Dedicated to fostering and supporting Argentine tango in Minnesota Spring 2007 • Volume 9, No. 2 Drawing the dancers By Pauline Oo The countdown has begun. Next May, the Twin Cities Argentine tango community will once again welcome dancers to its Heart- land Tango Festival. The three-day event, held for the first time last year, saw a record 230 people— about a third visiting from out of town, drawn by big-name teach- ers and the chance to land some good dances. But what happens on a regular, non-festival week- end; does the TC tango scene still attract national visitors? Shoes, shoes, shoes Yes. It does. By Gretchen Larson • Photo by Rodi So. Shoes. professionally fitted for a shoe, do Dave Donatiu of Boulder, CO., it! A good shoe person will measure picked Minneapolis over the mini- I love them, they are my favor- both feet and be able to offer sug- festival in Chicago this April be- ite accessory and the right pair is gestions for a variety of foot issues. cause “I knew I would have better heaven. I wear holes in them, get Did you know everyone has one dances [in Minneapolis.]” them resoled two or three times, foot larger than the other? And, of- and panic at the thought of having This was Dave’s second trip to the ten, dancers have calluses, bunions, to replace them. Losing them—an Twin Cities in 2007. “I come to or other special needs to be ad- unmitigated disaster!! Nothing can dance and to take privates,” says dressed. There are a variety of shoe spoil your night faster than a pair Dave, who teaches, DJs, and fre- inserts you can use to correct gait of shoes that hurt your feet, are quents festivals. “And I love the problems, and some stores will even falling off every time you pick up followers here. They don’t hang sell you two different-sized shoes! your foot, or are too sticky or slip- on me.” His typical weekend itin- pery for the floor. For men, a shoe with a sole that erary includes Milonga Del Cora- pivots well and fits snugly over the zon at MattyB’s on Thursday, Puro You don’t need a lot of special instep is essential. This could be Tango or Flor de Luna on Friday, equipment for dancing but com- anything from a sneaker to a dress TSoM or Black Dog milongas on fortable footwear is essential. You shoe; I think a lace-up Oxford is the Saturday, and Loring Pasta Bar on can spend hundreds of dollars for most versatile. Loafers are OK if the Sunday. (He’ll be back in June to a pair of custom-made dance shoes heel cup fits snugly. To check this, teach and DJ; see Miscellany p.0.) or under $50 for a pair of street hold down the heel of your shoe shoes that will work just as well. For Alric Rothmayer and his wife, (with your foot in it) and try to lift As any French woman will tell you, Madeleine, Minneapolis means your heel. If the heel slips up and there is no style without perfect fit. “good teachers and good work- down, it’s not good. Also, choose a Therefore, if you have never been shops.” The couple from Ames, Shoes 101, cont. on page 4 Drawing the dancers, cont. on page 2 we want them to think of Min- From the president neapolis as the place to be,” says TSoM president Diane Hillbrant. This year we are focused on growth. To support this effort, Since January, Diane has been forg- we’ve formed a membership ing reciprocal relationships with committee to examine why other tango groups—hitting them members join and what they region by region. “Our community want. A survey is in the works. has a great deal to offer even when The survey results will help us there isn’t a festival,” she says. “It’s plan future growth and reten- TSoM member Janeen Whitchurch with time we let more dancers know.” tion strategies. visiting dancer Dave Donatiu at the Loring Pasta Bar. Visitors are saying: TSoM is in discussions with n Drawing the dancers, cont. from page 1 Have later milongas; some peo- the University of Minnesota’s ple are used to milongas that go Iowa, made their first TC tango trip Northrop Auditorium to co- until 2 a.m. sponsor tango-related events almost four years ago for a week- around “Estampas Porteñas,” end workshop with Tomas How- n Advertise workshops well in a tango show on January 3, lin; their most current visit was advance (about three months). 2008. (Special tickets for TSoM for classes with Argentine legend n Offer outdoor dances. members will be announced “Tete” Pedro Rusconi (April 27–29). If you plan to visit another city: soon.) TSoM is also working “I met [Portland tango teacher] with the U-Tango Club to Alex Krebs in London in 2003,” n “Ask around for people who cohost a joint event—details says Alric, “and he told us to come can put you up,” advises Dave to come! up here for tango because that’s Donatiu. “Tango people love tango people.” Building our national reputa- where the good dancers were.” tion is important—the festival The Twin Cities is now also on an- n For practice, Dave says, “make last year was a big first step. other Iowa dancer’s radar. Elie Po- sure the person hosting you has TSoM is negotiating with oth- cak recently made the five-hour a good dance floor.” er not-for-profit and nonprofit drive from Cedar Rapids for Tete n “Check that you have the right tango groups to develop re- and Silvia Ceriani’s workshops; the directions and make sure they’re ciprocal relationships, which weekend marked her first trip to in big font,” advises Elie Pocak. would evolve into a nation- the Land of ,000 Lakes. It’s hard enough driving in a city wide association of organiza- “I plan to come up again,” says Elie, you don’t know. n tions that share information who started Argentine tango on and resources. One idea is the East Coast seven years ago. “I a “Tango Exchange,” where was made welcome here, and I felt dancers from other communi- that I belong to this community.” ties are invited to Minnesota Another reason she liked the com- for a fun-filled weekend of munity: “the ladies were asked to dancing—no classes—and our dance.” Usually, adds Elie, “some community volunteers would cities or big festivals have little provide lodging. groups or cliques of dancers and Please e-mail me if you can [when you’re an outsider] it’s not as help with any of the above, as easy to get dances.” well as our 0th anniversary This year, TSoM board members are party in 2009. looking at new ways to raise the —Diane Hillbrant TC tango profile in Minnesota and [email protected] across the nation. “When people Save the dates: June 22–24 think of tango and the Midwest, Workshops with El Pulpo y Luiza 2 Love your shoes n Use a hair dryer to blow dirt off By Pauline Oo shoes with glitter or sequins. Editor’s note Jim Picard, owner of Fast Eddie’s n Don’t worry about shoes con- This issue we’re paying hom- Shoe Repair near Loring Pasta Bar stricting or expanding (with the age to our dance shoes. On a in Dinkytown (36– 4th St. S.E., heat or cold) if you keep your recent trip to Buenos Aires, I 62-623-4464), sees a lot of dance shoes in the car; instead worry went a little crazy, buying five shoes, thanks in part to his tap-jazz- about humidity changes, which pairs in three weeks. I can’t and-ballet-dancing wife Marcia and could be bad for your shoes. help it—the longer I dance tango, the more tango shoes her students. Here are some tips “Many people want to protect their I seem to need. But as Ranja— from Jim to keep your dance shoes shoes when they need them but my travel partner and news- in tip-top condition: they forget about them when they letter sidekick—says: think of n Air them after use, and stick don’t need them,” says Jim. “You the shoes as an investment. shoe trees in them to keep their should care for your shoes all the Goodbye, guilt. (She bought form. (Shoes damp from sweat time—when they’re new and every five pairs as well!) can get wrinkly when they dry few weeks.” Enjoy the stories, tips, and without shoe trees.) For plain leather shoes, you can buy poems here. We’re printing n Use cloth bags or a box. Don’t leather cleaner or make your own full color again—thanks to ad keep shoes in a plastic bag or in cleaning solution: revenue and some member- the basement; mold will grow ) Fill a squirt bottle halfway up ship fees. If you like the news- on them. with water. letter, or if you don’t, please n Rub neutral wax with bare 2) Add a teaspoon of mild deter- tell me. Feedback only makes hands on smooth leather shoes gent (Ivory Snow or Woolite). it better. And we’re always and then buff them with a soft 3) Squirt the suds onto your hand striving for better. cloth for a deep shine (and to and apply on the shoe.