Given that the Feast is not only my favourite tango festival but also the most frequent, I’ve written the occasional blog post about it in the four years I’ve been coming. Each time, I think I can’t possibly have anything new to say, and every time I write several thousand words.

But this time I’ve finally achieved my long-held ambition to write a short post! Anyone feeling short-changed by this will find some video compensation at the end …

The secret to my uncharacteristic brevity is that so much of what I would write would simply echo what I said about the previous edition – starting with that feeling of walking into …

A roomful of friends

I always arrive in the hall about half an hour before the start of the opening milonga because it can take that long to complete all the hello hugs, and I think the reason it ends at midnight on Sunday instead of 1am is because Fernando knows the goodbyes will account for the remaining hour …

The hellos take even longer than usual these days as followers frequently comment on my latest choice of bow tie.

I started with one. Then four. I thought that was a reasonable collection, but several follower friends suggested it was time to up the ante with a different one for each milonga of a festival. Since Etonathon comprises ten milongas, and I’m doing the lot, that required an upgrade.

For one of the milongas, Hector noted that Michael and I were suitably coordinated, between bow-tie and collar.

I blame the followers

One thing was unchanged from last time: the sleep deprivation: I was at every milonga from start to finish. (Well, technically I missed the very end of one, but only because I had to leave for a private.)

Likewise, there was very little rest to be had during milongas. Even the Thursday evening – which is usually a little quieter as some don’t arrive until the Friday – was rammed, and Mabel Gomez wasn’t exactly helping! Every time I decided it was time to sit out a tanda, she’d have me jumping straight back out of my seat. It was a truly awesome set, and I was far from alone in raving about it.

A friend said it was a mystery to her how I have the stamina to dance as much as I do, and I told her I blame the followers. When there are so many amazing dance partners in one place at one time, it’s too good a thing to let any opportunities go by!

I had so many absolutely sublime dances, and there’s not a single one I would want to have missed. Thank you to each of my dance partners.

The F-word

Floorcraft was exemplary in October. In December, it was … um … not. While I used to find these contrasts inexplicable, the reality is that it only takes a tiny number of badly-behaved leaders to completely destroy a ronda due to the knock-on effects (sometimes literal) caused by others having to take sudden evasive action.

I’ve learned to treat it as a game. I used to ride a motorcycle in London, and cycle there now, and the survival skills are not dissimilar. You need to be able to look in seven different directions at once, figure out the dumbest and most dangerous thing someone could possibly do at any given moment, and assume they will do it. I give myself a point for each correct guess.

The R-word

Devon was uncharacteristically sunny last time, but had now returned to its more usual habit of putting the river into English Riviera.

Some festive following

The dual-role dancers were kept very busy, and for a time I was wondering whether I might get any opportunity at all for some following. Fortunately I did, with several leading ladies kind enough to take me onto the practice floor, and a couple of them sufficiently courageous to do so on the very crowded pista!

The paperwork I provide ahead of any such attempts very clearly specifies that I am licensed only for steps and rebounds, but one of my leaders was having none of this. She was absolutely determined to have me follow both the classic cross and the ocho cortado.

She started with an industrial-sized lead that essentially amounted to lifting me into the air and putting me down again in a crossed position, but was able to gradually dial it down, and I think I did make some worthwhile progress there.

I have a theory that if I can achieve some semblance of competence at following a cross, then I’ll also be able to follow a giro by turning it into a milonguero turn – combining side-steps and crosses.

Another leader also managed to get me to follow a linear giro on the second attempt.

My following journey continues to be glacial in progress, but I’m relaxed about that and am very much enjoying the process.

Private and workshop with Mabel

Booking a place at the Feast is always a three-step process for me: register, buy train ticket, book private with Mabel. Despite my lightning speed, or perhaps because of it, Fernando forgot about it and I didn’t have a slot when I arrived.

This was clearly an emergency, but it wasn’t immediately apparent whether it was a matter for police, ambulance, fire brigade or coastguard. Just to add fuel to the fire, Fernando came to apologise for this at the exact moment a Pugliese tanda was starting!

Fortunately, miracles were performed and I got my slot. I’ll write a separate blog post about that another time, so I shall simply say here that Mabel continues to be both a genius and a delight as a teacher.

I’ve also done a number of Mabel’s workshops, and there was one whose description could have been tailor-made for me:

Tango starts in ourselves. Raising body awareness through simple exercises, focusing on small changes to enhance expressiveness.

This too was a fantastic experience that I’ll also cover in the same post, but suffice it to say that if you ever have an opportunity to do a technique workshop with Mabel, jump at it!

Video clips

Since I’ve written way fewer words than usual, I feel I do owe some compensation in the form of additional content. As regulars will know, I always shoot a few video clips during the feast, and several people have suggested that I include these in the blog.

I wasn’t quite organised enough to manage one clip per milonga, but here’s a good flavour of what was a truly beautiful weekend.

Just one more wafer-thin tango festival

Oh, and one day into one tango festival, registration opened for another.

This is another fixture on my tango calendar, and I waited a leisurely 0.1 seconds from registration opening to booking my place. (As with Cheltenham, I’d booked my hotels as soon as the dates were announced, as they can be a scarce commodity!)

As for other tango, I’ll see some of you at Tango Secrets on Friday, and others at the Etonathon (I’m doing all ten milongas).

1,163 words – a new record!