[Tango-A] MISC: STORY TIME ABOUT TANGO, MEXICO, PASSION OF THE AMERICAS FESTIVAL

Tue Aug 8 07:16:48 EDT 2006

Dear Readers,
Make sure you go to the link at the end to see the photos!
Christina Johnson, Beyond Tango, LLC

Vol. 2, No.8 A Tango Happenstance
by Matt Kropp

I hadn't planned to end up at a tango
festival in Mexico, but that was just the first of many happy happenstances.
At first I was only planning a vacation trip to someplace new. I had heard
from several people what a great place San Miguel de Allende is, and decided
that should be my destination. My plan was to go there for the Dia de los
Muertos celebrations. Having recently become an Argentine Tango addict, I
thought it might be worth a try to google "San Miguel de Allende tango" and
see what came up. I wasn't expecting any tango in this small colonial
mountain town 170 miles from the nearest big city (Mexico City), and a 1-1/2
hour drive from the nearest airport. To my surprise, I found "Passion of the
Americas Tango & Jazz Festival," taking place in early October. I would have
to choose tango or Dia de los Muertos because I couldn't take off work for a
month to do both. But when I called Christina Johnson, the event organizer,
she told me I was looking at the 2004 event info, and that the 2005 festival
would take place the first week of November. Perfect! Now I could do both.
Christina puts on tango festivals that are a little different than you will
find elsewhere. She limits the number of people who attend to 80, and
invites 5 teachers who teach without a partner. If you are tired of large
festivals with over 100 people in a single class run by a couple who show
off advanced moves and give little personal attention, then this is the
festival for you. The teachers demonstrate with the students, and
you will receive plenty of attention. Most likely, you will also become
close friends with almost everyone at the festival. The small classes
encourage new friendships and camaraderie. The milongas take place at
several locations around town, and a couple of them feature live tango
orchestras.
San Miguel de Allende, sitting at 6,400' elevation, was founded by a
Franciscan missionary in 1542. It is also the birthplace of Ignacio de
Allende, a general in the war of independence from Spain. The city has been
declared a National Monument, and much of its history is well preserved. You
will find cobblestone streets and a complete lack of traffic lights, neon
signs, and fast-food joints. There are two large art schools, and you will
find original artwork just about every place you go. All this makes for an
interesting setting for a tango festival.
Besides tango dancing, you can experience the Dia de los Muertos
celebrations, try out many of the excellent restaurants around town, explore
the old churches, walk through the historic neighborhoods, go on house
tours, visit art galleries, and take a short trip out of town to see
beautiful gardens and swim in hot springs.
The tango was not the only happy happenstance. I happened to wander into La
Parroquia, a gothic-style church in the center of town, just in time to
explore the crypt. I found out later that the crypt was only open once a
year, during the short period that I was there. Another time, as I was
wandering the streets, I came across a beautiful spa located in an old
colonial house. I asked if I could get a massage, and I just happened to be
there when they had an immediate opening. A woman that walked in after me
was told they were booked the whole day. What luck! The entire trip was an
amazing, uplifting experience. I recommend it to all adventurous tango
dancers.
(Author info on page 2.)

Our guest writer this month is Matt Kropp, a native San Diegan and a
software-engineering consultant by trade. He has been a tango addict for
about 1-1/2 years. He can be spotted dancing tango at various locations
around SD at least 5 nights a week. You can see Matt's trip photos at

http:// sdma2005.shutterfly .com,
visit the official event website at
http: //www.beyondtango.com, and/or the San Miguel de Allende website at
http: //www.internetsanmiguel.com.

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