Learning Tango
what can you expect . . .
First and foremost a warm welcome. We know it can be a bit scary learning something new – we have been there ourselves and we can remember what it was like. We work to create a supportive and friendly atmosphere, with no criticism or blame. We encourage our dancing couples to be supportive of each other too.
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Of course, couples are most welcome but lots of singles come as well. Tango is a great way to make new friends, after all, that’s how we met! As in any partner dance there is no guarantee that we will get even numbers of men and women on a given night, but we actively manage both the total number of people in a class and the balance of Leaders to Followers. We encourage people to swap partners from time to time to learn how to lead and follow different people – a vital skill for dancing Tango socially. However, we also respect the fact that many couples prefer to dance together, so we do not insist on swapping partners every five minutes just to overcome an imbalance of Leaders and Followers.
Because of this most of our classes are not "drop in" classes: please contact us beforehand to reserve your place and to discuss how best we can help you slot into a programme if it has already started. (See Guildford on Mondays for "Drop In" possibilities.
All our Classes are followed by a Práctica - an informal practice session where you can go back over the material covered in the Class. This is invaluable in helping to fix it in your memory as well as fine tuning your technique. The Teachers are also on hand during the Práctica, to help sort out any remaining difficulties with that evening's lesson.
Our Approach to Tango
We do not teach sequences of steps in any of our classes, preferring to focus on shorter elements which can be combined in any number of ways to create a dance ‘conversation’ which is fresh, elegant and fun for both partners. The twin arts of Leading and Following are therefore high on our agenda, as are connection with each other and with the music.
We avoid the "Basic 8" approach which, in our experience, severely limits dancers' ability to learn leading, following, improvising or interpreting the music. The problem with the Basic 8 - apart from the dreaded backward first step - is that once it's fixed in the mind, it is so difficult to break out of, it becomes a straight-jacket that actually stops people learning!
Our overwhelming aim is to help dancers of all ages learn how to create an enjoyable dance for themselves and each other, rather than a spectacle for the entertainment of others.
As our main focus is social dancing, we teach movements that are practical and appropriate for Milongas. We strongly encourage considerate and responsible dancing, avoiding extreme movements that would be dangerous or inconsiderate to partners and other dancers.
You can create an elegant, dramatic and passionate dance without being gymnastic!
Our priority is connection - not contortion. Often it is the simplest dance that is the most enjoyable and successful.
In this way we aim to honour the spirit of improvisation and “dialogue” that are hallmarks of the Salon and Milonguero styles of Argentine Tango.
Click here for details of our weekly class schedule.
Click here for details of different Class levels
Click here for Workshops
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