May 31, 2015
The Last Tango at Galvez
New Orleans, LA 70116
www.galvezrestaurant.com
Organizer
Valorie Hart, La Mariposa
DJ: Alberto - In Memoriam
Dance Card
Denise from NOLA, Isabella from Diamondhead, MS formerly from Portugal, Jessica from NOLA, Karen from Pass Christian, MS, Kathy from Daphne, AL and Lynn from Baton Rouge.
Notes
First dance was a Tango with Lynn. Last dance was a Tango Vals with Kathy.
trEats
The Galvez Restaurant Seafood Gumbo
Delights
The weather - the rained stopped and the evening was beautiful.
Lorena was drop dead gorgeous!
Alberto's music.
This classic venue.
The excellent food.
Denise sharing the melody of the tango softly in my ear.
Denise sharing the melody of the tango softly in my ear.
Regrets
Only heard one Milonga. Nyron was hovering over Linda so I couldn't ask her. P.O. at Kathy so I couldn't ask her. Valorie was dancing with Eli so I couldn't ask her. So I danced NO Milonga with NO body.
I tripped and almost fell. I've never fallen before. Never dropped a woman. But maybe I'm getting too old to Tango?
One woman hangs on me and my shoulder thinking that she's dancing like a Milonguera. Milongueras are light, not heavy. Her embrace could be fine for a true Milonguero because true Milongueros are short. But it doesn't work for a tall American Milonguero like me. The weight of her arm hanging on me is a heavy drag and she's reluctant to adjust it.
Got a decline that I wasn't expecting. Stung hard. So disappointed that I left early. I will not dance with her again!
Because I left early, I took no fotos.
The floorcraft sucked causing friction and altercation. At least half the dancers on the floor need to take the floorcraft class.
NO ONE UNDERSTANDS OR CARES THAT DANCING EXPANSIVELY ON A CROWDED FLOOR IS RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL AND DANGEROUS.
Not even some of the Teachers.
It's more fun to showboat on the river than to give the woman a good safe dance.
Not sure the Followers understand how bad it is. If they're good, they're dancing with their eyes closed and see and know nothing. The Leaders are too proud to admit that they crash into anyone.
Tango is a contact sport. Everyone crashes from time-to-time.
But like on the highway, a safe and courteous driver adjusts to the driving conditions. It's the reckless drivers who don't.
reck·less
ˈrekləs / adjective
( of a person or their actions )
without thinking or caring about
the consequences of an action.
"reckless driving"
If the Dancers had played nicer with one another, respecting each other, respecting the dance and respecting Valorie on the last night at Galvez, things would have been better. Wish for her sake that it would have been better, but it wasn't. It was a goat rodeo.
Comments
Valorie:
I'm just discovering Neil's blog and I like it. There are several posts called Ask Aleandro that are very on flick. XO XO
Neil to Valorie:
[ on flick = on fleek = AWESOME! ]
Linda: WOW!
Carol:
It seems that he was at a different event. Yes -- it was crowded. Yes -- people were expansive. But I attribute that to the celebratory nature of the event. I think he broadbrushed his particular experience. His views are valid but there are other views. I had a swimmingly good time. I danced with the best as well as beginners. I had a good drink and the calamari. I got squeezed in and also was protected by my partner. I think it was great fun and not the colossal downer that most tango events tend to be. I would go to it again in a heartbeat. So sad for this gentleman ---
PS -- on my grave it will say "no regrets". My mother taught us that you have to make your own fun.
Linda:
Well stated Carol. Mine taught me if you can't say something nice.
Shut Up!
Neil to Linda:
[ The blog's not about nice. About naughty! Notoriously naughty! LOL ]
Valorie:
I don't think he was being mean or not nice. He had a a couple of very valid honest observations. xo xo
Carol: A couple.
Neil to Valorie:
[ My X's will vouch for how mean and hateful I am. ]
Neil to Carol:
[ My Mama taught me that life's too short to drink bad wine or dance with ugly women. You want to talk about the sad gentleman or the sad floorcraft. You want to make it personal or constructive? I deleted the post. But you reposted the comment. What up with that? ]
Denise: What does it mean "ugly woman"???
Neil to Denise:
[ You don't have to worry about "ugly woman / mujer fea" because you're beautiful! ]
Carol: I got paid most of my adult life to argue for a living but I am now retired. The bottom line for me is that tango should be enjoyable & I felt it was sad that you had so many regrets -- especially when my glass was more than half full.
[ Glad you had fun. Glad you can make your Tango into your own fun. You like Tango fun. Your Tango sounds like a Milonga.
My Tango is sad. That's why I love the Tango. My Milonga is Milonga Triste. I wear black. I'm Lutheran. My Tango is a sad thought danced. To each his own. ]
Carol:
My "reposting" probably has something to do with my not being savvy with Facebook. I apologize for that. In this instance I was being a ride or die friend for Valorie. It was an important and historical night for her and I do feel that as a writer you could have been more fair and charitable. I wd not know you -- Neil -- if you walked by me on the street. This is more about Valorie's memories than it is about you. And since I have never been considered to be ugly perhaps someday you will ask me for a dance.
Neil to Carol:
[ It would be my pleasure. ]
