My first impression at Berlin Tango Fest.
Most of the dancers know more about sacada, beleo and gancho than embrace. A few could do them nicely, the majority is just…I am sorry, SHIT. 
But I’d had a very good time, dancing with the few who knew how to embrace. The highlight of my trip: Watching my favorite, a young German girl, dancing with a young guy, four tandas in a row (tango, milonga, vals, and tango) at 6am in the morning. Not a single sacada, beleo or gancho, not a moment of breaking the embrace.
They were just one body, four feet, drawing music on the floor…
Beautiful!!!
PS. Bravo to the grandpas, who had no physical ability and former dance training, who could barely walk straight without wobbling, to have the courage to attempt difficult sequences that professionals wouldn’t dare to practice, on a crowded floor packed with three four hundred dancers. They truly had the spirit of twenty year old, and the brain of six. 
Sorry it wasn’t good for you. I had heard that the Tango was very good there, but when a friend of mine moved there for work, she found it quite dire. There are very few places where the music and dancing is traditional.
The upside is that Berlin is a very cool city!
Well I dont think a tango Fest is especially representative. I had a lot of fun dancing there – and I dance predominantly close. Still, as you say, there are always rubies to be found in the dust..
Haha, I don’t want to be rude, but…. LOL!
Glad you had a good time after all, as long as you know a jewel when you see it, you’ll manage
@Arlene,
Maybe I had high expectation. But I had a very good time, dancing till 7am every morning and slept only three four hours a day. And I didn’t even see the city at all other than the places where milongas were held.
@Captain Jep,
I think a tango fest. represents the general level or trend of the tango scene, especially when the number of milonga attendances was over six hundred. There were very good dancers. That was why I had a very good time.
@Simba,
You know what I am talking about.
I don’t get it…perhaps the word ‘International’ is about to take on the added meaning of ‘other-than-just-Argentine’? I wish that these dances would have better lableing rather than just trying to pack in as many as possible.
The Berlin Tango Festival is to Berlin what CITA is to Buenos Aires. Most of the good dancers aroundabouts know not to go.
@Chris,
Good to know and I got the picture after having attended the CITA closing milonga in BA this March.
The main reason I went was to attend J&A’s workshops (six of them). And I had some very good dances with dancers from all over. So it was a good trip for me.
Next time you’re making a journey that long, come to Les Cigales instead
I will put it on the list.
Great information. Loved the name of your site!
Please see also an excellent website about tango – providing many well researched articles about tango (including history of tango, milongas, embellishments, tango legends and lots of others) on
http://www.tangoinfo.com.au
Warm regards,
Eran Braverman