Author Archives: Viva Tango Inc.

And the losers are…

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

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Drum-roll, please. We know you’ve had your Oscar nomination in hand for weeks now. We know you’ve been working on your acceptance speech. And we also know Meryl Streep is going to win anyhow. So predictable. That got us to thinking; It’s usually the losers who are more interesting, more provocative, more fun.

Naturally we concluded you’d like to see the losers in our Valentine’s Day Milonga naming contest. Some of them really deserved their nominations:

  • I’m Never Dating Again Milonga

  • Droopy Red Rose Milonga

  • Stupid Cupid Milonga

  • Love’s a Bore Milonga

  • Wish You Were Elsewhere Milonga

  • The Valentine Blahs Milonga

  • Lost Love Milonga

  • I Hate Valentine’s Day Milonga

That should help clarify exactly what your own position is. Whether you love it, hate it, or feel supremely indifferent to Valentine’s Day, you don’t want to miss the fun we’ll be having at My Funny Valentine Milonga next Tuesday at the beautiful Tusk Restaurant.  Romantic music, good dancers, bar service, all excellent reasons to join us at 8. You might even be the target of one of Cupid’s stray arrows.

Just remember to thank us in your acceptance speech.

Don’t cry for me Argentina

06 Monday Feb 2012

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In fact, smile, because Lesley Mtchell says “This is our 20th year of teaching tango and I’m still enthralled. Thank you Argentina!” Lesley has lived in Buenos Aires, speaks Spanish fluently, knows where to buy the best custom made tango shoes, can spot a Malbec at 50 paces, and knows who dances at which milongas each night in BsAs. That’s cultural immersion, a Norteamericana by birth, a Porteña at heart.

Lesley will be back at Viva this Thursday at 8 with a lesson in pinwheel turns (not molinetes.) You’ll be saying muy gracias before the night is out and smiling too.

And here’s another reason to smile: You’re just a week and a day away from My Funny Valentine Milonga at the beautiful Tusk Restaurant.

This is turning out to be a very warm, smiley winter, don’t you think?

No one’s in the kitchen with Nelly

02 Thursday Feb 2012

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She’s in there all alone, so you know the food’s going to be good.

We’ve got Vittoria and Guillermo (Porteño?: √.) We’ve got voleos (Tango?: √.) We’ve got Villa Urquiza (Style?: √.) We’ve got Nelly’s food (Delicious?: √.)

All we need to make the evening great is you (Photogenic?: √.)

January 26, 2012

Join us at the Suzanne Patterson Center tonight at 8 pm to start practicing your tango moves for Valentine’s Day.

Kick up your heels

30 Monday Jan 2012

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That’s what you’ll need to do when Vittoria and Guillermo return this week. These dancing professionals have spent 10 years perfecting the art of Argentine tango on stage and off. They’ve suspected from the beginning that it would come down to two things: Villa Urquiza and voleos. And it has. This Thursday they’ll be teaching a turn with voleos in their Villa Urquiza style. If you need a Villa Urquiza refresher, here’s Hiroshi and Kyoko, the 2010 Mundial Champions, dancing in that style:

If you need a voleo refresher, it’s that kick that can be lethal if done incorrectly or led badly. It’s also that kick that looks extremely inelegant if you don’t get your heel and toe in exactly the right position. You’ll want to come to SPC at 8 on Thursday to get this right. The future of tango depends on it.

And while we’re talking about the future, don’t forget the beautiful one we have planned for you, our (anti?) Valentine’s Day Milonga at Tusk Restaurant.  If you were hoping to eat at Tusk before the milonga, better call right away, 908 829-3417.

Where to dance this weekend

26 Thursday Jan 2012

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FRIDAY______________________________________

Lesley and Kelly’s lesson and milonga at Buttonwood in Philadelphia, PA. info

Mate Amargo lesson and milonga, Highland Park, NJ. info

SATURDAY____________________________________

Acropolis Milonga, Lafayette Grill, NYC. The National Tango Champions of Greece perform at the milonga after their workshop. info

Milonga del Corazon, Sea Girt, NJ. Vittoria and Guillermo teach before the milonga.  info

Milonga Melodia lesson and milonga, Lambertville, NJ. info

Milonga Qilombo, lesson and milonga, Philadelphia, PA. info

SUNDAY_______________________________________

Acropolis Milonga, Lafayette Grill, NYC. Anais Haven & Alfredo Melendez perform. info

Collegeville lesson and milonga, Wayne, PA. info

Cross your heart and hope to…

26 Thursday Jan 2012

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…see Chulo show you how to exit from that cross! What were you thinking?

Tonight Marcelo “Chulo” Manfredi will be breaking down the basic step for us. Then we’ll learn different exits from the cross, always a tricky proposition, and a necessary part of your tango education. To make learning even more fun we’ve got a great floor, tasty snacks and nice people. School was never this good.

Join us at 8 tonight at the Suzanne Patterson Center. Admission $12, $5 for students.

And don’t forget to clear your calendar so you can attend the My Funny Valentine Milonga at Tusk Restaurant on February 14th.

Stupid Cupid’s still pickin’ on you

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Valentine’s Day is coming up. Love it or hate it, you’ve got to deal with it. We at Viva Tango have been thinking there’s only one way to handle it, whether it’s old love, new love, unrequited love or lost love. Simply tango the night away.

We’ve planned something very special so you can do just that. My Funny Valentine Milonga will be held on February 14th (yes, that’s a Tuesday) at the beautiful Tusk Restaurant on Route 206 in Montgomery.

Our milonga will have bar service, but if you want to eat, which is probably always a good idea, check out the Tusk Restaurant website. The chef is offering two scrumptious prix fixe dinners for Valentine’s Day. If you hurry, you might just be able to book a table before it’s too late. Call 908 – 829 – 3417 to make your dinner reservation now.

A beautiful restaurant, glorious food, nice drinks, romantic music. We hope you’re getting the hint that we want you to be our Valentine.

And don’t forget our Valentine’s warm up – Chulo’s back by popular demand, teaching at 8 this Thursday.

 


Chulo has something to tell you

23 Monday Jan 2012

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We can’t divulge it right now. You’ll have to come at 8 on Thursday to see what it is. That’s when Marcelo “Chulo” Manfredi returns to Viva Tango as our guest instructor. Until then, our lips are sealed.

Here’s a picture of two of our favorite dancers paying close attention to what Kelly Ray had to say last week. See? It works!

Spin the bottle, wheel, pin, instructor

19 Thursday Jan 2012

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We’ve got a surprise for you tonight. In fact, we’ve got a surprise for us tonight. A surprise instructor.

Well, maybe not that much of a surprise. We’ve narrowed it down to two of the best instructors we could possibly have, Lesley Mitchell or Kelly Ray. Lesley and Kelly have been teaching tango in Philadelphia for 20 years, are hosts of Philadelphia’s original weekly milonga, and will be among the hosts for this Saturday’s Unity Milonga. If you know a good dancer from Philly, you can be sure they’ve taken lessons with Lesley and Kelly.

Both are clear and precise in their instruction. That’s a good thing because tonight’s topic is pinwheel turns from back ochos (that’s a molinete to you advanced tangueros) and rocking turns. You’ll be spinning before you know it, and doing it right.

Come be surprised and spin with us tonight – 8 pm at the Suzanne Patterson Center. Admission $12, $5 for students.