Saturday, May 30, 2009

TANGO MISSION in LVIV, UKRAINE




LVIV, UKRAINE TANGO - GLORY & GLOOM

My travelling tango shoe has arrived to Lviv, Ukraine!
It has been a long journey in a short distance- there was no way to go as crow flies, as Bielarus demands visa, so we had to make it around via Poland. What can a tanguero do to dance tango in an exotic place....




It was not only a long journey, but stressful enough knowing that we arrive in the morning and the whole ceremony of ARGENTINEAN TANGO DAYS in LVIV takes part at 2 pm! No margin for argentinean or ukrainean time...We arrived to our Tango Villa residence and after a marathon of shower-breakfast and dressing up we were heading to the POTOCKI's PALACE- a presidencial residence in Lviv. On the main doors we saw familiar faces on the big posters:
Presidencial Palace is one of the finest buildings in Lviv, and needless to say, we felt honoured to dance in front of government and church ( sic!) authorities and different VIPs. But mostly we were flattered by the presence of the Embassador of Argentina who flew here directly from Kiev!
Very fine historical cabinet as our changing room- so fine that the chairs are not allowed to be used as chairs ( ribbons from side to side) , therefore maestro had to sit on the floor to put his shoes on....
I had a maid to help me with change of dresses.
During the show in the red-golden room, my leg was flying dangerously close to the ortodox and greek-catholic church dignities.... The bishop ( greek-catholic) who approched me after the show to express his admiration in perfect Spanish will soon be tranferred to ... Buenos Aires! We have already arranged to meet as he is extremely interested in tango not only as a dance, but philosophy... He is our no next tango student! Look how attentive he is to each of Victor 's words...


Victor cannot help it... Argentinean and Ukrainean blood in his veins cried for this photo:



Our tango students from previous years came to the Presidencial Palace to the press conference, our show and... a milonga afterwards! It was an UNFORGETTABLE EVENING and in GLORY OF THE TANGO!Next day started at 6 am as we had to be in TV studio at 7 30, with a direct programme with us starting at 8 am. THIS IS NOT our favourite time to dance tango and to talk... but we can do anything for ART! IF there is coffee afterwards... Obviously another palace bar!



During the 40 min interview, a telephone rang with a complement for Victor from one of the viewers. It was about his Ukrainean embroidered shirt ( made by his great grandmother 100 years ago in Lviv and brought to Buenos Aires) followed by a reproach that Victor does not speak any Ukrainean.


Another spot we danced for the TV cameras was a historical mount with the ruins of the castle. That s where Lviv was founded. Georgious day and Lviv at our feet. Literaly!

But try to dance tango on this cobble stones! Dura vida de tanguero, as Victor repeats.



But the evening brought us to the Main Square of Lviv, Rinok, where we had a lovely milonga on not such a lovely floor- local authorities have to learn tango a bit to provide an adecuate floor. Again- the location beats it all!






Our second time dancing there, crowds of viewers around, with a sun setting light...




Our third day was packed as well- tango seminars, shows, interviews and socialising... massive socialising. To mention just a few: brochettes lunch in Tango Villa. Will not name those VIPs. Good time, wine and tango was had. Spontaneous show around a table on a special request of the main sponsor.
Ukrainean beer ( pivo) cannot go without mentioning. Here we go with 3 Victors drinking local beer. Victor, Wiktor and Wiktor.



My tango shoe took us to a next social event: vernissage. The attraction- apart from paitings ( and us) was a chief of haute cuisine from France who brought his pastry- it was great to taste croissants why starring at ART!










Lovely farewell dinner was an invitation of Susana, translator-interpretor ( of, for example former Arg president Menem) and a professor at the Lviv University now. As our day schedule was so extensive our dinner fell on Argentinean time- 11 pm. Impossible for the Europeans! We were waved good bye from their balcony as we parted to get our 4 hour sleep before hitting the road again..

We left Lviv making a visible connection ARGENTINA-UKRAINE.


Saying good bye to Presidencial Palace ( those colorful spots on the balcony is us),




I coud not avoid to feel Evita for a while...



But as we were leaving Lviv early in the morning, another side of Ukrainean reality stroke us ( again and again and again) - another bit of depressing post communist reality.

A horendous international bus terminal in Lviv....





Add Lviv crying for us ( or after rain) it remided us, that lots of time is necessary to wipe this post soviet gloomy images from the surfice of this country.

And we took a bus which, in Victor' s words, Stalin could have driven in his times...

But it worked! And tooks us back to ' civilised ' Europe....
Just before entering this ' civilised Europe' , a border between Ukraine and Poland we realised that most passengers were smugglers ( vodka and cigarettes) and in front of our eyes the bus has been disassemblied and assemblied again - everybody was equipped with screwdrivers, hammers and other operation utensils. When cigarettes were hidden in the guts of the bus we arrived to the border. All of the passengers were ordered to leave the bus with all the luggage, put it on a long bench , open it and let them be revised. Victor showed his zen actitude while waiting ( about 2 hours on the border) why I took this photo and engrossed in conversation about the post soviet reality with one of the women...She too would love to meet an American ( Argentinean) and only come to Ukraine for the honeymoon....




Friday, May 29, 2009

Riga, Latvia y Vilnius, Lituania por Victor

Esta es la tercera vez que estamos en Riga, y esta vez nuestra organizadora es Heidrun, una alemana amable e hiper eficiente que coordina nuestra actividades en Riga. Nos alojo en su comodo apartamento de principio del siglo XX, adecuadamente refaccionado, con la sola salvedad que no tiene ascensor, y cada vez que llegas palmado de la milonga o las clases, hay que bancarse 100 escalones. Dura vida del artista!
Reitero lo dicho el ano pasado: las minas de los paises balticos no se pueden creer, estan en promedio mucho major que en el resto del mundo, no se puede caminar por la calle sin darse vuelta cada 2 minutos.
Aca estamos con clases cada dia y un show en la milonga del sabado. Todo el fin de semana dimos clases en Jurmala, un balneario sobre el baltico a 30 km. de Riga, medio copado por la mafia rusa hoy, como lo fue ayer por los jerarcas del partido comunista, cuando todo esto era parte de la union sovietica.
Entre los alumnos, hay una pareja super amiga nuestra, Rudy y Brigitte, dos suizos que nos siguen por Europa piloteando su propio avion!
Los muy dementes se vinieron desde Suiza a Letonia, y luego nos siguieron a Lituania para tomar clases privadas y grupales con nosotros. Si eso no es estar locos, entonces no se que es.
En noviembre vendran por segunda vez a Buenos Aires, a seguir estudiando con nosotros. Me siento un poco abrumado por ;a responsabilidad, pues estan depositando en nosotros todo su proceso de aprendizaje, bueno, que asi sea.
No entrare en detalles sobre Riga pues ya esta en los comunicados del 2007 y 2008, asi que terminada la semana en Letonia, de vuelta un bondi, 300 km. mas al sur, para llegar a nuestra tercera etapa: Vilnus, capital de Estonia.
Alli nos esperaba Arvydas, un tanguero lituano, profesor de arte, quien nos alojo en su humilde departamento de la era sovietica, en un conjunto de monobloques deprimentes, pero es lo que hay. El lo sabe y lo dice, vive aqui porque no tiene opcion. Son los mismos horribles departamentos que tantas veces vimos ( y vivimos) en Ucrania, Rumania, Letonia, etc.)
Aca estaremos solo un par de dias, para un show, y seguiremos camino al sur.
Vilnus tiene un interesante centro historico, como todas estas ciudades con 1000 anos de historia, y varias dominaciones extranjeras en su haber. Y por todos lados se ve la esquizofrenia de la arquitectura oficial del partido comunista, de cuando tenian la manija: un impresionante derroche de recursos ( y talento) para la obra publica ( gimnasios, bibliotecas, estaciones de tren, palacios de gobierno, universidades) y un desprecio para las viviendas de las personas, la mayoria de las cuales vivian, y viven, en los mas horrendos monoblocks que se puedan imaginar, sucios, feos, deprimentes, despersonalizados, en fin, para llorar.
Asi que los mil anos de historia, en realidad, son 950, porque los 50 que van desde 1945 hasta 1995, mejor olvidarlos.
Bueno, manoteamos un par de litas ( la moneda lituana) , una botella de vodka que nos regalaron, culo en bondi, 14 horas hasta la cuarta etapa: Lviv, Ucrania.

VILNIUS, LITUANIA

My travelling tango shoe arrived in Vilnius...No, it was not in Vilnius that this shoe had a pleasure to dance in the Presidencial Palace ( it would be the next station, Lviv, Ukraine) but it strolled around the cobbled stones street of this baroque city and stopped to have a rest in front of this Palace...

The VERY FIRST PLACE in Vilnius we registered was the Fine Art Academy yard- God knows why with the cows all over. This unusual building is a working place of Arvydas, our host and a tango King of Vilnius.
The cows? Maybe to commemorate our Argentinean mission. Anyway, we liked the cows ( especially the winged one climbing the walls). This yard was a meeting point with Arvydas- after lectures he was giving on that day and after our first exploration of the city- alone!
We had a magical day for our walk- a real warm spring day. The baroque city was flooded by light and life! We felt light- the first FREE day of our TOUR! REALLY FOR US! This little restaurant over the water was one of the most magical places we descovered. And we promised ourselves to come back here for a lithuanian beer.
Then we found ourselves in front of imposing Cathedral square- Cathedral and its tower were probably the only few examples of NON BAROQUE arquitecture in town!

Sorry, there is anothere one- a Gothic church with the embroidery like facade!Victor the arquitect was delighted ( " I am much better of dancing tango- he said" )When we went through a little bridge across Vilenka, we noticed they have the same sweet habit as in Riga- marrying couples put the lock with their names written and throw the keys to the river.... ( malicious Argentinean in Victor wispered to me ' they should keep a spare key, just in case...' )We went accross the bridge to discover more decadent, but charming artistic part of the city- with its Guardian Angel.The facades of the buildigs were still waiting for European Money to redecorate and the district apparently has a bad fame. But the artists do not mind it. Cheap accomodation and easthetic surrounding would do. We could not avoid thinking of Heidrun in front of this ecological bar.Strolling around the city getting more and more lethargic ( or tired) we decided to sit on a back by the Cathedral. We have completed the RED CIRCUIT on the tourist map given to us by Arvydas. As Victor approached one of the banks he said ' this woman looks very similar to our swiss Brigitte!' . And it was Brigitte! Rudy and her just arrived to Vilnius on their airoplane, following our Baltic State tournee and we about to meet us at the Art Coffe Place ( with cows)! Now, how small the world! Or rather Vilnius! Tanguero will meet tanguero without appointment given! We exclaimed! And there we went, to our magical corner we discovered before to have Lithuanian beer!