Learning Tango - Page 9

RogerR · 8th-February-2006, 08:06 PM

Has anyone been to the tango session at the London Welsh Centre, Greys Inn Road, recently?

frodo · 9th-February-2006, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerR

Has anyone been to the tango session at the London Welsh Centre, Greys Inn Road, recently?

No, but would also be interested in what it looks like at the moment.

Compared to numbers described in some of these threads they seemed to have relatively decent numbers, and I thought the emphasis on safety in the class was very good.

It also seemed the sort of place it is fairly easy to turn up on your own, rather than having to get a group together.

LMC · 9th-February-2006, 07:07 AM

I'd also be interested, as it's walking distance from the office. Weblink http://www.tangowithflavio.co.uk/links.html

**Msfab** · 9th-February-2006, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMC

I'd also be interested, as it's walking distance from the office. Weblink http://www.tangowithflavio.co.uk/links.html

I know of a couple that have tried his class in Guildford. They tell me hes less about technique and more about moves. But they are really enjoying the classes. I hope to get down there soon and see for myself.

**Lynn** · 9th-February-2006, 12:26 PM

Grump, grump, grump

Just heard there will be a tango social event in NI - when I am away at Storm!

Ah well, hopefully bodes well for more in the future.

CeeCee · 9th-February-2006, 06:02 PM

Oh dear oh dear oh dear, I must be doomed.

The more people tell me not to go to Federico's classes the more I'm intrigued.
Why am I enjoying them so much?
Why does it matter?
Why are some people telling me not to go when they've never been themselves?
During the weekend five people told me not to go to his classes.

So guess what I did on Monday?

I went to another tango class in Fulham, run by Federico. It was brilliant. Super people, huge dance studio, friendly atmosphere, great music. I’ve been totally taken in by his charm and quirky sense of humour so he still gets my vote.

With 18 women and 7 men there were no fixed couples and lots of moving around. No he doesn't spend an hour on one move because that is not his style. He makes passing comments about technique without lots stressing any points. I guess it's up to us, we can take it or leave it.

He inspires me though so I guess I'll go again.

At the class I bought Gotan Project’s latest album, Inspiracion-Espiracion and it’s awesome. I’m totally in love with track number 4 Confianzas and I’m just playing on repeat because it just oozes…

**David Bailey** · 10th-February-2006, 06:46 PM

Here's some good news for Kev F:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4701996.stm

DianaS · 10th-February-2006, 10:10 PM

Just had my first AT class in Birmingham and will just have to pour it all out.
It was a cafe bar in the front very mediteranean looking and quaint. Walk through the back door and its a sprung floor mirror wall and barrs.
I warmed up feeling nervous. The women were one side of the room the men another. It was a beginners class, and it was the second week.

We learned to walk. First forwards then backwards My high heels wobbled as my core lifted, my cosix sank, and my kneeds struggled to find each other. Not so elegant was my reflection, but the teacher kindly corrected me. It looks as though I'll be ironing and hoovering in my heels to get adjusted to the height

Then we learnt swirls with our feet balancing on one we move the other forwards, sideways and backwards. It felt excuisite. Then we slide forwards, stop one one foot turned our selves and slide the other making our way across the room. One lady didn't manage she was corrected and we continued.
Later we were paired to lead and follow, weight tipped forwards, finger tips on our partners chest. An elderly gentleman put me at my ease as me moved slowly across the floor. Without noticing it we became closer, he commented teasing me,
there was a quiet moment of laughter

We were shown a sequence with a right right cross.
I struggled using other latin steps unconsciously ,until again I was corrected and again, and yet again untill I followed and the teacher looked at a glance and said yes.

The music was much to my taste, the other dancers quiet composed and hardworking and no one all night demanded I smile, but the smile was there hovering around my lips. It is a very beautiful dance.

**Lynn** · 10th-February-2006, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DianaS

Just had my first AT class in Birmingham and will just have to pour it all out.

Sounds like it was a good class. Thanks for posting. I think its great that so many of us are learning at the same time in different places, comparing classes, sharing the discovery of tango.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DianaS

It is a very beautiful dance.

Isn't it...
I'm making up for having no class tonight (1/2 term, yeah I thought it was early too) by listening to Tango music.

RogerR · 11th-February-2006, 11:13 AM

http://www.tangoalfresco.com/

There will be some Tango parties in Regents Park this summer. Jill Barret (mentioned in the Linked page) is a friend of mine and teaches tango.

Shall we form a group to book Jill for classes and then go to Tango Al Fresco? we would need 20 plus people. Say a few sundays 12 - 4 then go to Regents Park on the last one for a dance

**Lory** · 11th-February-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerR

http://www.tangoalfresco.com/

The little video clip on there is definitely worth a look, it's lovely!

CeeCee · 11th-February-2006, 02:33 PM

Quote:

originally posted by Lory

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerR
http://www.tangoalfresco.com/

The little video clip on there is definitely worth a look, it's lovely!

No kidding, it's great!
As soon as I started watching it, my heart starting racing and now I'm still tingling.

Great idea Roger to organise a group, I'm definitely interested, so count me in.

Clive Long · 11th-February-2006, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CeeCee

No kidding, it's great!
As soon as I started watching it, my heart starting racing and now I'm still tingling.

My reaction too!

I started dancing round the lounge as I listened to the music thinking I can do this dance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CeeCee

Great idea Roger to organise a group, I'm definitely interested, so count me in.

Count me in too. I missed it last year

Also when am I going to have my Grays Inn Road baptism?

CRL

**Lory** · 11th-February-2006, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CeeCee

No kidding, it's great!
As soon as I started watching it, my heart starting racing and now I'm still tingling.

Kele is mine and Kev's regular teacher and guess who layed that new floor

Yes, 'twas Kev!

RogerR · 11th-February-2006, 05:49 PM

OK To organise this I need 10 men and 10 women to commit to 6 summer sundays about 12 or 1pm start for a few (say 2 - 4 hours each time) leading up to going to Tango Al Fresco as a passing out practica/milonga. Oh and Franck's approval to promote this here, please.

PMs asap to judge interest at about £80 each all in, up front!

Rotating class, Some dance experience but no tango experience necessary.

**Kev F** · 11th-February-2006, 07:03 PM

Our first tango workshop - Working with the Embrace.

Class objective:
A class designed to develop a flexible and adapting embrace to accommodate all moves using close, open & broken embrace.

Teacher:
Pablo Di giorgio, an alleged Buenos Aires tango master.

Lory and i decided to engage on this embrace workshop for three reasons:

To enable us some success in the closer embraced holds.

Our curiosity to see the authentic tango masters method of teaching

To save poor Lorys toes which I keep treading on.

We arrived a few minutes early as the last class was dispersing. They looked lively and refreshed by their new found knowledge and I could hear the crossfire from new arrivals questioning if the Pablo legends were true.

We entered the class to see a portly man in his fifties resembling a cross between Inspector Clouseau and Hercule Poirot. Ladies were instructed to remove their shoes by Liz, his assistant, so they could feel the earth. I could already hear the faint girlish giggles from Lory who was hiding behind me.

Pablo English was a little broken but perfectly understandable. We immediately engaged in the warm up. A whole array of body isolations ensued. As we progressed with the warm up the exercises became more and more tricky. (very similar to patting your head and rubbing your tummy) Both Lory and I were told off for doing it wrong and I resisted the temptation to look around incase she started laughing.

One hour later and after about sixty warm ups we were apparently ready for learning. Without going into minute detail the objective was to lead your partner by intention. We led our partners from a distance of up to fifteen feet (yes fifteen feet) and gradually closed the gap. The close embace was developed then fine tuned and we used the intention to lead with varying combinations of contact from just chest contact to full hold. The opening out of the chest and the closeness our our two hearts assisted with the close embrace posture

This was a rotating class so it was interesting to try it with other people.

In summary, I initially thought Pablo was a bit cuckoo. But his method of teaching did achieve the objective by the end. Lory danced three tangos with Pablo and he obviously led very well. She said he was very easy to dance with and that he was focused on centerings her and balancing her through every second of the dance. He was not a big flashy tango dancer and the subtleties were very interesting. It was just about treating the follower as if she were made of glass and maintaining her every position with a real delicacy of dance to avoid her breaking.

I must admit that Pablo didn't exactly excite me to watch nor did he make the women gasp with excitement, but what he gave was totally devotion and care to her every step and i believe this is what makes a good tango dancer.

**philsmove** · 12th-February-2006, 12:28 PM

Just came across this

What Women Want and What Men Want in Tango

CeeCee · 12th-February-2006, 01:13 PM

Wow all this sharing is great isn’t it?

Quote:

Originally posted by DianaS
Just had my first AT class in Birmingham …

Well done Diana, I enjoyed reading your post and felt quite moved by your descriptions, feelings and emotions.

Quote:

Originally posted by Kev F
It was just about treating the follower as if she were made of glass and maintaining her every position with a real delicacy of dance to avoid her breaking.

Super post and this glass analogy is interesting.

Quote:

Originally posted by Philsmove
Just came across this

What Women Want and What Men Want in Tango

Fascinating reading!

**Lory** · 12th-February-2006, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kev F

Both Lory and I were told off ...

I have to paint the picture here... there was Kev and I dressed for a Friday night out

(me in a dress) and suddenly we were standing there in our socks, which at the time, for some reason, I found extremely amusing.

We started off by simply moving our heads, then our hands, arms, toes, hips, chests and knees (FLEXION KEVIN, MORE FLEXION, MORE FLEXION..MORE MORE MORE!!

) then we had to do bizarre movements, which culminated in us walking round the room, resembling a load of chickens.. to top it off, the music suddenly broke into cuckoo noises

.. which nearly finished me off completely.

We then progressed into the larger hall and was allowed to put our shoes back on and pair up. We had a few minutes where Pablo came round to us individually and placed each couple into the close embrace, he checked everything and gave personal pointers.

Then we swapped partners and we had to spend a whole track walking round the room, no touching allowed but instead, maintaining the same distance and looking/glaring into our partners eyes, which is quite disconcerting if you've never even met the person before.

Pablo pulled to few ladies out individually to demonstrate things, I was one of the 'lucky' ones, I had to follow his body movements, but not look at his body, just into his eyes (I'm not sure if he was boss eyed but I could swear he was staring at my boobs

) At which point I giggled and yes, I got told off again!

He asked, are you laughing at me? or dancing with me?

My summing up is, we did 'get it' in the end but I think we could have got 'it' with a lot less of the drama and passion but then again, it's
TANGO

The rest of the evening was lovely, and the lesson seemed to make more and m

8th-February-2006, 08:06 PM	#161 (permalink)
RogerR Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: London Posts: 430 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 110	Re: Learning Tango Has anyone been to the tango session at the London Welsh Centre, Greys Inn Road, recently?

9th-February-2006, 07:07 AM	#163 (permalink)
LMC Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In the corner Posts: 4,508 Rep Power: 4 Reputation Total: 2319	Re: Learning Tango I'd also be interested, as it's walking distance from the office. Weblink http://www.tangowithflavio.co.uk/links.html

9th-February-2006, 12:26 PM	#165 (permalink)
Lynn Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Belfast Posts: 7,645 Rep Power: 5 Reputation Total: 2458	Re: Learning Tango Grump, grump, grump Just heard there will be a tango social event in NI - when I am away at Storm! Ah well, hopefully bodes well for more in the future.

9th-February-2006, 06:02 PM	#166 (permalink)
CeeCee Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 323 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 1339	Re: Learning Tango Oh dear oh dear oh dear, I must be doomed. The more people tell me not to go to Federico's classes the more I'm intrigued. Why am I enjoying them so much? Why does it matter? Why are some people telling me not to go when they've never been themselves? During the weekend five people told me not to go to his classes. So guess what I did on Monday? I went to another tango class in Fulham, run by Federico. It was brilliant. Super people, huge dance studio, friendly atmosphere, great music. I’ve been totally taken in by his charm and quirky sense of humour so he still gets my vote. With 18 women and 7 men there were no fixed couples and lots of moving around. No he doesn't spend an hour on one move because that is not his style. He makes passing comments about technique without lots stressing any points. I guess it's up to us, we can take it or leave it. He inspires me though so I guess I'll go again. At the class I bought Gotan Project’s latest album, Inspiracion-Espiracion and it’s awesome. I’m totally in love with track number 4 Confianzas and I’m just playing on repeat because it just oozes…

10th-February-2006, 06:46 PM	#167 (permalink)
David Bailey Formerly known as DavidJames Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Norf Lundin Posts: 13,954 Rep Power: 8 Reputation Total: 3750	Re: Learning Tango Here's some good news for Kev F: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4701996.stm __________________ Jivetango Godfather Inventor of the Masterclass Baboon-worrier extraordinaire

10th-February-2006, 10:10 PM	#168 (permalink)
DianaS Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Lying in the gutter, looking at the stars Posts: 1,425 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 506	Re: Learning Tango Just had my first AT class in Birmingham and will just have to pour it all out. It was a cafe bar in the front very mediteranean looking and quaint. Walk through the back door and its a sprung floor mirror wall and barrs. I warmed up feeling nervous. The women were one side of the room the men another. It was a beginners class, and it was the second week. We learned to walk. First forwards then backwards My high heels wobbled as my core lifted, my cosix sank, and my kneeds struggled to find each other. Not so elegant was my reflection, but the teacher kindly corrected me. It looks as though I'll be ironing and hoovering in my heels to get adjusted to the height Then we learnt swirls with our feet balancing on one we move the other forwards, sideways and backwards. It felt excuisite. Then we slide forwards, stop one one foot turned our selves and slide the other making our way across the room. One lady didn't manage she was corrected and we continued. Later we were paired to lead and follow, weight tipped forwards, finger tips on our partners chest. An elderly gentleman put me at my ease as me moved slowly across the floor. Without noticing it we became closer, he commented teasing me, there was a quiet moment of laughter We were shown a sequence with a right right cross. I struggled using other latin steps unconsciously ,until again I was corrected and again, and yet again untill I followed and the teacher looked at a glance and said yes. The music was much to my taste, the other dancers quiet composed and hardworking and no one all night demanded I smile, but the smile was there hovering around my lips. It is a very beautiful dance.

11th-February-2006, 11:13 AM	#170 (permalink)
RogerR Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: London Posts: 430 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 110	Re: Learning Tango http://www.tangoalfresco.com/ There will be some Tango parties in Regents Park this summer. Jill Barret (mentioned in the Linked page) is a friend of mine and teaches tango. Shall we form a group to book Jill for classes and then go to Tango Al Fresco? we would need 20 plus people. Say a few sundays 12 - 4 then go to Regents Park on the last one for a dance

11th-February-2006, 05:49 PM	#175 (permalink)
RogerR Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: London Posts: 430 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 110	Re: Learning Tango OK To organise this I need 10 men and 10 women to commit to 6 summer sundays about 12 or 1pm start for a few (say 2 - 4 hours each time) leading up to going to Tango Al Fresco as a passing out practica/milonga. Oh and Franck's approval to promote this here, please. PMs asap to judge interest at about £80 each all in, up front! Rotating class, Some dance experience but no tango experience necessary.

11th-February-2006, 07:03 PM	#176 (permalink)
Kev F Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Rickmansworth, Herts Posts: 298 Rep Power: 2 Reputation Total: 565	Re: Learning Tango Our first tango workshop - Working with the Embrace. Class objective: A class designed to develop a flexible and adapting embrace to accommodate all moves using close, open & broken embrace. Teacher: Pablo Di giorgio, an alleged Buenos Aires tango master. Lory and i decided to engage on this embrace workshop for three reasons: To enable us some success in the closer embraced holds. Our curiosity to see the authentic tango masters method of teaching To save poor Lorys toes which I keep treading on. We arrived a few minutes early as the last class was dispersing. They looked lively and refreshed by their new found knowledge and I could hear the crossfire from new arrivals questioning if the Pablo legends were true. We entered the class to see a portly man in his fifties resembling a cross between Inspector Clouseau and Hercule Poirot. Ladies were instructed to remove their shoes by Liz, his assistant, so they could feel the earth. I could already hear the faint girlish giggles from Lory who was hiding behind me. Pablo English was a little broken but perfectly understandable. We immediately engaged in the warm up. A whole array of body isolations ensued. As we progressed with the warm up the exercises became more and more tricky. (very similar to patting your head and rubbing your tummy) Both Lory and I were told off for doing it wrong and I resisted the temptation to look around incase she started laughing. One hour later and after about sixty warm ups we were apparently ready for learning. Without going into minute detail the objective was to lead your partner by intention. We led our partners from a distance of up to fifteen feet (yes fifteen feet) and gradually closed the gap. The close embace was developed then fine tuned and we used the intention to lead with varying combinations of contact from just chest contact to full hold. The opening out of the chest and the closeness our our two hearts assisted with the close embrace posture This was a rotating class so it was interesting to try it with other people. In summary, I initially thought Pablo was a bit cuckoo. But his method of teaching did achieve the objective by the end. Lory danced three tangos with Pablo and he obviously led very well. She said he was very easy to dance with and that he was focused on centerings her and balancing her through every second of the dance. He was not a big flashy tango dancer and the subtleties were very interesting. It was just about treating the follower as if she were made of glass and maintaining her every position with a real delicacy of dance to avoid her breaking. I must admit that Pablo didn't exactly excite me to watch nor did he make the women gasp with excitement, but what he gave was totally devotion and care to her every step and i believe this is what makes a good tango dancer.

12th-February-2006, 12:28 PM	#177 (permalink)
philsmove Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 1,695 Rep Power: 3 Reputation Total: 601	Re: Learning Tango Just came across this What Women Want and What Men Want in Tango __________________ “Where the man goes, the lady must follow...” Liz , Strictly Ballroom