- Entrada: 10 pesos (the website said 5)
- Location: Jean Jaures 735
This is a great place to squeeze into your itinerary: it takes about half an hour to walk through if you read most of the informational posters. Carlos Gardel lived here with his mother. There is a room about his movie work, another of his radio work, another of his singing/tango career, etc. It's well laid out, easy to understand, and I learned more about Gardel than I had known before.
I like the fact that they have both Gardel memorabilia, information about movie and radio in that era, and things like this fabulous gramophone that I want to own!!
El Motivo: back to the present-day tango!
- At Club Villa Malcolm, Av. Cordoba 5064 (Palermo/Villa Crespo, depending who you ask)
- Class at 8 PM
- Practica around 10/10:30 PM
- Entrada (class and practica): 70 pesos
- Bottle of water (slightly larger than at other places): 30 pesos!!!!
The class
After walking forward and backward for 20 minutes (not my style of warmup, but whatever), I was concerned that I had walked into a class for beginners. Luckily, the class divided at that point into beginners and intermediates/advanced dancers. As the class progressed, the teachers offered intermediate and advanced possibilities for moves. In the end, the last 10 minutes were good practice for me, as we did a combo I rarely practice.
I was paired with the only other woman who wanted to lead. She wasn't at my level, so she got a private lesson; but I got to practice teaching contra-system boleos, so that was fun. Plus, she was very nice. Thanks, Andrea!
Luciana Valle started the class about 15 minutes late. After that, her helper arrived around 8:30 PM (perhaps this is why we walked for so long?). After that, the other teacher, Valencia Batiuk, arrived. The helper took the beginners, and Luciana and Valencia worked with the other dancers.
The practica
After the class, most of the class stayed, and a few more people came in. Almost everyone came in couples, sat in couples, and practiced with their partner. A few tourists wandered in, also in pairs. Most of the students were VERY young, eager kids. I felt old, which I seldom do when dancing because I tend to go where the "old folks" dance. I asked the only other person over 40 to dance, and we practiced for a few tandas, before we both left.
The milonga: La bicicleta
- Gorriti 5417, entre la vía y Godoy Cruz
- Entrada: 60 pesos
I didn't feel like doing more dancing, so I just poked my head into La bicicleta. One of my "roomies" went there tonight. She enjoys going there because she says that it is informal, so she feels more relaxed. She is an intermediate dancer, and she danced a lot and had a good dance evening. There is a big patio and outdoor space that makes it a great summer place to hang out. The level is pretty good, and it has "buena onda" according to my Argentine friends. It is a younger crowd mostly.