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The Tolryo Tango Joumal
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Jos6Maria Luna & Laura Mangione startedthe
Luna de TangoDanceAcademyin Shibuyaand
togetherform the elementthat hasprovidedboth
professionalismandstability. With its fiiendly,
fun atmosphereandgraciousstaff, to include several
talentedArgentinemale dancers,Luna de Tangoalso
quitesuccessfullyemulatestypical BuenosAires
milongaatmosphere
andenvironmentto include,for
example,allowing smoking. Jos6andLaura
arededicateddancersand teachersand teachnot
only in Tokyo,but alsoin Saitama,Fujisawa,and
otherlocationsin Japan.I conductedthis interview
overe-mailin Spanishandthentranslatedit into
English.
ML: How wereyou introducedto the Argentine
tangoand how old wereyou at the time?
Artwork by Mong-Lan
Interview with Jos6Marfa Luna
& Laura Mangioneof
Luna deTangoDanceAcademy
Interview with Luna de
TangoDanceAcademy.................
I
rrTangoing"
@oetry)..............,......4
Milongas/Practicas........................
6
Our first 4 issuesof T?./featuredinterviewswith Carlos
Rivmol4 EduardoArquimbau,LoredanadeBrasil,Jorge
Tones,JuanGuida,HugoPaez.Artwork by Mong-Lan.
Did you misstheseissues?
Visit http://wwwmonglancom/tokvo
tangoioumal.htrn
JML: I beganto dancetangoat 28 yearsold (now,
I am 46) and cameto tango from being a teacherof
Argentinefolkloric dance.I had listenedto tangos
sinceI wasyoung,but it wasat that age(of28 years
old) that my teacherPampaCortestold me that my
danceexpressionwould go very well with tango.
Fromthis moment,I dedicatedmyself fully to
learningtango. I've beendancingtangofor i8
years.In 1993,I metLauraandfrom this moment
we cameto work together.
ML: Before comingto Japan,what had beenyour
experiencewith tango? In Argentina,did you teach?
Wereyou in shows?Or, did you simply dancefor
the loveof tango?
JML: Before arriving in Japanin 1996,I dancedin
shows,with much love for the tango. Morever,I
gaveclassesin different cities in the provincesof
BuenosAires.
o
The Tokyo Tango Journal
www.monglan.com,/tokvo tango joumal.hmr
LM: WhenI met Jos6Maria,I hadbeendancing
only two yearsandhad little experience.
ML: How were you able to cometo Japan? Were
you sponsored?
JML: LauraandI arrivedin Japanon June6, 1996,
to tour the whole countryfor six monlhsasthe tango
dancecouplefor theEnriqueCuttiniOrchestra(of
TangoEmotion). Then for four years,we spentsix
monthsin Japanandsix monthsin Argentina,until we
succeeded
in gettingHamptonJapanCompanyto
start for us a schoolin Tokyo (Takadanobaba).
Then,in April of2000,we beganto giveclassesin
variouscitiesin Japan.
ML: In the yearsthat you havebeenin Japan,how
hasthe tango sceneherechanged?
JML: In the six yearsthat we havebeenin Japan,
the tangohasn'tchanged.However,the peoplehave
changed.Before,therewasmorehumility,more
respectfor the teachersand artists. Now, it is
different. Whoeverputstogethera dancegroupis
alreadyconsidereda teacher,andin reality, they've
meritedvery little in orderto grow andto make
knownasteachers.
themselves
For Argentines,this word 'leacher" signifies
recognitionandrespect. Thosewho succeedin
becomingteachershavea trajectory. But, these
daysa personor a coupletravelsto Argentinaandin
a few monthsreturnsand acts as if they were
teachers.This doesnot do much goodfor the tango
becauseit is not very credible.Weneedfor people
to believeandhaveconfidencein thetango.Also in
the world of tango,there arecodesandthe new
teachersthat areappearingknow absolutelynothing.
Thesesamepeopleand studentsshouldbe
careful wherethey go, becausethey are selling an
imageofthe tangothat is not reality. Also they
shouldreadandstudythehistoryoftango,ofhow it
originatedandhow it developed.Anybody canmake
businesswith the tango,but the mostimportantis
finding a roadthat canmakethe tangoworld grow
andnot to confineboth yourselvesandyour students,
andthus,not permit them to know what is the real
tanso culture.
Drawing by Mong-Lan
ML: What is your view of the generallevel of tango
dancingin Tokyo? Do you think that the womenor the
mendancebetter,in general?
JML: Sometangodancersin Japanarevery good and
in generalthewomenshinemore. This is perhaps
becausefor variousreasons,one of which is that women
areconstantwith regardto practiceand study,for
reasonsof time . . . on the other hand,it takesmen a bit
longerto getto goodlevel. But in general,Japanhas
verygoodaficionados
oftango.
ML: With regardto your tangoschool,Luna de Tango,
how did you begin? For anArgentine,wasit difficult to
beginanddo business
in Tokyo?
JML: Like the majority of dancersoutsidethe city of
BuenosAires,
we beganwith Argentinefolkloric dance,
and I beganto dancethis at the ageof 16 yearsold. One
daya greatteacheroftango andfolkloric dancecameto
watch us and perfect our dance. At this time, the teacher
told me that I hadthe posture,attitudeandexpressionof
tango.This stimulatedmeto beginto studywith him.
Fromthis time,nothinghasseparated
me from tango.
Ofcourse,to me,anArgentine,it neveroccurredto
meto do businessin Japan,because
first ofall, we are
people.This is muchthe case
dancersandnot business
with Laura. We are dancerswho continuedto spendtime
in Japan,andthis openeda roadfor us andthe only thing
we did wastravel on it.
The Tokyo Tango Jounal
vwwmonglan.com/tobo
ML: Tell me, how long hasthe Luna de TangoAcademy
beenin existence?Why did you begina tangoschoolin
Japan?And how did you do it? For an Argentine,was it
difficult to do businessin Japan?
JML: Luna de TangoAcademyhasbeenin existencefor
five yearsand was createdwith the objective of
demonstratingandpromotingArgentinetango. The
Academywas createdby and continuesto be sustainedby
and help ofthe staff, friends and
the encouragement
aficionadosof themilongas.
The first thing that I would like to stateis that Laura and
I are dancers.With regardto my businessexperiencein
Japan(from my humblepoint of view) I canonly affirm that
yes it is very difficult. Why? Becauseonehasto study,
know andunderstandthe language,culture and laws of
Japan.For any foreigner,this is very difficult. It's for this
reasonthat I thank the staflteam at Luna de Tangoso that
our first objectivesmaybe fulfilled, that the companyand
the promotionofArgentine tangocontinueforward.
tango ioumal.htrn
JML: This, one neverknows exactly. Japanis a
beautifulcountrythat givesusthe desirefor continuing
[to stay here]. Here we are free to experiment
artistically the bestwe can andwe arevery thankful to
all ofJapanandits people.But it is obviousthat some
day,we haveto retum to our Argentina.
Visit: Luna de TangoDanceAcademy,Shibuya,
Cellphone:090-3543-3030
/ 090-9342-6494
go/home.htm
http://homepage3.nift.v.com/lunadetan
Interviewby Mong-Lan.Conductedin Spanish,
translatedinto English. Visit: www.monglan.com
ML: Can you pleasedescribeto the readersof The Tokyo
TangoJournal your tango style? With whom did you
study? Who were your teachers?Who areyour influences
today?
JML: I believethat the sfyle that characterizesus is
expressivepassionatetango,as we want to show and
transmitthis sentimentwhile dancing. I studiedwith Pampa
Cortes,who was my first tangoteacherand whom I
continueto respecteighteenyearslater. For me, he was
and continuesto be a greatteacher.Later, I studiedwith
Miguel Angel Zotto, whomI admireandrespectfrom
anotherangle(Zotto is a genius,he ls Tango). With regard
to rny influencestoday,I shouldsaythat I try to continuein
the lines ofEl PampaandZolto. But, morever,today,my
specialinfluence,for Lauraandmyself, is the teamof
teachersthat accompaniesus in our company.They are
youngandtransmitto us an energythat helpsus feel vitality
for thetango.
ML: Somepeoplesaythat the Japanesedancewell the
stepsofthe tango,but theydon't havethe feelingofthe
tango. What do you think?
JML: I would saybetterthat the Japaneseshould
experimenta little living togetherwith Argentinesin orderto
getthis feeling of dancinglike Argentines,andof course
they will do it becausethere aresomevery talented
Japanese
dancers.
ML: The last question,morepersonal,how long do you
think you will remainin Japan?Or, areyou goingto stay
here forever?
Drawtng by Mong-Lan
The Tokyo Tango Journal
wwvzmonslan.com/tokvo
tanso iounal.htrn
Tangoing
Poem by Mong-Lan
In Buenos Aires tle tang erlJ :;aetangoing to tle bandeon's beat
seductive net of music
violin's abandon
Dancing with a restrained wildness cunning controlled
heats fulI
elegantly these men & women elegantly these bellies proudly protruding
beef-eati.g dancing to the sensual tango
Most are senteel & do not steal othel's Dartnets do not stow krrives in their blood
Gliding to the bandeon's bteath
pivoting
swift tums
blind tums
slow
smooth
bitter
wild
excited
Spinning night to dawn their love-lives gouged on tleir faces desperate lines deeply
nilonguemsexpose the history of Argentina on their visages
Dancing rhlthms tlat bodies untavel an unending night unpatalleled
obliwion & desire
desire to forget the lives
of misery
To forget Menem tle military dictatotship
disappeatances life-savings& bonds lost
In Buenos Aires tango was bom 100 yrs ago & carries on The tango of the lowet classes tango of the chic
From Africa came its sJncopated rhlthmsoften happens at night in la nadrugada
Thenightnntinues
endless11
I begin
lzfeoaer
the Etestionsof nJ W
cometo fie in dreams
The qaestions
comed2 go The dances
weflt
ML
Drowing by Mong-Lan
dt came The men
cameb went
The Tokyo Tango Journal
wwwmonglan.com/tokvo
About Moag-Lan's writing & artwotlc Her
frst bookofpoenq Song of the Cicadas,wonthe
2000JaniperPiqe, the2002 Creatl-aku Collcgu
Atnciatior't Naz lViterc Aanrdsfor PoehJa d aar
pabkthedfo the Uflfuenitt ofMa$ach/tsettr
Prc$ itj
2001. Her otherbook:of poetryincludtWhy is the
Edge Always Wndy? (hpek Prer, 2005),
Argentine Tango: a Seismology (forthcoming)
axd
Love Poem to Tofu and Other Poems (hokingfor
publisher).Herpoetryhat bun anthologi4ed
irBest
AmedcanPoetty,The PushcartBook of Poetty:
BestPoemsfrom 30 Yearsof the PushcartPrize,
afldwlnerlas ltherp blicatizns.'Tangoing,"
fron
Argentine Tango: a Seismology,war oiginallt
pablished.
h Notth Ameican P.eview,Ameical oldes
ard quitepretigiousliterarynagaqine.Herpaintingsard
phzrlgrapbsharebeenexhibitedin galbiu ir theSan
FraxcivoBal Area, theCqitol Hoareifl Va:hington
D.C.for one
yary theMuseunof FireArtJ inH0 $ott,
ir Toplto, in Bali , axda theDallasMaseunof Art.
Browse:gyg,rypggfoggg
The destitute suddenly poorer
come & go at night
They sift through
trash take paper cardboatd & tecyclables
away leaving disposable trash
pilfered like feathers
receiving a few pesos
fot a few kilos
Courteous some say BxenasNoches
with soft eyes \fomen & children
bttxel au,ay
papel Men cart
^w^y p^pet
Tash picked at
wltures at dead bodies
Cab &ivers do not have change for a 20 peso bill
Anapestic
by magic
tle city
tango ior.rrnal.htrn
A lack of efexiuo
the nation & its citizens keep on
lVhereis thefre?
At night fue bums
in uash bins on city streets a huge pyte
waiting for its sacdfice
Out until 5 or 6 in the moming
milongaems
They lean
embrace sucking on each othett blood
towatds each othet's heatts plucking
Pethaps they will follow each other
home devout tle other
Drinking each other's glances & stares detiving pleasure in d2lcing
between each othet's legs on crowded floon
Eyes scan: whom to dance with
Tables & tables of hungry women
predatoty men courteous
Around & around
(Continued on next page--See Tangoing)
embtacing kicking
Drawing by Mong-Lan
whom to avoid?
disdainfi:l
people dtaw ochos flick mleos flicks of knives
The Tolryo Tango Journal
A.irt af M66hb
d{ilongar tnl
wwuzmonglan.com/tokyo tango jgutnal.htrn
Ercotioar n Cakya
Monday: Tango(Japan)Nigit in Tsukiji-shijo,@CubanCafd,
price:1000YWI drink.
18:30-23:00,
price:1000Y
Tlr€sday:ZeroHourPractica,22:00-23'.30.
Wednesday:
price:2500
yenwith1 drink
NeoTango,19:00-23:00,
price:1000yen.
ZercHourPractica,22:00-23:30,
Thursday:
price:3000Yw/1
drink
Tangol-ove,A-Life,l9:30-23:30,
ZeroHourPractic422:00-23:30,price:I 000Y
FYiday:
price:2500
Y 1drink
LunadeTango,20:00-23:30,
Milonga"ClubTanguisimo,"
20:00-22:30,
3000Y
unlimited drink & snacks.
PwoTango,20:30-23:30,2500Y1drink
1000Yw/i drink
SinRumbo,18:30-23:00,
1500Yw/1drink
Zerohour,20:20-24:30,
Saturday:
Yw/ I drink
LunadeTango,20:00-23:30,2500
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SinRumbo.18:30-23:00.
TangoRor, 20:00- 24:00,2000Y I drink
ffi#ffi(
j,il\
Cngo
1. Arg. TangoDanceAssoc,Ginz4 Milonga "Club Tanguisimo,
www.tansodance.co.iplenslish,/index.htm
Tel:03-3544-5600
2. Arg. TangoSuiyokai:www.taneo-suiyokai.com,
Tel:090-5569-5937
3. BarrioTango,Akiyoshi& Noriko Tanada:http://www31.ocn.nejd
-taneo/
Tel : 090-6471-0992
4 . Diego& Ca.rla"
www.dieeoycarla.coln/,
5. EdgardoLaloGargano:www.lalogargano.com
tan5/.Tel:
6. Eugene& Alisa,Yokoham4Shibuya:www.eeocities.iplea
090-38'7
6-96'77
7. Kenji & Liliana:www.w.ale.co.io/kenii
liliana./iapanese/i
ftame.html.
Tel:090-9841-3068
8. Luna deTango,Jose& Laur4 Shibuya: www. homepage3.nifty.com/
Tel: 03-5466-0701
lunadetango/1a_milonga"hhn,
Tel: 03-3841-7536
9. NeoTango:www.tangostylelip/neo/.
10. PuroTango,HugoPaez,Shinjuku:http:/,/tromepaee3.niffy.conl/
purotanso/ Teli 03-5287-3307
11. Sin Rumbo,Tel :03-3353-1756
Visit: http://www.sinrumbo.ip
12. TangoNPO:htto://www.tanqo-npo.ore/calender/index.html
13. Targo Japan-Lam & Gyr, Tsukiji-shijo, www.taneoiapan.com-/s!'rt
seeundoip.htrnTel:03-5148-5001
14. TangoLove: www.taneolove.nev.
Tel: 03-5785-2531
15, TangoNight,JoeTango: wwwtanqoniqht.con/.
Tel: 03-3436-6330
16. TangoRex,RicardoCerqueiro,Shinagawa-ku:http://tansorex.com,
Tel:03-3786-3430
17. Tolfo TangoAcademy,Mikage & Arisa, wwutansotokyo.com/.
Tel: 03-3985-3079
18. ZeroHour-Juan Guida,Roppongi, www.tanso2ljp/top.html.
Tel: 03-3585-1514
x',f
ZerohourMilong4 19:00-00:30,2500
Y w/ 1 drink
-_rJ'\
d(onthly c,9lilongdt
Ywitlunlimited
1.BanioTango,18Feb,13:00-16:00,2500
drints and snacks,
2. GinzaAfternoonMilonga (TangoJapan),
12:30- 16:30,04Feb,11Mar,08Apr.,Tel:03-5524-6166,
3000yen w/ I drink
oncea month,
3. TangoNight,Dash-G19:30-23:30,
yenwith
1
4000
drink, www.tansoniqht.aonv.
4. MilongaEstela,2ndand4thsunday,19:00-22:30,Studio60,
Harajuku,2000yenwith 1 drink
5. La Milonga Latina,MyogadaniDancePlazaTomoyo,lst
12:30-15:30,price: 1500yen.Visit:
and3rdSahuday,
www.lalogargano.com
6. TangoLove night, Mado Lounge,RoppongiHill, 12Feb,
19:.00-23:30,1/a month,4000yenwi drink
@thar Rirtings,
Yumi ltoh, Tokyo,TangoClothes,www.diferente.biz,Tel: 0706633-9232,emall:[email protected]
Jorge Torres, New York: www.nltaneomarathon,com
ChinoHara. NewYork.Shoes:www.felinashoes.com
Many thants to Sunil Sharma for listing input.
€.nks in Cohyo
Poem,
Tangoingr rr Continued.
Walls crumbling
I beg;nlafeoaer I start
to rcad
skies leaaes dawn
The questionsof nJ W
float to me in tangor
Tbe qaestionscome
dt go tbe drcams
tbe men dt women
[BuenosAires, 2001-2004]
Note from Mong-Lan, creator and
publisher of The To$n Tango
Joamal: Thank you for teading
this issue of TTJ. My love zffau
with the fugentine rango began ir
1995 when I took my fffst tango
lessonsvrith Nota Dinzelbachet irr
San Ftancisco. Since then, I've
been to Atgentina numetous times
ro srudy with the great masters o[
this dance. I am available to teach
tango and milonga. Contact:
Mobile: 080-3382-0643
email [email protected]
website: www:monslan.com