ATS® Argentina

I once read that you should never start a blog with an apology.

So I won’t apologize, I’ll just say life has been way to awesome to sit down and write about.

I reached the End of the World, aka  fin del mundo, a definite notch on the bucket list, but more than that, a milestone in my sojourn. 

I had really made it as far south as possible.

I sat on that high, surrounded by the mountains, breathed it in, and I danced.

Well I tried, here's my first attempt: 

The second time I got it right:

ATS® is crazy global, you can even find it in Ushuaia, Argentina, literally the southern most city in the world. Here I am with Debora Contreras Arroyo, the only ATS® dancer and teacher in Ushuaia.

The Navimag, a boat I took in Chile took twice as long as I had planned at left a week later than I thought, so that meant precious time in Argentina was gone, I was sad that I had to take a plane to Buenos Aires, so many roads left unknown. The shock of going from the end of the world to what felt like the center of the world was intense. One moment I'm in a quiet winter wonderland dogsledding, the next I'm in the heart of a hotblooded culture.
People from Buenos Aires are in a class of their own, I mean this in a good way, part Italian, part Latin and all insane. I learned more slang and hand gestures here than in my entire travel combined. I was swept up in the loudest  most engaging community and I couldn’t keep my head on straight.

Here's what was waiting for me on my first night.

The ATS® here is spear headed by Lady Blue, Emine Di Cosmo who runs Minga belly dance and keeps a tight, clean ship.
Here she is below leading the workshop in a little post fun dancing.

Emine was a fusion dancer before an ATS® dancer but her ATS® is so clean that you could never tell.

Befor the show her group Minga and I had a rehearsal, it was quick and easy, I was like, cool...we’re set, it was a seamless fit.

Her main ladies Eureka Floyd and Elessa Calabria are not only amazing dancers, but super beautiful and fun ladies, they also have their own troupes and teach ATS® classes following the exact format of Emine and really keeping it pure and beautiful ATS®.

Here's our bow at the show:

The show rocked bringing people from all over Argentina to the stage.

Here's a shot of all of us backstage.

There was a great response to me being there, lots of requests for private workshops and all my public workshops sold out. The attendants were educated and enthusiastic, their ATS® was already in a good place so it was a real pleasure to become engrossed in more advance techniques, and be able to give some real personal criticism and watch it stick.

Congratulations  Emine Di Cosmo and Minga belly Dance, Congratulations Buenos Aires, you guys are rocking ATS®!

Here are some of my favorite moments from the workshops. I was such a hit I had to come back after Uruguay and do more!

The first weekend I taught:

Here's my return workshop two weeks later:

While in Buenos Aires I hit my one year mark of being a nomad. Just to clear things up the official start date of the trip is August 20, 2012, but for me July 1st was the real challenge. It marks me leaving my comfy SF apartment and beginning my long journey living out of a bag.

It was the scariest/most exciting days of my life.

Emine threw me a little party to celebrate 

Love you Buenos Aires

As I was making my way North I was called by a few more ATS® dancers in Argentina. One group was in Mendoza, three ladies eager to learn. It was quick but fun to pass the night with them, see the town, and of course dance!

Here we are the ATS® dancers of Mendoza run by Lorena D'Amico.

I few hours further North there is more ATS® in Cordoba, a lovely group of dancers run by

 Layna BlackMoony.

Here's my workshop participants:

Here I am with ladies stirring up trouble on the streets of Cordoba.

Wow Argentina, it's been wild times in out ATS® romance. I'm not sure when it will happen but I'll be so happy to come back and see my ATS® family one day.

Thank you for everything!