Astor Piazzolla is the spirit and inspiration for this tango show centrally located in the depths of the heart of Buenos Aires. Piazzolla’s revolutionary approach to creating and composing tango music during the 50’s, cemented him in tango’s history as the world’s foremost composer of tango music.

Just off Calle Florida (the pedestrian way), Piazzolla Tango is located in the basement of Galeria Guemes, an old gallery whose name has completely faded and rubbed off, making it all the more secretive.  If you’re having some trouble finding it, make sure you enter into this arcade to find the show. There are no signs on the street to indicate where it is. Down several flights of marble stairs, the tango class is held in a well decorated salon which was initially a tearoom/cafe when the gallery was constructed. It was during the 50’s that Abdulah Club, as it was known to the privileged and famous of tango composers, is said to have housed burlesque shows and shown erotic movies until these type of shows lost their appeal.  It was not until 2003 that this gallery (and the theatre) was rescued and restored to the well decorated gold and red gem that it is today.

Recommended to those attending the tango show, this complimentary tango class is a great introduction to the basic steps of tango. Taught by two of the performers, the class is in Spanish with English translations but these can be delivered rather rapidly so you need to be on the look out for them. During the introductions where attendees announce where they are from, the teachers make a note and try to translate, where possible, into other languages including portuguese and Italian.  At half an hour long, it keeps your interest without letting the rumbles of a hungry tummy get overwhelming.

On the other side from this salon is the theatre.  While modest in its size, it makes up with grandeur in lavish red and gold decor. Gold lion heads line the white pillars along with red velvet curtains giving the place a very regal feel. With a capacity of 350 persons, the main floor is lined with tables which are separated by wine holders, meaning diners will retain a sense of ‘their table’ without being locked between strangers. The walls are lined with booths which are for the VIP patrons. Seating up to four people each and accessed through red velvet lined archways, these booths offer not only a great view but dining privacy. There are also balcony booths on the second level for those wanting a higher view of the stage.  The front booths can sometimes obscure the view of some of the band, since they sit at the back of the stage, however you never miss a single moment of the dancing.

The waiters are extra attentive and helpful with whatever questions may arise. Extra options within each course and a higher quality of wine are what separate the VIP menu and the standard menu. A vegetarian option is available in both standard and VIP and the menus are written in english, spanish, portuguese and french.

The show is captivating not only for the sexy costumes and style of high calibre performers, but for the intimacy the small theatre brings, where you are close enough to see the breath and emotion of the singers. The show pays homage to the roots of tango where men used to dance with men (apparently while waiting for their turn inside the brothels), and opens up the first solo dance with a brave and daring couple whose dramatic dancing generated an occasional gasp as the woman executed the difficult moves perfectly, just inches away from the walls. The ganchos fly at lightning speed and are sometimes so quick that you miss them.  

Bear in mind that the show is about 80 minutes and starts at 9.45pm which can make for a long evening if you are attending the class at 7.45pm as well. There is an opportunity for a photo with some dancers as well should you wish.

Overall, Piazzolla Tango makes an excellent choice for those staying in the City Centre and who wish for a tango show with a theatre feel that retains a sense of intimacy and luxury.

(photo credit Rebecca T)

"I once said no to him a long time ago but then I thought, oh surely it couldn't have been that bad, so I said yes!" she wailed from the back of the car. "Now I remember why I said no!"

My friend's bemoaning her disastrous night out at a milonga is not as uncommon as you think. Many tango blogs and articles will have you thinking that there are handsome dashing men simply waiting to give you the best tanda of your life before drifting back into the milonga shadows, never to be seen again.

But quite simply, that's not true.

My friend had been caught by a shark. A tiburon, we call them. They are the men that lurk at milongas, waiting to pounce on the pretty foreigners who arrive. Once they have your cabeceo, you're stuck with them for the 10 minute tanda (set of songs) - just enough time, so they think, to work their "magic". Easily identifiable, a Tiburon is the man holding onto the hand of his victim during the breaks between songs, chatting away and acting as if it was quite normal. It's not - you are not required to hold the hands of your tango partner the entire time. One particular Tiburon even dances with the girl during the cortina (the musical break between tandas) - a big no-no. It's impossible to break away without feeling like you are being rude, hence the Tiburon has the advantage.

A tiburon will move boldly around the room, searching out women that either a) haven't danced with them before, b) have difficulty at saying "no" (it's harder than you think) or c) make accidental eye contact. They smile at you like you've made the best decision of your life to dance with them. They also won't let anything deter them from asking. One friend was asked to dance by one particularly famous Tiburon even while wearing her baby on her in a babywrap. This particular Tiburon that my friend had danced with, likes to flourish the conversation with his heavily accented English. He also has the unfortunate problem of sweating a lot. Not a little. A lot.

While sweating is not something to hold against a person, when you're dancing cheek to cheek with someone, the last thing you want is for your fringe to become plastered to your face with someone else's sweat dripping down you.  And even less appealing is when you indicate that you want to dance in the open embrace and the Tiburon insists on close embrace by pulling you ever closer. You know something is wrong when your left arm bicep is aching after one song, instead of your feet.

We didn't offer much support for my poor friend once she returned from the dance floor. We were too busy laughing after having watched her smile politely at the man during the very one sided conversations and peer over his shoulder at us with a look of despair on her face. Her only consolation was a glass of beer and reassure her that she wouldn't ever suffer it again.

Be warned ladies. It pays to watch the couples before you start dancing and stay away from the nicely smiling man. His teeth are sharp.

Being from an English speaking country, our norm is to greet most people with a handshake and friends and family with a hug. Even then, there are still friends and family who prefer not to hug and just give a warm verbal greeting.

I stumbled across this little article this morning -

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/6335166/The-cheek-of-social-kissing

and it got me thinking.

Here in Argentina, the greeting is a single kiss on the right cheek - or more like a cheek touch, there isn't always lip contact.  It´s not terribly difficult to grasp the technique and while I´m comfortable with obvious differences (friends – kiss/hug, strangers – peck), those people in the middle of these two points can be somewhat awkward. Professional relationships are a whole other ball game. After meeting my new doctor for the first time, we said our goodbyes with a kiss on the cheek as this is a person I am to develop a sense of trust with. The doctor that made a house call last week gave us a handshake since it was the one and only time we were to see him.  But the hairdresser I  saw just once recently said goodbye with a kiss. It leaves a wee bit of confusion about the whole thing.  The greeting kiss also means that leaving a party requires you to take 10 minutes to usually give everyone a kiss goodbye. I will admit that there have been times in the early morning when I just long to be able to stand up and wave my hand in a sweeping gesture of goodbye to everyone at the party and save myself an extra half an hour of saying goodbye.

What this article highlighted above does, is get a little too over the top about it all. We don´t really need to explain the social dynamics of what is going on, and often we´re too worried about doing the right thing and heaven forbid we should induce some degree of social awkwardness. Sure, it is a challenge watching myself manuever between confidently greeting friends and family in this new culture, and standing awkwardly behind my husband to follow what he does when meeting a group of new group of people for the first time.

The article states that greeting with a kiss is becoming meaningless through overuse. What a load of rubbish. Every time I greet a friend with a kiss, it is a sign of affection and gratitude for having them in my life and what they give me. And believe me, there is no misreading of the kiss. The kiss you give when greeting your boy or girlfriend, husband or wife is substantially different to how you would greet your friends in a social situation so there is no risk of there being any confusion over any significance of the gesture. To a new social buddy, the kiss shows a sense of welcome, openess and trust. Travelers that we have hosted in this fair city love this social etiquette and embrace it whole heartedly.

So for those traveling to Buenos Aires  and who want to really feel like they are getting into the culture, this greeting is a simple and easy way to feel immersed in the culture here. The best advice is to be open and just go with the flow. There is no need for awkward embarrassment. Like they say, when in Rome!

It’s Festival Month again! While Buenos Aires put on a stunner of a week of thunderstorms followed by a string of humid overcast and rainy days during the first part of August, the sun has come out just in time for the annual Tango Festival and Mundial. This is the tango event of the year and the best of the best around the world are here to strut their stuff in the hopes of becoming named number one.

Running from the 14th August until 27th August, the programme is huge. Shows and activities include musical performances by orchestras and singers, a myriad of classes for various levels, milongas and workshops and a products fair, all running alongside the international stage and salon Tango Mundial Championships. There are even art exhibitions related to tango. The government of Buenos Aires has a webpage up that explains (in both spanish and english) what’s on and where to go. Unable to be held in Recoleta like previous years, the Centro de Exposiciones is now down in the suburb of La Boca so it is a wee bit of a hike to get there.

You don’t have to be a tango dancer to get involved in the festivities. There are plenty of concerts being held either in Villa Urquiza (easily accessible on Linea B Subte) and Parque Centenario - a few short blocks from Corrientes. Check out the Entradas page for an explanation how to get your hands on tickets for these events. This year there is a concert to page homage to Mariano Mores - a man born in 1918 here in Buenos Aires and responsible for several famous tango melodies including Uno and Sin Palabras. He made his debut at just 14 years old and is also a pianist as well as a composer.

The exciting part is that, while part of the Mundial crowns the Salon (ie traditional) tango champions, there is also an Escenario (stage) section which gives those more daring tango dancers a space to really showcase what they can do. What you see at Tango Shows is Escenario tango - full of kicks, leaps, lifts and choreography - and the Mundial gives a chance for you to see the best of the best giving it their all, in suave suits and killer high heels.

What: Buenos Aires Tango Festival and Mundial (World Championships)

When: 14th - 27th August 2015

Where: Various locations around the city.

Website: http://festivales.buenosaires.gob.ar/2015/tangofestivalymundial/es/programacion/diaxdia/18

Admission to events: Mostly free