Venue: The Astor Crowne Plaza - New Orleans French Quarter at Bourbon and Canal Street.
BOURBON AND CANAL STREET FROM THE ASTOR BALLROOM VERANDA.
Organizer: Lorena of La Milonga Que Faltaba.
The Mardi Gras Milonga
Astor Ballroom
DJ: Yuling Chen
Performances: Damian Lobato, Rod and Jenny
Live Music Performance:
LA Bilonga Tango Orquesta, Bogata, Columbia
Dance Card:
Anne from Miramar Beach, FL, Danese from Birmingham, AL, Kathy from Daphne, AL, Lynn from Baton Rouge, LA, Mel from NOLA, Pamela from Washington, Peggy from Birmingham, AL, Valorie from NOLA, Vera from Austin, TX.
Notes: Pretty good live music [PC Police delete "for Girls." NOT REALLY! JUST KIDDING! I don't know for sure but suspect that you can count the number of female bandoneonistas in the world on the fingers of your hands. I have lots of photos of bandoneon players but only one photo of a woman. They are rare gems indeed! ] The music is danceable and that fact is rare for live performances. Wish they were "unplugged" and had a "string" section but that's just my "old school" preference.
Delights:
The Second Line and the lagniappe of a souvenir handkerchief to wave.
Good Tango with Valorie.
Incredible dancing show on the Milonga floor after 2 AM.
Regrets:
The Spotlights [expletive "Suck!" deleted by PC Police.]
Two Cabeceo mix ups!
[PC Police replace "cock" with "mix."]
NOT AN ITALIAN FERRARI!
A TALE OF TWO PAIRS OF COMME IL FAUT!
trEats:
Party of THREE at
123 Carondelet,
3 AM after party breakfast.
HOT DOGS AND ROSES ON BOURBON STREET.
THE PARTY OF THE OTHER PART.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
trEats: Lunch back at Daisy Dukes,
Serendipitous Party of Two.
Regrets: Spilt Water.
Introduction to Habanera Rhythm
(Intermediate)
Notes: An old woman scolds me for touching her back.
Notes: Rather than teaching Chacarera technique, Diego teaches the feelings of the dance. Well done!
trEats:
Party of One Supper
on the Sidewalk at
605 Canal St
Light Entertainment:
L.G.B.T. Pride Parade on Canal Street.
[PC Police replaced "Girly Guys and Dancing Queens" with "L.G.B.T."]
June is L.G.B.T. Pride Month!
Every day is an L.G.B.T. Pride Day in NOLA.
Fun Fact: Gallup Poll reports a whopping 5% of NOLA residents are L.G.B.T. compared with only 3.6% nationwide. The corollary to this fun fact is that 95% of NOLA residents are straight. But a straight parade on Canal Street would have been dull, boring and homophobic.
Le Soirée de Gala Milonga
Astor Ballroom
DJ: Adam Hoopengardner
Performances: Adrian and Alejandra, Andrés and Carolina, Jorge and Milena
Live Music Performance:
LA Bilonga Tango Orquesta, Bogata, Columbia
Dance Card:
Adele from Ft Walton Beach, FL, Ann from Washington, Anne from Miramar Beach, FL, Brenda Lin from NOLA, Jennifer from NOLA, Jessica from NOLA, Lynn from Baton Rouge, Matty from MS, Melinda from NOLA, Pamela from Washington, Peggy from Birmingham, Vera from Austin.
Notes:
Wearing my Psycho-Bunny Polo by Robert Godley, New York to the class. Change to Elegant Sport in my Tommy Bahama silk shirt for La Milonga. This one is clean and new from the Tanger Outlet, Foley, AL. Not used and dirty from the Thrift Store as is my custom.
Warren gets Best in Show for Best Dressed Man in his Tuxedo. Nyron from MS - First Place. Vance from Austin - Honorable Mention in his White Linen Suit. This Milonguero is not stupid enough to judge the Women.
Melinda tells me that my Milonga is awesome!
Apologies to Anne.
Mend fences with Jessica.
Arm wrestle with another woman over the position of her rt arm. I lose. If she wants to stick her elbow out, she can [expletive "damn well" deleted by PC Police] stick it!
What? Her embrace is perfect but her rt arm is out in rt field. Milonguero Style 101 - Elbows point to the floor. Elbows out is rude, dangerous and unacceptable on a crowded floor unless you're playing basketball. Her rt arm is out. So I try to bring her arm in but not a word 'cause I don't teach at a Milonga. I try but she doesn't get it. Instead, she resists and bristles. It's all my fault.
She finally asks, "What's up with the arm?"
She says, "I don't want to give you a hug. I want to dance."
And that's that.
The embrace is the core, the essence, the alpha and omega of the milonguero style of dance. If you can hug, you can dance. When you hug, you're arm is not out in rt field. Starting with a hug is the easiest and most important way to re-set the connection.
The moral to this story is if you're partner doesn't get it, you can't fix it during the Tanda at the Milonga. You smile, let go and dance with another.
Leave early at 1:30 AM.
Dodge the drunks, druggies, derelicts, homeless, gays, black youth, tourists, travelers and revelers who comprise the colorful late nightlife on the Streets of New Orleans in the French Quarter.
[PC Police replace "gangstas, hoes" with "black youth."]
Not feeling very safe walking around the block from the hotel to the parking garage at 2 AM in the morning. Not recommended for an unescorted Lady. Beautiful fearless NOLA women may beg to differ.
[PC Police replace "ball-busting" with "fearless."]
Sunday, June 21, 2015
First Day of Summer. Father's Day.
Notes:
Invited a NOLA woman to join me for Sunday Brunch but she doesn't go outside the City. Metarie must be too narrow minded for her. Love the irony!
