued, 6 November 2006
    What the Bleep is Tango?, 9 October 2006
    An Interview with Roberto Alvarez of Color Tango, 8 September 2006
    Dancing, 31 August 2006
    Argentine Tango: The Way You Dance It, 16 June 2006
    Finding Self-Expression and Freedom in Argentine Tango, 16 June 2006
    North American Tango Festival Update, 14 June 2006
    Evolution, 8 June 2006
    Becoming an Expert, 6 March 2006
    Destiny, 14 February, 2006
    Knowledge and Wisdom, 1 February 2006
    Tango Workers or Dancers?, 10 January 2006
    North American Tango Festival Update, 1 January 2006

2005 Archive
    Are Disagreeable People Entertaining?, 30 December 2005
    Will Your Dreams Come True in Buenos Aires?, 21 December 2005
    North American Tango Festival Update, 1 December 2005
    Dancing Tango Boosts Brain Function, 21 November 2005
    Familiarity Breeds Comfort, 21 November 2005
    The Music Is Essential 21 November 2005
    Dancing to the Classics, 21 November 2005
    Is Argentine Tango Changing?, 21 November 2005
    The Joys of Simple Tango, 9 November 2005
    Finding the Best Style of Tango, 2 November 2005
    North American Tango Festival Update, 1 September 2005
    Developing Skills for Social Dancing, 12 August 2005
    On Style and Styles (4), 12 August 2005
    The Dance, 10 August 2005
    On Style and Styles (3), 10 August 2005
    On Style and Styles (2), 9 August 2005
    On Style and Styles, 8 August 2005
    Seduction or Imposition? (3), 27 July 2005
    Seduction or Imposition? (2), 27 July 2005
    Seduction or Imposition?, 26 July 2005
    Hidden Tango Conversations, 25 July 2005
    Finding Connection (4), 25 July 2005
    Finding Connection (3), 22 July 2005
    Finding Connection (2), 22 July 2005
    Finding Connection, 21 July 2005
    Incomplete Education, 19 June 2005
    The Invitation to Dance in Buenos Aires, 11 May 2005
    Resolving Problems, 11 May 2005
    Tango to Evora (Alternative Tango), 19 April 2005
    Why We Dance Tango, 16 March 2005
    Hit and Run Milonga Through Christo's Gates, 28 February 2005
    Tango: The Spirit of Argentina, 25 February 2005
    Cultural Values and Styles of Argentine Tango, 20 February 2005
    Tango Is (Fill in the Blank), 10 February 2005
    Asfalto, 4 February 2005
    Roles and Relationships in Argentine Tango, 1 February 2005
    North American Tango Festival Season Underway, 31 January 2005
    Milongas in Buenos Aires Reopening, 28 January 2005
    Being A Follower on Axis in All Styles, 18 January 2005
    Dancing to the Music (4), 1 January 2005

2004 Archive
    Dancing to the Music (3), 30 December 2004
    Dancing to the Music (2), 20 December 2004
    Dancing to the Music, 17 November 2004
    El Arranque on Tango Fusion and Other Approaches, 10 November 2004
    A Tango Festival during Thanksgiving in Austin, TX, 27 October 2004
    Robert Duvall in Dallas, 27 October 2004
    How Am I Not Myself?, 26 October 2004
    Some Tango-Fusion Music to Consider, 12 October 2004
    Bravery, 17 September 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer (4), 9 September 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer (3), 8 September 2004
    Beginners Taught by Masters, 7 September 2004
    Some CDs for Learning About Tango Music, 23 August 2004
    La Yumba, 20 August 2004
    Argentine Tango Survey, 17 August 2004
    The Road Not Taken, 12 August 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer (2), 9 August 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer, 6 August 2004
    Excellent Teachers, 16 July 2004
    Art as an Expression of Oneself, 16 July 2004
    Tango Terminology, 15 July 2004
    What's New?, 22 June 2004
    To Embrace, 13 June 2004
    Shall We Dance?, 10 June 2004
    Denver TangoFest Recap, 9 June 2004
    Techno Tango, 3 June 2004
    Denver TangoFest Photos, 3 June 2004
    No Right or Wrong in Tango, 3 June 2004
    Stretching Exercises for Tango Dancers (2), 2 June 2004
    Intelligent Dancing, 2 June 2004
    Stretching Exercises for Tango Dancers, 1 June 2004
    Tango Takes to the Air in Colorado, 1 June 2004
    Leading and Following, 28 May 2004
    More on Dancing at Tango Festivals (3), 28 May 2004
    Tango Animation Online, 26 May 2004
    More on Dancing at Tango Festivals (2), 25 May 2004
    More on Dancing at Tango Festivals, 25 May 2004
    Inside the Dream: Celebrating Women Who Dance Tango, 24 May 2004
    Inside the Dream, 24 May 2004
    Dancing at Tango Festivals, 23 May 2004
    The Summer Tango Festival Season Is Upon Us, 23 May 2004
    The Best Teachers, 23 May 2004
    Cliquishness at Milongas, 19 May 2004
    Lao-Tzu on Leadership, 19 May 2004
    Teaching the Inner Essences of Tango, 18 May 2004
    What About Leading?, 18 May 2004
    The Gift of Tango, 17 May 2004
    Following Doesn't Describe the Role, 17 May 2004
    Why Biased Views Are Self Perpetuating, 15 May 2004
    Ultimate Partnering, 14 May 2004
    On Seeking Heaven Rather than Perfection, 14 May 2004
    American, Argentine and International Tango, 14 May 2004
    What Appeals to Today's Tango Dancer, 13 May 2004
    Dancing with Grace, 13 May 2004
    Yin and Yang of Tango, 13 May 2004
    Developing Ease, 13 May 2004
    Dancing in the Music, 13 May 2004
    Dancing on the Beat, 13 May 2004
    Open Architecture and Tango, 13 May 2004
    On Language and Tango, 13 May 2004
    Developing Mastery, 13 May 2004
    Developing Their Own Style, 13 May 2004
    A Tender Embrace, 13 May 2004
    Open Embrace, Soft Embrace, 12 May 2004
    Intensifying the Experience of Tango, 11 May 2004
    Why Goldern Age Music Still Dominates Milongas, 5 May 2004
    The Meeting of Two Personalities, 3 May 2004
    Approaches to Teaching and Learning Tango, 30 April 2004
    Taking Tango Styles to Extremes, 24 April 2004
    Rhuummmp and Ric Tic, 23 April 2004
    Dancing Tango in Tight Spaces, 13 April 2004
    Partitioning the Dance Floor to Accomodate Different Styles, 12 April 2004
    The Sweet Zone of Tango Rhapsody, 11 April 2004
    Nostalgia for the Bohemian Ideal, 6 April 2004
    Tango Chooses You, 5 April 2004