The Tango-L mailing list archive
Digest from 4 Sep 2000
to 5 Sep 2000
Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
To: Recipients of TANGO-L digests <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 03:00:09 -0400
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
From: Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 4 Sep 2000 to 5 Sep 2000 (#2000-239)
There are 7 messages totalling 272 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. feet (2)
2. tango in rome (3)
3. Fwd: EU-W: Oct 1-8 Tango class with Amira Campora in Umbria, Italy
4. Comments on Tango in L.A.
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 12:39:13 +0200
From: Helaine Treitman <treitman @GIOTTO.ORG>
Subject: Re: feet
Hi Astrid,
I too am concerned about the wellbeing of my feet as I dance more and
more. I'll be happy to hear any advice on caring for and strengthening
tango dancers' feet.
I learned this: If you put some weight on your heels with almost every
step, it not only relieves pressure from the balls of your feet and your
toes, but improves your balance. Simply put, "Put your heels down!".
If with the higher heel you have the problem of your feet sliding forward
and cramping your toes into the tips of your shoes, try Dr. Scholl's
high-heel shoe inserts; they're soft, not rigid or semi-rigid like
orthotics, have a molded arch and a foam cushion at the ball of the foot
that keeps your foot from sliding forward. (I use these in street shoes
with high heels, but I haven't tried them for dancing since I use
orthotics when I dance.) They're about $10 in the U.S.
I've had trouble with my feet cramping when I go to bed after a long night
of dancing, but I've found that wearing socks so my feet stay warm has
solved that problem.
Astrid, I'd appreciate if you forward me or post to the list some
responses you might get privately.
Thanks.
Helaine
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 13:40:21 EDT
From: Charles Roques <Crrtango @AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: feet
Greetings list members with sore feet,
There are probably many good remedies and preventive measures to take care of
aching feet but one inexpensive solution is to buy a pair of massage sandals.
Dr Scholl's may have them but there are also other brands usually sold at
health foodstores. They often have a single strap over the toes but the
important part is the sole which is comprised of many tiny fingers molded to
the correct orthopedic contours of the bottom of the foot. When you walk the
fingers vibrate and massage the bottoms of the feet. The ends of many of the
nerves in our body are in the soles of the feet. I have been wearing them for
about twenty or more years. After a tiresome day or a night of much dancing I
put these on and walk around for about ten or fifteen minutes and I feel much
better.
Eventually the "fingers" will soften and lose their rigidity but you just
throw them away and get a new pair. Here in New York one can find them for
about $28. You should not wear them all the time, instead put them on for a
little while. At the beginning don't wear them more than a few minutes a day,
gradually increasing the time. At first they will tickle (and even irritate
if you leave them on too long) but that's part of their function. They
stimulate the nerve endings. Try them, they work.
Apart from that always be sure to wear shoes with arches (very important) and
change your shoes often or whenever you can during the day.
If you have a fallen arch, at least change your shoes often. Fallen arches
can contribute to back problems, which leads to posture problems, which
spells trouble for anyone seriously interested in being a good dancer.
Anything that massages or soothes your feet is good.
Cheers,
Charles Roques
Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2000 17:26:47 -0400
From: robin thomas <ic11788 @MAIL.INFOHOUSE.COM>
Subject: tango in rome
I just came back from Rome. I danced almost every night I was there.
Unfortunately most of the milongas where closed for the summer and,
so I was told, most of the good dancers were on vacation. The
milongas, which were open, were open for the summer only and may or
may not exist next year. They were all open airand very cheap to get
into which was deliteful. I had got the impression from things I read
on this list that in Europe people danced more milonguero, in the
close embrace. This was the opposite of my experience. I saw almost
no-one dancing as close as I usually do in New York. The better
dancers were dancing in a big open style doing lots of boleos and
ganchos and actually quite a few of them were Argentines resident in
Rome.
In New York you don't get that many bad or beginer dancers at
milongas because it can be very intimidating because the level of
dancing is so high. It was surprising to see a lot of Italian men
pushing and pulling the women with there left hands. They knew the
steps but the way they were leading them looked awful to me, a lot of
arms pumping up and down in time to the music too. A lot of women who
I danced with seemed disoriented by how little I used my left arm. I
came to the conclusion that a lot of the people I saw had been
dancing for a few years but had taken not that many lessonsl.
Italians are pretty stylish and so they tend to look good even if
they have no idea what there doing and they can fake it really well.
I'd be very interewsted to hear any other observations people had as
tango tourists.
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 00:09:47 +0200
From: Helaine Treitman <treitman @GIOTTO.ORG>
Subject: Re: tango in rome
Dear Robin,
What you describe is exactly why I stopped dancing in Rome two years ago.
Living two hours north of Rome, I used to drive in once or twice a week
for a milonga. I didn't care about the tiring drive or the expense (gas
is $4 a gallon) but after my first visit to Buenos Aires in 1998, I could
no longer dance in Rome with any pleasure. It broke my heart every time I
gave it another chance. I have a few tanguero and tanguera friends in Rome
who dance the way I like, but I usually meet them in other cities; they're
the ones who also dance in Bologna, Holland and Buenos Aires.
Bologna is my favorite city for tango in Italy; you'll find some very good
dancers there, and even the beginners are usually respectful of the line
of dance. I haven't danced in Milano or Torino in a long time, but I
think those are cities worth trying if you come to Italy again. Dancing
in Holland is a dream, and there, especially in Nijmegen, you'll meet the
best dancers from all over Europe.
I left New York to come to Italy years before I started dancing tango, but
I want to visit this winter and experience New York tango.
Good tangos to you,
Helaine
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 08:31:39 +0900
From: astrid <astrid @RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: tango in rome
I have written about this before. Sometimes I just wish I were in Rome, so I
could take another class with Gustavo Saenz who has moved there from
Argentina. This guy is more fun than any teacher other teacher I know.
Tel. 0039-06-4457224, gusaenz @yahoo.com
Original Message -----
From: Helaine Treitman <Subject: Re: tango in rome
> Dear Robin,
>
> What you describe is exactly why I stopped dancing in Rome two years ago.
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 22:48:17 -0500
From: Naomi Bennett <Naomiben @SWBELL.NET>
Subject: Fwd: EU-W: Oct 1-8 Tango class with Amira Campora in Umbria, Italy
I spent a week at La Rogaia in June of this year. It was fabulous. The
homemade Italian dinners and good strong German breakfasts al fresco each
day was wonderful. Amira was a dedicated teacher and we became good
friends with all the other 6 couples. The location is beautiful and we
were tourists every afternoon. Do rent a car for regional travel.
The combination of lodging, meals and tango lesson was exceptional. I
highly recommend the experience.
>Date: Sun, 03 Sep 2000 15:59:18 +0200
>From: Villa Rogaia <info @ROGAIA.DE>
>Subject: EU-W: Oct 1-8 Tango class with Amira Campora in Umbria, Italy
>Sender: Announcements of Argentine Tango Events <TANGO-A @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
>
>
>October 1-8, 2000: One week of Tango with Amira C`mpora (Buenos
>Aires) at Villa La Rogaia, an old Umbrian country house on the northern
>shore of Lake Trasimeno near Perugia, Italy.
>Availability for only one more couple and a single lady!
>
>Amira C`mpora was mainly influenced by Graciela Gonzalez
>and Gustavo Naveira. She teaches the Tango of the old Milongero Masters,
>
>working on the sense of music and rhythm, to encourage variation and
>improvisation in the dance.
>
>Special last minute price:
>US $ 400 (instead of $ 445)
>DM 800,- (instead of DM 890,-)
>Lit 800.000 (instead of Lit 890.000)
>(includes teaching 3 hours each day, lodging in doubleroom, breakfast
>and
>dinner with Umbrian specialties for 7 days)
>
>
>The course is designed for medium to advanced level students. Teaching
>will be intense as the number of participants is limited to 5 - 6
>couples.
>
>
>Or contact us by phone, fax or mail:
>
>Annette Greifenhagen & Wolfgang Sandt
>Villa La Rogaia
>Castel Rigone
>I - 06065 Passignano sul Trasimeno (PG)
>phone/fax 0039 075 845457
>email: info @rogaia.de
Naomi Bennett
Austin, TX
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 05:54:25 GMT
From: Alexis White <alexisltc @HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Comments on Tango in L.A.
I hate to get drawn into this debate, but it is hard not to.
I want to thank Al & Barbara for their incisive, unbiased and accurate
dismantling of Linda Valentino's erroneous, bitter and misplaced negative
commentary of the state of tango in L.A. and the U.S. at large.
It is unfortunate you have not been to L.A. recently, for you would find,
contrary to Linda's comments, a vibrant, diverse and allways renewing
community where many styles are practiced and where just about everyone is
tolerant, respectfull and civil if not friendly. We have some wonderful
milongas and we would encourage everyone to visit us to experience a city
where tango thrives. Contrary to Linda's malicious opinions, tango has a
bright future in North America if L.A. is any indication: in the last four
years the number of people actively involved in tango has more than tripled,
and we have gone from five milongas per week to more than eleven, we count
ourselves lucky to have several special events a year, there are countless
local teachers and we are visited regularly by many of the tango greats.
Clearly this woman's path is not the way to make any tango community grow
and expand. We need more understanding, knowledge and patience, not
alienation, lying, ridicule and fear.
Perhaps it is this woman's vicious views that give L.A. a bad name. But as
Mark Celaya put it, all of us here in L.A. already know about this
self-proclaimed tango inquisitor and self-appointed protector of the
sanctity of our precious tango: a faded, marginalized bully who is totally
discredited in the eyes of her own tango community. But I give her way too
much importance: most everyone here has already moved far beyond her.
Wish I could write more (I could refute everyone of her comments in detail
but time is a very limited resource, so thank you AL & Barbara, for doing it
for us so succintly and eloquently), but I rather spend my time practicing
and dancing. Gotta go!
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
http://profiles.msn.com.
End of TANGO-L Digest - 4 Sep 2000 to 5 Sep 2000 (#2000-239)
************************************************************