A week in the life of

I did go to the Men’s Technique class at 15:00 (and very fine it was, too) even though I didn’t wake up till 14:30, which is saintly in view of the hours I’ve been keeping. The earliest I’ve managed to get to bed, this week, is 04:00:

Monday: 04:00 (practica at home and hanging out with Gesa)
Tuesday: 04:30 (Learning to lead at Tango Queer)
Wednesday: 04:30 (La Viruta and Sueño Porteño)
Thursday: 05:30 (La Viruta)
Friday: 05:30 (Soledad’s class and social at La Boca, then Club Havana)
Saturday: 07:30 (Milonga de las Morochas, then party in La Boca)
Sunday: 04:00 (La Capilla)

Staying up late is an addictive luxury and returning to London, where it’s all over by 01:00 in the morning, just doesn’t bear thinking about. I am seriously considering extending my stay. Looking back on the week, I would recommend every single one of my activities:

At home with a tango partner is a very good way to practise, refine and extend what you have learned in class.

Tango Queer is the place to go if you’re looking for an opportunity to try the opposite role. The class is well taught and the milonga afterwards is a lot of fun.

I adore La Viruta, which offers high quality lessons in a convivial setting and a pleasant space: I had tango, rock and milonga lessons there on Wednesday and salsa and tango on Thursday.

Boedo Tango, where the Sueño Porteño milonga takes place, is a venue with three dance floors. It is a traditional sort of milonga, but one which holds themed evenings, hence all the fancy dress.
Soledad’s class in La Boca is unlike any you’ll find advertised in the Tangauta. It feels like an informal gathering of friends. There isn’t the faintest whiff of the competitive spirit you experience in most dance classes. We learn a lot, every one learns both to lead and follow, which makes her beginners better dancers from the outset. We teach each other, consult Soledad as often as we need to and practise as much as we want to. It is guaranteed fun. This time, I got to taste red and black Quilmes and I think I like those even better than the lager. The class goes out as a group, afterwards, to dance the night away. This time, we gave tango a swerve and went for salsa instead.

The Milonga de las Morochas was a hit. It takes place at the same attractive venue as El Beso and is run by the divine Ximena, (who is a student of osteopathy and gives massage at the La Maria práctica for women.) She ushered me to a very good seat and no sooner had I sat down than Luis the mafioso appeared in front of me like the angel of tango, to invite me onto the dance floor. When your first dance is with one of the best, your evening of dance is assured. I had only three tandas with Luis, but I danced nearly every dance.

I left after 02:00 to head off for a leaving party given by two French girls, Aurora and Juia at El Encuentro, a café in La Boca. It was a perfect venue for a party with two rooms, (the main salon and a chill-out room) and a garden. All the light bulbs had been changed to red or amber to give the room an atmosphere and there were tea lights on the tables. There was a bar selling drinks at very modest prices and best of all, the guests included a number of people I knew already and an unusually high percentage of outstanding dancers. I danced with them all. I think I can say without hesitation that it was my best night of dancing in Buenos Aires, my idea of the perfect Saturday night. I got a lift home at 07:00 and I slept till 15:00 on Sunday.

Sunday night, I went to a very chilled milonga called La Capilla at a monastery not far from DNI Corrientes. The beauty of this venue is that it is possible to dance both indoors and outdoors and the building is possessed of a certain mystique. I understand that Sebastian and Eugenia, the exceptionally talented and beautiful ex-DNI tango teachers, have masterminded this milonga. We sat and danced outside, of course. Wine, pizza, tango and moonlight. Who could ask for more?