Tango Fireworks LA 2001
Tango lovers sit up and take notice - a new standard in tango festivals has just been established by Tango Fireworks 2001 in Los Angeles, the first year that such a festival has been held in Los Angeles. The more than 200 participants who came from places as far away as Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, not to mention all parts of the United States, were treated like tango royalty with top-notch classes by such well known superstars as Milena Plebs, Pablo Veron, Omar Vega, Julio Balmaceda and Corina de la Rosa, and Patricia and Nestor Ray. The instructors were uniformly friendly, helpful and inspiring. The classrooms and milongas were held in spacious air-conditioned hotel convention facilities just off beautiful Redondo Beach. This was my first time to dance in LA and I was very impressed with their dancers. And equally favorably impressed with the beautiful beach where just a few minutes from the hotel you can eat fresh crab, shrimp by the bucket and 30 kinds of oysters, or bicycle or roller blade up to 27 miles on the Strand along a beautiful sandy beach that is, if you have any energy left after the classes. The organization was superb. This was the 6th tango festival that I have attended in the last 3 years and one of the best organized. Nothing seemed to be forgotten or left to chance. Every morning, we had a wonderful stretching class especially devoted to improving our posture and balance needed for tango. Why haven't other organizers addressed this issue? Not only were we treated to fantastic classes, but at breaks, copious delicious drinks and snacks were provided- no extra charge, and no time lost. All the milongas also had delicious snacks provided. Oh and I forgot to mention the orchestra Color Tango! What a treat to dance to live music that makes you cry just to listen to the sweetness of it. I got to meet so many nice people and made good friends from all over the world. I had a wonderful time and highly recommend this tango festival for next July. I have heard that it will take place around the same time and have already sent in my deposit to hold my place for next year (thereby insuring this year's rate). Hope to see you there. Stella, a tango student from San Francisco
