The San Francisco Bay Area, a mecca for creativity and talent, draws people from around the world. The same could be said of the Bay Area Tango community. People from all over the world gather here to connect on the dance floor or to share their talents and knowledge with others. One just has to attend any Bay Area milonga to know this is true; much talent graces our dance … [Read more...]
Teaching Tango in Africa
A few years ago I received an email from Camille Cusumano requesting support for her "Go Fund Me" campaign to teach tango in Africa. Camille is someone I've known for several years now, first as the author of Tango: An Argentine Love Story and then in person as a Bay Area dancer and teacher. Her teaching partner in this endeavor was Mungai Waweru a young Kenyan-American who was … [Read more...]
Leading and Following in Tango
The tradition in partner dances is for men to lead and women to follow. Historically, partner dances were a way for men and women to meet, interact and flirt. And in regard to performances or competitions, these were almost always danced by a man and a woman. In recent years this conventional way of thinking has begun to change. This was especially apparent in 2013 at the … [Read more...]
SF Tango Lover Gift Guide
It’s that time of the year when holiday gift guides abound. But I bet none of them are specifically for those who love Tango. I personally find these gift guides helpful as its easy to feel overwhelmed during the giving season. This year, why not support our local tango community in your gift giving. There are many talented artisans among us, from illustrators, musicians, … [Read more...]
Grateful Tango
I began this post a few days ago, two days before the attacks on Paris, to be exact. And in light of these events, I had to wonder if it's still relevant. Do heartfelt emotions about a tango festival really matter when considering the hundreds of innocent people attacked? But after some consideration, I decided yes, it does matter. I believe that the goodwill and pure joy … [Read more...]