The Tango and I

The Tango and I Jorge Nel Giraldo

The Tango and I

In the Beginning

Her name was Encarnación. She was fifteen years old and a dancer in a cabaret in Colombia. She lost her job and had no family to help her except her brother, who was as poor as she was. She was desperate. She was thinking about becoming a prostitute. It appeared to be the only solution.

Her brother suggested they enter a national tango dance contest to be held in the city of Manizales, where they lived. If they won there would be enough money to tide her over till he found a work. They practiced day and night, and entered the competition. They won the first prize. She never had to sell her body, and she became Jorge Nel’s mother. He was conceived that very night. And so begins the fascinating story of the life of Jorge Nel Giraldo.

Jorge Nel’s father Alonso was eighteen, very handsome and an accomplished dancer. He entered the guaracha dance competition held that same night in the same cabaret. He too, won first prize for his excellent dancing. The producer of the competition had a large table set up with food and drinks for the winners. There were various kinds of wines and liquor.

Everyone was excited, in congenial mood, and ready to party. It was then that Encarnación and Alonso discovered each other. He invited her to dance with him. She was giddy with joy after winning the first price and her beautiful face was radiant. Alonso was charmed by her loveliness and they laughed and toasted their success. She was used to drinking, and she had more wine than she should have. She had never been with a man before.

She left a strong longing for him. They left the party together, and went to her house. They started to kiss.

His embraces left her breathless. He took advantage of her innocence and they made love. She did not see or hear from Alonso after that. He was used to frequenting cabarets, always surrounded by alluring young women. He had many ardent partners to dance with. He came from a very wealthy family and had the reputation of being a generous spender. He liked being with women and he was always looking for a good time. He did not have to attend school or go to work. His mother Mercedes owned more than thirty blocks of real estate properties. She was extremely wealthy and she was excessively indulgent with his only son.

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A few months passed. Encarnación missed her period. She knew she was pregnant. She went to the cabaret where she and Alonso had danced. He wasn’t there. She went looking for him, going from one cabaret to another.

She finally found him very late one night. She was relieved when she saw him, expecting him to take her in his arms and be overjoyed at seeing her.

“Hello, Alonso. I am so happy to find you. I have been looking for you everywhere”. She said. “Why? Who are you? I don’t know you”. He answered.

“We were winners in the dance contest. We celebrated and drank wine in the party. Don’t you remember me now?” She asked.

“No, I don’t recognize you. I meet so many women. What makes you think I would remember you?” He inquired.

“You went with me to my house. We made love. It was the first time for me.

How can you say you don’t remember me?” She questioned.

“I don’t know what you want with me” He mumbled.

“I have missed my period, and I am pregnant. You are the father”. She informed him.

“I don’t know what you are talking about. I am not the one you want. Leave me alone. There is no way I could be the father. You are trying to trap me, to get me to see you again. I want nothing to do with you. Go away from me”. He said, angrily.

She saw there was nothing she could do to make him listen to the truth.

Encarnación turned and walked away. She knew she loved him, and she knew she wanted the child that had already started to grow inside her. It was almost morning. She went home and tried to sleep, but she was too distraught. She prayed for an answer. A few hours later she put on her best clothes and went to see Alonso’s mother, Mercedes. Encarnación knocked at the door and Mercedes mother answered. She was preparing to paint the living room and she was holding a paintbrush in her hand. Encarnación was intimidated by her, but she gathered her courage. She could not turn back.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Mercedes asked.

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“I have come about your son. I am a tango dancer and I met Alonso a few months ago. He got me drunk and seduced me. I am pregnant. I went to him and told him he is the father, but he refused to do anything to help me. He sent me away”. Encarnación explained.

“Why do you blame my innocent son? If you are pregnant it is your fault.

You should have protected yourself. Now, because of your lack of judgment, you come to complain about my boy. If you are looking for cash from me I will not give you a cent.” Mercedes glared at her.

“I did not come for money” Encarnación continued.

“How did you know where to find me?” Mercedes questioned.

“Everyone knows of you. You are a woman of position in the community.”

Encarnación explained.

“I don’t believe your story. You are a troublemaker. You came to get money from me. Get out. Leave me and my son alone.” Mercedes yelled.

Mercedes threw the paintbrush at Encarnación. It hit the side of her face, just missing her eye.

“I will have this baby with or without your help!” Encarnación said and she ran out of the door. She did not know what she was going to do. A month later, Mercedes came to Encarnación’s house. Encarnación invited her in.

“I have come to you with a business proposition.” Mercedes said.

“What kind of a business proposition?” Encarnación asked.

“Are you certain my son is the father?” Mercedes queried.

“Yes. I have never been with any other man.” Encarnación said.

“My son is a gigolo. He spends his time in cabarets where prostitutes, hoodlums and drug dealers hang out. He is on the wrong path. I am a very well to do woman, but I worry about what will happen to him when I die. I have good reasons for my concern. Alonso’s father was murdered few years 4

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ago, and it was because of money. He was suspicious with the banks and would not trust them with his cash. He preferred to hide his pesos in boxes that he left in various places. He concealed everything he did even from me.

When I asked about the money he said I was a woman and there was no reason for me to know his business. It was no secret that he had a lot of cash. When he drank too much he would boast about the fortune he had accumulated from the rents he collected monthly. One night after he left a local cabaret he was approached by two thieves that overhead him talking.

They demanded to know where the money was hidden. He refused to tell them and they killed him, right on the street. They were never caught and punished. A few months after his death someone insisted they saw his ghost, walking down the street with his hands and feet in chains. They claimed his ghost was motioning towards the buildings he owned and mumbling something. The word spread quickly and the tenants in the building we owned began searching for the cash. They went crazy and took hammers and broke through walls. They knocked down ceilings and ripped up floors. Much of the property was badly destroyed. Parts of the streets were not paved and there were mounds of dirt that were not level. People brought shovels and started digging, hoping to discover the money. No one ever found the hiding place and to this day where it remains a mystery. I am worried the same fate may befall my son if he continues to stay in the company of thieves and murderers that have no regard for human life. He needs to settle down and keep away from evil influences. Perhaps if he has the responsibilities of a wife and a child he will change and stay at home. He needs to learn a trade and have a profession. Do you love my son, and will you be a good mother to the child?” Mercedes asked.

“Yes. I loved your son the moment I saw him. I would love him even I he had no money. I promise I will be a good wife and a devoted mother.”

Encarnación vowed.

“I will talk to him and convince him to marry you.” Mercedes said.

“What if he won’t agree?” Encarnación asked.

“Then I will tell him my entire fortune will go to the child and he will be penniless.” Mercedes declared.

Mercedes told her son he would have to work and earn his own money to support his drinking, dancing and personal needs. She said she would pay the foreman in the shoe factory to instruct him so that he could learn the art 5

The Tango and I

of making shoes, and have an honest profession. She urged him to admit he was the father of Encarnación’s child, and she wanted them to merry. He said he would financially take care of Encarnación and her child if he agreed. Alonso was cooperative about starting lessons to learn a trade, but he did not want to get married. He did consent to live with Encarnación.

Mercedes gave them a house to move into. After a few months when he learned how to make shoes Mercedes bought the necessary tools he needed and opened a factory for him. His attempts did not last long. He was not used to working hard and he missed dancing. Within a few months he became restless and left the business. He and Encarnación moved into the city of Cali. He taught her how to dance the guaracha and she taught him how to dance the tango. They worked up a dance routine and started to perform in cabarets. Alonso would pass his hat around then they were done with the act and the delighted clientele would make contributions. When they were not performing in the cabarets they danced in the streets. The baby was growing quickly and Encarnación’s belly was getting bigger. When they got a contract to dance in a cabaret show, Encarnación vowed she would dance until the very last minute. They needed the money. Mercedes was angry with them when they moved away and she stopped helping financially. Four hours after they finished their show on November 21, 1954 Jorge Nel was born. As the midwife delivered him in the dressing room of the cabaret the sounds of his first cry when he entered the world joined with the music of “El día que me quieras” that was playing. There was no baby blanket waiting for him, and so he was wrapped in the costume of one of the folkloric dancers. How could his life be any different? His mother was a dancer, his father was a dancer and he was born in the dressing room of a cabaret. His magical journey on earth had begun.

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The Early Years

After Jorge Nel was born his grandmother wanted the family to be near her and they moved back to Manizales. When Jorge Nel was a year old his parents married. Encarnación was a strong young woman and very soon she was back dancing in cabarets with Alonso again. One night when Jorge Nel was five years old he sat watching his parents dance the tango at a festival.

He was obsessed with the idea of dancing with his mother. He walked up to his parents and separated them. His small hands encircled his mother’s waist. His father stepped aside and Jorge Nel and his mother danced the tango. The audience went wild watching this young child dancing with such determination and confidence. They applauded and cheered at the amusing sight. That was the first time Jorge Nel performed in public, and at that moment he knew the need to dance was the essence of his life.

Encarnación was not pleased with this. She did not want her son to become a dancer. She knew it would be a difficult life for him with limited income and no stability. She wanted her son to learn a profession that could give him financial and peace of mind. She intuitively knew that as long as Jorge Nel watched her dance with Alonso he would be drawn into the wild atmosphere of cabarets. After careful thought she announced Alonso that she would never dance again. She besieged Alonso to give up dancing and go back to making shoes.

By this time Alonso was very much in love with Encarnación, so he agreed to what she asked. He went back to work, this time putting in long hours and working hard. He amassed a large amount of money. Unfortunately he never learned how to properly handle his finances. He squandered huge amounts of money in frivolous things the family had no use for and he bought a cabaret. He did not know how to run it, and because of his mismanagement he started to lose everything. He was dejected and angry, and he carried resentment in his heart. He began to seek the company of other women. He started drinking heavily to escape his problems. It was a difficult time for Encarnación. The atmosphere at home was hostile and chaotic. She was despairing and confused by his behavior and they would argue. Alonso would end up hitting her. When Jorge Nel was fifteen years old he was present when his father began to hit his mother. By this time the 7

The Tango and I

family had seven children, and they were all terrorized by his actions. They were powerless to help, and they handled the situation by crying and hiding.

On this particular case Jorge Nel came to his mother’s defense. He stepped between his parents in an effort to stop the insanity.

“Stop beating my mother. You have no right to do that.” Jorge Nel said.

“Don’t tell me what I can do or can’t do.” Alonso shouted.

“If you do not stop I will forget you are my father and hit you.” Jorge Nel threatened.

Alonso began to brutally kick Jorge Nel. He grabbed a pair of scissors, and came towards him, intent to stab him. Encarnación stepped in front of Jorge Nel to protect him.

“You’ll have to kill me first.” Encarnación proclaimed.

Alonso did not kill Encarnación but he did beat her and Jorge Nel unmercifully. The pain and sorrow that Jorge Nel endured physically and emotionally while he was growing gave him the ability to understand that everything is cyclic, and each lifetime contains both laughter and tears.

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The Seduction of Dancing

Jorge Nel had a friend named Ratón that also loved to dance. Ratón was skilled in the guaracha. They were both seven years old. One day Ratón showed Jorge Nel a difficult dance movement that he thought Jorge Nel would never be able to do. Jorge Nel kept on trying but it was very hard.

However he was determined and he even improvised exercises that would help him move better. Finally after weeks of practicing the complicated movements he succeeded. When he showed off his moves Ratón was astonished.

“Now please teach me something else.” Jorge Nel pleaded.

“No. Not until you teach me something.” Ratón insisted.

Jorge Nel went home and asked his father to teach him some guaracha movements, but his father refused.

“I agreed with your mother that you shouldn’t be a dancer. She would be very angry at me if I went against her wishes.” Alonso said.

“Why don’t you want me to be a dancer? You are, and my mother is too. I have watched and I see how you make people happy when you perform.”

Jorge Nel said.

“Being a dancer is an uncertain and difficult life. People do not respect a dancer as an artist. We are looked down on. Painters, musicians and singers receive recognition but our art form is not widely acknowledged. Not only do we master difficult steps but we also have to comprehend and combine the music we hear with the movements of our body. Many people do not understand how hard we work to perfect what we do. We cannot always depend on getting jobs. That we is why we dance in the streets, and pass a hat to collect money. Yet, we suffer for the joy of doing what we love. You see how poor we are. Often we do not have food to eat, and your mother has to go to a neighbor and ask for bread. It is one thing to dance for 9

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enjoyment and another thing to dance for a livelihood. We do not want that kind of life for you.” Alonso explained.

“Please, father. I just want to show the movements to my friend Ratón. I won’t be a dancer when I grow up. I just want to learn for my own pleasure.”

Jorge Nel promised.

Jorge Nel kept on pleading until Alonso gave in. he showed Jorge Nel a few movements and Jorge Nel showed them to Ratón.

“Who taught you that?” Ratón asked.

Jorge Nel remembered he promised his father not to tell about the lessons, so he told Ratón he did the movements up himself. Ratón didn’t believe him, but he said it didn’t matter as long as Jorge Nel kept on showing him new routines. Jorge Nel would get lessons from his father without his mother’s knowledge. His father would teach him when his mother was out of the house.

“You can become a good guaracha dancer. When you are eighteen years old and start going to discotheques to meet girls and have fun you will be very popular if you know this dance.” Alonso said.

One day Jorge Nel pleaded with his mother to show him some tango steps.

“Jorge Nel, I do not want you to be a dancer. Your father and I agreed no dancing for you.” Encarnación told him.

“Please, mother. I won’t be a dancer when I grow up. I will dance only for my own enjoyment. I just want to show the movements to my friend Ratón. I will not tell father. I promise.” Jorge Nel agreed.

Jorge Nel pleaded with her mother so much, she finally gave in.

“If you know how to dance the tango when you are grown up you will be very special to women. They love a man that can dance tango. It is a very romantic and beautiful dance.” Encarnación said.

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When Jorge Nel was ten years old he confessed his mother that his father had given him lessons in guaracha. She was furious. He confessed his father that his mother had given him lessons in tango. His father was very angry.

His parents started to argue with each other. Jorge Nel told them it was no use in being mad and blaming each other for what happened. He said that dancing was in his blood, and he had to dance or his soul would die. He asked his parents to take him to a discotheque so that he could practice what he learned. For many years they went almost every Sunday afternoon from two to five. It was common to see families with children dancing together.

When Jorge Nel was fourteen he wanted to go to a special tango discotheque. His friend Jorge Eduardo, also fourteen years old was an excellent tango dancer too. They taught each other movements. His father owned a tango discotheque. It did not open until eight in the evening. Jorge Nel wanted to go there so they could practice their dancing, but Jorge Eduardo said it was not a good idea and they would probably not be allowed in. they were too young and would be turned away. Jorge Nel convinced him they should try. When they got there Jorge Eduardo saw a twenty year old girl he knew. They were not allowed to stay in the main part of the room and had to dance in an area behind the bar. Jorge Nel asked the girl to dance with him and she saw how young he was, but then she reluctantly agreed to dance once. She was delighted at his expertise. That was the first time Jorge Nel danced with anyone except his mother, and somehow he knew that would be the start of his many different dance partners. When he got home that night his mother asked where he had been.

“I was at Jorge Eduardo’s. We were just playing games.” Jorge Nel lied.

It was the excuse he always used when he was out dancing. Eventually Jorge Eduardo’s parents found out and the boys were not allowed to go there anymore. Jorge Nel heard about another tango discotheque. It was in a seedy part of the town. You had to be eighteen years old to get in.

Another one of Jorge Nel’s friends gave him some advice. He told Jorge Nel to put on a suit, wear a hat and draw a mustache so that he would appear older. It sounded like a good idea, so Jorge Nel did it. He put on his father’s suit, which was very big, and his father’s hat that was so large that it covered most of his face. He painted on a mustache and walked to the entrance. A policeman stood guard and eyed him suspiciously.

“What are you doing here? This is no place for you. Are you looking for someone?” The policeman asked.

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“I want to dance. I’m a very good dancer.” Jorge Nel informed him.

“You look strange. How old are you?” The policeman asked.

“I’m eighteen.” Jorge Nel lied.

The policeman reached down and removed the hat. Then the policeman touched Jorge Nel’s mustache and the colored crayon rubbed off. He started to laugh. Jorge Nel looked comical and endearing at the same time.

“You are just a child, a baby. This is no place for you. There are people in there that smoke, drink and take drugs. There are thieves and prostitutes. I cannot let you in.” The policeman explained.

“Please. I just want to dance. My mother is a dancer, my father is a dancer and I am a dancer. Just let me in for an hour so I can dance.” Jorge Nel pleaded.

“I am sorry. You cannot go in. No go home, where you belong.” The policeman said patiently.

“I just want to dance the milonga. If you let me in I will give you twenty pesos.” Jorge Nel offered.

The policeman’s attitude changed and he looked at Jorge Nel attentively.

“Okay, I will let you in but only for an hour. If you do not come out by then I will come in to get you, and you will never be permitted to come back. Now, you can go in.” The policeman said.

Jorge Nel handed him the pesos. It was then he realized the power of money. It can buy many things that are otherwise unattainable.

Jorge Nel went inside, looked around and saw older people. He thought no one would want to dance with him, and he left. The policeman asked him what happened.

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“There is no one there for me to dance with. There are older women that would laugh at me if I asked them to dance. I guess I should go home.” Jorge Nel said, very disappointed.

“Wait a minute. Don’t go. I have an idea. I will be right back.” The policeman said.

He went inside and came back a few moments later.

“I found someone that will dance with you. Go inside. She is waiting.” The policeman told him.

She was taller than him and eighteen years old. They danced the milonga, and she was thrilled. She said he was better than any other dancer there.

She said she would be happy to dance with him whenever he asked her. She became his dance partner, and they danced together for the next three years. One night, when Jorge Nel came to dance, the policeman offered him a cigarette.

“No, thank you. I don’t smoke.” Jorge Nel said.

“I’m glad you said no. I was only testing you.” The policeman told him.

“I come here only to dance. I do not drink, smoke or use drugs. If there were somewhere else to dance I would go there.” Jorge Nel explained.

Jorge Nel and the policeman became friends.

Unsavory characters frequented the discotheque, but Jorge Nel had many admirers. Whenever he danced people would form a circle to watch, and he was always protected and looked after. One night when he finished a dance he got a big ovation, he saw his father staring at him. His father was very angry and came close to him and began to hit him. The crowd was furious.

They wanted to attack him, but Jorge Nel explained he was his father.

“Don’t hit that boy. He is a fantastic dancer. He never does anything wrong.

He just loves to dance. If you lay a hand on him, I will beat you to a pulp!”

One of the men said.

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“I recognize the boy’s father. That is Alonso. He was a very famous dancer ten years ago.” One woman said.

“Dance with me, Alonso.” Another woman entreated.

Alonso reluctantly danced, and the crowd applauded. They asked for encores. When he finished he spoke to his son. He told Jorge Nel he wanted to come with him whenever he went dancing, but not to let his mother know. So it came to pass that the father and the son went to the discotheque together. Sometimes Alonso would drink too much, and Jorge Nel would have to help him home. This went on until Jorge Nel became eighteen, and then he went alone. But that is just part of the story. There was another dimension to Jorge Nel’s life that was happening simultaneously.

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Fantasies and daydreams

The first time Jorge Nel was sexually attracted to a female was when he was ten years old. He was the leader of his neighborhood gang, and he was known as the Little Emperor. She lived in the next neighborhood and she was called Pataloca. She was the leader of her gang. In those days joining a gang did not mean that you were bad or did harmful things. A gang was just a group of kids that lived in the same neighborhood and hung out together.

Pataloca fascinated Jorge Nel but they never spoke. It was understood that gang leaders did not associate or acknowledge each other. She was twelve years old, and very tall and powerful. She was twelve years old, and very tall and powerful. She wore her long blonde hair severely pulled back in a ponytail. She was very good-looking and exciting. She was aware of Jorge Nel. One day she sent a message inviting his gang to fight hers. War was declared and the ammunition was prepared. Jorge Nel courageously led his gang and they set forth to do battle with Pataloca and her gang. As he approached he saw that Pataloca was looking straight at him. She was holding a large slingshot. It was loaded with clay pellets. He stood transfixed and stared at her. She took careful aim, and as she pulled the slingshot one of the pellets hit Jorge Nel close to his eye. He started bleeding profusely, and was carried home on a chair by some members of his gang. When he came into his house his mother saw the blood and she became frantic. She insisted they should go to the hospital. The doctor cleaned away the blood, and gave him a few stitches to close the gash. He said Jorge Nel would be left with a small scar. As soon as Jorge Nel and Encarnación left the hospital the questioning began.

“Who did this to you?” Encarnación asked.

“Mother, it was nothing. It was an accident.” Jorge Nel answered.

“That does not look like an accident. I want to know who did this. You could have lost an eye.” Encarnación continued.

“But I am fine. Nothing happened. Let’s forget it.” Jorge Nel pleaded.

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“I insist on knowing.” Encarnación would not stop.

“Mother, it was Pataloca, but she didn’t mean it.” Jorge Nel admitted.

“We are going to her house right now.” Encarnación declared.

Jorge Nel lagged behind as Encarnación marched to the house where Pataloca resided. She did not live with her parents. But with other close relatives. Encarnación knocked at the front door and Pataloca’s uncle opened it.

“Yes, can I help you?” The uncle asked.

“Look at what Pataloca did to my son. We just came from the hospital. The doctor had to give him stitches. There was so much blood I almost fainted.

What kind of girl would do something like that?” Encarnación questioned.

“Madam, I do not understand why you have come to me. Are you complaining about a girl beating your son? It should be the other way around. I should be coming to you and demanding that your son be respectful to Pataloca. You have this all mixed up. Better straighten yourself out before you come running here with your complaints. Is your son a sissy or a man?” The uncle queried, as he slammed the door shut.

Encarnación was furious. They walked home together and when they got in the door Encarnación hit Jorge Nel till he was black and blue.

“Pataloca’s uncle was right. How could you let a girl do that to you?” She asked.

Jorge Nel’s sister and Pataloca were in the same class. Although Jorge Nel and Pataloca did not see each other after that Pataloca was concerned about him. She would ask his sister how he was and send notes home to him. Jorge Nel would write back. They used Jorge Nel’s sister as an intermediary. A year later Pataloca moved away. Jorge Nel continued to fantasize about her.

One night, ten years later Jorge Nel was in a discotheque waiting to perform.

He heard an announcement that there was a famous lady in the audience.

She was known as the sex symbol of Colombia. The announcer introduced 16

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her by her stage name. She stood up and smiled. The spotlight landed on a beautiful blonde woman, and it was Pataloca. Jorge Nel waited a few minutes to compose himself. His heart was beating very quickly. He summoned his nerve and approached her.

“Excuse me, but may I speak to you for a moment?” He asked.

“Yes, what is it?” She answered.

“Do you remember a long time ago when you were the leader of a gang?”

He questioned.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” She replied.

“I was also a gang leader. You were known as Pataloca then. I was called the Little Emperor. We had a gang fight. Do you see this scar near my eye? That is where you hit me with your slingshot.” He continued.

“Oh yes. I remember now. What do you want?” She queried.

“I just wanted a chance to speak with you.” He told her.

“Is that all?” She asked.

Jorge Nel sensed she was concerned that he might tell the newspapers about her past. She would not want anyone to know about that part of her life. Even he could not believe how she had turned her life around. She was tough in those days, and could have ended up as a prostitute or a thief. Yet here she was, gorgeous, prominent, sophisticated and a renowned celebrity.

“Don’t worry about my telling anyone about you. I would never say anything. I also have my career to think about. I am a professional dancer and I am performing here this evening.” He said.

“Thank you, and goodbye.” She said. They shook hands and Jorge Nel walked away. He never saw her again but her fantasies continued for a long time. He always sensed if they had gotten to know each other, she might have become a very special person in his life.

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Naked Women and Sex

Jorge Nel was twelve years old when he had his first sexual experience. He had an aunt that lived with his grandmother Mercedes. Her name was Romelia. She was twenty years old and very sweet. She wasn’t really his aunt because she was left at Mercedes’ doorstep when she was a baby.

Mercedes treated Romelia as though she were her own child. Romelia was a devout Christian, and she and Jorge Nel would go to church together on Sundays. After church Romelia would leave and visit a woman friend. One day Romelia told Jorge Nel that there was a lady she knew that lived in the same block. The lady’s name was Beatriz and she was twenty-five years old.

Beatriz confided in Romelia. She admitted that she was very lonely and would appreciate company. She wanted to know if Jorge Nel would visit her.

He agreed.

The first time Jorge Nel went to Beatriz’s house he realized how poor she was. The only furniture in the room was one table, one chair and a bed.

Beatriz sat on the bed and Jorge Nel sat on the chair next to her. They talked for a while and Beatriz told her how nice it was to have him there.

She asked Jorge Nel if he would come back again, and he said yes. The next time he came Beatriz had magazines for him to look at. She sat on the bed and asked her to sit next to her. There were photos of naked women. Jorge Nel had never seen anything like that before and he started getting excited.

“Do you like looking at those pictures?” Beatriz asked.

“Oh yes. I’ve never seen with all her clothes off before.” Jorge Nel admitted.

“Do you want to look at them some more?” Beatriz inquired.

“Yes.” Jorge Nel said as he kept turning the pages. His interest was aroused.

“Would you like me to take off my clothes?

“Yes.” Jorge Nel answered.

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Beatriz stood up and slowly removed her garments. She took the magazine out of his hands. She gently undressed him. They started to kiss and embrace. Their arms and legs intertwined and Jorge Nel was swept away with the rupture of sex. He loved the feeling of closeness and their bodies merging and becoming one. They entered into a passionate relationship.

Jorge Nel would see her every chance he got. He thought he loved her, but at his age lust and love are easily confused. He never knew she had a husband. One Sunday afternoon there was someone at the door. There were three knocks, with a short interval between each.

“Jorge Nel. That is my husband. He is drunk. If he finds you here he will kill you. Quickly, quickly. Take your clothes and hide under the bed.” Beatriz said.

Beatriz put on her dress. Jorge Nel was petrified, but he did as he was told.

Beatriz opened the door. Her husband walked in and hit her. She picked up a knife and held it in front of her.

“So, you are back and drunk as usual. You have hit me for the last time. If you take one more step towards me I will carve you into little pieces.”

Beatriz announced.

“Is someone here? What makes you so brave? Where is he hiding?” The husband asked. He walked towards the bed. As he started to bend down to look underneath Beatriz held up the knife, menacingly.

“I will stab you where it hurts the most. I will cut off your penis. I have had enough of you. Get out and never come back again. I hate you. I have put up with you and your drinking long enough. You never act like a husband and you never stay with me. The only time you show up is when you are so drunk you don’t know what you are doing or even remember what your name is. Get out now, before I do something I will regret. I never want to see you again.” Beatriz shouted at him.

He did not listen and approached her. She made good her thread and stabbed him in the arm. He ran out the door screeching. Jorge Nel was upset by what had happened. He was trembling when he came out from the bed.

He took Beatriz in his arms because he felt how difficult her life was. He covered her body with kisses. They made love again and he left. He promised he would be back the next day. When he got there she was gone.

The apartment was empty. He ran to find Romelia.

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“Beatriz ran away. She knew her husband would come back and try to kill her. She left a letter for you.” Romelia said.

Tears ran down Jorge Nel’s cheeks as he read the letter. Beatriz told him she loved him and thanked him for the joy he had given her. She said she would always remember you. She had to make a new start and begin a new life.

She understood in time that the difference in their ages would become a problem. Jorge Nel was devastated. He would have gone with her to the ends of the earth if only she had asked him. He turned to Romelia for comfort. She confessed she knew about their sexual affair because she had cut a peek-hole in the wall and watched when they made love together.

Jorge Nel walked around in a daze and left that part of him had died. He thought he would never know love again. Little did he know what sexual pleasure his future would hold.

One day Jorge Nel came home and found Mercedes distraught. She told him Romelia was gone. He was bewildered. He questioned Mercedes. She told him she insisted Romelia move out of the house because she found out Romelia was using marijuana. Jorge Nel missed her companionship. It wasn’t until five years later that he met Romelia in another city where he was performing his dancing. He was overjoyed at seeing her again. He reached out his arms to hug her and she drew back.

“Jorge Nel, a lot has happened to me and I am not the same person you thought I was. Mercedes threw me out because she discovered I was a lesbian. I was having an affair with a female friend of mine. I would go to her house every Sunday after church. Yes, I did use marijuana too. After Mercedes found out about me I had to leave. I did not want my friend’s reputation to be hurt. I have been working as a prostitute. There, I have confessed everything. If you don’t want to talk to me or acknowledge me I will understand.” Romelia said.

“I love you, and it makes no difference to me what I do. Let’s go to a café for some coffee.” Jorge Nel said.

He held her hand as they walked together. He did not know she was ill and had a liver problem. She died at the age of thirty. Joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, love and loneliness yet the world keeps turning around and each day brings a new story.

20

Jorge Nel Giraldo

Encounter with Angles and Ghosts

When Jorge Nel was fifteen years old and he lived in Manizales he had two close friends. They were Jorge Eduardo and Jorge Enrique. One day the boys were asked to represent their school in a football game in a neighboring town. Jorge Eduardo was irresponsible, a prankster, and always getting into mischief. He never took anything seriously. His mother constantly worried about him and she did not want him to play in the game. Jorge Nel told her he would take responsibility if she gave her permission and he would watch that no danger would befall her son. She finally gave her consent and the three boys left. They arrived in town a few hours early, and decided to go for a swim in a nearby lake. Jorge Eduardo did not know how to swim. Jorge Nel told Jorge Eduardo to sit on the edge of the lake and wait for them. Jorge Nel and Jorge Enrique took off their clothes and jumped in. When Jorge Nel looked up a few minutes later he did not see Jorge Eduardo. He became concerned. As he looked around he was Jorge Eduardo in the middle of the lake. There was an undercurrent. He swam towards him to help, but he went underwater. When he tried to get to the surface there was something blocking his way. He was terrified, and he closed his eyes. He was drowning.

Suddenly he saw a flashback of his entire life, like rewinding a video at fast speed. He thought he was going to die, but he prayed he would have more time to live. It just took a few seconds but it felt like an eternity. When he opened his eyes he saw a huge rock that was blocking his escape. He moved to a side of it and burst to the surface. He saw Jorge Eduardo calling for help. He was too far away to reach him, but Jorge Enrique was there.

Jorge Eduardo panicked and almost took Jorge Enrique down with him. Jorge Enrique had to hit Jorge Eduardo and, and when he passed out he was able to bring him to shore. Jorge Nel and Jorge Enrique were in shock, and couldn’t play very well when they finally got to the game. The coach was angry. Jorge Eduardo never realized the gravity of his actions, and he joked about why his two friends were upset. He proclaimed since they were all alive. There was no reason to be solemn. Jorge Nel believed an angel had been with him that day and saved his life. He never told Jorge Eduardo’s mother what happened and he swore he would never take responsibility anyone else ever again. He understood he would never control another person’s destiny.

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Jorge Nel was still obsessed with dancing. He found a discotheque he enjoyed going to and he became friendly with a group of young people.

They all sat at the same table and laughed a lot. Everyone smoked except him. They would pass a cigarette around and offer it to him. He always refused. One night he realized they were smoking marijuana. They were suspicious when he didn’t participate with them. He overheard one of them allude to the idea that he might be a spy from the police and try to get evidence against them. He didn’t know what to do. The next day he met one of his friends and told him the story. His friend suggested that he roll some tobacco in the paper that is used for marijuana and when he passed the joint around he can say he has his own. This way he would be smoking a cigarette and not a joint. Jorge Nel liked that, and agreed to the plan. The two boys were standing on a street corner near the discotheque. His friend took out a joint and put the loose marijuana in his pocket. He started to roll tobacco from a cigarette in the same paper. Just as he was rolling the paper a policeman walked up. He didn’t believe what Jorge Nel’s friend was doing.

He searched them and found marijuana in the friend’s pocket and he arrested them. They were taken to the police station and put in jail. When Jorge Nel’s parents came to the jail his mother was indignant, and his father was furious. Encarnación wanted to take Jorge Nel home. Alonso said he could rot in jail for the rest of his life and he got what he deserved. He called Jorge Nel a hoodlum. There was nothing Encarnación could do to make Alonso change his mind. They left. Jorge Nel was in a cell with thieves and murderers. He was so petrified that he sat up all night too scared to close his eyes. He was in jail for a whole week before Encarnación could get him out. She went to his school and begged the principal to intervene. The principal spoke to the police captain and told him that Jorge Nel was an excellent student. He vouched that Jorge Nel never smoke or got into trouble. Finally the police captain unlocked the door and let him out. Jorge Nel was so thrilled to be free he swore he would never smoke for the rest of his life.

Alonso was very angry with Jorge Nel for a long time. He did not want his son to be in trouble with the police. By now Alonso was working hard. After he had stopped dancing he went back to making shoes again. He opened a factory and business was so good that he had thirty people working for him.

One night Jorge Nel and his sister were alone in the factory. His parents had gone to a movie. They sat facing each other. Suddenly his sister’s chair started to shake. There wasn’t anything that could have caused it to move by itself. The shaking got worse. Jorge Nel and his sister were frightened.

They ran home and got into Jorge Nel’s bed. They saw a ghost and were too terrified to move. They covered themselves with a sheet over their eyes and held each other tightly. When their parents came home they were shocked 22

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to see the two children together in a bed, clinging to each other. They started yelling at them. Jorge Nel explained what had happen in the factory, and seeing a ghost. His father did not believe them. The next morning there was a knock at the door. A worker from the factory had come to tell Alonso that one of his employees had been killed during the night. It was the man who always sat on the chair that Jorge Nel’s sister sat on, the chair that was shaking the night before. Alonso was amazed that his children were able to see another dimension and that they had a glimpse into the spirit world.

Alonso went to the factory and took the dead man’s belongings out of the table he used, and he threw the chair out. Everyone sensed that there was an evil force in the factory and shortly after that things changed to the worse. Business got so bad Alonso had no money to pay the workers and he had to let everyone go. Alonso got angry at his misfortune and blamed god.

He became an atheist. He had to sell the fixtures and his tools, and he used the money to buy food. Encarnación had to resort to selling their good silverware, glasses and dishes. Fortunately when Alonso was making money he gave donations to a charity that supplied food for needy families. A nun ran the charity. Little did Alonso know that someday his family would require help from that very nun. He had a great deal of pride and it was demeaning for him to ask for assistance. Months passed and Alonso could not find work.

Eventually someone told him about a job in a factory that made scissors. He was grateful for a chance to be working again. He applied for the job but he had to get a physical examination first. When the doctor examined him he saw a lump on his wrist. He was told he would need an operation and after the operation if the wrist was okay he would be hired. The family did not have health insurance, and there was no money to pay for an operation.

Alonso asked everyone he knew, but no one would help. One again the nun came to the rescue and raised the money he needed. Alonso was told that the operation was risky and he might end up with paralysis or permanent damage. He was informed it would take about three months to know the outcome. The family prayed. Finally the bandage came off and Alonso’s wrist was okay. He was so grateful he vowed he would change his life and he became religious. He also swore he would never drink again. He got the job. He had to start in the furnace room and he was told after two years he would be transferred. When two years were up and he asked for a transfer he was told he had to stay there because he was the best worker they ever had in that department. He did not like being where he was. The heat and the fumes were unbearable. Although he kept requesting a change he never got it. He noticed other employees being moved to other departments.

When he demanded the same opportunity he was told he had to stay where he was. The foreman prudently advised Alonso to stop complaining and do his job or he would be fired. He had worked there for sixteen years. By now 23

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Alonso felt he was too old for a change. He finally retired, but he was not well. the years of hard work had taken a toll on him.

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Learning and Teaching

Jorge Nel was intellectual with a quick and inquisitive mind. He was an excellent student and was always the top achiever in his classes. He would score the highest marks on tests. He was well liked by his instructors.

Although both his parents agreed that did not want to be a professional dancer, they argued about his education. His mother insisted she wanted him to have a profession and finish school. His father wanted him to quit school, get a job and begin earning money to help support the family. His father deliberately made things difficult for Jorge Nel. When Jorge Nel studied at night, his father would shut off the lights and tell Jorge Nel he paid for the electricity and Jorge Nel could not use the lamp. Jorge Nel bought a candle and he would use it to illuminate his books. One night his father came home drunk and took the candle from him. Jorge Nel spoke up.

“You told me not to use the light because you pay it, and I agreed. But I paid for that candle. It is mine. Give it back to me.” Jorge Nel demanded.

His father was surprised that Jorge Nel defended himself and he gave him back the candle.

Jorge Nel wanted to continue school, but there were many days he got discouraged and thought about quitting. He had to walk to school because there was no money for the bus. There were days there was no money for food and he went hungry. His mother always encouraged him to finish his education.

“Jorge Nel, you must go on. I will take in a laundry and do washing and ironing if I have to. You are smart and you can do it. I want you to receive an education.” Encarnación insisted.

Once a year there was a cultural program at all the schools in the city. It included a week of sports, theater, music, art and dance. Jorge Nel came up with the idea of a dance competition. He talked to his professor and suggested he could go to all the local schools in the city and have a contest 25

The Tango and I

in each school. He would judge the winners of each school and then all the winners would dance in a grand finale at his school. The director of his school liked the idea. The students were happy because the day Jorge Nel came to their school they did not have classes and it was like a holiday.

When Jorge Nel was seventeen years old he entered a national dance competition. There were twenty-five competitors. The dancers were required to know ten different rhythms. They included salsa, cha, cha, cha, meringue, bossa nova, guaracha, rhumba, pasodoble, tango and different folkloric dances. Jorge Nel was the winner and he held that title for six months. Jorge Nel’s father was an amateur bullfighter and he took his son with him on many occasions to watch the bullfights. As a result Jorge Nel used the fascinating movements he observed as the basis of his choreography of his version of dancing the pasodoble. No one else could come close to him in being proficient in so many diverse dances. There was an award to the winner. It was a dance contact to appear in France for six months. Jorge Nel wanted to go, but it would mean his leaving school. His mother intervened and firmly insisted he decline the offer.

A radio station sponsored these dances. One day Jorge Nel spoke to the announcer. The announcer told him he had a good voice and if he studied he might get a job in that field, Jorge Nel thought about it, but his real calling was dancing.

While he was going to school Jorge Nel worked nights from midnight to four in the morning with some other boys washing cars. He gave his mother half the money he earned and used his half for going to dance at the discotheques. He had a girlfriend whose name was Iday. She thought he came from a wealthy family and he never told her what he did. One night when he was cleaning a car, someone opened the car door. A man looked in. It was Iday’s father. He recognized Jorge Nel. “What are you doing here, Jorge Nel? He asked.

“I am sorry you have seen me like this. I need the money. My family is very poor. I know now that you have found this out that will probably not permit me to see your daughter anymore.” Jorge Nel said.

“On the contrary. You are a young man with good character. That is more important than having money. You are just the kind of man I want to be my son-in-law.” Iday’s father admitted.

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“Are you going to tell her? She will not want to see me again.” Jorge Nel worried.

“She will listen to me when I tell her I want you to be married as soon as you graduate. Don’t worry about money. I am wealthy and I will help you both financially.” Iday’s father continued. He hugged Jorge Nel when he left.

The next day Jorge Nel saw Iday. She did not greet him with her usual affection. He was concerned she would not like him now that she knew he was poor.

“Jorge Nel, my father told me about your job at night. I thought you were rich, the same as me. What will I tell my friends now? Iday asked.

“They don’t have to know. It will be no different than it was before if you do not say anything. I’ll graduate soon, and then we can be married.”Jorge Nel told her. She agreed.

Jorge Nel earned money in many different ways. When students were ready to graduate they were required to give master classes. As part of their presentation it was necessary for them to make posters that explained the subject matter that they would be presenting. This included a good layout of the material, hand lettering and illustrations. Jorge Nel was exceptionally artistic when it came to designing. Many students began hiring him to do their work. After awhile his unique style was noticed on many of the posters and he was called to the director’s office.

“Jorge Nel, it has been brought to my attention that you are making posters for students to use in their presentations. Is this true? The director asked.

“Yes.” Jorge Nel replied.

“Why are you doing this?” The director inquired.

“I need the money. There are days I have no food, and I have no money to take the bus. I have to buy books and supplies for my classes. I cannot ask my parents either because they have no money either. I am working very hard and get almost no sleep, but I am doing what I must to get through school and graduate. It is very important to me that I get my degree. I promised my mother.” Jorge Nel replied.

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“Okay. You can continue what you are doing, but keep your new business quiet. I admire your perseverance and creativity.” The director told him.

All his classmates knew Jorge Nel was a born comedian and prankster. He was in an acting class and he was given the part of woman. He could always be counted on to do something outrageous. He was in an acting class and he was given the paper of a woman. Jorge Nel decided to have some fun. He rented a flamenco costume and a wig, and bought large earrings and highheeled shoes. He recruited a friend of his to help him with makeup, and during the fifteen-minute break between classes he put on his costume.

When he looked in the mirror he could not believe what he saw. He thought he was really looking at a woman. He attended a school for boys, and he caused quite a commotion when he started to walk down the corridor.

Nobody recognized him. Everybody commented on how beautiful he looked and what a wonderful dress he was wearing. They wanted to know who he was and what he was doing at school. He kept a straight face and continued the charade. There was a staircase that the students used to reach the acting class. Jorge Nel waited until everyone was assembled and ready to go up the steps. He stood at the landing and looked down. He raised the front part of the dress to expose his legs and pretended to adjust his stocking.

Then he ran his hand down the leg. He smiled flirtatiously. Just then someone recognized him and shouted out.

“That’s not a flamenco dancer. That’s Jorge Nel.” One boy screamed.

Everyone started in disbelief. Jorge Nel turned and began to run away, but it was difficult in the high-heeled shoes. Two hundred boys followed closely behind trying to catch up to him. He outran them and burst into the classroom. His acting instructor looked at him in complete surprise, as Jorge Nel confessed it was only a joke. The students decided to reciprocate. They made a bet about whether or not they could get Jorge Nel to appear naked in the gym. Right after a basketball game when Jorge Nel went to shower, he took off his clothes and left them in the locker room. When he got out they were gone. There was nobody in the vicinity of the locker room. Jorge Nel peeked through a small window into the gym and saw his clothes lying in the middle of the room. He decided he could take a chance and run in quickly, pick them up and be back in a flash. As he ran into the dark room, all the lights went on. Everyone hollered surprise, and Jorge Nel tried to cover his embarrassment and his naked body. He was a good sport and laughed, even when he found out that the instructors had also placed bets.

Jorge Nel’s reputation as a funny guy increased.

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Jorge Nel was the best student at school and graduation was approaching.

The director called him in and told him that as a reward he could choose any school he wanted to teach at. There was a school nearby and it seemed like the logical choice. Jorge Nel thought about it and he decided that he wanted to move away to teach at a school in the city of La Dorada. He did not like the cold weather in Manizales and he longed for the hot temperatures in La Dorada. He had to go to the office of the supervisor and tell him what he decided. The supervisor was incredulous.

“Why would you pick a place like that to teach in? There are prostitutes and bad people in La Dorada. We only send our worst graduates to that place, the ones who have sex problems or are not smart. Why don’t you stay here?” He asked.

“No, I have made up my mind. I want to go to teach at that school.” Jorge Nel insisted.

“If that is your choice then it is how it will be. You are our best graduate, and you deserve to get whatever you want.” He said.

On the day of graduation Jorge Nel was called to the stage at school to deliver a speech. He was given his diploma and a gold pen. When he looked at the audience he saw his father sitting and watching him. He started to cry. After the ceremony Jorge Nel walked over to his father and handed him the pen.

“Here, father. This is for you.” Jorge Nel said.

“What are you doing? That is yours. You worked for it.” Alonso replied.

“Father, it was you who gave me the incentive to graduate. Because you tried to stop me I was more determined than ever to succeed. You really helped me without knowing it.” Jorge Nel said.

“I am so sorry now. I feel so guilty for being mean to you.” Alonso told him.

“Father, I forgive you for everything. It wasn’t you that was mean to me. It was the liquor that spoke when you were drunk. Everything will be okay now.” Jorge Nel said as they embraced each other.

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“I have a problem and I don’t know what to do. I told Iday that I would marry her when I graduated, but I want to move to La Dorada.” Jorge Nel told his father.

“Do you love her?” Alonso asked.

“No, I don’t think so.” Jorge Nel admitted.

“Did you have sex with her?” Alonso questioned.

“No, father. It was a very pure relationship.” Jorge Nel admitted.

“Then you have no problem. You just got your degree and should take your time to enjoy yourself and meet other women. Tell her that you cannot take her with you, but you will come back for her in two years.” Alonso advised.

“Thank you father. That sounds like a good plan. Jorge Nel agreed.

He went to see Iday and told her he was being sent to La Dorada.

“How can that be? Why can’t you stay here? That is the worst place there is.

You said you were an excellent student. Why would they send you there, to a place where there are prostitutes and low life? If you go there I will surely lose you and you will never come back to me.” Iday lamented.

“I have no choice. That is where I have to go. Two years will go quickly and we will be together again.” Jorge Nel lied.

They said goodbye and promised to write to each other. Iday cried, but Jorge Nel was excited. This was the first time that he was going to live alone and be independent. He was going to be responsible for taking care of his washing, cooking and cleaning but that was a small price to pay for his new found freedom.

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Jorge Nel Giraldo

Witchcrafts and Voodoo Spells

When he arrived in La Dorada, Jorge Nel rented a room that he shared with twenty other instructors. He was delighted at the thought of all the beautiful young prostitutes waiting to temp him with their secrets of steamy and exotic sex. He was eager to begin a new chapter in his life. Little did he know that he would soon meet the woman that would become his first wife.

He started out as a teacher for young students. Within a short time the principal of the school called him in and told him his personality was better suited for the higher grades. After he taught fifth grade for a few months there was an announcement about a weeklong seminar in sports that would be given for extra credit. Fifteen instructors in the school signed up. Jorge Nel registered and the workshops started. He was in superb physical and he excelled in every gymnastic sport. At the end of the seminar the principal declared that the panel of professors would select a person to be the director of sports. That person would be responsible for teaching the other instructors in all the schools. Those instructors would pass the lessons on to the students. All the instructors anxiously awaited the decision. There was an announcement and the winner was Jorge Nel. His teaching duties changed. He was no longer confined to one school. His routine was hectic.

His expertise became known throughout the area. He became the director of physical education at the high school level and organized all the annual sports and other special events. Eventually he served as professor of theater arts in the National Air Force of Colombia. Jorge Nel’s schedule steadily increased.

His first love was still dancing and in time he founded the Dorada School of Folkloric Arts. He was the director and coordinator. He developed a group of thirty authentic dancers and musicians. For the first time he had the opportunity to work as a choreographer, and that opened a new way for him to express his artistic talents. He helped the musicians in the group makes their own instruments and he played rhythms on a drum he made himself.

His group became very popular. Jorge Nel received praise and recognition because he brought culture to a city that was known primarily as a place for prostitutes and thieves.

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There was another folkloric group in Armero. Jorge Nel’s group was scheduled to perform in Armero with them. One of his musicians left one day before everyone else. On the day he arrived there was an avalanche in the city. Armero was destroyed and everyone died.

Jorge Nel was informed that a teacher was required to work wherever he was needed. He was teaching sports to instructors at different schools in the mornings, teaching at the universities in the afternoons and giving classes at the military base in the evenings, and working with his folkloric group. His days were stressful and chaotic. He was getting very little sleep and he had no time for a social life.

Jorge Nel was giving a group salsa lesson one evening when two ladies stayed after classes and asked him about taking private lessons. He immediately said yes. He never had a private student before. They were an aunt and niece. They niece was very shy. Jorge Nel was attracted to her, but she avoided his eyes and never talked to him. The aunt’s name was Lucy.

After a few lessons Lucy told Jorge Nel that she would like to practice the steps she had learned. She suggested they go to a discotheque they were familiar with. She invited him to her home for dinner first. She told Jorge Nel she would pay for his time. He agreed. She prepared a lovely meal, and when they were finished eating they left for the discotheque. When they arrived the musician were playing boleros. Jorge Nel said she didn’t teach her that dance, and he didn’t know how to dance it, but she insisted it was easy to do. She held him very close. They drank a lot of wine in between dances, and Jorge Nel was feeling very relaxed. Lucy pressed her body up against him and started to act intimately. She brushed her hair against his cheek and whispered in his ear. He started to feel stimulated, and when she invited him back to her apartment he accepted her offer. They made love and Jorge Nel liked it. They started an affair. Jorge Nel was nineteen at that time. He did not love her, but he couldn’t keep away from her. She held some power over him that he did not understand. He spent all his free time with her. When school let out and he had vacation for two months he always went home to be with his mother. Shortly after he met Lucy he went home for his customary visit. He was home for two hours and he had an uncontrollable desire to be with Lucy again. His mother’s house was a long distance away and required many hours of travel. Yet he longed for Lucy so much he started to cry because he wasn’t with her. He told his mother he couldn’t stay and returned to Lucy. After a year Lucy wanted to get married.

Jorge Nel was not that anxious but she kept insisting. He could not refuse her. They married in a civil ceremony. Her power over him was inconceivable. He could not bear it when they were apart.

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When they had been married for about six months, the mother of Lucy’s niece came to see him. She told him even when Lucy was her relative she was an evil woman. She asked Jorge Nel if he loved her and he said yes.

What you feel is not true love, but a sickness, she said. She said Lucy had made a bet with her niece that she would get Jorge Nel to marry her. There was money exchanged when Lucy won the bet. Lucy knew the niece loved Jorge Nel, but she didn’t care. She proved she could get him to do everything she wanted. This woman also told Jorge Nel that Lucy was a witch and practiced witchcraft and spells. Jorge Nel said he didn’t believe it.

Then the woman told him that Lucy didn’t love him, and that she had another man that was her lover. Jorge Nel said that was couldn’t be. The woman left, but a seed of doubt had been planted. Jorge Nel tormented by the thought of Lucy being unfaithful to him. He couldn’t accept the possibility that she was a sorceress, although he began to question the strong hold she had over him. He opened her closet one day when she wasn’t home and saw a photo of himself. There were pins stuck into his body. He began to wonder if she was practicing voodoo on him. He became suspicious of her. One night he told her that he would be away till very late, working out a new dance routine with some students. He left the house but came back one hour later. He saw smoke coming from a small room in the house. He tiptoed to the window and there was Lucy completely naked standing over a small fire she had made in a black earthenware pot. Her face was bright red and she was chanting. He was so distraught he left the house and didn’t come home for three days. She searched for him everywhere. He was magnetized by her sex and tried not to think on her weird actions, but distrust overcame him.

Lucy worked nights at the train station. There was a bed in the office if she wanted to sleep there. One morning at seven Jorge Nel went to the train station to spy on her. He saw a man leaving and knew that must be her lover. When she came home he didn’t tell her what he saw. The following morning at the same time, he went to the train station again. He waited until the man left. This time Lucy came out with him, and so engrossed they never noticed Jorge Nel was standing there watching them. The man turned and saw Jorge Nel. Lucy started to run into the office.

“It’s okay. You are doing me the biggest favor. You can have each other. I have packed my bags and they are in the car. I am leaving. Goodbye, Lucy.”

Jorge Nel told her.

She started to plead with him not to go, but drove away and didn’t look back. His bows to stay away did not last long. A few days later he was back 33

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with her. His friends laughed behind his back and considered him a fool. He could not help himself. He couldn’t be without her. Someone suggested he go to a man who was known for his ability to break spells. Jorge Nel was so desperate he was willing to try anything. The man spoke to Jorge Nel and asked many questions. He determined that Lucy indeed had cast a spell on him. It was a powerful spell where she mixed many potions together and included some of her own blood. The man gave Jorge Nel an antidote. Within a few weeks Jorge Nel felt like a new man. His dependency on Lucy was gone. He stopped making love to her. She couldn’t understand the change.

She would try to get him angry so that she could get a response from him.

“You are not a man anymore. You are an imitation of a man. You are good for nothing. You don’t even know how to screw anymore. Did you lose your manhood?” Lucy would taunt him.

“I’m not interested in you.” Jorge Nel said.

Lucy started to hit him. He did not defend himself.

“You’re a disgrace. You don’t even know how to fight back.” Lucy said.

“I do not fight with women. I know how to fight. I know Kung Fu. If I want to fight I can practice with a man at a gym. I do not have to hit my wife to prove I am a man.” Jorge Nel told her.

She socked his arm and kicked his leg. He lost control. He punched her and she went flying across the room. The neighbors heard the screams and came running in. One of the men rushed to Jorge Nel and calmed him down.

“I’m leaving you and going for a divorce.” Jorge Nel told her.

He was the first person to get a divorce in that city. Up until a week before divorces were not granted, and luckily for him his timing was excellent. The new law had just gone into effect. Lucy was finally out of his life. Witchcrafts and voodoo spells or crazy love? Draw your own conclusions.

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Enchanted by a Virgin, Death threats and Back from Dead.

After Jorge Nel left Lucy he moved into a room in a house where his friend lived. His friend told him there was a young girl that lived across the street that cooked and served food for many of the residents in the house. Jorge Nel hired her to prepare his meals too. Her name was Alcira and she was fourteen years old. She was very pretty and she brought Jorge Nel’s dinners to his room. She flirted with him whenever she saw him, but after his past experience with women Jorge Nel did not want to give Alcira any encouragement. He realized she was only a young girl and he was almost twenty. As the weeks passed Alcira started to dress seductively and began to tease him. He pretended he didn’t notice.

Jorge Nel was teaching a class in gymnastics at school and one day Alcira showed up for his class. As the course continued she made excellent progress she made excellent progress and Jorge Nel started to notice her vivaciousness. Late one night there was a knock at his door and he opened it. It was Alcira.

“Alcira, what are you doing here? It is very late.” Jorge Nel said.

“Can I come in?” She asked.

What is wrong? What do you want?” He questioned.

“I want to be with you.” She answered.

“What? You don’t know what you are saying. There is no way that can happen. I am a professor and you are just a child. Go home.” He told her.

“No, you don’t understand. I love you. I have never been with a man. I am a virgin and I want you to be the first one I give my heart and my body to.”

She continued.

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“That is very tempting and I am very flattered, but I do not want to be arrested for being with you.” He confided.

Alcira move towards him, and drew his body close to hers. She kissed him with innocence and sweetness.

“Do you like me?” She asked coyly.

“Yes, I like you very much. You are very beautiful and desirable. But what would happen if you got pregnant? What would your parents do to me?” He asked.

“Don’t worry about that. I will use protection. I will never tell anyone. Please, don’t refuse me. Make love to me now. I want to be close to you.” She begged.

She looked at him with deep dark eyes that held promises of rapture. Jorge Nel permitted himself to be seduced. She stayed that night and they made love over and over. He told her he would be gone for a week. It was school break and he was going to visit his mother. While he was away he began to have misgivings. He worried about the possibility of Alcira telling her parents what had happened. He thought about her a great deal and missed her kisses and warmth.

When he returned he came to see him.

“Jorge Nel, I need to talk to you.” She began.

What’s wrong? Did you say anything to anyone?” He asked.

“No, but I want to ask you to do something for me.” She continued.

“What?” He wanted to know.

“I want you to be nicer to me. I want us to be like lovers. And I want you to meet my mother and tell her you will be my boyfriend.” She implored.

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“I can’t do that. Your mother would never approve. I am a teacher and older than you. You are a young girl and inexperienced in the ways of the world.”

He explained.

“No, she will accept you. I speak about you all the time, and she is ready to meet you.” She continued.

Jorge Nel agreed with Alcira to see her mother. Although he had selfconfidence and was used to lecturing to huge audiences, when he stood in front of Alcira’s mother his heart pounded with fear.

“Hello, Jorge Nel. It is nice to meet with you. Alcira has spoken about you often. She has told me you are a teacher at her school.” She said.

“Yes, she is in one of my classes, and she is a very adept and clever student.” He answered.

Alcira’s mother sensed his nervousness. She smiled at him in a kindly manner.

“Is there something you want to ask me?” She questioned.

“Yes, I would like to become Alcira’s boyfriend. I will treat her with the utmost respect.” He vowed.

“Remember, she is still a young girl and you must not take advantage of her. If you will promise to be good to her, I will give my consent for you to see each other as friends.” She concluded.

Alcira and Jorge Nel were together constantly. Their love affair became more ardent as time went on. Jorge Nel was sexually insatiable and was perpetually aroused by her. They spent their nights locked in wild embraces and feverish lovemaking.

A year later, shortly after Alcira’s fifteenth birthday she told Jorge Nel she was pregnant.

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“How did this happen? I thought you said you weren’t going to get pregnant.

What are we going to do? If your parents find out they will kill me.” Jorge Nel worried.

“I don’t know how it happened, but it did.” Alcira said.

“Do you want the baby? You don’t have to keep it. You are so young and having a child is a big commitment.” Jorge Nel told her.

“I love you and I want our child more than anything else in the world.” Alcira confessed.

They agreed not to say anything to her parents until she would start to show. Alcira wanted to get married right away, but Jorge Nel declared he would marry her after the baby was born. When Alcira started throwing up every morning her mother became suspicious and confronted her. Alcira admitted she was carrying Jorge Nel’s child. Her parents were very angry and blamed Jorge Nel for taking advantage of her daughter. Jorge Nel accepted all the blame and did not tell them it was Alcira who seduced him.

He protected her honor and she was grateful. The baby was born, adorable and healthy, and Alcira and Jorge Nel were married a few weeks later.

Alcira’s parents accepted Jorge Nel as their son-in-law. They adored their grandchild who was named Jorge Nel, after his father.

A year passed. Jorge Nel spent a lot of hours at school involved in many different projects. Alcira didn’t like being tied down with the baby. Her friends were having fun dancing at discotheques while she was at home washing diapers and caring for the child. She became resentful of her duties as a mother, and complained constantly to Jorge Nel when they were together. They began to argue. She was irresponsible and started leaving the baby with her mother. Their domestic problems were detrimental to their marriage, and what started as a loving relationship turned to bitterness and anger.

Jorge Nel realized he had two options. He could stay with Alcira and hopefully on time she would change, or he could leave. After careful consideration he decided the best thing to do was to move back to Manizales, but the school would not permit him to go. Originally when he arrived in La Dorada he thought he would be there for two years, and then make a change. His situation was similar to his father’s. Jorge Nel was on the same job for sixteen years too. The director of the school said it was 38

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Jorge Nel that made the choice to come to La Dorada, and the school needed him. He was the manager of sports and the best instructor they ever had. He was told everyone in the area depended on him because he was so skilled and competent. He was remained that he had signed a contract to manage the folkloric group. The director of the school promised Jorge Nel he would receive an increase in salary, but he would not be transferred. There were also other problems that faced Jorge Nel. He was on the board of directors for the city. A senator had set up a bank account with ten million pesos in it so that he could withdraw any funds. Jorge Nel used the money honestly and only took what was necessary. This senator developed a neighborhood and put up prefabricated houses. He gave Jorge Nel five of the buildings to use as he wanted. Most of the others that received buildings fixed them up, rented or sold them and kept the money. Jorge Nel used the buildings to house the musicians in his folkloric group that came from small villages. He did not charge rent. Alcira argued with Jorge Nel and called him stupid because he did not make any money on the deal. Jorge Nel maintained he made enough money with his salary and he wanted to help others. Word got out that Jorge Nel was a good person. The people that knew and liked him wanted him to run for mayor. He was popular with the parents of the students he taught, and everyone thought he could win many votes in the election. He quickly found out the politics could be dirty. Jorge Nel was opposed to drugs, and he told his students they should not be tempted to try anything that might prove detrimental to them. Because of this he became the target of drug dealers who thought of him as a problem.

They did not want him to become a leader and champion of the poor people.

He received frightening notes, saying he was being watched and to be careful. One day he received a death threat. It said if he did not leave La Dorada immediately that he would have left a few days to live. Jorge Nel had already been close to death twice, and had been proclaimed clinically dead once. He took this death threat seriously.

When Jorge Nel was twenty-four years old he was teaching carpentry classes at a military base. He had twenty students. The first day of the new class Jorge Nel explained the importance of how to handle equipment. He told the soldiers to be very careful with electrical saws, and be aware of anyone else’s hands that were in the vicinity of the saws. Shortly after he said that, one of the young soldiers was negligent and the saw he was using cut Jorge Nel’s finger. Jorge Nel quickly pulled his finger away, but it was bleeding. He remembered that his grandmother had always told him if he ever had a cut to find a spider’s web and use a thin strand from the web to stop the blood.

He saw a web in a corner of the classroom, and wrapped one of the gossamer strands around his cut. It worked and the bleeding stopped. Jorge Nel did not pay any attention to the cut, but a day later his hand was very 39

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swollen. The day after that he was in so much pain he went to a pharmacy.

The druggist refused to give him any medication and said he should go to the hospital. He was too busy giving all his classes to be bothered, so he tried to ignore the pain. It became so severe he had to cancel a class for the officers’ wives. One of his students was a nurse and she asked why he wasn’t teaching that day. He showed her his hand and she insisted he go to the hospital on the military base. The head nurse at the infirmary looked at his infected finger and told Jorge Nel his infection was life threatening and he must be flown immediately to a hospital in Bogotá. She feared he had gangrene. He asked if he had time to go home and pack some things, but she said no. Jorge Nel was very well known at the base and he was treated with respect. The plane arrived quickly to transport him. When he arrived at the hospital in Bogotá he was told they could not operate because they had to treat his high temperature and infection first. He was given various drugs but none had the desired effect. There was a new experimental drug that was administrated as a last resort to soldiers when nothing else worked.

There could be side effects, like impotency, hair loss or affects to other organs and the heart. Jorge Nel was facing possible amputation of his hand or death. He consented to the drug shortly after he took it his heart stopped functioning. He saw a bright light beckoning to him. It was dazzling and radiant. He went towards it. Then he heard voices.

“His heart has stopped. He’s clinically dead.” Someone said.

He was aware of people talking, and he felt hands touching him. He was being brought back to life. He remembered the time in the lake when he almost drowned, and the flashback he saw of his life. When he opened his eyes he saw that doctors and nurses surrounded him. They were jubilant. He was alive again, and he knew he had been given a brief glimpse into the other world where souls dwell. It wasn’t his time to be there yet. There were more things for him to accomplish.

He remained in the hospital in Bogotá for six months. Rumors had started in La Dorada, that he was near to death or already dead. One day he wanted to go back and visit the school where he taught. When he arrived the students thought they were seeing a ghost. They told him there was a room named in his honor, because they thought his life had ended. A short time after he was back at work and he undertook his duties with new zeal and enthusiasm. However, he remained extremely cautious whenever he was near tools, and never went close to a spider web again.

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Two years later Jorge Nel was riding his motorcycle on a small street in La Dorada. He was behind a taxi. The taxi slowed down next to the sidewalk.

Jorge Nel thought the driver was stopping to pick up a customer. Jorge Nel swerved his motorcycle to the left side of the taxi. The driver did not stop, but suddenly speeded up in order to cross an intersection as the traffic light began to turn red. The taxi hit Jorge Nel and he went flying off his motorcycle. He landed flat on his back on the pavement in the middle of the road. Just then a large delivery truck was approaching from the other direction. It headed straight towards him. The truck driver did not see him, and didn’t stop. Jorge Nel tried not to move. He kept very still and held his arms tightly folder on top of him. He tried not to move. He felt an angel was with him. He was right in the middle, safe from harm, as the wheels rolled by inches away from him. Onlookers started screaming. They thought he was run over by the truck and that he was dead. The driver got out of the truck when he heard the yelling. Everyone watched as Jorge Nel picked himself up and walked away with not even a scratch.

Now, once again, the universe intervened to save him from possible death.

Help came through his folkloric group that was being honored by representing the entire department of Colombia.

He felt La Dorada to fulfill his destiny.

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Losing and Winning

Jorge Nel felt for Manizales a day ahead of his folkloric group. He checked the location they were going to appear in and made sure everything was set for the next day’s performance. As he was going back to his hotel he noticed a discotheque with a large sign that advertised a national milonga and tango contest. He walked inside and sat down a table. A waitress came over to take his order. She recognized him.

“I know you. I haven’t seen you for a long time. How are you? What are you doing here? She asked.

“I’m fine. I’ve been living in La Dorada for the past ten years. I am here with my folkloric group. We are going to be here for four days performing in the festival.” He answered.

“Tomorrow they are having a preliminary dance contest for tango and milonga. The winning couple will represent Manizales in the national competition. I remember you are a fabulous tango dancer. Will you enter the contest?” She asked.

“I have no one to dance with. My partner in my folkloric group can’t dance tango.” He answered.

“I will be your partner. I can dance tango” She informed him. I haven’t danced tango in ten years. I don’t think I can enter the contest. I am not good enough.” He replied.

“I can help you. If I tell my boss we are going to enter the contest he will give me the night off to practice with you. If we win we will make this place famous.” She pleaded.

“Okay. I will try. I have nothing to lose.”

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The owner of the discotheque gave his approval and Jorge Nel and the waitress practiced all night. The next day Jorge Nel was busy with his folkloric group. In the evening when he arrived with the waitress to register for the preliminaries of the dance contest he was told they were too late. He pleaded with the woman on charge and his application was finally accepted.

They were the last ones scheduled to dance.

“We have a man from La Dorada, and a prostitute from Manizales that are our last contestants.” The announcer said.

Jorge Nel instructed his partner to wait until he called her. He asked for the microphone and told the audience he was going to dance milonga, the dance of the people of Colombia. The tape he brought of milonga music started to play. When he danced with the waitress the crowd cheered and hollered with enthusiasm. They were selected as one of the eight couples that were finalists that night. They were told the finals would be held the following week.

Meanwhile Jorge Nel’s folkloric group was performing daily to rave reviews.

There were over two hundred groups from all the villages and towns, but his was the only one that had authentic music and dancing. He was named one of the top ten choreographers.

Three of the judges had already chosen the winner of the national tango show in advance, among themselves. They never counted on an outsider showing up at the last minute. The couple they picked was popular in the area and had favorable publicity from the radio station and the press.

Nobody though Jorge Nel knew how to tango. They thought coming from a provincial place like La Dorada he would only know milonga and salsa. There were five judges that night and Jorge Nel knew two of them from when he lived in Manizales years ago. They had been his friends. One of the judges he didn’t know told the waitress that her costume was unacceptable. She did not have money to buy a new one. One of the judges Jorge Nel knew was a special guest that also danced tango. His partner lent the waitress a costume for the evening. The night of the contest arrived, and twenty thousand people filled the square. Jorge Nel was told he would be first. The judges told him he would have to dance a tango. They did not know that Jorge Nel was a tanguero. The tango music started. The crowd went wild with enthusiasm when they saw his performance. The other couples had to dance the milonga, but they did not have the professionalism that Jorge Nel and his partner did. When all the couples finished dancing the announcement was made. The winners were the couple that the three 43

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judges had agreed on before Jorge Nel ever made an appearance. The two judges Jorge Nel knew told the other three judges they were making a mistake by not being fair. The crowd demonstrated their disapproval.

Bottles flew through the air and the police were summoned. One of the judges said the reason Jorge Nel and his partner didn’t win was because of her costume. The judge whose partner had lent the costume to the waitress took the microphone and was highly insulted. “That is the same costume my partner wore, and you are discrediting me when you say it is not acceptable.� The judge declared.

His words were not heeded. There were politics involved, and the three judges in cohesion had made a mistake. The indignant spectators had seen with their own eyes that the best couple did not win.

Although Jorge Nel and his partner received the second place, the evening ended triumphantly. Through the exposure he received Jorge Nel got a contract to perform throughout Colombia. That was the start of his professional career as a tango dancer. One night a woman named Marlene from the United States saw him in a cabaret. She spoke to him after the show, and approached him with an offer he could hardly believe. She had seen a cabaret in Miami, Florida that was for sale. If Jorge Nel agreed to dance there she would buy the place and bring him to America. At long last his prayers had been answered.

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Miami, Florida, U.S.A

Marlene bought the Martin Fierro cabaret in Miami. She called Jorge Nel in Colombia and told him she was sending him a plane ticket to the United States. His lifelong dream of coming to America had finally come true. She made arrangements for him to stay at a small hotel in Miami Beach. When he went off the plane he did not have to wait for any luggage. He brought very little very little with him. He did have six hundred dollars that a friend in Colombia had lent him. He needed to show the immigration department he had that money before he could get his visa. He found a taxi driver and handed him a paper that had the address of the hotel written on it. Although he had always wanted to come to the United States he knew nothing about the country. Jorge Nel was very disappointed as taxi drove through different neighborhoods. He was an avid moviegoer in Colombia and he thought the streets in Florida would resemble the science fiction films he had seen of life in the future. There were no automobiles or people flying in the skies and no buildings floating in the air. He thought things looked pretty much the same as they did in MedellĂ­n.

Marlene was a very busy lady and told Jorge Nel she would not have time to see him for several days. One afternoon he stopped a taxi and the driver spoke Spanish. Jorge Nel asked the driver to take him to Hollywood. He expected to see famous movie stars, the president, Tarzan and Madonna.

When they got to Hollywood, there were no celebrities. The taxi driver thought Jorge Nel was joking when he asked where all the high society people were. He patiently explained that they were in Hollywood, Florida and it was a long way to Hollywood, California. Jorge Nel did not despair. He thought he would get to the important Hollywood some day, but it just would take a little longer.

Marlene finally picked Jorge Nel up and showed him her cabaret. He was ecstatic. It was spacious and more beautiful than he could have imagined.

There was a beautiful area for the performers. She told him he could stay at her house. She lived in a palatial home in Kendall. Marlene hired musicians, singers and other dancers. Jorge Nel learned Argentine tango from one of the male dancers. It was different from the way he danced. The movements were constructed and exact. In Colombia he was used to dance 45

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spontaneously rather than depending on set routines. Jorge Nel’s first dance partner was Liliana Insegna. They danced together for two years.

One night there was a gala show featuring many celebrated and featured tango singers, including Juan Carlos Godoy, Alberto Podesta, Agustín Magaldy (son), Argentino Ledesma, Roberto Mancini, Jorge Valdez, Alberto Echague, los Cantores de Quiyahasi, Los Chalchaleros, Alberto Castillo. Jorge Nel was thrilled to be performing with these legendary talents.

Jorge Nel went to the cabaret one night and there was a lock on the door.

Marlene’s cabaret was closed. She was out of business. A week earlier she had told the performers that she was short of cash, and asked if they could wait to get paid. They were agreeable. Now she was gone and they couldn’t collect the money they were owed. Jorge Nel had sent the money he borrowed back to his friend. He also sent some money to his family in Colombia. He never imagined his job would end. Now he had no place to live and now income. He was very despondent. He considered going back to Colombia, but he did not want to return broke.

There was a dancer that had been Jorge Nel’s partner for a short while at the cabaret. When she learned he had no place to live she invited him to move in with her. He did. After a few months she suggested that they get married. She explained that way Jorge Nel would not have to renew his work visa when it expired. Jorge Nel thought the marriage would be an arrangement to help him receive his residency visa. He agreed, and she became his third wife. When they got home after the ceremony she wanted to have sex. She got into a skimpy negligee and poured champagne into two glasses. She handed one to Jorge Nel. “Come on darling, let’s go. I am ready for some hot and heavy lovemaking.

I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.” She said.

“What? What are you talking about?” He asked.

“Take off your clothes and let’s get started. The honeymoon is starting right now.” She went on.

“What honeymoon?” He questioned.

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“Why do you think I married you? So that we can have a married life together, and married people screw each other.” She said.

“Listen, I like you, but as a dance partner and friend. I think you’re a fantastic cook, but I can’t think of you as my wife. We had an arrangement that did not include lovemaking. I don’t love you.” He admitted.

She moved closer to him and took off her negligee. She was standing naked, hoping to excite him when he saw her large breasts.

“Are you ready to reconsider? We can give each other a lot of pleasure.”

She whispered.

“I’d rather go back to Colombia.” He insisted.

The marriage was never consummated and they were divorced one month later. He moved out and found a small furnished room to live in. However, there was another major problem. Jorge Nel did not speak English. While he was with his dance partner Liliana at the cabaret, she was very protective of him, and took care of everything that he needed. He conversed only in Spanish. His first visit to a supermarket alone was a disaster. The lady at the counter asked him in English if she could help him, and he didn’t know what she said. He was so frightened that he ran out of the store without buying anything. He saw a friend and repeated the words the lady had said. His friend explained she asked if she could help. He gathered up his courage and went back the next day. This time when she asked in English if she could help he answered no thank you. She turned away and he knew he had made a mistake. He should have said yes. He was embarrassed and left once more without buying anything. The following day he tried again. This time he picked up some bananas. He motioned to the lady how much with his hands and she answered in Spanish. He was overjoyed and he told her he couldn’t believe she spoke Spanish. She told him that almost everyone in Miami spoke Spanish. She showed him how to take a shopping cart and go down the aisles and select what he wanted. When he went back next time she offered to help him again. He wanted to be independent and prove he could manage alone. Little did he know what he was buying. One day his friend came to visit and he offered to make lunch. He took out a can of tuna fish. His friend explained what he had bought was cat food. He showed him the picture of the cat on the label. Jorge Nel thought that was the manufacturer’s trademark. He admitted he had been eating cat food for a whole week. After that he paid careful attention to his purchases.

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Jorge Nel needed a job. He saw a sign in a store window. A national water filter company was looking for salesmen and offered training class. Jorge Nel had never been a salesman before, but he was willing to try. He went through the training classes and finally he was ready to begin. He was to sell by going from one building to the next, apartment after apartment, hoping someone would say yes, and buy a water filter. He had no car, so one of his friends dropped him off in the morning in a Spanish Speaking neighborhood and he would work all night and wait for his ride home at night. He was outgoing and amiable and had a charming smile. He worked hard and within six months he won the best new employee award.

One of his friends he knew from the cabaret contacted him when he opened a restaurant. He wanted to hire Jorge Nel to put on a Colombia folkloric show. It was very tempting and Jorge Nel said yes. He quit his selling job and devoted himself to dancing again. His boss from the water filter company came to see the show. He spoke to Jorge Nel after.

“That is a very nice production. But tell me, are you making the same money you did as a salesman?” He asked.

“No, but I’m doing what I love.” Jorge Nel said.

“If you ever want your job back, let me know. You are a good dancer, but you are a fabulous salesman too.” The boss admitted.

After a year, the man that owned the cabaret called Jorge Nel in to his office. He told him business was bad and he couldn’t afford to keep the show going. He offered Jorge Nel a job. Jorge Nel thought it would be as a bartender, but it was to work as a waiter. Jorge Nel was not pleased but he needed work and he did not want to go back to selling water filters. He thought it over and agreed. Then the owner told him he would have to start at the bottom and be a busboy first. He would have to learn how to set the silverware and glasses properly and learn how to clean tables. He would have to learn how to take food and drinks orders and serve the customers.

Jorge Nel felt downhearted. He had achieved recognition as a dancer and now he was been offered a job as a busboy in the same place he had won applause as a performer. He was determined to make good in America no matter what he had to do. He was convinced that someday his dream would come true. He agreed to start as a busboy. He got into his uniform and stood at the door in the kitchen. It was one of the lowest points in his life. He felt so despondent he was ready to leave when another busboy pushed him 48

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out the kitchen door and into the main room. There were three women sitting at the first table he walked over to. He was carrying a tray with glasses of water. They recognized him and remembered him when he had been dancing in the show. They wanted him to explain what happened. He was very embarrassed but he told them he had no alternative. He quit his job two weeks later. To this day Jorge Nel has the highest regard for busboys and customers and he always converses with them when he is in a restaurant.

A week after he left his job Jorge Nel met a man that was married to his former dance partner. The man was selling beautiful posters of scenes in Colombia. He had a large quantity he wanted to get rid of. Jorge Nel knew he could easily sell the posters himself. He asked for the best price if he bought all of them. They negotiated and made a deal. He was back in the selling business again. This time when he went canvassing Jorge Nel used his creativity and dressed in a Colombia Folkloric costume. When people opened their doors and saw him they were pleasantly surprised and nostalgic. He quickly sold out his entire stock at an incredible profit.

Jorge Nel bought his clothes at a thrift shop. One day he noticed the same Colombia posters in a high stack, in one corner of the store. They were marked at a much cheaper price than he had originally paid. He asked the owner of the store how many posters he had. The man said he had a whole basement full and he needed the space for other things. He asked Jorge Nel to make him an offer. Jorge Nel bought all of them for five hundred dollars.

The man stipulated that the posters had to be moved out that afternoon.

Jorge Nel rented a truck and loaded the posters in. He was so excited for his good fortune he failed to realize he had no place to store them. They would never fit in his tiny room. He rented a place in a warehouse and now he was in his own business. Jorge Nel became an entrepreneur. He had seen similar posters framed and knew he could sell them for a lot more money that way.

He found a man that worked in a garage nearby and made frames. Jorge Nel hired him to frame the posters. He worked very hard and his venture became very successful.

Jorge Nel’s brothers wanted to start a business in Colombia. The man that made the frames wanted to retire. Jorge Nel bought all the equipment from the man and sent it to his brothers. His brothers created exquisite hand crafted frames and they opened an art gallery that is still run as a family business today.

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Two months after Jorge Nel left his job at the restaurant he got a contract to perform as a tango dancer. At last he was doing what he loves most.

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Dance Partners and Love Affairs

Through the years Jorge Nel had numerous dance partners. He has trained many women that show agility, gracefulness, dedication, commitment and willingness to work hard and practice. He always selects a partner that has a passion for dance as an art form, and someone that completely trusts him when they dance together. He looks for a woman ablaze with desire to perform, and sensuous, who can hear the music that flows through his body into hers. Truly great partners create magic when their two bodies melt into one. They form an elegant picture as they dance in unison. Unfortunately many partners leave for a variety of reasons.

After Jorge Nel got his dancing contract in Miami, he had a partner that was from Colombia. They danced together for about six months. He was searching for a new dance partner when he received a call one day from a woman that was a tango dancer. She was separated from her husband that lived in another state, and she was staying with relatives in Miami. They became dance partners and started an affair. They were together for about a year and their relationship did not work out. She left Jorge Nel and went back to her husband. He didn’t hear from her for five years, and one day she phoned him. He was happy to receive her call. She said she had a surprise for him and wanted to show him something. He gave her his address. He kept wondering what she wanted to show him. He thought perhaps she had changed her appearance or had a new boyfriend. Twenty minutes later there was a knock at his door. He opened it, and a little five-year-old boy stood there, looking at him. The child had the exact same face that Jorge Nel had at the age of five. He looked exactly like Jorge Nel’s son in Colombia had looked at the age of five. He was stunned.

“Hello. What are you doing here?” Jorge Nel asked the boy.

“My mommy told me to knock on the door.” The boy answered.

“Who is your mommy”? Jorge Nel questioned.

His former dance partner appeared.

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“Surprise!” she said.

“What is this?” Jorge Nel asked.

“Please don’t say anything in front of the child. His grandmother is waiting downstairs. Let me bring him to her and then we can talk.” She said.

A million thoughts rushed through Jorge Nel’s mind as he waited for her to come back.

“Well, Jorge Nel. How do you like your son?” She questioned.

“There is no denying that he looks like me, but how can this be possible?”

He wanted to know.

“He not only looks like you, but he is also a dancer. I didn’t know I was pregnant when I left you. When I went back to my husband I started to have morning sickness. Then when I missed my period I went to the doctor for an examination. He told me I was pregnant and I was going to have a child.

There is no doubt that this boy is your son.” She insisted.

“Why didn’t you tell me then?” Jorge Nel questioned her.

“You and I weren’t getting along and then when my husband found out that I was pregnant he thought the child was his.” She explained.

“Why have you come to me now?” He asked.

“I wanted you to know that you have a son. I am thinking about telling my husband the truth, and I also think my son should know who his real father is.” She said.

“Is your husband good to the boy?” Jorge Nel asked.

“Yes, we have a daughter, but he has always wanted a son. He worships the boy and treats him very well.”

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“Then there is no need for you to say anything. Why do you want to upset so many lives? You will only bring unhappiness to your husband and yourself. In reality he is the boy’s father, because he has raised him. I was just a man that had sex with you and planted the seed. I don’t think the child should know.” He continued.

“I will think about it. Perhaps some day when my son is old enough to understand I will tell him.” She said as she turned to leave.

That visit was over seven years ago, and Jorge Nel never heard from her again. He decided to be more cautious in his relationships. He was so concerned he stopped dating for a short while. Then one night when he was in a cabaret he met an adorable young woman. They danced together and he admired her. He invited her out on a date the next night. She asked him to pick her up at the cabaret at eleven o’clock. She told her friends that she had met a famous dancer. They all waited at the entrance to the cabaret the following night, anxious to meet him. At that time Jorge Nel’s finances were limited. The best he could get for his three hundred dollars was a beat up truck with a large hole in the roof, a broken window and one door missing in the back. As he pulled up everyone started to laugh. They told their friend she would be crazy to get into a truck like that.

“What are you laughing at? I left my Mercedes at home. Yes, I’m a famous dancer. I am also eccentric. Now my dear, are you ready to leave with me?

He asked his date.

Yes, I thought I would surprise you. There is an exciting dance show at the Tropigala dance club in the Fontainbleau Hotel. I bought tickets for us.

How can we go in this beat up truck? That is a fancy place.” He told her.

“I think it will be fun. I’ve never been out with an eccentric man before.” She answered.

Jorge Nel pulled up to the driveway at the hotel. He waited for the valet to give him his parking ticket. White stretch limousines surrounded him and he felt mortified and embarrassed. Little did he know two years later his Tango Fever show would be performing at that very place. The end of the evening when Jorge Nel took his date home he told her the truth. She never went out with him again.

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He had a dance partner named Ana. She was a ballroom dancer, and he trained her in tango. Ana left after a year and then he met Alicia. She did not know how to dance the tango, but she was a wonderful student and quickly grasped the steps. Jorge Nel was performing with Alicia one night when he noticed a beautiful lady sitting alone. After the show he went to her table to talk to her.

“Hello, my name is Jorge Nel. I noticed you sitting by yourself. May I join you?” He asked.

“My name is Laura. Yes, you can join me, but I am not alone. I am waiting for my sister.” Laura said.

“Would you like to dance the tango with me?” He asked.

“I don’t dance tango. In fact I don’t like to dance at all. That is not my expertise.” She said.

“I can teach you. I am an excellent instructor with unlimited patience. If you can walk I can teach you to dance.” He persisted.

“I’m afraid that would be impossible. I am going back to Argentina tomorrow morning. I just came to visit my mother and sister. I am engaged, and I will be married soon.” She informed him.

“I feel something special for you. I like you. If things don’t work out for you, I will be waiting. If you want to come back I will send you a plane ticket.” He said emphatically.

“That is very kind. Here comes my sister now. She is your dance partner.”

She responded.

Alicia walked towards them and sat down.

“I see you have met.” Alicia said.

“Yes, but I didn’t know that you had such a gorgeous sister. I am trying to persuade Laura not to go home so quickly.” Jorge Nel asserted.

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“My reservations are confirmed, and I cannot change them.” Laura explained.

“Perhaps we will see each other again. It is in the hands of fate.” Jorge Nel said, as he took Laura’s hands and said goodbye.

Jorge Nel visited Alicia frequently at her apartment. They rehearsed their dance routines in the living room. There was a photograph of Laura on the desk and Jorge Nel would stare at it for hours. He became obsessed with the picture. He had fallen in love with her. Alicia would lose her patience and make fun of him. She told him to forget Laura. She was practically married.

Jorge Nel would not give up. He and Alicia were talking about opening a dance studio. He begged Alicia to call her sister and tell her that they needed her help to start their tango classes. Alicia called, but Laura would not consider moving to Miami permanently and leaving her fiancé. Jorge Nel did not give up hope. He believed in the power of prayer and visualization.

He saw himself with Laura and concentrated on them being together. He longed for a normal relationship and he wanted Laura to be his wife.

One day Alicia called Jorge Nel. She was very excited and told him she had good news. Laura had broken up with her boyfriend and they would not be getting married. She was willing to come to Miami and work in the dance studio with them. Jorge Nel was elated. He sent her a plane ticket and arranged to go with Alicia to pick her up at the airport. He could think hardly about anything else except seeing Laura again.

When Laura walked towards them at the gate where they were waiting, she ran to Alicia. The two sisters kissed and embraced. Laura looked at Jorge Nel briefly and nodded at him. She was animated and conversed with Alicia as they walked together. Jorge Nel was crestfallen and disappointed. He expected Laura to have the same amorous feelings he did. She did not pay attention to him, except to allow him to carry her suitcase. He rationalized and made excuses for her behavior. He thought she was tired from her trip, and upset about her broken engagement. He would teach her to dance the tango and she would become her partner. He also vowed that some day she would love him and they would be married. For the time being he was content knowing that she was here in Miami.

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Obsession, Tango Lessons and Marriage Number Four

Laura moved into her sister Alicia’s small apartment. Alicia’s boyfriend and her mother Christina also shared the place. It was very crowded and Laura felt uncomfortable being there. She told Jorge Nel that she was considering the idea of going back to Argentina. He immediately talked her out about it, and suggested she move in with him. She disagreed because they had just met and she didn’t know him that well. He told her it was the only solution at the time. She finally consented. He did not have money to buy new furniture so they slept together in his single bed. On nights when Jorge Nel was restless he would fall out of the narrow bed and end up on the floor. He adored Laura but she did not return his ardor. She was in a relationship but it was an affair of convenience rather than affection. He didn’t like the situation as it was, but he thought that in time she would grow to care for him and return his love.

As soon as Laura arrived Jorge Nel started to teach her the tango. He had a contract to do a show in two weeks and Alicia had a broken ankle and couldn’t perform. Jorge Nel rehearsed with Laura, but she wasn’t a dancer.

As he moved her around to teach her the intricate steps, she ended up with two broken ribs. He had to cancel the show.

Eventually Laura learned the routines and became a good tango dancer.

Jorge Nel also taught Alicia’s mother, Christina how to dance the salsa, and she became a notable teacher. Due to her eagerness and enthusiasm the school started to get a lot of students. Jorge Nel gave dance lessons in his apartment. He replaced the carpeting with tile. His classes became popular and one day he had an American student. When he gave the group lessons in Spanish the student protested that he couldn’t understand the directions.

Jorge Nel started to study English and slowly mastered the language. He started an organization called El Club Amigos del Tango. It was composed of fifteen couples that were like a close family. They would go to discotheques and dance the tango. He signed up many new students that way. Jorge Nel was the only person teaching argentine tango. He signed up many new students that way. Jorge Nel was the only person teaching Argentine tango in Florida at that time. He started to travel with his group and give shows 56

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throughout the states. He went on to form the first Tango Dance Academy in Florida. He was also the organizer of the Festival Mayor del Tango for four years.

Laura was an inspiration for Jorge Nel, and as a result he created many tango routines. One night after a show in a very large nightclub, Jorge Nel took the microphone and proposed to Laura in front of all the people that had been watching them dancing. When he asked her to marry him she teased him and said no. The audience voiced their disapproval and she admitted she was joking, and said yes. She was very happy and they kissed.

Jorge Nel’s dream of making Laura his wife was finally coming true. Jorge Nel had a dance student that was a notary public and she performed the marriage ceremony in Hialeah. Everyone in the tango dance community was elated. Jorge Nel and Laura were a popular couple and especially well liked.

They were congratulated and wished the best by all their friends. After two years they amiably decided to end their marriage and they were divorced.

They danced professionally for two years after that, and then they parted as good friends. Jorge Nel was ready to move on.

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Success and Betrayal.

Jorge Nel had a friend that loved tango. His name was Luis Zubieta and he wanted to dance but he didn’t think he could learn how. He took private lessons with Jorge Nel, and after just a few months he began to dance the tango with grace and confidence. He became an advertisement for Jorge Nel’s capability as an extraordinary dance instructor. Jorge Nel’s students kept increasing by word of mouth. His reputation as an outstanding instructor spread and he started to receive attention from the media. He hosted a weekly radio show about tango on Klaridad, called Cita con el Tango. Jorge Nel wanted to give milongas and produce shows for his students. A lady in his class suggested that he contact Elk’s Lodge in Coral Gables. She heard that they had space that is available. Jorge Nel went to see the manager and he was told that he would not be a suitable person to rent to the space to. The manager said that he did not like the fact large crowds and unruly people. Jorge Nel insisted that the people that would be coming were a sophisticated crowd that also attended theater, ballet and operas. The manager’s feeling changed, but he still stipulated that if Jorge Nel rented the room he would have to hire three policemen as assurance there would be no disturbances. Jorge Nel agreed to the request. He sent a letter of commitment to the Elk’s Lodge and he was given a one-month trial period. Jorge Nel sent out invitations to the opening party. He instructed his guests to dress formally, the ladies in gowns, and the men in tuxedos. Four hundred people showed up. The event was glamorous, elegant and orderly, and the manager was favorably impressed. Jorge Nel continued producing his milonga parties and shows at that same location for eight years. When Hurricane Andrew struck, the building was partially destroyed. It was rebuilt and a banquet hall was added.

Jorge Nel bought a home in Coral Gables and made one of the rooms into a dance studio. He started to give tango lessons there. One day he was approached by a salsa dancer named René, who had students, but no place to give lessons. He asked Jorge Nel if he could use the studio at times when it was not in use. Jorge Nel agreed. René and Jorge Nel became friends and Jorge Nel is very proud to have given René with salsa in Miami.

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Jorge Nel was unexpectedly honored. As special recognition for his twelve years of excellence in dance and his contribution to the community, mayor Alex Pinelas declared May 15, 1998 as Jorge Nel Giraldo’s day. He was also nominated as an official member representative in the United States on the National Tango Academy of Argentina.

Jorge Nel went to a tango party with a student of his. Her name was Lydia.

She had been taking classes with him for a few years. Lydia introduced Jorge Nel to her sister Marta, who wanted to take lessons too. Jorge Nel had a very enthusiastic student who was eight years old. His name was Diego Blanco and he was a very remarkable pupil. He was a young genius when it came to mastering techniques, and he became Jorge Nel’s protégé. He faithfully attended classes every week, and the women loved to dance with him.

Marta and Diego danced together, and very frequently their photos would be seen in the local papers. Marta and Diego danced together for more than two years. Jorge Nel always included Diego in his tango shows. Diego is now a national tango dance champion. About this time Jorge Nel was looking for a new partner to replace Laura. He and Martha began dancing together.

They were both very serious about the importance of being committed to work, and were willing to put in long hours of practice. Jorge Nel had a tango dance troupe called Tango Fever, and Lydia wanted to be included but she did not have a partner. One day she came to Jorge Nel, very elated. She had gone to a dance studio where she had taken lessons before, and she met a man who was a ballroom dancer. His name was Randy and he was willing to learn tango. Lydia asked Jorge Nel to teach Randy so that he could be her tango partner. He was an American and in the construction business. Jorge Nel gave him lessons. They became close friends and Jorge Nel treated Randy like a brother. He opened his home and his heart to Lydia and Randy.

Lydia and Randy became part of Jorge Nel’s dance group. They traveled with Jorge Nel and Marta to milingas and tango congresses. Marta, Lydia and Jorge Nel suggested that Randy leave his construction business and work with them full time. He agreed. They got along exceptionally well and the four of them formed a corporation. It was agreed upon when the corporation was set up that Jorge Nel was going to receive ten percent of the profits before the money was distributed four ways based on his experience and familiarity with the tango community. They each chose their field of expertise and took different assignments. They were a good team. Marta excelled in money matters, so she was elected treasurer. Lydia was excellent in paperwork and clerical matters, so she became secretary.

Randy was knowledgeable in constructing and building, and he created sets and props. Jorge Nel’s forte was publicity, marketing and the value of his ten year impeccable reputation in producing and directing tango show. Two signatures were required to sign checks. In 1997 they put together the first 59

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United States Tango Congress in Miami, Florida. It received accolades from the national and international dancers that attended. Requests for a second congress were overwhelming and the United States Tango Congress was given again in 1998. It was a huge victory. When it came time for the disbursements, Randy and Lydia did not want Jorge Nel to receive his ten percent. They had never told him this before the congress was planned.

When he questioned why Lydia and Randy told him he did not deserve the money because he didn’t earn it. Jorge Nel found out that Marta, Lydia and Randy held a meeting behind his back and discussed his not getting paid the ten percent fee. Jorge Felt betrayed. He asked Marta if she was part of the conspiracy. She said absolutely not. She tried to reason with them but they would not listen. The four partners held a meeting. Things became bitter among them. The corporation’s office was in Jorge Nel’s home. When Lydia and Randy left, they took the corporation’s books with them. While Marta and Jorge Nel were in Boston conducting a tango workshop, Lydia and Randy closed the bank account and withdrew all the money. They closed the corporation and opened another one under another name, leaving Jorge Nel off as an officer. They elected another officer in their new corporation. They thought Marta would side with them. Bad feelings arose. Marta’s loyalty and devotion to Jorge Nel was constant. She argued with her sister, and they became enemies. Lydia and Randy sued Jorge Nel. He could not understand why, since they were the ones that have taken all the money and closed the bank accounts. He had to hire an attorney to defend his innocence. Lydia was vengeful and angry because Marta didn’t form an alliance with her and Randy. She sent a letter to Marta’s husband falsely hinting at a relationship between Jorge Nel and Marta. She used derogatory terms to describe Jorge Nel, and she tried to arouse suspicion and anger in Marta’s husband. She was hoping he would assume the role of a jealous husband and do something sinister. Lydia hoped to cause enough friction to end the dance partnership of Marta and Jorge Nel. However, Marta’s husband trusted his wife and lent his moral support to Marta and Jorge Nel. He said a troubled person wrote a letter. The attorneys called a meeting. Jorje Nel and Marta, and Lydia and Randy were summoned.

“How long have you been in this country?”

Lydia and Randy’s attorney began questioning.

“Ten years.” Jorge Nel said.

“Are you a citizen?” The attorney asked.

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“No, I am not.” Jorge Nel answered.

“Are you a resident?” The attorney inquired.

“No, I am not” Jorge Nel replied.

“Do you know that you need a permit to work here?” The attorney queried.

“Yes, I know that.” Jorge Nel answered.

“Well, since you do not have a work permit you are in violation of the law, and cannot conduct business here. You have a serious problem.” The attorney announced.

“You are the one who said I do not have a permit. I did not say that.” Jorge Nel continued.

“Do you have a work permit?” The attorney questioned.

Lydia and Randy were hoping to get Jorge Nel deported. They were planning to organize their own tango congress in 1999 and did not want any competition from him.

“Yes, I have a work permit.” Jorge Nel affirmed.

“May I see it?” The attorney asked.

“Yes, I have my work permit right here.” Jorge Nel said.

He showed the document to the attorney, who acknowledged that it was in perfect order.

Jorge Nel and Marta did run their tango congress in 1999, and Lydia and Randy became rivals when they ran their own congress. The event was very successful for Jorge Nel and Marta. However they agreed that was the last congress they would produce. Jorge Nel went into a depression. He was devastated over the betrayal by friends he had loved and trusted. His selfconfidence was gone. He was tired of lawsuits and spending large amounts 61

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of money to sue what was rightfully his. Jorge Nel stopped going to milongas because he did not want to see Lydia and Randy at the parties, openly soliciting his students.

Something else had occurred that added to his sadness. Jorge Nel had planned a tango and salsa show for five hundred people one night at a very large hotel. The night of the show more than fifteen hundred people attended, and there was not enough room for everyone. The place designated for the show where people had prepaid tickets was overcrowded.

People showing up with no tickets had to be turned away. Jorge Nel’s students were supposed to help him during the event. Instead they abandoned him and started complaining to others about the lack of proper accommodations. Their disgruntled remarks started to spread, and the crowd became unruly and unmanageable. The evening was a disaster and the next night Jorge Nel met with his group and told them how disappointed he was with their behavior. He was especially displeased with one of his students, Juan, who he had been friendly with, and who had always been like a father to him. Harsh words were exchanged, and Juan became irate. A few months later Juan and a few of Jorge Nel’s other students opened their own tango dance classes, and started to give milongas on Sunday evenings. They became competitors, and took away many of Jorge Nel’s students by spreading a rumor that he had done something unethical and had been instrumental in having a rival tango dance teacher deported. There was responsible for that was found out, but by then things had become distasteful. The tango dancers that were part of Jorge Nel’s original dance troupe were not faithful. He was the one that had taught them the tango and had given them their introduction to the dance world. They repaid his efforts with disregard. He tried to overlook the way he was slighted and attempted to make peace in the tango community. He invited Juan to his Tango Congress. At first Juan refused to come. He relented when he was approached by many of his tango acquaintances that cajoled him into attending. After the show Jorge Nel announced on the microphone that Juan was in the audience, and he invited Juan to come to the stage. Jorge Nel made a speech about forgetting the past, making up, and starting over. The two men embraced, but good feeling was only for the moment and did not last. Jorge Nel wanted to celebrate the new century at Juan’s New Year’s eve milonga. He called Juan and asked if he could attend the festivities. Juan answered no. He told Jorge Nel the board of directors agreed Jorge Nel was not welcome and would not be permitted to enter if he came. When Jorge Nel asked for an explanation he was told it was because he had gone to milongas in Miami Beach. He was no longer considered a friend. Jorge Nel explained he went to the milonga in Miami Beach because he was accepted there and felt comfortable. There was no way Juan would 62

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listen. Jorge Nel lost another close friend through no fault of his own. He became forlorn and gloomy. He thought about leaving Miami, but didn’t know where to go. Jorge Nel had lost his desire to continue in the dance world, and for two years he could not do anything connected whit tango. He was too melancholy and sorrowful.

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Starting over

Jorge Nel had a student that lived in Hallandale. She suggested he look at a new ballroom that would be opening up shortly. He told her he was too disillusioned by what had happened, and he didn’t have the energy to begin over again. She explained to him that two people had betrayed him and were underhanded, but hundreds of anthers loved him, and needed him.

Slowly and cautiously he began again. Marta was with him to give her friendship and support. He started to give private and group lessons again in Coral Gables, Hallandale and in West Palm Beach. He began monthly milongas.

He became motivated as his American and Latin students responded to him with appreciation and respect.

He moved to Hallandale, where he lived close by the ocean. He watched the serenty of the sunrises and the glory of the sunsets. He felt energy and jory return to him. Wonderful things started to happen. One day Jorge Nel received a phone call from an agent in New York. He was looking for tango dancers for a movie that was going to be shot in Miami Beach. The movie was called Random Hearts, and it was starring Harrison Ford. All his life Jorge Nel had dreamed of being an actor in a movie. His dream came true.

He was hired. The shooting lasted for two days, and it was very exciting.

When the picture came out in 1999 and Jorge Nel saw himself in a close up dancing the tango with Marta he was elated.

Jorge Nel danced the tango at the sumptuous Donald Trump estate in palm beach. It was at the request of Julio Iglesias, who had just completed his beguiling and seductive new album “Tango”.

Jorge Nel also received the distinction of dancing at the closing of the “1 V Festival de Cino Hispano” in addition he produced two tango shows that were performed with the Florida Chamber Orchestra.

In 2000 he had the honor of meeting the legendary and brilliant artist, Edward Villella. Jorge Nel and Marta acted as tango-waltz consultant for a 64

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work in progress, “the waltz”, for the Miami City Ballet. It was one of the highlights of his life.

One day Jorge Nel was approached by one of his students. She was aware of his sadness. She told him about a spiritual workshop that she felt he should attend. When he said he didn’t want to go she was insistent. She said she felt it was important for his enlightenment and to make sure he would go, she paid for the seminar. That day proved to be a turning point in Jorge Nel’s life. The name of the organization was Caminos. And Jorge Nel is forever grateful for the miraculous way everything changed.

Ever since his disappointment with Lydia and Randy, Jorge Nel had terrible back pain. He had been to a chiropractor that told him his muscles were tight and full of tension. During one part of the workshop the teacher instructed the students to visualize al large suitcase, filled with their anger and rage. He then told each student to put their suitcase on their back and carry it to the ocean. When they got to the shoreline they were instructed to throw the suitcase in, and watch it disappear in the rolling waves. They were told now that their anger was gone, they could feel at peace and in harmony with the universe. At that moment Jorge Nel’s backache disappeared, and never returned again.

Next, the instructor explained the importance of mastering the ego. He described the ego as a child that is self-centered, making demands and insisting on receiving what the body desired, even though the results may prove detrimental. The ego can cause people to have will power and take control of their lives. With proper discipline everything a person desires can be accomplished. It is important to focus on a goal, and not be distracted by unimportant diversions.

By the end of the course Jorge Nel forgave Lydia, Randy, and Juan. He sent them loving thoughts. He rationalized if it weren’t for their negative deeds he would not have taken the workshop and achieved the wisdom and the ability to let go of animosity and be had carried hostility with him since the days of his childhood. He had never truly learned how to pardon and how the act of forgiving releases the way to peace and serenity. The seminar also explained that anger and love cannot coexist at the same time, and love is the answer to joy and bliss. A great burden lifted, and tears streamed down Jorge Nel’s eyes.

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He went home and called his father and they made peace between themselves. Alonso apologized for his unkind and cruel behavior towards his son, and begged for mercy. Jorge Nel said he was able to understand the big picture of life now. He said the past was over and they could look forward to a starting a new relationship built on love. Jorge Nel did not know his father was very ill. His family in Colombia he would never be permitted to return to the United States. As much as he longed to see his family again, he knew was destined to spend his life in America. Alonso died a few weeks after his talk with Jorge Nel. The night after Alonso died; his ghost came to see Jorge Nel when he was asleep. Jorge Nel sensed a presence in his room but he was too frightened to open his eyes. The ghost sat on his bed, and Jorge Nel felt the weight beside him. His father looked very thin and his face was pale.

He had always been a powerful man. The ghost’s hand gently brushed against Jorge Nel’s body. Then he was gone, as quickly as he had come. The next morning Jorge Nel called his mother.

“How is father feeling?” He asked “He has not been well for a long time. We did not want to tell you.”

She answered.

“He came to see me last night.” Jorge Nel told her.

“What do you mean? Did he say anything?”She queried.

“No, He just sat on my bed. I was so frightened I didn’t open my eyes.

He looked like a ghost” Jorge Nel confided.

“Jorge Nel, I have bad news for you. Your father died last night. I am sure now that he came to you to say goodbye. He told me he felt at peace when you forgave him. I think he waited to die until he received your forgiveness. He wanted to know that you were able to let go of all the bitterness you felt towards him” She said.

“It was not his fault that he behaved as he did. He was playing a role that he was born into. Life is like a movie and we all play our parts. We will meet again in another lifetime. That is what reincarnation is all about.” Jorge Nel declared.

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There is a bitter sweetness that he cannot be with, and yet as his wondrous journey continues, he opens his heart to the new people that will become part of his enchanted life.

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The Tango Lessons

Jorge Nel’s dance lessons are legendary. He attracts a diverse group of devoted followers. They come in assorted sizes, all ages and for many different reasons. They are housewives, teachers, sales clerks, computer experts, doctors, lawyers, and ballroom dancers. They are young and eager, mature and adventurous. They are novices of performance. They come because they want to be seduced by the passion of the tango. They are Jorge Nel’s tango students. To them, they feel when they are dancing the tango they are swept into a world of sensation and melodrama. They forget the humdrum details of life. They shut out the sounds of traffic and sirens, of rain or thunder. They forget the cares of the day, the letters that have to be sent to clients, the e-mail that has to be answered, the laundry that needs to be washed or the shopping that must be done. When they enter the millennium ballroom they are in another dimension, a place where they concentrate on the joy of dancing, and the sensation of rhythm. They stand tall and elegant, graceful and erect, and announce to the world I am special, I dance the tango.

Jorge Nel also has a steady stream of worshipful students that come to take private dance lessons with him. Their tango lessons become the highlight of their lives. To dance with Jorge Nel as he glides and turns, is to feel as if you are suddenly glamorous and exciting, desirable, yet apart. You manipulate posturing, low dips and twisting steps. You became another person, a star as Jorge Nel glides you across the ballroom floor and the tango music fills the air with magic. You are transported to a different dimension of sultry glances and sophisticated poses. Jorge Nel is an accomplished dancer in professional shows, but he also has the ability to take an amateur and help her dance well. He knows with beginners or advanced dancer and adjusts his lessons to emphasize what is necessary for the individual. He nurturer trust and is genuinely concerned about them understanding the principals of the dance. He adjusts posture, gives techniques for aiding balance and demonstrates how to turn out the foot for the best lines. Legs move back in long, even steps and even beginners acquire a graceful stance. The tango is the music of lust and loneliness, of intricate steps, and legs that twist together. It is a dance where the upper body remains stiff, and the looks between the dancers are distant yet intense. Jorge Nel tells his students to listen to the music and understand make progress.

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Many of Jorge Nel’s students refer friends to him, and other students seek him out in other ways.

One night Jorge Nel was in New York dancing at a cabaret well know among tango dancers. He was on the crowded dance floor with a lady friend, and another couple lightly bumped them. Jorge Nel turned around and looked at the man.

“Don’t you think that man looks like Robert Duval?” Jorge Nel asked.

“No. He does not look like Robert Duval.

He is Robert Duval and he comes here frequently.

He is an excellent dancer.” She replies.

“Do you know him? I’d like to talk to him.”

Jorge Nel said After the dance number was over, they walked to the bar. Robert Duval was standing there, and the lady introduced the two men. They shook hands and Jorge Nel said he was happy to meet such a great movie star. Jorge Nel explained that he was a pioneer in bringing tango to Miami, and that he taught classes. About a year later Jorge Nel received a phone call from a lady named Laura. She said she wanted to begin tango lessons. She had received a phone call from her friend Robert Duval. He was starring in a movie about tango that was being shot in Argentina. He knew she was an outstanding salsa dancer, but he wanted her to take tango lessons so that she could be in a specific dance scene. He told her he remembered speaking to a tango teacher from Miami, but he didn’t remember his name.

Laura looked in the phone book, found Jorge Nel and started taking tango lessons.

He is dedicated to spreading the history of tango to a larger audience. He tells the story of how tango began, in the ghettos, born of immigrant despair, in times of depression and poverty. He narrates the poignancy of desperate men leaving their families and lovers behind, and taking crowded steamers to try and find their fortunes elsewhere. He relates how many of the early tangos are about outrange and uproar, and men that carried dangers, snorted cocaine, and encountered violent confrontations. He describes the cabaret violent prostitutes, thieves and drug dealers congregate, drinking cheap wine and smoking cigars. He weaves the tale of brothels that became the show place for the dance of the tango. The tango was originally considered an indecent dance. It was discovered in the streets of Argentina, reinvented and take to the ballrooms of Paris. It entered the better dance halls in Buenos Aires, and the towns in Colombia.

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The soulful sounds of the bandoneon added to the mood of sadness that underlies the tango. It became the craze in America when tango shows started to appear.

The tango is an emotional dance, one of drama, sexual attraction and tumultuous feelings. When two people that are simpatico dance it becomes an intimate mingling of heat, body and soul. For Jorge Nel the tango is not just a dance, it is also his destiny.

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Shorvtime

It is nine-thirty on a Saturday night. Jorge Nel and François Jacques, at the millennium ballroom are graciously greeting guests as they enter. Francios is an accomplished dancer and teacher of great distinction. He is suave and charming, and he is obsessed with dancing. He produces and choreographs extravaganzas at the ballroom to. On this particular night he will be performing in the show doing a steamy samba with three lovely ladies. The magnificent mirrors around the spacious room reflect the glamorous people.

Large spheres of colored balls rotate their patterns on the dancers. Jorge Nel is putting on a tango show, and there is an air of excitement and promise, because anything can happen in this magical atmosphere. Friends arrive in groups, and couples hold hands as they enter. People greet each other skirts revealing long beautifully shaped legs. There are sophisticated black dresses and dramatic frocks in brilliant reds. There are yellow and orange and purple colored sequined blouses shimmering over ruffled skirt. There are barebacked halters and deep plunging necklines. There is a joyful ambiance and everyone is ready for a gala night. The thrilling event. Show times begins at eleven thirty, but are tango, salsa, cumbia, merengue and ballroom music to keep the guests dancing and the onlookers entertained.

The live orchestra has started playing, and the dance hall is filled with pulsating rhythms. There are enthusiastic couples on the sweeping dance floor, twirling and moving in syncopation to the music. The voices intermingle, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian. It is easy to communicate even if you don’t know the language. Smiles and handshakes and love of dancing are universal. Everyone is friendly and even strangers that arrive alone are invited to dance. In one corner there is a buffet set up with tasty food.

Jorge Nel is busy behind the scenes in preparation of his spectacular show.

There have been hours of rehearsals to get ready for his evening. The audience will see the finished results of hard work and endless practice in order to achieve perfection. Jorge Nel handled every detail with great care.

He chooses all the music that the guests will dance to. He discusses every song that will be played and sung. It is the proper blend of emotions that make an evening a success. Jorge Nel mixes little comedy, a touch of nostalgia, a hint of seduction and sexy tangos. As Showtime arrives, he takes on the role of director. He talks to the singers, the bandoneon player, 71

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the piano player and the dancers. He makes sure the costumes are perfectly fitted. He adjusts the sequins and feathers, assuring they will stay in place and will not fall off when the dancers move about. He reminds the men to jauntily pull their wide brimmed hats over one eye when they make their dramatic entrance. The men are friend for the show. They are dressed in short jackets and tight trousers. The crowd gets clamorous as more guests arrive and the dance floor becomes packed. The ballroom resembles a scene in a movie, with an international flavor that makes people think they could be anywhere in the world. Guests forget they are I Hallandale, Florida, U.S.A., and recall him similar nights when they gathered with friends, and danced together in Argentina and Colombia. It is almost eleven-fifteen.

Jorge Nel walks around the huge ballroom and nods to his dancers that will be performing in the show. He meets with them in the dressing room. He whispers last minute instructions to the musicians. Then, he talks the microphone and the spotlight shines on him. He stands in faultless pose, in a tight black jacket, one hand in his pocket. His black hat is tilted seductively and he becomes the tangaro. He talks to the audience in Spanish, and the crowd responds to his welcome with a display of hand clapping. He introduces the flow of the performers and always on alert to give the signal for the next act. He has control of the evening, and he is aware of everything that is happening. Although to an outsider the schedule might appear haphazard, Jorge Nel Knows the exact time for each event. In between acts Jorge Nel amuses the crowd by telling jokes and relating stories. He has commendable stage presence and charisma and he is in an outstanding host. When it is time for Jorge Nel and Marta to dance, the spotlight turns on them, and their sensual performance drives the crowd wild. There is deafening applause and approving shouts of bravo. Jorge Nel leads with the grace of a panther, and Marta responds to his every nuance.

Through constant practice and years of dancing together, they are familiar with each other’s movements and steps. The close bond between them is visible in their display of superb showmanship.

The tango singer reaches the audience with the haunting melodies and tragic lyrics of lost loves and hard times. The show continues with three professional couples dancing in breathtaking routines that are perfectly executed, and a tribute to Jorge Nel’s meritorious choreography. When the show is over there is thunderous applause, and the crowd rises to their feet and salutes the stars of the evening. Jorge Nel’s shows are indeed spectacular. The stage clears and the audience gets up to start dancing. The couples that have been watching are inspired and dip steps they saw. Men lift their partners and dip them to the floor. Ladies wrap their legs around their partner’s thigh. The seduction continues as the dance floor fills to 72

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capacity once again. It is not just a Saturday night. It is a trip to Jorge Nel’s incredible world of tango dance.

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Improvisation and New Routines

There are always moments in show business that are unplanned no matter how much you rehearse. One night Jorge Nel was waiting backstage to begin in show. The tango music started and he strolled to the left side of the stage. He took a deep breath and walked to the middle of the stage, poised and ready to begin. He watched for his partner Marta, who was supposed to be walking out from the right side of the stage. He waited a moment and she did not appear. He could not stop the music, and he knew he had to proceed. There was nothing left for him to do but improvise. He used his imagination and danced solo, pretending Marta was in his arms. He held her seductively and looks into her eyes. He started to spontaneously move his legs between hers and the audience loved it. They thought he had rehearsed the dance number that way. The escapade was so successful Jorge Nel includes that solo dance in many of his tango shows. When the show was over Jorge Nel asked Marta why she wasn’t on stage. She said she had misjudged the time and it was an accident, but Jorge Nel always felt it was because it was his chance to invent a new dance routine.

When you see a couple locked in an intimate embrace dancing on stage it is not always what it seems. You might think if they speak intimately that they are exchanging tender words of olive. That is not always the case. Jorge Nel was dancing in a show and he had to sneeze. He did not want to break the mood, but he felt it was beyond his control. He put his face close to his partner.

“I’m going to sneeze.” He whispered.

“Don’t.” she said “I can’t help it.” He answered.

“I’ll pretend to caress your face and cover your month with my hand” she volunteered.

She tried her best to look nonchalant and stop him from ruining the moment of passion, but it didn’t work. Jorge Nel turned his head and let out a loud sneeze. There are some embarrassing moments that you just can’t control.

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There was there time Jorge Nel and his partner’s tango dance followed a female singer. The singer was dressed elegantly, wearing a slinky black dress and a black boa. As she moved around on stage one of her feathers fell off. She left the stage, but the feather remained. During the dance routine, as Jorge Nel turned with his partner he slipped on the feather. He left himself falling, and landed on the floor, flat on his back. His partner looked at him and started to laugh. He told her to stop but she couldn`t. the sight of him made her laugh even more, and her laughter was contagious.

The audience joined in. everyone thought it was funny, except Jorge Nel who thought it detracted from his suave image.

Many times when tango dancers finish a routine they freeze and assume a pose. During one show Jorge Nel was dancing with a woman bigger than he was. As he bent her backwards he tried to keep position, but she kept slipping away from him arms and fell to the floor, the music continued and Jorge Nel didn’t know what to do. He decided to leave her where she was.

He carefully placed his foot on her chest in time to the last two notes of the song. The audience loved it but the woman never wanted to dance with Jorge Nel again.

Another idea that Jorge Nel had was to start a dance with a dummy, and exchange the dummy with his partner during the dance. They would both be dressed in identical outfits. He carefully worked out the routine with his partner and it was a funny scene. The night Jorge Nel was ready to perform it publicly for the first time his partner was late in arriving. The show must go on, and Jorge Nel did the whole routine with just the dummy. He tossed it over his shoulder and under his legs. He kissed it and pulled it by the hair and then held it close to him in an intimate embrace. It was a comical and triumphant tango dance number that became a classic in Jorge Nel’s repertoire.

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Taking Care of Business

Jorge Nel leads a full and satisfying life. In addition to directing, producing teaching and dancing, Jorge Nel is an astute businessman. His products revolve around the tango. His brothers own a company in Colombia called “Mr. Tango Shoes”, and Jorge Nel is their sales representative. The shoes are made of the finest and softest leather or suede, and are comfortable and fashionable. He also takes special orders and any style shoe can be custom made, no matter what the size, and executed in a variety of colors.

Jorge Nel has a website www.tangoinmiami.com that reaches tango lovers throughout the world. He produces and sells his instructional tapes for learning how to dance the tango and the milonga. The tapes are exceedingly well done and capture the essence of the dance with an exhilarating series of steps that are fun to watch and remarkably easy to follow. The intoxicating strains of the superb music add to the enjoyment of the viewing. He also carries a complete line of dance costumes, hats and accessories. He has an office in Hallandale; Florida Jorge Nel had many conversations with his attorney about his work visa. He asked about the possibility of receiving resident visa as an artist. His attorney explained that type of visa is normally given to artists that are world renowned, and persisted he felt the work he was doing to promote the tango as an art form had merit. Jorge Nel compiled a portfolio tracing the history of the tango from a social, geographical and historical viewpoint. He asked his attorney to present it to the immigration authorities for him. Although it had never been done before, Jorge Nel received a resident visa. He started working harder than ever to share his knowledge and love of the tango with others.

However, man does not live by work alone, and the spirit world needed to get Jorge Nel’s attention. One night in May 2001 Jorge Nel’s was driving south on 1-95. He was returning home from a tango party in West Palm Beach, and he had his friend’s daughter with him. She was a young girl and she adored tango. They stayed after the show to talk to the dancers. As they drove home they discussed the impressive and wonderful evening. It was late, and the girl did not want her mother to worry. She called her mother on her cell phone and told her they were approaching the Hallandale Beach exit, and she would be home very soon. It was then that Jorge Nel saw the 76

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exit sign. He looked around. There was no traffic, and he changed lanes. As he was approaching the exit he suddenly saw a car in his rear view mirror. It was right behind him skidded on the empty road, and circled twice. It miraculously came out of the spin and drove on with no damage to the driver or the car. Jorge Nel was shaken as he exited and drove the girl home. He kept thinking about how he and the girl might have died if there were any other cars near them at that moment. He thought about how the man in the car that spun around could have smashed into him, and they all could have died right then. Once again, an angel stood watch. Jorge Nel was protected and saved from death. He is convinced that he has more to accomplish in this lifetime.

Jorge Nel’s career is constantly expending. He is a revered consultant and an honored dance artist in residence in numerous universities throughout the United States. Many of his new students are seconds-generation tangeros.

Perhaps Jorge Nel’s mission is to inspire your life and share the message of love, faith, hope and miracles with you. He is certain that his incredible story will be continued.

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