Report on dancers (Third part)

e go on with the report on dancers, after the first and the second part, both published in this same web site.

La Lora (Egidio Scarpino)

Lampazo: His name was José Vázquez but very few know him by his true name. He invented a strange personal turn with his feet while he was dancing as if he were cleaning the floor, hence his nickname. In the 40s he polished his style at the N. O. Boys club on Llerena and Ábalos. Many years later he danced and taught at the legendary club “Sin Rumbo” of Villa Urquiza.

Lavalle, Mingo: Born in Italy. An excellent dancer that was known in the mid- forties. He was the youngest in his time. More than once he was summoned by the Luna Park’s impresarios to appear in the panel of judges together with Miguel Bucino at several contests of popular dancing. A dancing instructor –of tango in the first place- he run his own academy which was located on Corrientes 1555. With an acute and responsible choreographic sense at the Teatro Nacional he depicted onstage the advent and varied development of tango dancing.

Lechuguita: Dancer of “club type” tango and specialist in milonga.

Lombardo, Luis “Gallito”: He was from Palermo. He used to dance with “La Parda Corina”.

Lopresti, Pedro: Together with José Fernández, after the twenties, was based in Paris where he taught tango dancing.

Los Dinzel: (Rodolfo Dinzelbacher and Gloria Varo) They have an outstanding place in tango-dance. With a strikingly original choreography, they were one of the most important pillars on which the show “Tango Argentino” was built. They teach tango-dance with a true vocation.

Los Hermanos Bisagra (hinge): Their peculiar movements made them deserve that sobriquet.

Los Hermanos Bufanda (scarf): One of them was named Vicente Bujanda.

Los Lentos: Pablo Lento. Their dancing partners were Lolita Peón and Tita Grey. They were milongueros.

Los Méndez: A dancing team formed by José Méndez, aka “El Gallego”, and “La Cacho” or “La Cachito”.

Los Pampas: A dancing team formed by the Engineer Alcorta and La Cachito.

Lusiardo, Tito

Madero, Vicente: He was born on December 2, 1885 and died on May 24, 1946.

Marcelo

Mariano: Mentioned by “Viejo Tanguero” (1913) as a frequent patron of the “Scudo de Italia” where a certain Paulina had charmed all the customers. He was very popular for the correctness of his dancing. Tango fans used to surround him each time he was at the dancing track in order to admire him and clap their hands for the difficult figures he invented and that no one else was able to emulate. He owned and important shop located on Sarmiento Street and Carlos Pellegrini.

Mayoral, Héctor: Dancer. Choreographer. He was born in Buenos Aires, in Villa Pueyrredón, on November 12, 1937. In 1962 he won the first prize for his dancing at the Festival Internacional de Folklore de Termas de Río Hondo. Later he appeared in “Sábados Continuados” on Channel 13. For five years he was in the cast of the shows presented by Mariano Mores. In 1971 he was awarded the Gran Premio SADAIC for the most original number at the Festival de La Falda. His dancing partner was Elsa María Borquez.

Megata, Tsunami: (Tsunayoshi Megata, his real name). The baron Megata was born in Tokyo, Japan, on November 17, 1896 and died in the same city in 1969.

Melena: y su hermano “El Chivo”. Both are mentioned by Enrique H. Puccia.

Mendieta, Juan “Congreve”: Very popular dancer in the forties. He was from Villa Crespo.

Milani, “Maco”: Santiago H. Rocca used to say in 1952: «Maco Milani was named, in fact, Mariano Milani. His woman was Joaquina Marán, a tall brunette, not pretty but very interesting and charming with a very pleasant conversation. “Maco” was a handsome man, quite distinguished, with straight hair and a very pale face. When he took to drinking heavily he put on weight and his nose turned reddish.» Milani squandered large sums of money in his lifetime. Tall and tidy, his way of life was really pitiful. He used to go very often to a café on Canning and Santa Fe. Many times he was seen in the company of Tito Rocatagliatta, the violinist. Justo P. Sáenz (h.) told León Benarós that “Maco” also used to go frequently to a venue called La Colorada, on Corrientes and Florida, which existed from 1914 to 1923. It was a place full of sawdust and boxes where sometimes Charles de Soussens used to appear from time to time. Enrique Cadícamo remembers it in his poem “Rotisería Argentina”: «Maco Milani was also one of its patrons, a noted porteño, a true criollo. He was the first to introduce tango into the high-life society.» And, in that same poem, he says that one of his most loved tangos was “Joaquina”.

Miro, Christian

Montero, Abelardo

Nardelli, Norberto

De Nava, Arturo: Composer, pre-Gardelian criollo singer; «Probably born in Paysandú around 1876 and he died in Buenos Aires, where he had settled when he was young, on , donde se había radicado de joven, on October 22, 1932.... Initially a natural or vocational tango dancer with a great style in the early days. He is the first one in the genre to appear at theatres before Aín and Alippi dancing tangos in theatrical plays in the Podestá’s theatre company from 1903. As a leading actor he had a nice outlook what makes him a forerunner of Gardel. His unmistakable body appeared showing tango figures in several photographs of the popular magazine Caras y Caretas of Buenos Aires in 1903.» (F.O. Assuncao)

Nelson: His dancing partner: Mónica.

Nemesio: Enrique H. Puccia says that, in competition with the payador García, heused to dance tango with cuts at the café “De las Cinco Hermanas” located on the corner of Corrientes and Uruguay.

Orrade, José: Widely known as “El Vasco de Villa Crespo”. He was born in 1902 and died in 1962. He danced with Lucy and later with his wife Olga. His choice orchestras were those of Juan D’Arienzo and Osvaldo Pugliese.

Orzyza, Armando

Panelo, Pancho: He belonged to the category of the wealthy dancers. Domingo Greco said that this man was so serene when dancing that he was able to place a glass of champagne on his head and not to shed a drop of liquid.

Parodi, Alejandro

P.B.T.: According to Enrique H. Puccia, this dancer was a king in the dancing parties at the whorehouses of Barracas al Sur and the Isla Maciel like Juan Rana also was.

Pedrín “El Tuerto”: Famous dancer with breaks; friend of the clarinetist Juan Carlos Bazán. He used to whistle little tangos to the latter so that he would play them later by ear. A great dancer of San Telmo. He danced with “La Flaca Rosa”. He frequented the dancehall on Chile 1567, Patria e Lavoro, notorious for its rows and stab wounds.

Pedrín “La Vieja”: Domingo Greco says in his memoirs: «Later one boy called Pedrín came, he was my partner in school: we used to call him “La Vieja” (Old woman). He lived on Chile Street, between Tacuarí and Piedras. We may say that this kid placed tango at the top of refinement. Even before 1900 he was the best dancer known. He had much initiative. He was elegant when dancing, kept well the music beat in accordance with the figures or the breaks and had an amazing speed in his legs. In other words, he was the best of all times. Thereafter Benito Bianquet “El Cachafaz” appeared as his only imitator».

Pereyra Lucena: He is among the wealthy dancers together with Torres Agüero and “El Pibe Gascón”.

Pereyra, Luis

Petróleo

Plata, Pedro

Podesta, Argentino

Portogalo, Pepe

Radrizzani, Ambrosio: “El Escoberito”, theatre actor and composer that tragically died on September 26, 1943 at the fire that burnt the Teatro Maipo where he was performing.

Rana, Juan: Well-known dancer that, according to Puccia, was spotlighted in the dances at the whorehouses in Barracas al Sur and the Isla Maciel, along with the one known as “P.B.T.”.

Ratti, César: Actor, he was also an excellent tango dancer. He used to dance with Olinda Bozán. He was born in Buenos Aires on September 24, 1889 and died in the same city on July 13, 1943.

Reina, Yolando: He danced with the mulatto woman María Celia Romero who was called “María Celeste”.

Saborido, Enrique: With the beautiful Lola Candales, Uruguayan like him and her inspiring muse, he became a tango dancer. Then in 1908, due to the growing vogue of tango, he opened a dancing academy on Cerrito 1070 which he run until 1912. That year he decided to go to Paris with other tango men. Carlos Vicente Geroni Flores, pianist, traveled with him. Saborido taught tango dancing to the European aristocrats and, also as professional dancer he appeared at the Royal Theatre of London and at the Savoy of Paris. He used to remember Jorge Newbery, his beloved friend Alberto J. Mascías, Alberto Lange, Edmundo Hileret and Martín Anchorena as good dancers.

Scudín, José “El Moscovita” (The Muskovite)

Serrano Podestá, Oscar

Silva, Manuel

Simara, Bernabé

Sorcio, Ángel “El Yesero” (The plasterer)

Supparo, Atilio

Taihei Kobayashi

Taurel, Pancho: Mentioned by Domingo Greco as a very good dancer among the high-life boys.

Tedín, Virgilio (Diego): He was famous as a “rich guy”.

Todaro, Antonio

Torres Agüero: He is among the well-to-do dancers alongside Pereyra Lucena and the Pibe Gascón.

Undarz, Bernardo: (Los Undarz) “El Mocho” danced with Amelia Undarz, “La Portuguesa” and their sobriquet was “Los Undarz”. He was born in Avellaneda and died in Córdoba, of tuberculosis like his wife.

Veltri, Luisito

Víctor: His dancing partner: Mónica.

Videla, Julio: One of the most elegant dancers of his time. He used to dance at the Marabú in the early forties where he was famous for his way of standing up and walking in tango. The most renowned dancers of that time admired him; they frequently surrounded him to watch him closely. His choice orchestra was the one led by Carlos Di Sarli. He was from Villa Urquiza. He lived on Andonaegui 2520. He died in the spring of 1970.

Virulazo (Jorge Martín Orcaizaguirre)

Vitulo: Mentioned by Domingo Greco as one of the renowned dancers of the 1900s.

Williams Hermanos.

Zotto, Miguel Ángel: Dancer and choreographer. Name of his company: Tango X 2. Possibly, the one who stands out most now because of his original steps, his choreography and his capacity for organizing good quality shows.