La Cúpula 1997—2017 Avenida de Mayo at Plaza Congresso; Congress is in the distance (This page is under construction)   La Cúpula was a place for tango dancers visiting from abroad to stay and enjoy a unique experience in Buenos Aires. Residents could invite teachers for private lessons, and with the terrace that offered a magical atmosphere, they could give spectacular and unforgettable tango barbecue parties. Practically all the important tango instructors had shared in the experience at one time or another.                                              The World & I, 2000                Sharna Fabiano “The apartment, on several levels, is schizophrenically linked by winding steps and stairs and capped by a spectacular cupola which stands above the east side of a terrace boasting a 360-degree view over the city. The party is in full swing. Everyone dances under the moon to the sounds of the Héctor Del Curto Quartet playing Aníbal Troilo and Pugliese, the two great tango masters. I have to pinch my thigh. I'm living in a dream: in the middle of winter we are dancing tango on a terrace!” It Takes Two, Patrizia Chen. 1997  Daniel Trenner—Puente al Tango/Bridge to the Tango Tours  Marissa de Luciano, Ana Postigo, Mariano "Chicho" Frúmboli, Fabian Salas  Mauricio Castro, Carla, Laura  Diego Alvaro (host at La Confitería Ideal), Marissa de Luciano, Ana Postigo  Annina Nosei (fine art galerista—New York), & friends   1998  Bruno, Carolina Iotti (film: The Tango Lesson), Jef Anderson  Jef Anderson & Valeria Cuenca  Pablo Alonso & Valeria Cuenca  Marina Palmer (Kiss and Tango), Isabel Lynch, Maria, Connie, Martin Burbridge  Valeria Cuenca, Pryor, Silvina Sjenblum, Juan Alurralde, Lois Conner, Jef Anderson, Florencia Taccetti, Daniel Sosa  Juan Alurralde & Roberta Lavarello Lucia Mazer - partner of Chicho   1999  Federico Naveira & Iliana Mohaupt  Puente al Tango/Bridge to the Tango Tour “Learning to tango in Buenos Aires” by Michael Bivona An exceptional day was a visit to our tour leader's apartment for a private rooftop dance party at La Cupula, which is a spectacular turn-of-the-century penthouse. Buenos Aires is often described as the “Paris of the South,” and the view from the penthouse roof validated that belief. We got the same feeling when we visited Paris. The views were similar and absolutely magnificent; their church steeples, cupolas of every size and shape, and the brilliant effect of the sun's rays shining off the gold trim of many of the cupolas and steeples were mirror images of the architecture in each city. The party was exciting as a trio band consisting of a guitar, bass, and bandoneon played beautiful tangos, which gave us an opportunity to meet and dance with many of our instructors, master teachers, and local dance aficionados. A buffet was set up with local finger foods and an open bar kept everyone refreshed and somewhat immune from the afternoon heat of the sun. There were several tango exhibitions by our teachers, some local dancers, and teachers with students. It gave us an opportunity to dance on the rooftop with our instructors and made me feel as if I were dancing in the sky on a cloud. The afternoon turned into evening as we socialized and caressed our partners and our newfound friends to the sounds of tango music. We drifted from the party and walked the enchanted streets of the magical city back to our hotel to prepare for another evening of tango dancing at a local club.   2000  Carolina Iotti & Jef Anderson    Hernan Crida    Sarah (Sadie) Vizer Thorrick   2002  Wedding party for Brooke Burdett & Javier Sayavedra                   Wedding party: from left, ____, Pryor, Brooke...Javier wearing gold shirt                             Fredrika Brillembourg (Teatro Colón) & friend   2005         Tango Con*Fusión: Pier Voulkos, Christy Cote, Chelsea Eng & Debbie Goodwin; photo by John Campbell   2007  The resident owl that lived in the tower     Carla Dawn Behrle & Daniel Bernstein   2010     Enrique Grahl & Judita Zapatero (photos ©Diane Mancino)     _______ serving her tiramisu & ____ with Silvia Ceriani & Pryor (photos ©Diane Mancino)     Cecilia Morbidelli & Pamela Salvatori / Dennis Burton & Brooke Burdett (photos ©Diane Mancino)     Dani Carpi, Katharine Jones & ____ / Patrik Graham & Zelmira Gainza (photos ©Diane Mancino)     Pryor, Elvira Lartirigoyen, Jorge Juanatey, Ricardo Sarmoria/ Roberta Lavarello, Arthur (Arturo) Newman & Marissa de Luciano (photos ©Diane Mancino)      Marcela Louge, Mauricio Castro, Andrea Marra, Cecilia Violati / Brooke Burdette, Ines, Justo & Javier Sayavedra (photos ©Diane Mancino)  from left, ___, Sylvia Ceriani, Judita Zapatero, ___, Pryor, _______, Enrique Grahl (photo ©Diane Mancino)  from left, Cecilia Morbidelli, Pamela Salvatori, Francisco (Pancho) Ottino, Luis Lahitte...(photo ©Diane Mancino)         Lautaro Cancela and David Lindner after lesson; Wendy Sobelman during lesson, (video still & photos ©David Lindner)   2011  from left, Ramone, Soledad Monzon, Andrea Marra, Mariquita Mazza, Ray Blackburn, Diane Mancino (photo ©Diane Mancino)   2015                                                                                                        5 am   2017  Claudio Barile (flautista - soloista, la Orquesta Filarmónica, Teatro Colón) & Pryor   Los Últimos Tangos el 31 de enero                                                                                       Pryor & Silvia Ceriani                                                                                                                                  Pryor & Viviana Parra Pryor & Silvia Ceriani Top: Viviana Parra, Damian Pérez, Dennis Burton, Leo Ferretti, Roberta Lavarello, Carina Raimondo, Leonard Ehrhorn, Silvia Lester, Jonathan Ehrhorn, Carlos Libedinsky, friend, Javier Sayavedra, Brooke Burdette Bottom: Dani Carpi, Katita, Pryor, Julian Ehrhorn, Andrea Marra     My first visit to BA was in March 1996 as part of the third annual Puente al Tango trip, organized by Daniel Trenner. Daniel initiated the Argentine tango program at the Sandra Cameron Dance Studios located in New York’s East Village. I had been dancing three years by then (it took far longer to learn tango in those days as there were hardly any good dancers to watch and study with in New York—and YouTube hadn’t been born yet!). In preparation for my first trip, I arranged an introduction to meet Edward Shaw, an American who had been living in BA for 35 years. He is an important collector of South American artists, he knows everyone in the art world, and at the time he had an arts column in the Buenos Aires Herald. I was looking into the possibility of sending my travelling bicycle art exhibition to a gallery or museum in BA. Upon meeting Ed, he invited me to his apartment with tower and cúpula in the neo-renaissance Italian landmark building on the Avenida de Mayo facing Plaza Congresso. I love towers with cúpulas—his apartment was spectacular. He then told me that his tower’s twin on the opposite corner of the building with terrace would soon be for sale, but I would not be able to visit it on this trip. I asked him to let me know immediately when it is available, and in any case I expected to be back in about six months. When I returned six months later it had just been put on the market—I was the first to visit the apartment and didn’t hesitate to take the next steps to make it mine to share. Marina Palmer (Kiss and Tango): As for the news that you are selling La Cupula, it brings up mixed feelings of sadness and nostalgia for all the wonderful times I spent there. You were so generous to share its magic with us all. But I totally understand and support your decision to let it go - in fact, I think I said as much in my last email to you. It was certainly sounding like a lot of hard work lately. Hopefully this means you'll be able to go down to BA in future and enjoy a holiday, rather than spending your time fixing things endlessly. Robin Tara (Tara Tango Shoes): The end of an era. You are thoughtful to let us all know as we have such fond feelings and memories of times spent there. Thank you, Pryor Joe Petrisko: Indeed, yours was an absolutely classic place to stay in Buenos Aires, & is the locale which gave me my first introduction to the city. It was such a great place that I decided after my first stay it was THE only place I wanted to stay when I visited Buenos Aires - until I finally moved there myself in 2006. I shall be eternally indebted to you for your generosity & hospitality in letting me use your apartment every second half of November all those years. continue reading     Excerpts from the Guest Book (only available the early years) Joseph Bain (1997): Wonderful place! Thanks for putting this book together. I shall return. Janis Kenyon (1998): It was an incredible month in this heavenly place. Sandra Cameron (1998): Living at La Cupula has been an incredible experience for me. How kind of you, Pryor, to rent out your beautiful Argentine home to tango lovers at such a reasonable rent. I cannot thank you enough. Maida Zanaboni (1999): Pryor, this place is Everything everyone has told me it is. I’m very glad to have the opportunity to have had this experience. Thanks much! Robin Tara (1999): Pryor, I’m sure everyone who stays here in Tango Heaven blesses you for providing an elegant, well appointed apartment done with taste & style — hope I can relive the experience soon. Susan Bullock (2000): Thank you for giving a travelling opera singer such a comfortable home here in Buenos Aires. It has been a great experience living here on top of the world and I hope to repeat it in the future. Victoria Livengood (2001): Pryor, Thank you so much for providing me with this lovely “home away from home.” I simply adored my stay here and found it inspiring to my performances at the Teatro Colón. I hope to return often and soon. All the Best! Metropolitan Opera, NYC.       Inauguration of 'La Inmobiliaria' 1910 'La Inmobiliaria', named after the insurance company, was inaugurated in 1910, the centenary of Buenos Aires. The building's illumination added to the festive atmosphere during the centenary celebrations in Buenos Aires that year.