Bangor Tea Dance

It must be hard to run a tango scene in a university town. You advertise, work up a good crowd, teach them to be good leaders and followers, then they get their degrees and move on. Anna and John have my admiration for this. We may not always agree about the music, but I will always love coming here and dancing with Anna.

Despite having an 80^th birthday party to go to, we could not miss the workshop and tea dance that they had arranged in Bangor.

Saturday started out filthy, rain and mist, almost no light. Even at a good pace it would take me an hour and a quarter to drive. We decided to take the SEAT my little Suzuki although economical would not be a good drive that low down in the rain. When we arrived at Bangor I was glad, the narrow streets offered almost no parking, and when we found a spot, I was not sure what condition I would find the car in.

So suitably stressed put we arrived in Penrallt church hall a beautiful stone building with ornate wooden ceilings. Greeted by Sharon as a long lost friend (Well it was over 36 hours) and then Anna and john. Of course I also greeted little Leo, can I adopt him as my grandson??  

Sharon did a milonga workshop. She kept it very simple, but I thought it good, that as most of these were very new beginners, they were getting an introduction early to milonga, so hopefully they would not learn to fear it. After a few stragglers arrived the numbers evened out and Viv stayed on the sidelines to help Sharon.

I was very impressed, most of the ladies here had never danced milonga before yet they followed me well.

All too soon the class was over and it was time to attack the cakes. I tried hard to be good, honestly. I am getting close to my target weight, but every time I think I may achieve it I am surrounded by vicious cakes, all determined to make me suffer.

Anna had promised to save me, but Leo was taking up her time, still I did not do too badly.

I got those dances with her eventually and most of the women at some point. I did leave one woman standing when Lola came on; I said that I would return to her when it was over. I don’t get this, why is everyone suddenly playing Lola? I believe that it was played on Strictly, but that will never make it a tango. It is four four time, but it does not even sound tangoish. I am threatening a screaming fit next time it is played.

OK  Sharon played (apart from Lola) all traditional tango, I suspect someone requested it, and lets face it we are outside our realm, keep a low profile.

All in all we had good time, some even said they may come to Chester, certainly all seemed to have a flair for tango, and young people who would spread out across the UK may well start tango scenes all over the country.

More power to you Tango Bangor.

 

Some carried on dancing but for some the cake was too much.