ERIC nijmegen netherlands
- Almost nobody knew about the transfer to come.

SAMANTHA cambridge england
- There were men dancing together like whirling dervishes.

FREDRIK braunschweig germany
- I have been waiting a long time in front of the toilet door waiting for that man to get out!

MELIN instanbul turkey
- I stood in front of the building and asked myself where my home was.

TILLA frankfurt germany
- I met a lot of people I have already met around Europe and I found out that they are all frequent guests.

TOVE lund sweden
- So even if I was impressed by a lot of things I mostly wanted to leave.

HENRY nijmegen netherlands
- My friends had a very good time because they noticed that something happened to me.

STEFAN nijmegen netherlands
- I finally dared to ask one of the 'local heroes'. What an energetic explosion!

MAX dortmund germany
- He welcomed me with my name without having seen me before.

THORSTEN düsseldorf germany
- At this point I wonder if El Corte is a regular dancing school.

SINAN valletta malta
- I felt myself disappointed at the very first impression.

RUTH totnes england
- This is very hands-on peace work, so badly needed in a world full of fighting and disconnection..

GREG seatle usa
- I can't begin to describe the truth of that prediction.

ELISABETH bologna italy
- I survived though, and have
lived to tell the tale.

GUIDO & MY moers germany
- Wir alle suchten dann noch seine Socken (auf denen My saß...)

JO london england
- I had never seen such a beautiful dance floor.

JESSE los angeles usa
- It's like I've came back home to old friends that I haven't met yet.

CHRISTIAN rotterdam netherlands
- Some other tangueras y tangueros immediatly guided me where to store away my belongings - 'regulars' as I later learned.

JOHN totnes england
- The collective excitement was filling the space to bursting point, threatening to build to a lighting strike...

PASCALE lille france
- Et quand ils quittent la piste, c’est dans le silence, dans le recueillement de la danse...

ALEX portland usa
- and I left after the week's dancing was done with the tango-junky's needle still in my arm wanting more.

STELLA berkeley usa
- We had to stand in the cold in our light tango clothes until the doors opened.

NITIN washington usa
- I liked the absence of any sign except the street number, 108: a little frisson of anxiety, is one at the right place?

RENÉ & CHANTAL roosendaal netherlands
- The decision to leave was an easy one;
no, we were not ready for El Corte.

KATIA moscow russia
- I can speak El Corte’s tango-language! Well… may be with some accent :)

 

KATIA 7times since 2003

Wonders sometimes occur in my life :). My first time at El Corte was one of the most impressive…

That was on X-mas party in 2003. I was going to visit El Corte earlier but couldn’t get a visa in time. I had heard a lot about this place that time and had really strong desire to get there on X-mas and NY.
Have to say there were enormous troubles with visa. I got 2 successive refusals from Embassy and everybody said I never get it unless I change my passport. But I tried third time just with a faint hope, and thanks to great help of Luc – I had got it on 23d of December!
Because of visa-troubles I changed tickets twice and finally managed to buy them only for evening-X-mas flight.
I arrived to Nijmegen around 11 p.m. only when the party was at its height. I had already seen some pictures of El Corte before but anyway reality was brighter, volumetric and full of amazing surprises.
There was a crowd of smiling, embracing, chatting, knowing each other people. I felt myself a little bit strange first. But as far as I start to dance I realize one very important and relaxing thought: I can speak El Corte’s tango-language! Well… may be with some accent :)
Following special Eric’s instructions everybody was looking for “his” partner for “12 o’clock dance”. I was late and prepared to sit and watch. And yes… At midnight people found each other and was ready to dance. Eric enters the dance floor, observe it and… invite me to dance with him. Can you imagine my feelings that moment?? :) Eric The Great invite me… wow!
Almost the same was when Henry invited me later…
Then was wonderful rotation of faces, embraces, acquaintances and attendant feeling like I got into fairy-tale! Really I have no suitable words to describe that my first time – that was outstanding experience.
After that I’ve been to fantastic NY-marathon and cheerful 10th IW – something well-known and something new every time, every day, every hour.
El Corte is like a beloved man for me now – with his soul, different moods and faces, wishes and demands. All I want is to be with “him” again and again. I’m even jealous a little bit when somebody tells about his love to El Corte, but always know – we have something deeply common and that is the main thing.