We returned from our Buenos Aires city-tour and rushed to the hotel rooms to get dolled-up for the evening. I had been awake for over 48 hours and didn’t have an iota of energy to keep my eyelids up. Too tired to change, I left the hotel in my dressy black pants and top. Millie decided to stay in.
Milongas in Buenos Aires start at 9PM and heat up around 11PM. I sat next to Nora and had absolutely no energy to dance. A much older gentleman, dressed quite gallantly, approached and gestured toward me for a dance. Out of respect for his age, I could not refuse him. The gentleman was extremely patient and led me with grace. As we were dancing, I could see other dancers give him nods of respect. Now and then, he spoke Spanish to me. I could not understand a word. As the tanda* ended, he took my hand and escorted me to a gentleman who spoke English and asked him to translate. He said, “I have three things to teach you if you want to become a great tanguera.” I nodded that I did.
“First, you must clear your mind completely and not anticipate the leader’s move.” I said, ”¡Si Señor!
“Second, you must relax your body and let the leader direct your moves.” I said, “¡Si Señor!
“Third, never wear pants to a Milonga!”
I nodded, laughed and said, “¡Si Señor! Muchas Gracias, Señors.” He escorted me back to my table, greeted Nora, and left.
Pupi Castello & Sleepless in Buenos Aires
Nora asked me if I knew who the gentleman was. I did not. “He is Pupi Castello**, known as “Teacher of Teachers”, a highly-respected celebrity in the Argentine Tango community.” Also, it was quite unusual for Pupi to ask a stranger to dance.
Later Pupi came back to our table to talk to Nora. I could not resist. I had to tell him how honored I was that he asked me to dance. I did not care how tired I looked, I wasn’t going to lose this photo opportunity!
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*A tanda is a turn of dancing in a milonga, and by association, a set of pieces of music, usually between three and five, that is played for one turn. The most common style is to play four pieces in the tango rhythm tandas, three in the milonga rhythm tandas, and three or four in the vals rhythm tandas.
The music is most commonly tango, milonga or vals.
(More on these three dance rhythms, tango, milonga and vals later.)
Between tandas is played a cortina (Spanish for “curtains”), a musical pause to allow dancers to leave the floor and to serve as a short break between tandas.
**Pupi Castello, who died in 2007, at the age of 73, was one of the tango revival’s most colorful characters. He said the reason he became so good at tango was that he had to, because being short, fat, and ugly, it was the only way to get girls to pay any attention to him. He danced tango since he was 12 years old, traveled extensively in Europe,and was very influential in the development of tango in Santiago and other parts of Chile. He was famous for his solid, steady musicality and balance. He had a very precise methodology for teaching the tango.
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Tango In Paradise – By Artist Misha Lenn
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You are beautiful Fae! I love that you have to clear your mind first.
what a great experience, no wonder you were still energetic after 48h, the adrenaline of the evening was keeping you awake!
You look pretty ravishing there for going without sleep for 48 hours … I have to wait till l ater to read part 6 but looking so forward to it!!!!
I just read the five parts of Tango. I loved it!!! I can’t wait to see what else you’re going to write about. <3