A vals from a tango event in March this year. It took place in Seoul South Korea and the performance takes together a Russian (?) tango orchestra Tango en Vivo with the performing couple Anne and Eric from Taiwan.
Asia did participitate in the tango boom before the wwII. Here we have a Korean dancer singing a tango. Seung-Hee Choi - A Garden in Italy 1936
Yuna Kim is not a dancer but a skater and she is sharing the underlying Korean musicality! You may watch the whole performance but if in a hurry check the link to the English speaking commentator who is extatic about her musicality! Starts at 3m10s
This is a personal collection of facts and observations which made my trip comfortable, or made it possibly to reach my goals. Tourist help number 1330 The turist number 24/7 is an unbelievable service which you can call to to get detailed informations about traveling in South Korea or for translation services when you are standing on the street. Next time I will even skype call them from home when planning my trip. (link below!) Traveling email account I have created a traveling email account and during my trip all the mails from my ordinary accounts are forwarded to this account. This keeps me calm when I need to check my mails on less secure computers. I was happy about this when the disastrous login happened! The hostel had a totally new, nice computer with Windows 8 - all in korean and I did not managed to change the language in a hurry. I did as I used to at home and checked the mails but when wanted to log out I could not! After clicking around I understood that I had installed my mail account as the main account on this computer - with other words my mails were the first thing the visitors met when logging in to this PC. Not a good thing! The guys in charge did not know what to do (I thought all younger guys in Korea were hackers - Disappointing!) I did not want to open an other account for a new disaster but a few days later I changed the PW - to my surprice it took nearly 2 hours to run through. Credit cards: Visa most reliable I had problems with my card and the ATM messages were erroneous telling me: Your card has been closed down. or Your card is invalid. I was travelling alone and when getting these messages when I had 3 weeks to go - you can easily imagine that I felt quite stressed. At similar situation you may try a different machine and look for a new, shiny machine a one with visible credit card icons. Some machines also spell - International card - All these machines provided me money - but they took an extra fee for the service. Cash card I bought this card for several years ago for the underground trips in Seoul and surprisingly it was still working now! I used it as mentioned below but I know that it is working in taxis too and far more occasions.
Underground: Seoul, Daejeon as well as in Busan Cash card: In several convenience stores Reload: I reloaded it at convenience stores /underground stations. Long distance busses and train I never made an reservation and still the departures were within 15 minutes after the purchase but I did not have strict schedule so I could take the risk. Trains work as home. Busses made a stop after driving about one hour - I took a photo with the licence plate and the buss stop number on the ground visible in case I went to the bathroom or shops. It is lovely to continue the trip on the same buss your things are on. This worked for sight seeing busses too Directions: There is different buss terminals for directions - north going or east going bussies may have separate terminals. Type of buss: Intercity or express buss terminals may have different locations. You always fix your own luggage: open the side of the buss, place your luggage and close.
Underground and local buses The underground is the easiest way to get around - the maps are available and to follow the trip advancing is easy. I found it very helpful to take photo of the exit signs. Here is an example from Busan where you can see the information options!
Exit #8, Station name in Korean; Station number and name in 3 additional language. Timetable information - see below the zoomed photo
Information about the first and last train in both directions
I used local busses only a very few times but the camera was very helpful here too. I showed my goal on the map (paper or saved in my camera or phone) and they discussed lively untill they gave me a suggestion pointing the right buss number. The start /end stops are shown in the photo and I could follow the stops passing by on the buss' electronic sign board.
Accomodation and food There was risk to put long hours on surfing among the different options for night and dinner. I decided to stick to my guide book and choose an option at suitable price level. I had a goal for average price for one night so sometimes it was higher and sometimes lower to end up at acceptable average level. I think I know 2/3 of the alphabet and it was enough to read the most of the signs. I learned to copy the city names to show when buying the tickets - My nightmare was to end up at a totally different city because of my bad pronunciation - never happened though! Internet translation Usually the browser translation service was not working at all. When needed I copied the most important text to google translation which to my surprice worked as usuall!! Tourist help number and site http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/GK/GK_EN_2_7_1.jsp Busses https://www.google.se/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&es_th=1&ie=UTF-8#q=south%20korea%20bus&es_th=1
In Busan they have several milongas and a few of them are listed on the Milongas-in.com site. (someone said the number was over 10 milongas)
I had possibility to visit one of them; the Friday night milonga organized by TangoBi.
This lady had the power over our music, loading energy to our feet!
As usual in Korea the community was friendly and talkative and easy going group of people. Cabeceos were clearly answered and the followers were waiting seated until you get there. Friends were behaving as friends are behaving all over the world and just asked for a dance after a chat.
Later in the evening a group of teachers and other organizers were joining the milonga and even there I got a few nice dances and a chat.
Some milongas in Busan
http://milongas-in.com/milongas-in-asia.php?c=Korea&city=Busan#Busan
I found information about the tango in Pohang on the milongas-in.com site, wrote to them and soon I got a friendly mail responce. We even met during the Seoul Tango festival and Patrick's wife was kind to dance with me at one of the evenings! When I come to a new town and plan to visit a milonga I often choose to explore during the day the part of town where the milonga is located. When the pista is placed higher up in the house in a djungle of small streets around you will for sure have difficulties to find the address in the darkness, it is easy to miss the signs fully visible for the locals. On the very evening of my visit the community had its birthday celebrations! Three of the members had their day within the range: Pay attention to the wine glases! So here you have the cake and the greetings! I am sorry not presenting any videos of that specific tango but I was dancing - even following here!
This milonga has been run for about 10 years, organized by Ja Kang Jung. It is a warm, talkative, friendly dancing community. It was pity that the day with traveling and unorganized meals lowered my blood sugar level so I lost the energy before the milonga ended. I missed even when the group went out for a beer and continued birthday celebrations. With other words I definitely have a reason to return with better planning!
Frederico and Selen have been teaching here for years while living in Pohang. Today some of the members are running the basic courses and the community is organizing workshops with visiting teachers to get more influences! Next couple to come is Andres Laza Moreno and Luciana Arregui - What a good choice! If you decide to visit Pohang I am sure these dancers will give you a warm welcome!
(The picture is taken by midnight and it seems someone has already fallen in sleep! :) ) My contact persons in town! 배성곤 (Patrick) and 이진형 - you find them in facebook!
Facebook link for the milonga https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152791235680846&set=a.10150644800240846.385539.638125845&type=1&theater Organizers photos in Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152793812150846&set=pcb.10152793813240846&type=1&theater Andres Laza Moreno and Luciana Arregui a Facebook announcement https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=482452801917239&set=gm.845901482163183&type=1&theater
After the festival in Seoul my next stop was Daejeon. I visited the city for first time 2012 and met the dancers in a milonga. I was hapy to visit the Azucar community again! The group is small but has been learning and dancing for a long time! The evening starts with a lesson and continues with a practica for a few hours. So even this night! I came late because I got lost in the darkness - I just couldn't recall to what direction I should go from the underground station and turned to opposite. I met some helpful, party people and got to the right road! The friendly people and one familiar face from the last visit made my night! I was even following for some songs! Here you see some members dancing - two couples in front and the others in the mirror!
Later in the evening I filmed this couple dancing a milonga! It was not a performance but just a play for fun and we enjoyed! Well done!
Beelzebub y Saerom and it is true a Devil he is in leading a milonga!
There is at least two more milongas/practicas in Daejeon and you find them via the link below or by asking people you learn to know! A search page for milongas in the world! http://milongas-in.com/milongas-in.php ( To ask for directions in Korea can be difficult. When I asked at the metro station I think I misunderstood the answer, the sign language. The party people used a translation program in the mobile and then the turist 7/24 help phone line to solve the situation! People + technics => solution is an ever amazing combination in this country! Just dial 1330 to Information Center and ask for service in English. )
Retro Milonga, DJ: Felipe (San Francisco) Farewell Milonga, DJ: Lung-Kuei (Taipei)
This venue was just a 15 mins walk from my hotel so it is easy to take a short walk but it can still be a challenge to end up to the right door. The last few turns I managed by tailing a couple with NEO TANGO bag hanging from the shoulder!
Once more this is totally ok venue for a slower milonguero style group but the young dynamic version of tango made the situation a liiiiittle bit difficult.
This evening was also the nigth of international performances. All the couples had one song to do and they were not aware of which it could be but the organizer had decided it for them - it was a kind of game and the dancers could show their real skill in improvisation! And they did!
The organizer had tighten up the regim compared to my last visit and even these performances were esclusively dedicated to organizers camera.
The Masters for this year had also good time! Later in the evening Jorge and Marita Dispari were on the floor with a joyful rock'n roll. We enjoyed it and it looked that they had as much fun as we. Some other caribean rythms were irresistible and the rest of masters ended up to the floor too.
The Korean atmosphere is joyful and people really can have fun and play!
(hmmmm, . . .have i been fixated on this phrase or smthing? ? ? )
We had two nights at this venue and these videos are from the first one: May first!
Grand Milonga, DJ: Anthony (Sydney) This is the main milonga, the most expencive and spaceous one during the festival. There was a proper buffet too to start the evening with. I can tell you it was delicious!
At the table we were very talkative, chatting away a great part of the night: Three from Finland, one from Malaysia and a Korean leader. What a conversations we created! The dancing was thou not so succesfull and for my concern there will not be so much dancing. I have not managed to catch my dance feeling it seems to be somewhere else.
The main event for the night were the performances of all the masters. They were very beautifull, all of them were beautifull. This year Javier Rodrigues came alone and his first dance was with Maria Dispari. She did an different kind of dance with Javier, playing with music and feet in a new way! Nice to se! (all the performances are loaded at organizers youtube account)
The Korean/Asian crowd is the best one in the whole world to show their appreciation. They start cheering when the couple walks to the pista, next ovations come when they hear what song will be danced. At the end they are cheering, waiving their arms in a way I never heard or seen before! It must be wonderful to be performing here! Listen to the wery end of the perfomances to get an impression!
This kind of atmosphere gets us to relax and invites us to open up our minds for playing, having fun! The teachers are not made of stone so this appreciation and playfullness will even make them to enjoy their job, performig and afterwards to dance socialy.
This night we had also a Korean live orchester lead by the bandoneon player Sangji Koh. You find her orchestra and us dancing in the video below!
If you want to know more about Sangji and her life you get quite a lot information here to start with! Burning For Tango Koh, Sangji : http://foundmag.net/51455
But we others continue with a tango!
The evening get even better when I got my shoes back! They were found at Lime studio and taken to the yesterdays milonga by the owner! Thanks, thanks a lot. I am happy again!
This Thursday evening was the first festival night and we celebrated it at the Lime Dance Studio. There had been a late change of place because this event had grown in popularity and a bigger place was needed and still it was crowded, very crowded! This number of people at an encuentro is maybe not an issue but here where people are mostly dancing tango salon it is difficult - the dancing is more dynamic, outgoing, with figures and playfulness. I got a boleo which did actually not hit me but the circular movement was driving around in my cloths and she needed a moment to get out! :)
I had some dances with visiting milongueras who knew how to take the steps on a small space. Lucky me!
It was allso wonderful to reconnect with the teachers I have been taking lessons for several years!
I was so unfocused in the end of the evening that my shoes were left behind. My favorites with the sole for every floor, How will my life be without you?
Seoul tango festival 2015
http://www.seoultangofestival.com/2014/11/2015-seoul-tango-festival-april-30-may-1.html
I set off to this milonga with a plan not to dance at all but take some pictures and then leave the place early. I kept the first part of my plan but I stayed nearly to the very end. The athmosphere was that nice!
I still cannot figure out what makes a venue more attractive and keeps me back there the whole night while others are more easy for an early departure. This evening made me hang around for a long time!
To give you an impression about the dencity on the pista check these images. The space to next couple is just not so much here!
This event was also the first time in my tangolife where I have seen a natural mix of teachers dancing with each others, with other dancers or together just for fun!
Warm-up Milonga, DJ: Benjamin (Seoul)
It was easy to find to Tango O'Nada just following the instructions on the site - you find the URL below - and it was generous too with the payment. No one at the door collecting the fees but a bowl on the bar table. When you pay your 10.000W you get a drink and I choosed to have a bottle with a cap to take with me when it was time to go home!
The crowd was young and very skilled dancing tango salon. They were musical, placing the feet exactly and not shoveling around at all. Many dancers were expressing the music in the body, dissociating beautifully, lowering and raising the body softly to the music.
Most of the leaders managed a quite dynamic dance in a space usually llocated by the crowded pista. Only one younger Asian leader and a long legged foreigner clearly needed a double space at the ronda.
There was even a very skilled female leader and you can spot her here in a white shirt, black trousers and a scarf around the neck as an alternative tie.
And here some feet!
You can even see how beautifully the outer line is formed!
Tango O'Nada in Seoul: the link below gives you the map as well as the instructions how to get there!
http://www.milonga.kr/xe/map
http://milonga.kr/xe/index.php?mid=map
On this page you find several more addresses to Korea milongas.
Before your trip try to contact the organizer via the email addresses provided. Sometimes the venue addresses and times are changed.
