[Tango-L] Scenes from the milonga

[Janis Kenyon]

Friday was Dia del Amigos when friends phone one another or get together.  A
list of a few friends to call could take hours if only one friend decides
she has time for a long chat.  It's a day when restaurants are booked in
advance for groups dining together.  It was sure to be a day when many would
show up in the milongas.

The milonga Entre tango y tango at Centro Region Leonesa begins at 6:00pm.
I was there at 6:45 to claim a table for two friends and myself.  Leonesa is
a large place in which to coordinate the seating of 375+ dancers and keep
all them happy.  It's a real challenge for Luis Trapasso who needs help.  He
has Stella collecting the money, but she should be the one seating people at
tables.  Stella's daughter collects tickets inside, but it's a long wait for
Luis to return and escort you to a table.  I found where I wanted to sit
nearby and made myself comfortable until Luis got around to noticing me.  He
wanted me to move to a table in front of the large speakers, but I refused.
I wear earplugs so the noise level is tolerable.  He offered me the table
next to where I was, and I agreed to move.

It wasn't long before Alfredo Barcones (77) arrived.  We had a pleasant chat
a month ago when I phoned to wish him a happy birthday.  Our conversation
focused on how things were years ago in the milongas and how much things
have changed.  It was about 7:00 and the floor was still quite open.
Alfredo invited me for a tanda.  After the first tango he told me that he
has to stop smoking because he has pain in his right leg.  He said his
hearing has been impaired since a recent bout with the flu.  He managed to
dance in spite of everything.  After the third dance of the tanda, he said
his leg was bothering him, so I asked if he wanted to sit down.  He insisted
on finishing the tanda with me.  Later I saw him out in the foyer where
dancers go to smoke.  There was Alfredo with a cigarette in his hand.

Around 9:00 my friends hadn't arrived yet, and Luis was running out of
tables.  He seated two women at my table.  I informed them they were welcome
to stay until my friends arrived.  There were other tables on the dance
floor, but they are reserved for the glamour girls.  They are the ones who
show up late when there are no more tables, but they have their reserved
seats.  They wouldn't come otherwise.  They are used to being catered to by
Luis and other organizers.  The glamour girls are a very small clique of
women.  They are over-55, attractive women who will dance with anyone.  The
important thing to them is they are dancing for almost every tanda.

One of the newest glamour girls is about 21.  Her father teaches tango, so
somehow she has made her way to a front-row table in every milonga for the
over-60 crowd without paying her dues.  I don't know if she dances where the
young crowd goes, but I've seen her dancing with Ricardo Suarez (83).
Friday she was wearing camouflage leggings, her first pair of Comme il Faut
shoes, and a hodgepodge of summer tops.  She used to dress more
appropriately for the milonga, but she's one of the trendsetters toward the
grunge style in the milongas.  Women with whom I've shared a table are never
at a loss for commentary about her.  She is successful in that she manages
to dance with the best dancers at a milonga.  She hasn't learned that she
should change into her dance shoes in the ladies' room.  That's like
changing in the gym before or after exercising rather than in the locker
room.  She's dancing practically every tanda with her eyes closed, so she
hasn't had an opportunity to learn much by watching.  You'll see her dancing
early at Leonesa and later at Lo de Celia.  She's the one with all the butt
action.

My deadline was 10:00pm to stay at Leonesa if my friends didn't arrive.
They didn't, so I went to change my shoes in the ladies' room and then walk
three blocks to Lo de Celia where I hadn't been for three months.  A person
informed me that my friends had just arrived.  I went searching for them
during a very loud tanda of tropical music when the lights were off.  I
suggested we leave and go to Celia's.  My table was occupied so there was no
place for us.  They asked for their money back, but Luis didn't want to
return it at first.  He finally agreed to after giving me a difficult time
about the table.  I realized that I didn't want to return to a place where I
didn't feel comfortable or welcome.  His milonga is the current place to be
on Friday evenings, but you won't find me there again.

No matter how many milongueros finally showed up at Leonesa, it wasn't
enough reason for me to stay.  Miguel Angel Balbi, Hugo Belvisi, Carlos
Bugarin, Jose Pantano, and Hector Delgado have been friends for fifty years.
Ernesto Delgado would have been with them if his health was better.  Carlos
Greco, Ricardo Franquelo, Fernando Iturrieta, Jorge Uzunian, Ricardo Suarez
and Dany Garcia were there.   I haven't seen Ismael Heljalil since he
stopped going to Celia's because of health problems.  It was nice to see him
able to dance again.  Enrique Rosich still runs a milonga although he isn't
able to dance.  I consider myself fortunate to have danced with all of them.

Lo de Celia is the place I call my second home.  It's the only place where
one is greeted like family at a milonga.  Celia Blanco has hired people who
make it happen.  The security guard greeted us at the street entrance.
Mario was there with a smile as he collected our entradas.  Olga took care
of our coats.  Dario escorted us to our table.  Carlitos and Johnny, the
waiters, greeted us as we walked to our table.  Dany Borelli, the best DJ in
BsAs, greeted us with a kiss.   Viviana at the bar welcomed us.  And later
when Celia arrived, she came to our table to thank us for coming.  Friday
was not only a celebration for Dia del Amigos; it was also the seventh
anniversary of Lo de Celia Tango Club.

My friends and I shared a bottle of Sidra while we listened to the music and
watched the dancing.  Celia provided sandwiches and cake for her 200 guests.
I was happy to find Rodolfo Indegno (76) in good health, and I enjoyed a
tanda with him.  We decided to leave around 3:00, but while walking down the
stairs, I heard another tanda of Di Sarli and had to return.  I thanked Dany
for the music he programs so well.  I'm not used to getting home at 4:00,
but it was a wonderful night at Lo de Celia.


Janis Kenyon
Buenos Aires