In
Memory of
Orlando Paiva Sr.
December
1, 1935 - November 28, 2006
Orlando
Paiva Sr., renowned and highly respected
Argentine tango dancer, died Nov. 28 in
Rosario , Argentina .
Orlando
Paiva was born December 1, 1935 in Rosario
, where as a young man he fell in love
with the dance of Argentine tango.
He
was known to the tango community around
the world as one of the most elegant,
distinctive and respected Argentine tango
dancers and teachers.
Paiva
taught the salon style of Argentine tango
in his birthplace, the United States ,
Chile and Japan for more than 45 years,
creating at least 160 exclusive figures.
The most famous of them is called "the
bridge" known worldwide, as a hallmark
of his style. He spent countless hours
in front of a mirror in his room working
on every detail of his posture, foot placement,
arm holding and desired look.
And
the result enchanted lovers of tango everywhere.
Paiva's
intensely personal style, his impeccable
footwork, the sweetness and sensitivity
he brought to his partner and the dance
itself are legendary.
That
sweetness and sensitivity was not only
a part of his dance, it was a trait he
demonstrated in his love for his family--his
sons Oscar Paiva and Orlando Paiva Jr.,
his daughter-in-law Alejandra and his
two young grandsons and granddaughter
Lucia-- and to his many friends, and his
partner, Yvonne.
A
dancer's dancer, Paiva has been called
one of the best of his generation by Nito
Garcia and by Juan Carlos Copes. He performed
with Osvaldo Pugliese's and Miguel Calo's
orchestra, and with singers like Edmundo
Rivero, Tita Merelo and Julio Sosa among
others.
Having
immigrated to the United States in the
early '70s with his wife, Rosa, and two
sons, he was one of the first to teach
salon-style Argentine tango in the U.S.
Paiva gave the San Francisco and Los Angeles
tango community its founding spirit. During
November and December, 2003 he had been
deservedly honored.
On
November 14th the government of Rosario
in a very emotive act, put a plaque with
his name in the corner of the streets
Ovidio Lagos & Guemes. Since that
moment that corner is named as "Orlando
Paiva Corner."
A
month later he was declared as "Distinctive
Artist" of the city, celebrated by
the entire Tango community.
After
returning to Rosario , Argentina in the
'80s, Paiva continued to teach until his
last days. Students would arrive every
hour, eight hours a day to study with
his son, Oscar, and to receive a precious
bit of advice about the dance from their
Master teacher. On Saturdays, the one
day of the week that he taught a group
class, his studio would be filled to capacity
with students eager to learn directly
from the source of this beautiful and
timeless style of Argentine tango dancing
that made him a legend.
We
will always be thankful to him for giving
us more than a lesson; he gives us every
day the force needed to continue with
his legacy.
Orlando
ha enseñado Tango Argentino por
más de cuarenta años tanto
en Rosario, Argentina, Estados Unidos,
Chile y Japón, creando más
de 160 figuras exclusivas.
La
más famosa de ellas es la llamada
" el puente", conocida mundialmente
como un sello de su estilo.
En
su juventud ha pasado incontables horas
frente al espejo de su habitación,
trabajando en cada detalle de su postura,
posición de pies, buscando la imagen
deseada.
Aquellos
que han visto a Orlando (con más
de sesenta años cargados sobre
sus hombros), pueden ver inmediatamente
algo especial en este hombre en el instante
en que se para
y se prepara para bailar.
Existe
algo muy particular su forma de caminar,
girar y hacer las pausas, que genera olas
de admiración en la fluidez, elegancia
y personalidad de Orlando Paiva.
Su
estilo intensamente personal, su impecable
trabajo de pies, la dulzura y suavidad
con que es tratada la persona que comparte
su baile, y su baile mismo, es legendario.
Un
bailarín de bailarines, Orlando
fue reconocido como el mejor de su generación
por Nito García y Juan Carlos Copes.
Fue
uno de los primeros en enseñar
Tango Argentino en los Estados Unidos,
dándoles a las comunidades tangueras
de Los Angeles y San Francisco su espíritu
base.
Durante
los meses de Noviembre y Diciembre de
2003, Orlando ha sido merecidamente honrado.
El 14 de Noviembre el Gobierno
de la ciudad de Rosario en un acto muy
emotivo, coloco una placa con su nombre,
en la esquina de las calles Ovidio Lagos
y
Guemes de dicha localidad. A partir de
aquel dia la esquina lleva el nombre de
“Esquina Orlando Paiva”.
Un
mes mas tarde el Consejo Deliberante de
Rosario lo declaro por unanimidad, como
“Artista Distinguido” de la
Ciudad, siendo este
acto grandemente celebrado por la comunidad
tanguera que tanto esperaba poder compartir
con su MAESTRO tan merecida declaración.
Siempre le estaremos agradecidos a Orlando
por habernos dado más que una enseñanza,
él nos da cada día la fuerza
necesaria para continuar con su legado.
