Top Ten Tangos of ALL TIME!!!

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by Derrick Del Pilar
Craftsman of Return, Oxygen Tango

I have a book on my shelf, printed on yellowing, brittle paper. The pages are falling out of the spine because the glue seems to have evaporated. The title on the cover is “Los 100 mejores tangos de todos los tiempos.” The 100 Greatest Tangos of All Time.

Like most human beings, we tango dancers like superlatives. We also like to proclaim our personal tastes and opinions, often loudly and emphatically—especially when we know there is someone within earshot who will disagree.

So to kick off Oxygen’s “Tangazos of the Month” list, here are my Top Ten Tangos of ALL TIME (at this moment), in No Particular Order.

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Introducing: The Greatest Tangos on iTunes Curated by Derrick Del Pilar for Oxygen Tango

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Sit at a milonga table with some Argentines, and at some point during the night (if the DJ is worth their salt), during the opening bars of a song, one of them will probably clutch their chest and exclaim “¡Qué tangazo!” which roughly translated means, “Dude, this is my JAM!”

tangazo (noun)
tango + -azo (augmentative suffix—indicates largeness or greatness)
1) An explosive, heart-kneading, swoon-provoking, bliss-generating tango song.

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Tips for Women in Group Classes

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by Mitra Martin

photo by Andre Andreev

Being a great follower is all about being observant and empowered. Use every group class as an opportunity to practice these skills of “Courageous Followership.” Here are some specific tips.

Partners and Roles

❀ Bring a partner. Consider asking another woman to be your partner. Most of us find that it’s easier to recruit a woman partner than a man, and it’s just as good for your dancing. Thanks to Sharna for this idea -- something we'll be doing in the upcoming Women's Intensive !

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Six Reasons Why You Should Try Tango

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by Mitra Martin

“There are two secrets to being a great tango dancer. The first is having a hole in yourself that you cannot fill, and the second is the luck to fall upon tango as the thing you try to fill it with.”
- Jaimes Friedgen

We know you've always wanted to try Tango, THE most beautiful and profound dance in the history of the universe. Here are the reasons WHY you've always wanted to try it. Just FYI.

Reason #1. Beautiful People. I guess this is the biggie. The incredible, beautiful, artistic, sweet, caring, hot, glamorous, patient, kindhearted, accomplished, successful, well-connected, cute, intriguing people you get to meet, hold in your arms...AND DANCE WITH -- and in many cases form lifelong friendships with.

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Interview with Joe Leonardo! Creator of Tango Silent Films from Portland!

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by Holly Darling

photo by Isaac Oboka at www.iOboka.comJoe beautifully expresses the connection between Tango and Silent Films, combining the two in a brilliant project.  At the Oxygen Beginners' Milonga, we are so fortunate to have our very own screening of his silent film "Oh, My, What a Night!" based on the harrowing experience of being a beginner at a milonga. We may think these are times we want to forget, but upon watching this film, we also remember the sweetness that comes with our first memorable dance with a stranger, and the connection that can bloom even from the most awkward of cabeceos.

Interview with Joe of Tango Silent Films :

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