My Top 10 Memorial Day Festival Highlights

1
Most Beautiful Dance: David Hodgson and partner floating like swans on a pond to Somewhere Over the Rainbow at the alternative milonga.

2
Most Breathtaking Move: After a dazzling display of footwork, Julio and Corina end in a simple, straightforward embrace. When Corina’s foot comes down gentle and precise on the music’s last note, the dance is made perfect and whole.

3
Coolest Move: Stan’s knee-knocking to the beat. I’ve had leads play with my feet, my hips, but never my knees!

4
Favorite Visiting Lead: Jane. Scoping out prospective leads during the opening night milonga, I noticed that the followers who weren’t shy about connecting with a woman had fantastic dances with Jane. With courtly attentiveness, she invites the follower to join, give-and-take, in creating the dance. She encouraged me to riff on the steps she led, then picked up on my steps to create the next set. If I were a man, I would learn to follow just for the pleasure of dancing with Jane.

5
Best Tango Trance: At the alternative milonga, a song deep and rich with cello and viola, swelling and receding, melodic. Relaxing in a chair along the back wall, I am transported. It is lovely to enter a trance while dancing, but there is rare magic in a musical trance.

6
Best Shoes: Judith’s with the flirty bows. From Gaia’s new stash at The Tango House?

7
Most Quintessential Gym Class Moment: In class with Julio and Corina, gender balance is seriously off. You’ll have to be assertive about taking a man when we say “change partners,” Nina warns the unpartnered women. I am not assertive enough. I am not alone. Julio notices. Stops the music. “No one dances until these two women have partners!” he announces. The other woman is snapped up. I go as red as my shirt. Julio points: “No music until that woman has a partner!” he insists. Oh, throw a dodgeball. Make me climb a rope.

8
Most Gracious Apology: Yes, damn it, Tom, you are right. Gender balance matters. In classes, anyway. I’ll give you that much. I’m still standing firm on milongas.

9
Coolest Festival Moment: From an elevated perch in the Cheeseman Park Pavilion, a bird’s eye view of many dancers, many dances, all part of one larger whole. Tom calls it Tango Transcendence, his reason and reward for organizing this event.

10
Best of the Fest: Festival organizer Tom Stermitz being showered with well-deserved kudos for creating this great big gift year after year.