Dear friends,
I’m ending this year of Awaken Tango with gratefulness for the micro innovation ecosystem that surrounds me. It feels amazing to be among so many supportive, experimental, big-thinking, wide-hearted, large-souled people who can focus on the long game.
I am fortified by the strength that comes from determination, service, fun, and choosing to be unstoppable, and having good people who believe in you through life’s ups and downs.
I remember tango in the mid-aughts being a time of just sheer happiness. We weren’t trying to be anyone, for YouTube, or the algorithm, or the “judges.” We weren’t trying to win anything. We were just messing around. We were happy. We were curious. We were having fun. We made performance art. We invented silly games. And serious games. And new things for and with each other.
Today I sense that this joyous spirit is returning to tango. The underground of tiny house milongas, friends practicing together, and out-of-the-limelight events is laying the groundwork for us to finish this decade in a beautifully fun way together.
Stefan and I were so touched the other day watching Meredith and Andres’ beautiful 2016 interpretation of Hallelujah which beautifully captures the spirit of those times: soulful, daring, intricate, free. Enjoy, and may 2026 bring you the gift of daring to break out of the mold and find your voice in tango.
How well do you know your fellow tango humans and what’s behind their miradas? Hearing each others’ stories can help reduce judgment, labeling, and putting each other into narrow boxes.
Liz Sabatiuk’s beautifully-conceived and brilliantly-produced podcast Humans of Tango highlights the humanity and complexity of creative spirits in tango. So many dancers I admire have shared their stories here.
I feel honored that she took the time to talk with me this year. Here is a 2-minute clip from our conversation about self-belief within the wide world of tango.
Check out the whole episode here! Enjoy the podcast, and congratulations, Liz, on four years of Humans of Tango.
Deliberate practice is a thing that improves your tango. Yet, how often do you really do it? Practicas turn into casual milongas...and sometimes we end up practicing the same little nit-picky thing or vague quality for years. Or maybe you never even practice at all because we’re not sure where to start!
This card deck and online program is based on nuevo analysis, an analytical framework that is an important contribution to tango’s history. This year, after years of development and playtesting, we launched our first card decks which sold out quickly. A limited number of card decks are now available again — the perfect gift for a tango friend, or tool to revitalize your tango in the new year.
May these cards bring you closer to the dancers you love, and may they support you in your journey to find your voice within the beautiful tradition of tango.
Many of you who read this newsletter embrace innovation in tango pedagogy and community development. You may be innovators yourself. This is a time when it’s wonderful to extend gratitude for the bravery and friendship of people who support you, listen well, lean in, ask good questions, are bold enough to disagree out loud, and help you refine your ideas.
Wishing you well,
Mitra Martin
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