Camille Cusumano

August 8, 2008

Photo credit: Olivia’s husband, Andre

I am still on Kent Island, MD, missing my favorite milongas and milongueros in other great world places. It really induces some form of withdrawal to not dance tango for soooo long, longer than I care to say. So while I pine, let me also o-pine. The topic of kindness is still on my mind so it is fitting that I plug a new outdoor milonga in the San Francisco Bay Area whose organizers, Jonathan and Olivia, are in addition to being talented, notably warm and welcoming. I’ve inserted their entire invitation below and encourage anyone who can to try it out. The atmosphere is great—because there is love of dance and love of people. Watch Olivia and Jonathan dance in this YouTube video.

Olivia and Jonathan also host the weekly Belrose Milonga, another venue to love—it’s in a former house-of-god-turned-theater (what better feng shui for dancing!). It was at the Belrose, one of the first milongas I attended upon my return from Argentina, where I learned that there are hosts who make an effort to dance with all their guests. Yes, that’s what Jonathan and Olivia both did, after personal welcomes to everyone who shows up. And the warmth was infectious because all other dancers were equally open hearted and shared their dancing with everyone. No one, great or small, omitting none, to quote the Metta Sutta, was left out. In lunfardo (Argentine slang), the place has buena onda—really good vibes.

If you can’t be in Buenos Aires for dancing tango, my home base, San Francsico, is the next best place. I love all the milongas there in the Bay Area for different reasons. Not only are there milonga(s) every night of the week, but many are centralized in SOMA (South of Market area), they are easy to find and there is a good strong tango community, which Bay Area Tango Association helps promote. Igor Polk has my favorite site for thumbnail descriptions of them. Tango Mango is the best place to find out the details about the milongas mentioned here and in several states, as well as about classes, visiting teachers, and more.

In New York, where I have some experience in half a dozen milongas, I find La Nacional is the best one for a solo tanguera. Men and women there are generally very friendly, but don’t expect the host to dance with you—he is cordial enough but has his small stable of partners. He might take a lesson from Olivia and Jonathan.

When I make my first visit to Portland’s tango festival in October, I fully expect that city to challenge SF’s first-place rating in my book. I say this because during my year and a half in Buenos Aires, the best foreigners I danced with were inordinately from Portland. You all know who you are. I refrain from naming names, for fear of leaving out someone—there were that many. There was even one man from Portland, a wonderfully promising beginner who told me he had learned everything he knew about tango from watching YouTube videos. I met him in Oscar and Marian Casas’s class and I hope I run into him again—he had no idea what an innate grasp he had on the dance, even as a novice.

After I return from the Portland Fest, where I’ll be promoting my book, Tango, I’ll have my people get back to yours on what the final score is.
Here is Jonathan and Olivia’s invitation:

September 4, 2008 - 6 pm to 9 pm

Dance Argentine Tango at
The Four Points Sheraton Hotel
1010 Northgate Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

You are invited to the 1st Thursday Outdoor Ladies Night Summer Milonga, located poolside at the beautiful Four Points Sheraton Hotel in San Rafael (next to the Marin Steak & Spirits Company).

Enjoy dancing this summer a portable hardwood dance floor at our outdoor milonga and listening to wonderful music on a great sound system (Deejay Jonathan Yamauchi).

Spectators and Hotel Guests - Free!
Dancers - $12
Milonga will be held indoors in the event of rain.

Hosts/Instructors contact info:
Jonathan Yamauchi - yamagatotango@gmail.com 925-899-4611
Olivia Levitt - livtango@gmail.com 650-834-5658

Driving Directions at
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/area/directions.html?propertyID=1260