Private Residence Tango

             Tonight, I went to a tango dinner, hosted by a couple who took up the dance a year ago.  They  loved it so much, they decided to give back to the community by hosting a ‘private’ milonga at their house for a few of their friends. There was lots of good food and even a live performance by the hostess and two friends playing tango music on two violins and a piano.

               The dance floor was small but worth mentioning. The room was about fifteen feet wide by twenty feet long. The floor was a combination of oak slats and luan. The oak slats were laid down on the perimeter and the luan made up the interior and a majority of the space. Luan is soft but this was applied in such a way that it did not dent everytime a heel hit it and it was seemless.

               There is a floor like this in Fishtown. I wonder if this is not a technique for building dance floors. Whatever the case, I like it and it is easy on the feet.

               There was lots of food and wine. Various types of chocolates were sitting in boxes strategically placed around the house. A box of salted chocolate caramels was too good to be resisted and I ate four pieces.

               The tango was good. There were plenty of girls to dance with and the leaders made sure they kept the ladies on the floor. It is tough to maneuver in small spaces and I found the challenge rewarding. This is real tango and it forces you to focus more on your partner than on your movements.

               During the performance, the hostess and another woman jousted playfully while they belted out familiar tunes like La Cumparsita, Por Una Cabeza and four or five more. I love to see violinists perform. They remind me of my river guiding days when my hillbilly friends would get together and play blue grass music with fiddles and banjos.

               Near the end of the evening, there was some excellent conversation with my new found friends. We discussed the pros and cons of NYC milongas, as well as the psyche of the Russian woman. It doesn’t get any better than this. I advise all who may be reading this not to miss any opportunity to tango outside the environs of a regular milonga. It can be a real treat, like tonight was for me!