My Own Tango Story

Naples Tango and I just celebrated our first anniversary at our Holiday Party, last Thursday, December 17. It was a wonderful party, with about 40 guests - a great turnout considering how many other holiday parties were competing for attendance that evening, and considering how young the Naples Tango community is!

Yes, it's been just a year.  I arrived in Naples in November 2008, after 20 years in Umbria, Italy, so happy to be finally reunited with my mother.  I immediately started looking for a dance studio in which to start working.  On December 21, I registered the domain "naplestango.com" and published my first post, and the following day I taught my first Introductory Demo class at the Fred Astaire Studio in Naples. Two months later, I went out on my own.

Many people have asked me how I started dancing and teaching tango, and why I left Italy to come back to the U.S.  So, feeling sentimental about my 1st anniversary back in the US, I'll tell you the short version of My Tango Story:

Nearly 22 years ago, upon discovering that I had been nominated for a VP position in a major investment bank on Wall Street, instead of jumping for joy, I felt my heart contract. In climbing the corporate ladder, I had neglected a big part of my soul!  Though I'd had outstanding training in drawing and sculpture in college and in a great NY art school, I eventually chose a corporate career because I “never wanted to be a waitress again”. My New York life was frenetic and, naturally, in the banking world it was essential to keep your emotions tightly under control. Besides the absence of natural, heartfelt, human expression, there was certainly no "platform" in this environment for the deep artistic expression that I craved.

So in 1988 I declined the VP nomination and left Wall Street to pursue my dream of starting a residential school for young international painters and sculptors in Umbria, “the green heart of Italy”.  In the second year, I persuaded my then-husband to come and help me manage the school. We barely spoke Italian.  It was a huge commitment we both made, with many personal sacrifices.  Gradually, over years of struggle, it became more and more successful . . . and gratifying!  But as executive director of the highly acclaimed art school that I had founded, I was facilitating the creative process for hundreds of others, and still working as an executive, with neither the time nor the mental space to engage in my own artistic process.  The sensation of frustration and longing persisted, creating a vague ongoing malaise, like a low-grade infection.  At the same time, my marriage had turned into a business collaboration, so not only was the Artist in me quietly dying inside, but so was the Woman.

In the summer of 1994, I saw an outdoor performance near Spoleto of the now legendary company Tango X2 (Tango por Dos), and was thoroughly bewitched. I knew instantly that this dance was for me, though I wondered whether I could do it. Without the benefit of the Internet back then, I managed to find a small, dedicated school in Rome, and started driving 100 miles each way to take lessons and attend “milongas” (tango dance nights).  I endured this exhausting and expensive bi-weekly commute for several years because when I danced tango it was the only moment in my life when I felt completely myself and completely free. I could express myself both artistically and sensually when I danced. Tango became my obsession, and after 6 years of traveling to Rome, to Bologna, to Amsterdam, Miami and finally several trips to Buenos Aires, I decided to bring tango to Umbria. I started teaching my first classes and organizing workshops and events with Argentine masters for a national audience, giving life for the first time to a tango community in the Region of Umbria.  After my divorce in 2001, I left the art school and dedicated myself full-time to my passion for tango. My skill and confidence as a teacher continued to grow.

Since 2000, I have taught over 700 people to dance tango, mostly highly intelligent, cultured, professionally accomplished people between 35 and 65 years old, and also many college students and dynamic older seniors.  So many of those mature, high-achievers confided in me that, no matter how satisfying their careers or family lives were, discovering Argentine Tango had been a turning point for them, giving them a profound sense of joy and personal fulfillment they had never quite experienced before.

As my school UmbriaTango grew, I also trained 6 couples of instructors who by 2008 were ready to open their own schools, while other students of mine began expertly organizing milongas, workshops, and special events, including the famous Chocotango Festival, now in its 5th year in Perugia, the city of chocolate. I was proud of my students for the quality and seriousness with which they worked. The growth of Tango in Umbria continued, at this point with less effort on my part.  You could dance every night of the week, and had a choice of tango schools to attend. The Umbrian press and TV called me "the woman who brought Tango to Umbria".  I called the affectionate and grateful students of my students "my tango grandchildren" (even those who were 10 years my senior).

I had fulfilled two great dreams of mine: pioneering first an international community of artists in Umbria, and then a tango community, both of which are still going strong.  I sorely missed my own family and my own culture.  After 20 years abroad, I was ready to come home. I worked all summer to get the numbers in order and to find new leadership to take over my school.

The new director and I worked together for weeks to make a smooth transition, and the passage of my school from "UmbriaTango" to its new incarnation, "El Bandoneon", felt very sound and healthy.

One of my students masterfully organized a big dinner and milonga, my "despedida" (farewell party in Spanish), in a beautiful castle on the outskirts of Perugia on November 7, 2008. Almost 200 people attended.  Two of my tango-musicology-protege's brilliantly handled the music all night, into the wee hours. A special video was projected, that had been made by my Greek students, teachers of the tango school in Chania, Crete, where I had taught workshops in their early years. Pablo Repun from Miami, who'd already been teaching tango in Naples for 6 years, with his wife Alicia and their delightful baby Uma, traveled down from Paris by train for this occasion. Pablo and Alicia performed for us. (A week later, I'd be seeing the Repun family at a Miami milonga!)

Great memories, great experiences, and great relationships with people who will always be my friends and surrogate family. But I am so happy to be back in my own country again, after 20 years away.

Tanguera, what does your first step tell your partner?

Is your first step going to set the tone for a tango of sloppiness, or of clutching dependence?

Or is your body going to tell your partner, "I'm here, alert, and ready for anything. Now let's start our 3-minute date" or even flirtatiously, "Now show me what kind of man you are. ;)"

Let's talk about when your tango begins with an opening to your right (for those using the academic 8-count-basic, this would be "2").

Many women make the following error, which, if you do it, immediately makes you lose your balance slightly and need to rely on the man to steady you.  You're probably not aware of it, because, as is so common, it's a habit and seems normal. Here it is:

You take the launch to your right, letting your weight fall on the outer right side of your hip and leg. That alone would cause you to lean on the man's right hand for balance, but if at the same time, you "collect" your feet, you risk exacerbating the problem of throwing your weight onto your partner's left hand. This is such a common habit that he's used to supporting the woman with his left hand at this point.

How'd you like to start each tango feeling like a tiger?

Launch yourself with the same degree of energy you feel in the lead, the inside of your right foot skimming the floor, and land with your weight in the center of your body.  Find your center over the inside of your right leg and foot; that is, let the central axis of your body continue down inside your right leg and foot.  And just relax your left leg. Ahhh . . .  It relaxes and falls under you to the degree that your partner asks you to flex or straighten the knee of your standing leg.  How does that feel, compared to snapping that leg closed like a solder at attention?

You'll be autonomous, and alert, with all your energy poised to make whatever move is proposed. Like a tiger or a panther ready to take off with that incredible grace and power they're famous for. You can be famous for it too.

And your relaxed left leg will be free to embellish, if you like.

Try practicing this, and see what a difference it makes in your tango.

TANGO-ing the "Walk for the Way" (United Way)

On Saturday morning, Sept. 26, Jeremias Massera and I are going to TANGO the Collier County's United Way's "Walk for the Way". For us, it's a 2.5 mile ronda, or line of dance. This an annual fundraising walk, chaired by Craig Bamberg (also a Naples Tang-uero), in the North Collier Regional Park on Livingston Road in beautiful Naples. I'm inviting ALL Florida tangueros and tangueras to join us.

Registration is at 8 AM, and the walk starts at 9. But let's register as a group. Donation is $10 per person. I'm negotiating for a "I TANGOED the Walk for the
Way" t-shirt (or a other phrase).

Call or email me to participate!!
htreitman@gmail.com
239-776-6535

"Silencio" - In memorium (9/11/2001)

Hugo del Carril sings "Silencio", written by Carlos Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera and Horacio Pettorossi. 
Click here for a moving version by Libertad Lamarque

Thanks to Alberto Paz for posting lyrics with this translation:

SILENCIO 1932  Lyrics by Carlos Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera and Horacio Pettorossi Music by Carlos Gardel, Alfredo Le Pera and Horacio Pettorossi English translation by TangoMan Updated English translation by Mike Strand  Last Update on 6/3/05

Silencio en la noche, ya todo esta en calma, el musculo duerme, la ambición descansa. Meciendo una cuna, una madre canta, un canto querido que llega hasta el alma porque en esa cuna esta su esperanza Eran cinco hermanos, ella era una santa, eran cinco besos que cada mañana, rozaban muy tiernos las sedas de plata de esa viejecita de canas muy blancas. Eran cinco hijos que al taller marchaban. Silencio en la noche, ya todo esta en calma, el musculo duerme, la ambición trabaja.  Un clarin se oye...peligra la patria y al grito de: Guerra! los hombres se matan...  cubriendo de sangre los campos de Francia. Hoy todo ha pasado, florecen las plantas, un himno a la vida los arados cantan. Y la viejecita de canas muy blancas, se quedo muy sola... con cinco medallas que por cinco heroes, la premio la patria. Silencio en la noche, ya todo esta en calma, el musculo duerme, la ambición descansa. Un coro lejano de madres que cantan  mecen en sus cunas nuevas esperanzas...  Silencio en la noche... silencio en las almas

Silence in the night, all is calm, bodies are asleep, ambitions at rest. Rocking a cradle, a mother sings a beloved song that touches the soul, because in that cradle lies her hope. There were five brothers, a saint for a mother. Each morning five kisses would tenderly graze the silver strands of  this little old mother’s white hair. Five sons who went to work in the factory. Silence in the night, for now all is calm, bodies are asleep, but ambitions are at work. A bugle sounds … the country is in danger. To the shout of “War!”, men slaughter each other, covering the fields of France with blood. Now all that is past.  Plants bloom, plowed fields sing a hymn to life. And the little old mother, with very white hair, remains all alone … with five medals for five heroes, awarded to her by the country. Silence in the night, all is calm, bodies are asleep, ambitions at rest. A distant choir of mothers, singing as they rock in their cradles new hopes. Silence in the night … silence in souls

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Exciting news for apple lovers! SWEETANGO!

From Yahoo! News:
LAKE CITY, Minn. – Tim Byrne picked an apple from the spindly tree, sliced it and popped a chunk into his mouth. He couldn't have been more pleased as he chomped and got a juicy blast of sweet-tart flavor.
"This is what's got us excited," Byrne said as he shared samples from a perfectly ripe SweeTango apple, which he and other growers are about to introduce as the successor to the incredibly successful Honeycrisp.
Honeycrisp was a phenomenon in the apple industry because its taste and texture were so good it sold for about $1 more per pound than other varieties. Those investing in SweeTango are . . . 
Click here to read the rest of the article.(11/2/09 - original article no longer available.)

Winning couple of the 7th World Tango Championships

FYI:  Two days ago!
Hiroshi Yamao and Kyoko Yamao relax and celebrate after winning the VII World Tango Championship 2009 at El Cuartito. Buenos Aires. Argentina

Meet in the Middle, with Helaine's "Dragon Slayer" Seminar for Men

Here's a message from festival host and organizer Karen Whitesell:
Meet in the Middle Tango Festival
Sept 17-20, 2009
Mt. Vernon, Missouri

Hi Friends,

This is my 6th year and want to welcome you back and invite new friends for sure. This year promises to be even better than ever. Charles Roques has moved to Mt Vernon from New York City and is a great asset to our teaching staff and our local tango community. Gustavo Benzecry and Maria Olivara accepted my call for Argentine Dancers and I am thrilled. I knew if they were so well received in Portland and if Ray has signed them for the Chicago Mini Festival, then I couldn't go wrong. Also this year I have invited James and Mariallan from Memphis to teach a beginner track. I have known them for many years and they are very good social dancers.

I have an added treat for you at Meet in the Middle Sept 17-21. I have invited Helaine Treitman to join us on Thursday for a special dinner and talk, and on Friday morning to give her special "Dragon-Slayer Seminar for Tangueros", featuring "THE TANGUEROS' 14 DEADLY ERRORS" featuring "THE TANGUEROS' 14 DEADLY ERRORS - How to identify your . . . "

Click on the flying dragon on your right for complete seminar details.  (9/18 Dragon has flown away.)


To read the rest of Karen's message and get all the details about the festival go to: http://tiny.cc/meetinthemiddle2009.