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The roots of Buffalo Tango and this website go back to 1997, as mentioned in ‘About Us’ above. ~ What follows below is our more recent history, starting in May of 2005. ~ At that time we started our second attempt to grow Tango in Buffalo. ~ The first attempt glimmered but then died. ~ But this one has taken hold. ~ The fire is lit. Buffalos are finally learning to Tango...
Going on other’s experience as well as our own, we worked out what was needed.., and what had to be done to get it.
It was easy... ~ We could learn Tango, but in this area there is no place to dance it. ~ What does that tell you?
A small ad was placed in the local paper and notice was put on a popular WNY dance website. Our first ‘Milonga’, or Argentine Tango dance was held May 25th 2005. ~ It was a smashing success... ~ Well, actually more like a ‘qualified’ success... ~ But who wants to quibble...?
May 25th 2005 ended up with a total of about 12 individuals. ~ These were about half new faces and half previous students. ~ One instructor brought his class and I dug up a few from the past and those from the ad... ~ We had our first ‘Milonga’... ~ But it was more like an extended class or ‘Practica’. ~ It was very much fun..., and we were now enjoying Argentine wine, cheese & crackers and sodas, to boot.
Throughout the summer it grew in size... ~ We worked out the bugs, with the sound system, the music being played, the food, sharing space with ongoing lessons, etc. ~ One of my favorite measurements of ‘quality time’ in successive Milongas was the increasing amount of munchies being consumed. ~ I liked seeing that. :-) ~ People taking breaks at the table instead of sitting by themselves... They were talking and being comfortable with each other.
During the summer of 2005 we had a few very good Tango dancers visit us. ~ We were on our way...:-) ~ We had a terrific visitor spend the evening with us by the name of Jenne Magno... Jenne lives in Prague and has helped start a Milonga and Tango community in that city. ~ She comes to Buffalo every so often to visit her mother and was very happy to learn that we now had a place to dance tango, for when she’s here.
Enrico and Mirella, who live in WNY, and who have been involved with tango for many years in Italy and elsewhere in this country, were another great tango couple.
Here are some video and stills of the people and the dancing during these early Milongas at the Brunshidle.
Things continued to get better. ~ Reaching 30 people was a personal milestone.. :-) ~ Everyone had an excellent time every week. ~ The lights were down and the music was beautiful. ~ We soon got into the full dress thing.., black net stockings, irregular hems, and all the rest... :-)
Every Milonga we supplied Argentine wine, sodas, chips, several kinds of crackers and cheese, bread and olive oil, sliced apples and more. ~ With 3 hours of Tango who would *not* want to come...?
We danced the entire summer and each week was bigger and better. ~ The only week that dropped a bit was the 4th of July holiday. ~ The heat was attrocious during much of the summer. ~ High 80’s and into 90’s some days, along with very high humidity. ~ People are simply dripping as they dance... ~ It’s ‘Torrid Tango’... I for one loved it that way. :-) ~ Two large fans become our new Gods... ~ Many prayed to them every few dances...
I was also fortunate to find a very dedicated partner. ~ A newbie to Tango but a very fast lerner. ~ We spent a lot of time practicing at my home, and even in the pool... :-) ~ It was hot, you know? ~ It was very nice doing so, too... ~ Balance was improved and all the moves were very fluid... One could simply go with the flow... :-/
We started looking early on for a place we could call our ‘Tango Bar’. ~ A place that would keep Tango music in their juke box. so people from our group and elsewhere would have a place to go for Tango when they wished.
At the end of August we found a home. ~ Hemmingway’s ~ A fantastic place on Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo... ~ It is fabulous. ~ We had gone to the Marriott Hotel on a Tango hunting expedition at the end of August.., and it was a smashing success. ~ Thirty people joined in and we found Tango... ~ But the Marriott however, could not do it every week... ~ Football was coming, you see? :-<
So we kept looking. ~ Then, a fortunate street crossing gave my wife and I a peek through an open door, in a wooden wall between buildings..., and we found Hemmingway’s Patio. ~ An absolutely terrific Tango place. ~ They also have a great second floor which is be able to be used when the patio is closed for winter and rain.
We have now used both up and down. ~ With advertizing in Art Voice, Gusto, etc.., attendance has grown to a peak, at least once.., of 60 people. ~ They’re usually drawing between 30 and 50 at this writing. :-) ~ We hope to see you there next.
This writing is on the 1st anniversay of going to Hemmingway’s.., our Tango Bar. ~ The growth of the Buffalo Tango Community has been an unqualified success. ~ It was surely helped along by many wonderful events that we had happen along the way. ~ Instructors were brought in to hold workshops over the past year.., and more are scheduled. ~ Daniel Trenner was the latest instructor coming to Buffalo to hold a workshop... Along with a great Tango Show at the Albright Knox, where he danced with his beautiful partner Anne-Sophie Ville...
A recent count shows 435 names on our Newsletter E-mail list and it continues to grow. ~ More studios in the area are getting into Argentine Tango now, instead of American Tango, which of course is a credit to their breed. :-) ~ More ‘non-studio’ Tango instructors are teaching in Buffalo too. ~ At least one is coming from out of town to do so.
There are other Milongas being held and people are becoming more aware of Tango almost every day. ~ We love it all... ~ As long as they teach it ‘right’, eh? ~ It’s to be totally *improv*...! ~ No memorized steps. There really is no *basic step* in Argentine Tango.
Btw, our weekly Newsletter is extensive, instructive, informative and, we hope.., entertaining... ~ You may subscribe to it easily by clicking here.
Abrazos to all...
Floyd
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