A-Z Challenge T for Rosario and Lola

Ross and I met way back then.    Me, a small town girl from central Joisey, he a city dweller.  And by city I mean The city.  NYC to be exact.

Actually, Ross is also from a small town.  But his small town was only a near bridge or tunnel away from New York City.   And at some point, during one of his many lives, he lived in the city.

Ross introduced me to New York.  I have quite a few memories of some of the more colorful places he took me to.

On one of our first dates, we went to a movie theater called the Angelika, which is at the corner of Houston St. and Mercer St. in Greenwich Village.
From Wiki: "The original Angelika Film Center & Café opened in New York City’s Soho district in 1989.

The Angelika New York has been a hub for high-budget independent cinema since it opened. It does not screen underground or "no budget" films. It has six screens, all of which are below ground level, and its ground floor lobby houses a fully operational cafe accessible by people who do not hold tickets.”

The film we saw that night was “The Tango Lesson.” 

From Wiki: Plot

"The film tells of Sally, a filmmaker and screenwriter who is suffering from writer's block. She is also dissatisfied with her film project, a murder mystery called Rage, which focuses on the fashion industry. She takes a break and travels to Paris, where she sees the dancer Pablo (Pablo Verón) performing tango.

She becomes obsessed with the dance and offers Pablo a part in her film in exchange for dance lessons. The two become deeply involved as dancers and as lovers, and their emotional intimacy threatens the success of their dancing together.

The film explores the conflict between the woman dancer accepting the man's lead in the dance, while the man must accept the woman's lead in the film. It is also a love story, as well as a showcase for Verón's dancing.”

That night Ross and I fell in love…with Tango.   We became obsessed with the music and dance of the Tango.   

The film mentioned a social event called which is called a “Milonga”.  Milongas are tango dance parties. People who dance at milongas are known as milongueros. When a group of people go tango dancing, they go to a milonga. People come as individuals or with a partner. Music is usually played in tandas, or sets, with 3 or 4 songs in a tanda. In betwen tandas there will be a cortina, a short music interlude (30 sec or so long) of non-tango music. This is the customary time to change partners or take a break if you want to. Most milongas are held on a regular basis (usually weekly).

Ross researched, via the internet and found that there were many Milongas taking place throughout the city.  

One of the places, which held a weekly Milonga, was called La Belle Epoque. It was a restaurant in Greenwich Village.  On Friday nights, they offered beginner Tango lessons which would take place before the Milonga began. 

The restaurant was enchanting.  The architecture of the building was what I imagined early 20th century Paris or New Orleans to look like.  Plants hung from an iron railing balcony. We would enter La Belle Epoque through the white door on the left and up one flight, 

The inside had exposed brick walls and a painted tile floor. 

During the week we would practice the Tango steps we had learned at our Friday Milongas at La Belle Epoque.  

One of the regular dancers was Angel Garcia.  Ross and I took a couple of private lessons from him at an out of the way studio somewhere in the village.     

Angel Garcia Performing

We were too cool, way back then.   I think we each had illusions delusions of us as the stars of our own Tango Lesson.  Rosario and Lola.

Le Belle Epoque has since closed its doors, and now our Tango dancing is but a fond memory.

But, we still love the music of Tango and the images it evokes of the suave Rosario and the beautiful,  Lola.

The wonderful Google can direct you to Milongas in your area.

Or if you are in the NYC area,

Tango

I am participating in the April A-Z Challenge.
Today’s letter is T for Tango.