Last week we saw indications that the current surge of Covid infections were approaching a turn-around. This week the CDC’s latest data show that the turn-around had occurred and a remarkably steep decline in the number of new infections has taken place. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting clearer. There appears to be dancing illuminated in that light. Hopefully this trend will continue and a return to dancing can happen soon.
VivaTango rents the dance floor from the PSRC. The PSRC follows the CDC guidelines. The current CDC guidelines state that “People who are fully vaccinated can resume many activities they did before the pandemic. However, people should wear a mask indoors in public if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission”. The current numbers in the chart above indicate that we are still in an area of high transmission, but the trend indicates that we are headed toward low transmission rates again. As soon that milestone is reached, VivaTango will restart weekly milongas.
In the meantime, here are some good Tango news headlines about members of the VivaTango Family:
The Philadelphia Tango Festival will be held this year on the last weekend of June. The Philadelphia Argentine Tango School under Meredith Klein’s direction hosts this every year. This year an outstanding line up of instructors, musicians and DJ will be there. The emphasis is on Women in Tango. Meredith and Kerry Kay will be among the women featured.
Junior Cervila and Guadalupe Garcia celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary today. They have taught and performed at VivaTango a number of times in the past and hopefully in the future. The photo below was taken in VivaTango’s lobby. More recently, they have taken residence in Sarasota FL, and have celebrated the birth of a son.
Five years ago today VivaTango held a Reception Milonga to recognize the marriageof Guillermo Elkouss and Vittoria Natale. Guillermo and Vittoria played a huge role in helping VivaTango get established beginning in 2011. Their expertise in teaching attracted dancers and grew the size of the VivaTango family to the point where it was financially self-sustaining. Guillermo and Vittoria moved and are now in Florida just north of Tampa.
Richard Council just announced his engagement. Richard was a very popular instructor at VivaTango in 2013 and 2014. He was based in Florida and taught at VivaTango by popular demand several times. Richard left tango teaching to pursue a career as a chiropractor.
The good news is that the increase in new Covid cases this past week in the NJ area was much reduced compared to the previous weeks. This looks like the start of the turning point. However, cases did rise to a new record level, and the town of Princeton declares state of emergency. Hence, this will be another
Last week we saw indications that the current surge of Covid infections were approaching a turn-around. This week the CDC’s latest data show that the turn-around had occurred and a remarkably steep decline in the number of new infections has taken place. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting clearer. There appears to be dancing illuminated in that light. Hopefully this trend will continue and a return to dancing can happen soon.
VivaTango rents the dance floor from the PSRC. The PSRC follows the CDC guidelines. The current CDC guidelines state that “People who are fully vaccinated can resume many activities they did before the pandemic. However, people should wear a mask indoors in public if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission”. The current numbers in the chart above indicate that we are still in an area of high transmission, but the trend indicates that we are headed toward low transmission rates again. As soon as that milestone is reached, VivaTango will restart weekly milongas.
2018 Summer Nights With Argentine Stars
Spectacular lineup of 9 pairs of teaching and performing Argentine Tango Stars. Great venue features large dance floor with off street parking located in walking distance to Princeton’s restaurants, stores and the Princeton University Campus.
There is no milonga tonight. As explained is some detail in the last newsletter, our events have been suspended until the current record-breaking wave of Covid infections has passed. VivaTango remains committed to supporting the Tango community and is optimistic that 2022 will develop into a good year for tango again.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures that looked back on the highlights of VivaTango milongas in 2021. We have many highlights from the past 1000 plus Thursday Tango Milongas in Princeton. Here is a group photo from one of the visits of Junior Cervila and Guadalupe Garcia. VivaTango looks forward to their return. A quick update on this couple is that their second wedding anniversary is coming up in 12 days, and they are the proud parents of a baby boy
Pretty pictures of a great tango team. Below is the current not so pretty Covid picture in New Jersey. Infections 5 times higher than any previous surge. Fortunately, fully vaccinated persons are not getting seriously ill. However, fully vaccinated persons are getting infected and can pass the virus onto other friends and family. So we are watching for this surge to fade away.
Happy New Year to all of you who read our newsletters. This newsletter is dedicated to the memories of 2021 and looking forward to 2022.
This being New Year’s Eve, my memories go back to VivaTango’s last New Year’s Eve Milonga in 2019 with 102 dancers.
Thursday Tango in Princeton started in 1998 and ran un interrupted for over a 1000 Thursdays until closing for Covid in February 2020. Thursday Tango tradition restarted in July of this year, 2021. All events this year required proof of vaccination. Face masks were optional in July and August, but VivaTango was required to have all dancers wear masks for the remainder of the year. The Highlight of 2021 was the December Holiday Milonga attended by 55 dancers. Passionate live music was played by Maurizio Najt on piano, and Juan Carlos Arias on bandoneon. The ever-musical DimOn the Tango DJ played wonderful Tangos, Waltzes and Milongas between sets of live music.
Another Highlight was hosting Pedro Giraudo’s Grammy Award winning quartet in July. This milonga was proceeded by phones blasting weather alerts of possible tornados and flooding. The winds rose and the rain poured down just before the milonga started. Forty three dedicated dancers braved the warnings, and Pedro and his quartet arrived as did Kerry Kay who DJed between live sets. The music and dancing were spectacular. We also had live music on another Thursday with Maurizio Najt and Shinjoo Cho performing.
Tango lessons preceded those milongas that did not have live music. Lessons featured instructors: PabloGarcia Gomez andIwonawho are the artists in residence here in Princeton, Meredith Klein and Andres Amarilla who run the Philadelphia Tango School and host the annual Philadelphia Tango Festival, Helen Wang from NYC where she hosts the La Milonga Misteriosa and Candle Light Milongas, and the world renown Eleonora Kalganova.
Our DJs artful selection of tangos, waltzes, milongas and cortinas created an atmosphere of passion and beauty for the dancers to enjoy. Those DJing this year include: DimOn the Tango DJ, Kerry Kay, Helen Wang, Andres Amarilla, and joining us from her world DJing travels was MahoK, aka Urszula Abolik.
This year’s events were made possible by the volunteers that make VivaTango run. Sylvie Brien is the amazing coordinator of the volunteers. She recognized the volunteers at the Holiday Party in the photo below. The volunteers in the photo are, from left to right: Mike Littwin, Virginia Hedges, Warren Wilson, Ken Berard, Sylvie Brien, Daniel Rolon, Joel Mack, missing from the photo are Lynn McGuire, Victor Bec, Santosh, Ranchu Mathew and Dennis
We are optimistic that 2022 will turn out to be a good year for Tango, however it is off to a difficult start. Given that Covid infections at the start of 2022 are at a all time high in NJ, there are no VivaTango events planned. We are optimistic that this surge will end as quickly as it stated. Events will begin again when the weekly count of new infections drops to safer numbers. Read our newsletters for updates. Go to the VivaTango web page at www.VivaTango.org and click on follow to get news. On the web page you can also look at some of the memories from the past by clicking on the tab at the top titled Tango Festival and remember the world and national tango champions and Grammy Award wining musicians that came to VivaTango’s two summer Festival Series. You can also go to Viva Tango Princeton on Facebook for information. Friend us if you are not already a friend. Send us photos and videos of your favorite times at VivaTango events.
VivaTango wishes all our Family Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year! There will not be a VivaTango event this Thursday, or on December 30th.
The Holiday Milonga Party was greatly enjoyed by the 55 dancers who attended. Passionate live music was played by Maurizio Najt playing the piano, and Juan Carlos Arias playing the bandoneon. The ever-musical DimOn the Tango DJ played wonderful Tangos, Waltzes and Milongas between sets of live music. Click on the video link at the end of this newsletter to see and hear a sample of the Holiday Party.
Connect Yourself to the world wide Tango community with this Free App
The free Tango Partner app helps you get more of the tango you love. As a user you can connect easily with nearby social tango dancers by sending them a cabeceo (a friend request in the context of the app). This allows you to ask for local information if you are travelling, share a ride, book accommodation or register to an event together, stay in touch with your favorite tango dancers, or even find other tango dancers at the airport. Moreover, you can connect with tango professionals in your country and abroad, and you can find festivals, marathons, milongas, practicas, classes, etc. Finally, you can find tango books, clothes, online tango classes and more. You can download the Tango Partner app on Google Play or App Store.
We are Thankful that Tango dancing started again in 2021. VivaTango will finish off 2021 with great events in December with lessons, milongas and our annual Holiday Party. VivaTango’s annual Holiday Party will feature one of the world’s best Tango musicians and one of the world’s best Tango dancers. This will be a party of the stars. Details follow.
November 25th – Happy Thanksgiving – No Event
Home and Family are at the heart of Thanksgiving. Thursday Tango has been home to a Tango community in Princeton for 23 years. When you enter the doors here on Thursday nights you transition into a home with a welcoming family of fellow dancers, instructors, performers, musicians and DJs. There is a harmony amongst a great diversity of skill levels, religions, race, ethnicity, education and other characteristics. All embrace and provide physical and emotional connections, that are important to us as individuals, and hard to find elsewhere. So, if you are new to VivaTango, or have done Thursday Tango in Princeton for 20+
years we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving with your traditional home and family. Your Tango home and family will be here for you each Thursday the rest of the year. VivaTango is thankful for each of the dancers, volunteers, instructors, musicians and DJs that unite in the Princeton Tango Family.
Pablo Garcia Gomez and Iwona Ionescu return to VivaTango. They will teach a festive lesson on “Sustained flow with longer sequences”. This is an important dance skill for filling the 3-minute Tango with interesting and varied dance sequences. Challenging? Yes! Fun? Absolutely! Lesson starts at 7:00. When the lesson is over, the milonga will start. During the milonga, Pablo and Iwona will have part of the dance floor blocked off to work with individual dancers. They call this area the Guided Practica Space (GPS). Step right in and take advantage of their help to further polish your technique.
Pablo, who is originally from the suburbs of Buenos Aires, has studied tango with various master teachers in his home country and in the United States.
Iwona explored a few other forms of dance before taking up tango, which she has studied in depth. Pablo and Iwona teach the Argentine tango classes at Princeton Adult School and they teach regularly at Viva Tango in Princeton, where they are artists in residence.
Kerry Kay will DJ the milonga this week at 8:15. Kerry has DJed at VivaTango for many years, and also in many venues in NJ and PA. Kerry plays a lovely mix of tandas. You will also see her on the dance floor.
Eleonora Kalganova Returns to VivaTango. The woman with the most amazing tango feet will teach a lesson at VivaTango. Combine her amazing foot work with her international performance experience and ability to teach; and you know that we are lucky to have her teach a lesson at VivaTango. Her lesson this week is titled “Playful Conversation” and will be taught together with Jan Ben. Do not miss this.
DimOn the TangoDJ will DJ at the milonga. Two of the great composers and musicians from the golden era of Tango, Julio De Caro and Carlos Gardel, have birthdays on December 11th. The Secretary of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires declared December 11th National Tango Day 60 years ago. DimOn will honor these great men and celebrate the National Tango Day by telling us a little about these two artists, and playing a few tandas of both artists. He will also have a slide show running related to the occasion. Lesson $15, Milonga $15, Both $20
VivaTango will have its annual Holiday Milonga this year on Thursday December 16th. The stars are aligning for a fantastic event. Pablo Estigarribia one of the greatest tango pianists alive, will be in attendance, performing a short concert and then live music for dancing. Meredith Klein will be teaching the pre-milonga class, accompanied by a very special surprise guest; Meredith will also be our DJ. There will be door prizes and surprises. Dress to impress and come out to end the tango year on a very high note! Admission only $20.
Connect Yourself to the world wide Tango community with this Free App
The free Tango Partner app helps you get more of the tango you love. As a user you can connect easily with nearby social tango dancers by sending them a cabeceo (a friend request in the context of the app). This allows you to ask for local information if you are travelling, share a ride, book accommodation or register to an event together, stay in touch with your favorite tango dancers, or even find other tango dancers at the airport. Moreover, you can connect with tango professionals in your country and abroad, and you can find festivals, marathons, milongas, practicas, classes, etc. Finally, you can find tango books, clothes, online tango classes and more.
All dancers must have been vaccinated with their final shot at least two weeks before the event and are required to wear a mask covering the mouth and nose. Sanitation stations are provided, the dance floor is large, the ceiling is high, and the ventilation has been upgraded with high efficiency filters for your safety. Dancers are urged to bring their own water bottle. Dancers should not come if they are not feeling well, have been exposed to a person with Covid in the past 2 weeks, or are awaiting results for a Covid test.
Happy Thanksgiving. There will be no VivaTango event this Thursday. VivaTango is thankful for all the volunteers, dancers, instructors, musicians and DJs that unite in the Princeton Tango Family.
December 4th
Pablo and Iwona with Lesson and Milonga
December 11th
Eleonora with DimOn the Tango DJ with Lesson and Milonga
SAVE THE DATE December 16th For Holiday Milonga
VivaTango will have its annual Holiday Party this year on Thursday December 16th. The stars are uniting for a memorable event. Some of the World’s best will be there with live music and a fabulous lesson. Put December 16th on your calendar now!
For Your Safety
All dancers must have been vaccinated with their final shot at least two weeks before the event and are required to wear a mask covering the mouth and nose. Sanitation stations are provided, the dance floor is large, the ceiling is high, and the ventilation has been upgraded with high efficiency filters for your safety. Dancers are urged to bring their own water bottle. Dancers should not come if they are not feeling well, have been exposed to a person with Covid in the past 2 weeks, or are awaiting results for a Covid test.
Meredith Klein and Andres Amarilla return to Princeton. Meredith and Andres are Instructors, performers and event organizers. They provide a wide scope of Argentine Tango dance and music events in the Philadelphia area, including the Philadelphia Tango Festival. They are well known in the international Tango community. They are looking forward to seeing all their friends at VivaTango Thursday.
November 25th
Happy Thanksgiving. There will be no VivaTango event this Thursday. VivaTango is thankful for all the volunteers, dancers, instructors, musicians and DJs that unite in the Princeton Tango Family.
SAVE THE DATE December 16th For Holiday Milonga
VivaTango will have its annual Holiday Party this year. Great plans are in the works. Announcements to be made in a few weeks – Save the date!
For Your Safety
All dancers must have been vaccinated with their final shot at least two weeks before the event and are required to wear a mask covering the mouth and nose. Sanitation stations are provided, the dance floor is large, the ceiling is high, and the ventilation has been upgraded with high efficiency filters for your safety. Dancers are urged to bring their own water bottle. Dancers should not come if they are not feeling well, have been exposed to a person with Covid in the past 2 weeks, or are awaiting results for a Covid test.
The dancing continues next week with Helen Wang providing a great evening of lessons and a milonga.
November 11th
Helen Wang and James Archambault will lead a lesson titled “Rebote with Surprises!” following the lesson, the lights will be turned down and the music volume up and Helen will DJ the Milonga starting at 8:15 PM. On their last appearance at VivaTango Helen and James danced with many of you. They look forward to getting back on the dance floor with you again.
7:00 PM Lesson
8:15 PM Milonga
Lesson $15, Milonga $15, Both $20
For Your Safety
All dancers must have been vaccinated with their final shot at least two weeks before the event and are required to wear a mask covering the mouth and nose. Sanitation stations are provided, the dance floor is large, the ceiling is high, and the ventilation has been upgraded with high efficiency filters for your safety. Dancers are urged to bring their own water bottle. Dancers should not come if they are not feeling well, have been exposed to a person with Covid in the past 2 weeks, or are awaiting results for a Covid test.
Viva Tango Inc. 