Dancing Street Tango in La Boca

I love walking up to the street dancers in La Boca and asking if they’ll dance with me. I’ve never been disappointed. They are so kind and willing and bravely accept the challenge. My friend Robert Levering (the best-selling author) was visiting the city and I wanted to show him how it works, how you can walk up to a total stranger and talk tango. We scouted out El Caminito and the tanguero in my video on my Home Page was not to be found. But I found my perfect stranger in Gustavo—seen in the two videos below. Gustavo was a darling and without knowing a thing about me, wholeheartedly accepted my invitation–and invited me for a second dance. I was the reticent one, because his dancing platform is actually a raised stage in front of the audience of diners at the street cafe (we’re next to La Perla). I was a little nervous at first and I note with chagrin, that at times, my “collection” (home base for your feet) is not tidy. Also, seasoned tangueros, you might note that at first in video one, I began, out of habit, in the close milonguero style. But I felt Gustavo convey through the dance that he preferred more open style, so I gladly accommodated him and pulled my head away. Many kudos and bravos to Gustavo for keeping us safely in a tight line of dance space.

La Boca, literally “the mouth” (of the Rio de la Plata) is a not-to-be-missed barrio. Yes, there are many tourists there – but there’s a good reason. El Caminito is full of Argentine-style energy, street artists and performers. You can’t not feel good there. Here are a few of the vivid scenes — the photos only hint at the joie de vivre there. I like to rest at La Perla, a “bare notable” – historic cafe bar with traditional and cheap Argentine fare and photos of soccer players, tango lyricists, and many Argentines of renown. Even Nicole Kidman visits La Boca—there’s a photo of her in La Perla.