Nice Day: See Tigers;
Rainy Day: See Tropical Plants

Only 22 Days of Tango Left To Go

Paris:- Saturday, 10. October 1998:- The Jardin des Plantes is an all-weather attraction at this time of year, when it might be either raining or not. If it is, there is a bit of jungle to lose yourself in if you don't mind getting steamed up a bit.

If it is fine, then you can take the kids to the zoo where they can see French tigers, giraffes, monkeys and exotic birds. If it is otherwise, then you can go inside a take a look at the vast natural history collections - as well as the hall devoted to endangered species.

Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle, Grand Galerie de l'Evolution and Jardin des Plantes, is a long name for one address: 36. rue Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire, Paris 5. Three métro stations are about equidistant from the Jardin des Plantes: Austerlitz, Jussieu, with Censier-Daubenton being the closest. Closed Tuesdays, the hours are 10:00 to 18:00, and Thursdays until 22:00. Info. Tel.: 01 40 79 30 00.

Everybody who feels solidarity with the poor and miserable of the world, is invited to show their concern in person, on this occasion, or any time you feel like it so long as it is often. During the afternoon there will be various stands, conference areas and participation in debates will be open to all.

Parvis du Trocadéro, Paris 16. Métro: Trocadéro. Saturday, 17. October, starting at 12:00.

For the first time - parked on 8000 square metres of the grass at the Auteuil racetrack, about 120 exhibitors are going to tempt visitors with 'L'Art de Vivre' which has a lot to do with the objects that are the physical part of our 'styles de vie.' The high-end elements of decor, in other words - on display and for sale.

'L'Art de la Maison' - Hippodrome d'Auteuil
Métro: line 9, porte d'Auteuil. Buses 32, 52 and PC. Thursday and Friday, 15. and 16. October, from 10:00 to 22:00. Saturday and Sunday, 17. and 18. October, from 10:00 to 20:00 and Monday, 19. October, from 10:00 to 18:00.

The posters have been all over Paris for what seems like months, but the Ecole Royale Andalouse d'Art Equestre show at Bercy, is now close enough to mention; especially if you like watching beautiful horses do some very fancy stepping.

This 60-horse 'school' comes to Paris from Jerez de la Frontera, with musicians and dancers. Despite the size of Bercy, there are only 1,600 places available for each of the three performances scheduled: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 23, 24 and 25. October. The first two are at 20:30 and Sunday's show is at 14:30.

I slipped up here because advance reserved tickets are only sold by mail, and the closing date was 5. October. However, there may still be tickets available. At Bercy, from 11:00 to 18:00 daily, except Sundays. Or from TicketNet plus some ticket sales locations such as fnac, Virgin Megastore, Carrefour, Auchan or Galeries Lafayette. The Info. Tel.: 01 44 68 44 68 may also have tickets.

Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
This is plain 'Bercy' to Parisians and its métro stop is Bercy in the 12th arrondissement. It is on the rue de Bercy, beside the Pont de Bercy so you can't miss it. It is probably the only grass pyramid in Paris.

Paris' 100 Years of Tango may not be of interest to anybody except tango fanciers, but it is no less relevant because Paris is gripped in an increasing frenzy - no, mania! - of Latin dancing.

The source for this information wrote, "Many people may not be aware of the connections between Tango and Paris, or that Carlos Gardel - the 'Caruso' of Tango - was born in Toulouse; immigrated with his mother at age four to Argentina, and returned in 'triumph' at the height of his career, to Paris."

Here is the second week's program, starting with Monday:

Monday, 12. October: at 20:30; opening of an exhibition with the theme of 'Tango Paris,' by the Ambassador of Argentina, Archibaldo Lanus. Featuring documents assembled by Nardo Zalko and paintings by Ricardo Mosner and Delphine Grenier; with a concert to be performed by Juan Carlos Carrasco. Entry is by invitation only.
At the Espace Kiron, 10. rue de la Vacquerie, Paris 11. Métro: Voltaire. Info. Tel.: 01 44 64 11 50.

Tuesday, 13. October: at 18:30; presentation of the book 'Un Siècle de Tango, Paris Buenos Aires,' with a debate in the presence of the author, Nardo Zalko. With Michel Anfrol, Miguel Benassayag, Claude Dubois and Mlle Eli Medeiros - all of the 'Maison de l'Amerique Latine' - who will also be taking part.
At 21:00, the concert 'Tangos pour Maiakovski' by Girard Maimone.
At the Espace Kiron, see address above.

Wednesday, 14. October: at 21:00; repeat of the concert 'Tangos pour Maiakovski' by Girard Maimone.
At the Espace Kiron, see address above.

Thursday, 15. October: at 21:00: dance spectacular 'Bienvenue Tango,' which will be a presentation of the tango's origins and in all its forms, by Fabian Hojman and Silvina Valz. At the Espace Kiron; see address above.
From 21:00 to 23:00; 'Jueves de Tango' - which is a 'bal' and tango exhibition; at the Fondation Argentine, Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Closest transit stop is Cité Universitaire on the RER line 'B.'

Friday, 16. October: at 21:00; a tango concert by Astor Piazzolla, with the duo Osvaldo Calo and Sébastien Couranjou (piano and violin). At the Espace Kiron; see address above.

Saturday, 17. October: 16:00 to 19:00; tango lessons for everybody, given by Silvina Valz and Fabian Hojman. Places must be booked in advance. From 20:30 to 24:00, 'Bal Tango' and argentinean buffet preceded by a demonstration by F. Hojman and S. Valz. At the Espace Kiron; Tel.: 01 44 64 11 50; see address above.

Sunday, 18. October: at 17:30; a reading of tales by Tania Lopez Sierra. At 19:30; a projection by Julio Cortazar, Alain Caroff and Claude Namer. This will be followed at 20:30 by 'The Oral Tradition' - this will be an Internet debate between 'tangueros' online worldwide, with Mme Luisa Futoransky, Raul Silva Caceres and Claude Namer.
At the Webbar, 32. rue de Picardie, Paris 3. Métro stop: either Temple or République.

Next week's program continues much as this week's, but mark Thursday, 29. October in your calendar. Coming from the Cannes Festival, the national premiere of Carlos Saura's 'Tango' will take place at the Institut du Monde Arabe on this date. Another big date is Thursday, 5. November, also at the Institut du Monde Arabe. Saturday, 7. November will see 12 hours of non-stop tango at the Le Latina cinema, as a final send-off to this 35-day happy-toes event.

For more information, call Claude Namer at 01 48 87 74 23 or fax to: 01 48 87 66 50. Details of the program continue here next week.

Current Events:

The 'FIAC' and the Grande Marché de l'Art both end on Monday, 12. October. The first is having its 25th edition and I think features art dealers showing off their contemporary artists' works. The second, with its 20th edition, features artists - in person - who have rented stands to show off their works, which may or may not be 'contemporary.' The two exhibitions do not see exactly eye-to-eye in other words.
FIAC, Espace Eiffel-Branley, Paris 7. Hours for Monday, are 12:00 to 18:00.
The Grande Marché de l'Art is located in the foyer of the Grande Arche at La Défense. Monday from 11:00 to 20:00. Two hundred artists will be taking part in this show.

In a show of paintings done from 1935 to 1998, Pierre Wemaëre 'embraces color;' until Sunday, 18. October. This exhibition can be seen at the Convent des Cordeliers, 15. rue de l'Ecole-de-Médecine, Paris 6. Métro: Odéon. Except Mondays, open daily from 11:00 to 19:00.

Belgian landscape painter Constant Permeke is being treated to a retrospective in the Hôtel de Ville's Salle Saint-Jean.

The exhibition continues until Sunday, 1. November. It is open daily from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 11:00 to 19:00. There is no entry charge. Info. Tel.: 01 42 76 51 53.

The Big Shows

It is for you to decide whether Gustave Moreau hated women or not, and a good place to start with this question is at the current exhibition. Moreau was a symbolist painter so there may be no easy answer.

Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais
Until 4. January 1999. Entry Clemencéau. Info. Tel.: 01 44 13 17 17. Moreau donated his residence to the city or the state in 1897 and this began as the Musée Gustave Moreau in January 1903. In 1991 it was opened to the public, which has paid it scant attention. This museum-residence is at 14. rue de la Rochefoucauld, Paris 9. Info. Tel.: 01 48 74 38 50.

Paris' Italian autumn has already started,with paintings by Tintoretto, 13 on loan from Venice and the others from French collections, being displayed in the Salle des Fëtes in the Mairie of the 5th. At 21. place du Panthéon, Paris 5. Open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 17:45 and on Sundays and holidays from 14:00 to 17:45. Info. Tel.: 01 43 29 21 75.