OK we were a day early for Mardi Gra, still we could still have pancakes. Viv was not going to miss all the dancing, spending her time cooking, so we came to a compromise. We bought a load of Scotch Pancakes that just needed warming under the grill. We over estimated somewhat the amount we needed, still no one left hungry.
Our numbers were down again, only eight this week, still the numbers were balanced and we could all dance at once. There is a constant change of numbers, some come regularly some come and go some never come back, but the trend is ever upwards. We can never hope to compete with the Strictly crowd, but then we never wanted to try, we will keep it authentic and stand or fall by that.
Our artists of the night were Rodolfo Biagi and Miguel Calo, and this seemed to go down well, I shall put them amongst my favourites along with Canaro. I find that the traditional tangos and Canjengues are a lot more popular with our dancers. We get requests for Piazzola and Pugliese, but the dancing all but stops, so I will never play more than one or two and only as a very special request. Any of the more modern artists after about 1980 tend to drive people off the floor, at least that is my experience.
There will be no practica, unfortunately next week, nothing to do with it being lent, I will not be dressed in sackcloth and covered in ashes. No I have to work nights, next week. We will of course be back on 21 March, see if we can find something to celebrate then.
The life of a frustrated Milonguero 
Chris,
You are right, I missed this one. What we concentrate on each week is the music of one particular Orquesta. It matters not whether the music was composed by them, it it just the style we are interested in. Even sometimes where they are credited with the composition that is not always the case, take Francisco Canaro, he often bought comositions and claimed them as his own. Still we enjoy his music immensely.
“What a great idea to focus on different composers!”
Mark, I think what’s meant here by “Biagi music” is the music Biagi (and his orchestra) produced as a performer, rather than as a composer. As a composer, he produced very little.
What a great idea to focus on different composers! I once ran a práctica using Biagi. My musicality suggestion is to attempt to dance on the upbeat with Biagi — that is what the music says to me. Now, in reality one doesn’t just dance on the upbeat, but since people just dance on 1/2/3/4 — then it is worthy of a practica to dance on (1)&/(2)&/(3)&/(4)& — avoiding the downbeat. And then one can go between the upbeat (on &) and the down beat. Quick-quick-slow, by the way brings you back to the up beat if that is where you started. Tangueras like this and don’t even notice that I am doing this — BECAUSE it follows the music. It is NOT intellectual but really very much based in what the music says. Tango is not the only music that does this. Some swing and salsa dancers dance on the upbeat (or “2”). Cha-cha-cha always is on the upbeat. Why not tango (when in calls for it)?
Anna
I am sure you must have danced to Biagi, the idea is to get people familiar with the artists and how they sound, I am glad my teaching is spreading further than my catchment area.
Sorry, we cannot celebrate Leo’s birthday unless he is here, then he would get a birthday dance.
I’m not consciously familiar with Rodolfo Biagi, although I’m sure I have danced to him many times. I will go listen to him now. On 21 March you could celebrate Leo’s second birthday.