Milonga a Media Luce, Atlanta

Dance Card: Ronda and Zouzy. Notes: Arrived on Argentine time close to when the Milonga ended.

Ricardo's Floor - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

3rd Trip to BsAs - Martes

La Milonga: Porteño y Bailarin, Riobama 345 Sponsors: J. Garofalo y C. Stasi Dance Card: Mary France from Bordeaux. Notes: Mary France dice "Marvieux!" y "Moi j'aime bien la milonga!" Regrets: La musica is too damn loud. La Milonga: El Beso, Riobamba 416 Sponsors: O. Natucci y O. Buglione Dance Card: Anne Marie from La Paz, Bolivia, Josephina from Amsterdam, Mary France from Bordeaux, France and Sylvia - porteña. Holas: Horacio, Suzy y Donna. Gracias: Suzy y Donna for the French translation services! Regrets: Not dancing with Barbara, Donna or Suzy. Donna said she was saving her dances for los porteños. Sylvia asked how long I had been dancing. I said six years. She said that she didn't believe me. She said it felt more like six months. Practica: Cherie - la porteña formerly from LA. Delights: Pucara Restaurante, Pescados y Mariscos, Cocina Gallega, Senillosa 493 Esq. J.B. Alberdi. See www.geocities.com/pucara_restaurante. Notes: They offered a two for one on the Norton Malbec! Regrets: No rioja! Los fumadors en Area No Fumadores.

3rd Trip to BsAs - Lunes

La Milonga: Salon Canning, Av. R. Scalabrini Ortiz 1331 Sponsor: Parakultural - Omar Viola History: Associacion Helenica / De Socorros Mutvos / San Demetrio / Fundara el 10 de Noviembre de 1918 Dance Card: Barbara from Vancover, Ina from Amsterdam, Josephina from Amseterdam, Laura - porteña living in Italy, Mary France from Bourdeaux, France, Tizana from Italy. La Musica: Live music from Bien Frappe, un orchestra tipica de chicas! See www.bienfrappe.cjb.net. Notes: Danced an incredible tango with Barbara. Ina said that I danced a nice milonguero style. When I danced with Josephina I could feel her heart beating. Mary France had only been dancing a year. We danced several sets. We finished better than we started.

Alberto y Alfredo, Street Dancers, Florida 

Alberto y Alfredo's autograph, Flordia 

Plaza Dorrego Milonga - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Indio's Plazza Dorrego Milonga - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Indio's Plazza Dorrego Milonga - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

3rd Trip to BsAs - Domingo

La Milonga: Porteño y Bailarin, Riobama 345 Sponsors: Jose Garofalo y C. Stasi Dance Card: Nada Notes: Fun logo. An "L" shaped space with two separate dance floors. The dance floor is larger than it looks. A well dressed older milonguero with fine suede shoes danced and incredible tango with the young Brazilian girl. Regrets: The music was too loud and I got no dances. La Milonga: Plazza Dorrego, Humberto Primo 449 Sponsor: "El Indio," P, Benavente Dance Card: Barbara from Vancover Notes: I´m dancing throught the lens of my new Fujifilm Finepix Digital Camera. El milonguero dice "la milonga no es teatro." Barbara cuts in on me and my camera and we dance, but not well. It's all my fault. I'm struggling with the floor. No doubt the crowd is unimpressed. Delights: Pizza at Musel Cafe & Comidas, Estados Unidos 1000

El Indio's Plaza Dorrego Milonga - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Indio and Partner, Plaza Dorrego - Photo by E. M. Fernandez 

El Indio and Partner, Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo - Photographer Unknown 

El Indio and Partner, Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo - Photographer Unknown 

Mural across from El Viejo Almacen, San Telmo - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Viejo Almacen, Independencia y Balcarce - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Gustavo Margulies, Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo 

Street Performer. San Telmo - Neil Liveakos 

3rd Trip to BsAs - Sabado

La Milonga: El Beso, Riobamba 416 Sponsor: Las Morochas Notes: I came to watch and film. The dancers are good. Los hombres at El Beso are gentlemen compared with some of los hombres on the floor at Salon Canning the night before. Regrets: No bailo! Delights: Supper at "Niña Bonita" on Corrientes. Espectaculo: Flamenco, Francisco Acuna de Figueroa 872 (Near Medrano y Corrientes). Delights: Lunch at "La Casa de Esteban de Luca" in San Telmo

El Beso, Milonga de las Morochas - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Beso, Milonga de las Morochas - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Enrique Santos Discepolo - Corrientes - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Beso, Milonga de las Morachas - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

El Beso, Milonga de las Morochas - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Graciela - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Cherie - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Flamenco Dancer - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Flamenco Dancers - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Flamenco Dancers - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Flamenco Dancers - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Flamenco Dancers - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Cherie, Belly Dancing - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Cherie, Belly Dancing - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Cherie, Belly Dancing - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Cherie, Belly Dancing - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

Graciela's Flamenco 

3rd Trip to BsAs - Viernes

La Milonga: Salon Canning, Av Sclabrini Ortiz 1331 Dance Card: Anna from Denmark, Barbara from Vancover, Claudia - porteña, Hutze from Boston, Ruth from Munich and Valerie from San Francisco. Holas: Lisa, Ricardo Maceiras y Ricardo Sarmorid Espectaculo: Pablo Nievas y Valeria Zunino. Incredible dancing! See www.pnievasyvzunino.com.ar. Regrets: The few mean, ugly and rude men who dance tango like it's a contact sport pushing and shoving and elbowing their way around the floor. In six years of dancing tango I have had only two minor altercations on crowded floors. Tonight, I regret to say, I had two major altercations on the same floor with two different men. I was cool. I avoided a fight and an international incident. But these altercations were not accidents. They were intentional and blatant. Los hombres at Salon Canning dance like they're playing bumper cars. Maybe it comes with the territory. Maybe pushing the gringo round the floor is part of their fun? Part of their sport? I comfort myself with the thought that my dance must be looking pretty damn good. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother. No one kicks a dead horse! La Milonga: Salon El Pial, Ramon L. Falcon 2750 Sponsors: La Baldosa Dance Card: Cecila - porteña, Maria - porteña, Rosemary - porteña, Tizana from Rome, Italy. Holas: Ricardo Vidort Regrets: Rosemary insulted me by saying that I danced Tango Americano.

3rd Trip to BsAs - Jueves

La Milonga: Niño Bien, Humberto 1462 Dance Card: Anna from Dublin, Barbara from Vancover, Laura - porteña, Maria - porteña, Marjolyn from Montreal, Merielle from Montreal, Yvonne - porteña. Notes: Sat with Carlos who danced every dance. Pregunta de Carlos, "¿No bailar?" Delights: La Casa de Esteban de Luca, Restaurante, Defensa 1000 - San Telmo Venue: Mercado San Telmo founded in 1897 Notes: Heard the blues Holas: "El Indio" Pedro Benavente on the streets of San Telmo La Milonga: Club Español, B. de Irigoyen 172 Dance Card: Last dance with Julia from Aspen Delights: Restaurante Palacio Español, B. de Irigoyen 180. Expensive but the best damn steak and eggs I've ever had in my life. Class: Fernando y Vilma, Sarmiento 722 Dance Card: Alajandra, Gabriella from Switzerland, Julia from Aspen, Valenti from Italy and one unidentified oriental woman. Notes: Fernando coached me to point my elbow to the floor. He coached me not to lead back ochos with my feet apart. Practiced high boleos y sacadas. No nuestra tango. No estillo milonguero. Regrets: Practicing tango on an empty stomach.

Fernando y Vilma, Sarmiento 722. See www.fernandoyvilma.com. 

View from Ricardo's Apartment - Photo by Neil Liveakos 

3rd Trip to BsAs - Miercoles

La Milonga: Asoc. Nationale Italiana, Alsina 1465 Sponsor: La Nacional - Pablo Banchero Dance Card: Clara from Argentina but no porteña, Julia from Aspen, Marina from Brasil outside of Rio. Notes: Julia's friends Clara and Rhea joined us. Julia said I was like a rooster out with the hens. Clara danced her first milonga with me. She seemed to enjoy it. Regrets: The row of milongueros in front of us are fuming like a chimney. La Milonga: Salon Canning, Av. R. Sclabrini Ortiz 1331 Dance Card: Cherie - porteña formerly from LA, Clara from Argentina but no porteña and Julia from Aspen. Holas: Horacio. Notes: Cherie said "muy bien" after our dance. Clara danced her first tango with me. She was game but we struggled through Pugliese. Julia enjoyed her dance with Horacio. As we were leaving the milonga a stranger came up to me grining and said, "¿Amigo de Horacio?" I said, "Si. Como no?" When I die and go to Heaven, St. Peter will ask: ¿Amigo de Horacio? I will say, "Si. Como no?" And the gates of Heaven will open wide for me.

El Bandoneon 

Anibal Trolilo (Pichuco) y su Orquesta Tipica en Discos Victor 

"Vinchuca" Tango para Piano por A. A. Ortiz Rosa 

Museo Cultural del Tango

Museo Cultural del Tango, Maipu 666 

3rd Trip to BsAs - Martes

La Milonga: La Milonga de Ivonne y Viejo Correo, Diaz Velez 4820 Sponsors: Ivonne Laens y Viejo Correo con Eduardo Saucedo y Marisa Quiroga Dance Card: Angela - porteña, Dora - porteña, Laura - porteña, formerly from Spain, and Racquel - porteña, formerly from Santa Maria, California. Notes: Danced on a super slick tile floor. Espectaculo showcased world-class swing dancers performing extraordinary acrobactics. Danced my first and last dance with Angela. Ella dice "baila muy bien." The last dance was a tango vals and I nailed the last beat. Ella dice "¡Perfecto!" Private Class: Pedro Sanchez Venue: Lina's Tango Guesthouse. See www.tangoguesthouse.com.ar. Notes: Pedro said that I danced milonga like a man tied up in knots. Como un hombre en nudos. My milonga was cold, quiet, stiff and lifeless, without joy or feeling. Como un hombre triste. Unless I undo the knots, I can´t dance. Unless I let myself go, I can´t dance. Unless I surrender, I can´t dance. Venue: Claustros del Pilar, Basilica Nuestra Señora Del Pilar, Junin 1904, Recoleta Venue: Jardin Japones. See www.jardinjapones.com.