[Tango-L] ghost of gavito

[Lexa Rosean]

Milongas come and go but there's an exhilarating feeling when a good  
one comes back to life with full force. I have been meaning to write  
about this for a few weeks and I can no longer put it off because I  
was so moved by this milonga and it was even more amazing on my  
second and third visits. Over eight years ago, Maestro Carlos Gavito  
started El Recodo milonga at DanceSport. I remember it well and it  
was the most exciting milonga in NYC with a crisp Porteño air that  
sent shivers of excitement through your soul. In those days, I was  
rather intimidated by Gavito but over the years we became friends. He  
was one of the few who approved of my leading (although in general,  
he disapproved of women leading.) I suppose the great price I paid  
for this approval was that he never invited me to dance. He did  
however, send his girlfriends to dance with me and this was  
especially helpful to me in Roma as I knew no one there and that  
first dance showed me off so well that I had female partners for the  
rest of my stay. Gavito was a godsend. I have many stories about him  
and some will remain private memories but here is another one that  
I'd like to share...

The night before Gavito died (of lung cancer), he came to me in a  
dream. I was sitting in a milonga and smoking a cigarette. He came  
over to my table and said to me: "I am going but I want you to stay."  
He reached over and took the cigarette from my hand. He smothered it  
out in the ashtray, gave me a wink, and then disappeared. I quit  
smoking shortly after this dream and now it has been almost two years  
since I quit smoking. It has also been almost two years since I saw  
Gavito. For those of you who know me, it is not surprising to hear  
that I see and speak with spirits. It is an integral part of my life  
and work. Two weeks ago, as Paul Pellicoro welcomed us into the new  
DanceSport and spoke about the history of El Recodo milonga, I saw  
Gavito in the room. I saw him again last night and the Holy Ghost of  
Tango moved through the dancers touching their forms. (yes that means  
the level of dancing was quite high!) His milonga lives! Gavito's  
spirit is still among us and blesses the space.

The new studio, by the way, is lovely. The ballroom is light and airy  
with lots of windows, French doors, plants and a cafe off to the  
side. I was totally impressed with the cappuccino machines and Danesi  
espresso. Leave it to Paul Pellicoro to give us a bigger better and  
classier DanceSport! After Gavito, Carlos Quiroga, the editor of  
Reportango magazine, carried on El Recodo milonga. At present it is  
being lovingly rejuvenated through the efforts of Ko Tanaka - dj  
extraordinaire! and hosts Ronen Khayat, Jennifer Wesnousky, and  
Santiago Steele.
Tiger's milonga rating: ✭✭✭✭✭✭✭


El Recodo Milonga
Every Sunday night
9pm-12:30am, $12 ($5 Dancesport Students)
DanceSport Intl Ballroom and Latin Dance Studio
22 W 34th St, 4th floor - next to the Empire State Building, Tel:  
212-307-1111

Special two for the price of one for the month of April

for more milonga reviews visit:
http://tigerstango.blogspot.com