Note: this photo was published as an illustration in a Jun 17, 2012 blog titled "El Tren met orkest Walton & Van Duinen zondag 17 juni a.s. ( http://www.elcompas.nl/wp/2012/06/15/el-tren-met-orkest-zondag-17-juni-a-s/ ) " It was also  published in a Jun 16, 2012 EveryBlock NYC blog ( http://nyc.everyblock.com/locations/custom/e48966e061f84e86b332f9453309b618/ ) , for a specially drawn region of the NYC map that includes Pier 45 in Greenwich Village, located right where Christopher Street ends at the Hudson River.

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It's been nearly a year since I last photographed the tango dancers in New York City, even though I know they've been gathering each Sunday down at the end of Pier 45, where Christopher Street runs into the Hudson River in the West Village. But the weather was rainy on several occasions throughout the spring of this year, and I was out of town on various other occasions ... so, it wasn't until the month of June had arrived, and the beginning of another summer was in the air before there was a combination of free time and clear skies that enabled me to find a quiet perch out at the end of the pier, to watch the dancers once again.

It was a Wednesday afternoon, and the sky was hazy and overcast when I first arrived. But the clouds eventually thinned out, the haze faded, and blue skies appeared for the final hour or two of the afternoon, culminating in a pleasant (but not quite spectacular) sunset.

I had met a few of the tango dancers at previous gatherings, and I made a point of introducing myself to several others, handing out business cards with my Flickr address so that people would be able to find these pictures without too much difficulty. As a result, several of the photos are more "connected" or "engaged" with my presence than is normally the case; and yet, you'll see that some of the dancers watch me with a certain degree of ... what? suspicion? distrust? or maybe just caution. But since the dancers have good reason to be more interested in the music, and the movement of their partners, than a guy on the sideline with a camera, most of them simply ignored me...

As I've pointed out in some previous Flickr albums (here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157623735292849/ ) , for example), I do not dance the tango (or any other civilized form of dance), and even after watching the dancers for over a year, I know almost nothing about the history, the folklore, or even the steps and rhythms of the tango. But after accidentally stumbling upon a local gathering of tango aficionados on a business trip to Washington in August 2009 (see my Flickr set Last tango in Washington ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157621943882787 ) ), I discovered that there were similar informal events throughout New York City. When I got home, I searched on the Internet and found a schedule of upcoming tango events at several different NYC locations -- including Pier 45, where I made my first visit in mid-April of 2010, which led to this set ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157623735292849/ )  of photos.

Altogether, I've now taken nearly a dozen sets of tango-related photos, and you can see a thumbnail overview of them in this Flickr collection ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/collections/72157624855980784/ ) . And if you'd like to watch some other examples NYC tango dancing, check out Richard Lipkin's  Guide to Argentine Tango in New York City ( http://www.newyorktango.com/ ) .
Note: this photo was published as an illustration in a Jun 17, 2012 blog titled "El Tren met orkest Walton & Van Duinen zondag 17 juni a.s. ( http://www.elcompas.nl/wp/2012/06/15/el-tren-met-orkest-zondag-17-juni-a-s/ ) " It was also published in a Jun 16, 2012 EveryBlock NYC blog ( http://nyc.everyblock.com/locations/custom/e48966e061f84e86b332f9453309b618/ ) , for a specially drawn region of the NYC map that includes Pier 45 in Greenwich Village, located right where Christopher Street ends at the Hudson River.

***************************************
It's been nearly a year since I last photographed the tango dancers in New York City, even though I know they've been gathering each Sunday down at the end of Pier 45, where Christopher Street runs into the Hudson River in the West Village. But the weather was rainy on several occasions throughout the spring of this year, and I was out of town on various other occasions ... so, it wasn't until the month of June had arrived, and the beginning of another summer was in the air before there was a combination of free time and clear skies that enabled me to find a quiet perch out at the end of the pier, to watch the dancers once again.

It was a Wednesday afternoon, and the sky was hazy and overcast when I first arrived. But the clouds eventually thinned out, the haze faded, and blue skies appeared for the final hour or two of the afternoon, culminating in a pleasant (but not quite spectacular) sunset.

I had met a few of the tango dancers at previous gatherings, and I made a point of introducing myself to several others, handing out business cards with my Flickr address so that people would be able to find these pictures without too much difficulty. As a result, several of the photos are more "connected" or "engaged" with my presence than is normally the case; and yet, you'll see that some of the dancers watch me with a certain degree of ... what? suspicion? distrust? or maybe just caution. But since the dancers have good reason to be more interested in the music, and the movement of their partners, than a guy on the sideline with a camera, most of them simply ignored me...

As I've pointed out in some previous Flickr albums (here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157623735292849/ ) , for example), I do not dance the tango (or any other civilized form of dance), and even after watching the dancers for over a year, I know almost nothing about the history, the folklore, or even the steps and rhythms of the tango. But after accidentally stumbling upon a local gathering of tango aficionados on a business trip to Washington in August 2009 (see my Flickr set Last tango in Washington ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157621943882787 ) ), I discovered that there were similar informal events throughout New York City. When I got home, I searched on the Internet and found a schedule of upcoming tango events at several different NYC locations -- including Pier 45, where I made my first visit in mid-April of 2010, which led to this set ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/sets/72157623735292849/ )  of photos.

Altogether, I've now taken nearly a dozen sets of tango-related photos, and you can see a thumbnail overview of them in this Flickr collection ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/yourdon/collections/72157624855980784/ ) . And if you'd like to watch some other examples NYC tango dancing, check out Richard Lipkin's  Guide to Argentine Tango in New York City ( http://www.newyorktango.com/ ) .
HB Pier Snow_01-28-13_2751.JPG
HB Pier Snow_01-28-13_2750.JPG
HB Pier Snow_01-28-13_2743.JPG
HB Pier Snow_01-28-13_2729.JPG
HB Pier Snow_01-28-13_2728.JPG
HB Pier Snow_01-28-13_2726.JPG
See photo in original gallery.