Argentine Tango School

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Marcelo-Solis-Enrosque. Argentine Tango dance classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced level. Argentine Tango dance Private lessons. one to one Argentine dance lessons. Argentine Tango dance lessons for couples. Argentine Tango Milongas and workshops.

Tango is passion

Marcelo-Solis-Enrosque. Argentine Tango dance classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced level. Argentine Tango dance Private lessons. one to one Argentine dance lessons. Argentine Tango dance lessons for couples. Argentine Tango Milongas and workshops.I’ve being very busy since I came back from Buenos Aires. I had plans to be in BA right now, but so much is going on, I am still here.

Among many things that I had no time to do, writing about Tango is the one I missed the most.

In the meantime, all that kept me busy –mainly, teaching new students- gave me new experiences, new approaches, and new thoughts about how to present Tango to those who are curious about it, and show up to a Tango class for the first time.

Tango is passion.

A new student asked me in the middle of her first private class if I thought that she was going to be able to dance Tango. I answered that we were dancing to the music of Juan D’Arienzo Orchestra, recorded between 1940 and 1943, with Héctor Mauré singing and a 20 year’s old Fulvio Salamanca at the piano.

I told her that Mauré used to be a professional boxer, until a bad punch made him quit boxing and dedicate himself exclusively to singing. I told her that if she gets to love Tango to the point of finding that information really interesting, relevant, then she would dance, otherwise, not. That I could not order her to “love it”, same as it would not be possible to oblige someone to fall in love with a person. Whether she falls in love with Tango or not is nothing I can do much about, except to love Tango myself de way I do.

I cannot oblige my students to be passionate about Tango, but I can share my passion with them.

Some may judge me as crazy, obsessed, or neurotic, and I would reply that while you judge, you cannot dance.
Dancing Tango implies dancing every single note, every nuance in the expressivity of each musician of each song. It takes knowing those songs and those musicians as you know your closest relatives and friends.

I am satisfied if a new student learns, at least, to respect Tango for what it is.

I am very patient. Tango made me so.

You do not have to rush in getting to know Tango. Tango is infinite. Also, you have to enjoy your path in becoming a real milonguera or milonguero, enjoy it the way you enjoy a tasty flavored meal, even for the moments it may get too spicy.

I will not say “I told you that already.” I will always present the concepts you need to know and apply, as if it were the first time I am presenting them to you. Repetition is needed, but we can make repetition a non-boring exercise if we do it to the wonderful music that Tango is.

I promise not to say:

“Just”. Sometimes I’ve being in the situation of explaining a move that is simple in appearance, and the student says “Just that!?”, or “Ok, just that”, or something similar. Each single move is very, very, very important. Every little part of a move is something you have to feel fully.

“I got it”. Each move in Tango requires decades to be understood. We have to begin somewhere, and I will patiently show you the move. But you probably won’t be able to see it all. So, please, do not undervalue it.

You need to be very humble to learn to Tango.

You need to be very humble to learn to Tango. Please, accept that you start from ignorance, and have respect for the one that shares with you something he loves a lot. It is like introducing you to my family.

Now, I remember a joke: One boy says to another boy – Look at that woman! She has a moustache!!!

The other boy responds – She is my mom.

And the first boy clarifies –The moustache looks very well on her!!!

Argentine Tango dance classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced level. Argentine Tango dance Private lessons. one to one Argentine dance lessons. Argentine Tango dance lessons for couples. Argentine Tango Milongas and workshops. San Francisco, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Orinda, Danville, San Jose, Cupertino, Campbell, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Milpitas. With Marcelo Solis at Escuela de Tango de Buenos Aires.

What can we do to contribute to the health and continued development of Bay Area Tango community?

Marcelo Solis with Myriam Pincen and Blas Catrenau in a milonga in Buenos AiresTango is fun.

It makes us happy.

But Tango is also responsibility.

What can we do to contribute to the health and continued development of Bay Area Tango community?

Here are my answers:

Milongueros and milongueras: 1- Dance better. 2- Behave better. 3- Dress better.

Milonga organizers:
1- Choose good DJs. 2- Give milongueros the necessary set up a milonga should have. 3- Pay attention to what actually happens on the dance floor. 4- Get to know, greet at the entrance, and say goodbye at the exit, to everyone coming to the milonga. 5- Introduce new people at the milonga to the regulars. 6- Travel to Buenos Aires and go to traditional milongas with high level of dancing to see how things are organized and run there.


DJs:
1- Go to Buenos Aires and visit milongas to learn how to do their job, not one time, but several times a year.

Teachers: 1- Stop trying to attract customers by showing them steps inappropriate to the milonga, and therefore, to Tango itself. 2- Go to the milongas, and show their students and the community that the way they teach is the way they dance at the milongas. 3- Go to Buenos Aires not one, but several times a year, study there with the milongueros, meaning: the ones that dance Tango. Prove themselves to have their place in the wide Tango community, and not to be mere local instructors without any connection to Buenos Aires, and therefore, to Tango.

To follow these guidelines, we will get together and put them in practice in all my classes and events through the Bay Area.
I am looking forward to seeing you and dancing with you.

Join our classes!!!

 

Argentine Tango dance classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced level. Argentine Tango dance Private lessons. one to one Argentine dance lessons. Argentine Tango dance lessons for couples. Argentine Tango Milongas and workshops. San Francisco, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Orinda, Danville, San Jose, Cupertino, Campbell, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Milpitas.

“Códigos”, “Cabeceo”, “cortinas”, “tandas”, and line of dance

“Códigos”, “cabeceo”, “cortinas”, “tandas”, and line of dance

Argentine Tango with Marcelo Solis

“Cortinas” & “tandas”

“Cortinas” are small pieces of non-tango songs that separate different sets of tangos, milongas or valses (“tandas”).

Each “tanda” contains four tango songs, four or three valses, or three milongas, in general played by the same orchestra and recorded in the same time period. In this way, you know that after the “cortina” a new set, played by a different orchestra, is coming, usually a different rhythm and style than the set played right before, and by listening to the first song you know what to expect for that tanda.

The “cortinas” are also a call to the dancers to go back to seat and clear the dance floor. The etiquette requires to dance with the same partner until the end of the “tanda”. So, when the “cortina” starts to play you can say “Thank you” and accompany your partner back to her table -if you are a leader- or let your partner accompany you back to your place -if you are a follower.

The “cortina” makes clear that the “tanda” is over. You will have to wait for the next “tanda” to begin before to ask any other partner to dance.

Milonga in Buenos Aires photo

“Cabeceo”: eye contact

Asking someone to dance

Facing the fact that to be rejected is always painful, the Porteños (people from Buenos Aires) developed the “cabeceo” (making eye contact) as the proper way to ask someone to dance. They look at the person they want to dance with.

This applies either for men a women.

If a person wants to dance with someone, one will let the other know by looking at that person and nodding the head when the other person looks back, making it a clear invitation to dance.

If that person wants to dance, she or he will answer back with an assenting sign with the head. After these subtle signs, the leader will go to the follower’s table (or where she is) and offering his hand, take her to the dance floor.

If the other person does not want to dance (man or woman), when the “eye contact” occurs, he/she will simple not respond.

This is a very simplified way to describe it. Reality is more subtle and complex. In any case, it is a good start if you are new to Tango.

Tango is a SOCIAL dance. The milonga is a place not only to dance, but also to meet new people, chat with friends, etc. It is seeing as a very inconsiderate attitude that someone comes to where you are to invite you to dance. It will be almost like saying: “I just want to dance with you and I don’t really care about you”.

While Tango is a dance that requires a situation of intimacy between the partners, asking to dance from a distance shows respect for the other person and her or his right to choose if that person wants to share the intimacy that Tango requieres with you.

There are many benefits of these “códigos”. One is that it takes in consideration the feelings of both partners, so when the dance finally happens, they both know they are where they want, which is an important requirement to have a good dance. They are not dancing because they have to.

Dancing Argentine Tango at milongas photo.

Line of dance

The line of dance existed from before Argentine Tango.

The line of dance was already in the European dances in fashion of that time (1800’s). The counter clockwise direction was already used in waltz, the most popular dance before the appearance of Tango, and was used in other dances as well.

The Argentine Tango dancers just adopted it.

In Argentine Tango the line of dance is an expression of the dance itself, understanding it as a way of walking.

Also, it is the result of an agreement that shows the respect among the dancers on the dance floor. Seeing it from a practical point of view and making analogy: it is like traffic on the freeway, without the speed, but everyone is going in the same direction in your lane of traffic.

At Escuela de Tango de Buenos Aires we are committed to provide you with a complete Argentine Tango experience.

Enjoy our milongas

Learn to dance Argentine Tango

 

Marcelo Solis dancing with Sofia Pellicciaro

PRIVATE LESSONS

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Dancing Tango in Buenos Aires with Marcelo Solis

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Argentine Tango orchestra

TANGO MUSIC

FROM THE GOLDEN ERA

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Dancing at milongas.

On learning Argentine Tango. Starting out in milongas.

Dancing at milongas.by Olga Matveeva on Tuesday, January 25, 2011

In my opinion, starting Argentine Tango should not be different from entering any social community for the first time.

Before traveling abroad, we try to find out about some specific local rules and customs that, if not observed, paid attention to, could put us in trouble. When we begin at a new job, we do not start by saying that things had been done wrong (even if it seems so at times), and by teaching everyone new ways.

When we start socializing with any unfamiliar party, we listen, look around, pay attention, learn.

All teachers I have taken lessons from spoke about the rules, at least to certain extent. It might not be happening everywhere in every class people go to. I believe that instructor must speak about such matters as line of dance, navigation, social etiquette, in their classes. If your tango instructor never mentions that during lessons, then, perhaps, he or she is not qualified to teach tango, or does not intend to prepare the students to be social tango dancers. If your goal is to attend milongas, you better find another class.

Behaving as an adequate member of the tango community right from the start is more important for your success than knowing fancy steps.

Unfortunately, some people who take up lessons, attend milongas, are not interested in a social aspect of tango. For them tango means putting on a vintage dress with sparkles or a fedora hat, and become a passionate, exotic night creature that in real life they are not. Of course there is nothing wrong in dressing up and having fun per se. The problems begin when they bump into (pun intended) those for whom milonga is not a Halloween party, but a place where they open up, look for genuine connections, a social ritual where the codes of behavior are not arbitrary. The rules of etiquette are in place for good reasons.

They ensure that all the participants enjoy themselves in a safe environment, minimizing negative feelings and frustrations that may arise from social interactions in close quarters.

Understanding a culture, becoming part of it might be a fascinating journey, but it takes time and effort.

Tango is a culture, and as such, should be approached with sensibility and respect.

At Escuela de Tango de Buenos Aires we are committed to provide you with a complete Argentine Tango experience. Learn more about Argentine Tango.

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