Community Tango in Geelong

A couple of lovely moments from our International Day of Dance tango show, for residents of the Charles Brownlow Retirement Village in Geelong. Beautiful tango dancers in gorgeous gowns, gladdening hearts, awakening memories, & reminding people of days gone by.

We were delighted by Lauraine & Ivan's performances in 'The Secret Life of Dresses Tango Show' that we put on, on the International Day of Dance, for the residents of the Charles Brownlow Retirement Village in Geelong. Lauraine and Ivan danced early tango style to La Gaucha Manuela, and then in the style of the Golden Age to the perennial 'La cumparsita.' It was a lovely tango performance debut, and we congratulate them

Our 4th Tango Table will be another joyous occasion for our dancers. This one offers 'Soups, Sausage Rolls, & Sexy Sweets', and guests are invited to wear 'Something Saucy'. Our host has a bit of a thing for Tim Tams - so we're expecting a delightfully crazy night of tango fun.

The dress code for our Cucina Italiano was 'glamorous Italian movie stars' - and there was a lot of glamour on the night. Richard and I, however, (well actually, I was to blame) decided we'd pay tribute to Federico Fellini and his movie, 'La Strada'. Pam was Gelsomina, the simple-minded character played in the film by Giulietta, Fellini's wife and muse. Richard was Zampano. Our dancers were astounded by our portrayals & my transformation. It added an unexpected element to an extraordinary & wonderful tango night.

We've been really busy, friends - so no time for posting till today. We've now had our third Tango Table social night - a CUCINA ITALIANO - and what a night it was. Fabulous atmosphere, marvellous guests, delicious food & wines. gracious hostess & assistants, amazing attention to detail & decor - and exceptional Tiramisu

We just had our second Tango Table Dinner in Geelong last night, warmly & generously hosted by Ivan & Lauraine in a lovely home. Ivan cooked delicious food, reflecting his Slovenian roots & contemporary Aussie culinary influences. The wines were great, the candle-lit dance floor on the patio looked beautiful, & company & conversations during the night were stimulating & lively. We're loving this way of building strong tango connections as we dine and dance together.
Our next Tango Table will be held in early May, and the theme will be Italian.

Lovely dancing too, last Wednesday at Gentle Tango - soft footed & balanced, like sailors have to be. Interesting how a theme can seed different qualities of movement to express different music and lyrics. There is so much to explore in tango's history and culture - so much that will improve our dancing - and in Geelong we have fun as we do it.

It's so good when our dancers throw themselves enthusiastically into the spirit of our tango classes. They are a wonderful group.

'Ship ahoy' with Paul and the Gentle Tango dancers last Wednesday - tango music and songs that told stories of the ocean, travel, new worlds & the loss of old ones - and theme continued at lunch with one of the dishes a tuna salad Nicoise

Our themed tango week was awesome. Paul's model boats & ships set the scene, Richard's music & Pam's narratives evoked the ocean, long sea voyages to new worlds, difficulties of putting down roots in foreign lands far from home, & the spread of tango music, dance & culture around the world, An enjoyable way to enrich the experiences of our dancers & broaden their horizons beyond tango cliches. Cultural appreciation, not appropriation! And our dancers dressed the part too, adding to the fun. Nothing like Community Tango in Geelong & Gentle Tango. Here's Paul explaining the maritime history - here, a tuna fishing boat, and Australia's new icebreaker

Wanted to share this photo of Sandi, one of our older dancers, who featured in the 'Secret Life of Dresses' show - an example of mature beauty that your society rarely celebrates - but we do, at Tango in Geelong.