Peter Esser, a Riverstone resident, has lived a full life.
In his 90s, he’s not dozing in a chair.
The goal that keeps him energized? To create Milonga, a place where people come to dance Argentine tango, at Norse Hall, the Eastside venue where he envisions 40-60 people gathering. Arthritis keeps him from dancing now, so his role will be as the “TDJ,” or tango disc jockey.
An international man, Esser spent his younger days in San Francisco, where he made a living as a high-end coiffurist. He shared photos of elaborate styles he created. Imagine highly artistic ‘dos based on the goddess Nefertiti, for example, as well as many other sculptural styles. He even grabbed the attention of Herb Caen, the legendary columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Esser also won a few yacht races back then, too, sailing his boat in the San Francisco Bay.
Setting his white Panama hat on top of his cane in the corner the cafe where we met, we talked about how he became enthralled with tango.
Born in 1933 in a small town west of Cologne, Germany, Esser experienced the bombings in World War II. His father was a prisoner of the war. His mother told him to forget about school for the time being and to find a trade. Formal school was on hold for 50-plus years. Once in the United States, Esser went back to school “just for the hell of it” at a community college in Marin, Calif., where he became hooked on academia generally and philosophy specifically. “It was all so exciting,” he said.
At age 62, he earned his bachelor’s degree in California and applied in 1995 to the University of Oregon, where he earned a PhD in philosophy, calling it one of the great phases of his life.
But he was aged out of university careers.
“They were looking for younger, tenure-track types,” Esser said. “My fellow students were my kids’ age. But it didn’t matter, we were all wrestling with the same ideas!”
It was then Esser fell in love with tango, after attending a beginner’s class in a downtown Eugene studio. “It was very basic, just walking, open stance. And there were some lovely ladies there, of course,” he said.
His passion for tango led him on many trips to Buenos Aires over the last two decades. He eventually rented an apartment there, and his longtime girlfriend still lives there, her native city.
“For the last 25 years, I’ve spent five-six months a year in Buenos Aires tangoing. The last couple of years I even did some DJ gigs there.”
If all goes according to plan, he will do so again, though this time in Portland. The first event is Monday, Oct. 13, at Norse Hall, 111 NE 11th Ave.
