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COURSE
DESCRIPTION
Basics
(Beginners/ Adv. Beginners)
We
will cover social tango essentials: posture, partner
connection, musicality and basic figures. Basic
figures include walks, crosses, runs, ochos, simple
turns and transitions between parallel and cross systems.
For new beginners, as well as for experienced dancers
who want to strengthen fundamental skills or learn the
other gender role. (Pre-requisite for all other
Blue Tango Classes).
The cross system (unique to tango)
provides dancers with improvisational versatility, a
larger repertory of tango figures, and greater intimacy
within the embrace. Learn how to transition with ease
between the parallel and the cross systems, and to dance
classic cross system figures with greater proficiency.
Basics
is the most challenging material in tango to
learn and dance well. It is recommended that beginning
dancers take Basics level courses for at least a
full year, and that experienced dancers revisit
Basics regularly (Basics is free for
students who have taken at least four full Basics series
and who are registered in a concurrent series).
Intensive
Fundamentals Option: Basics 1 & 2
Accelerate the strengthening
of your fundamental skills by taking both Basics classes.
Technique from Basics 1 is reinforced while it is fresh
and more efficiently applied towards new skills in Basics
2 to create dances.
Advanced
Beginners
Explore elements for creating a good dance while strengthening
one's foundation. Find transitions between walks,
ochos, turns and basic figures; and distinctions among
tango, milonga and vals. Work comfortably within
a close embrace. (Pre-requisite: Tango Fundamentals
or 3 months of tango)
Transitions (Adv
Beg / Int)
After
learning basic figures, how does one create a dance?
We will explore transitional possibilities among basic
figures, and develop improvisational skills to make
each dance feel fresh and unique. Pre-requisites:
2 Basics Series or comfort
with parallel and cross system walks, cruzadas, ochos
and molinetes.
Novel
Resolutions!
Avoid canned figures, discover
how to keep one's dancing fresh. Starting with classic
intermediate level figures (e.g., pasadas, sacadas,
turns, or boleos, etc.) develop skillful approaches
leading to a myriad of possible resolutions.
Pre-requisites:
3 Basic series or ease with parallel and cross system
walks, cruzadas, ochos and simple turns.
Milonga
and Vals Basics (Adv Begin
/ Int)
What makes a dance a milonga or a vals?
How do we use tango steps to dance these? This
is a course on how to dance milonga and vals with respect
to musicality, movement dynamics and figures.
Recommended: 2-3 Basics series.
Tango
Vals (Int)
Surges,
swirls, suspension and syncopated rhythms give the tango
vals its special character. Working with the four
major triple time rhythms of vals, we'll explore powerful
approaches for dancing flowing, dynamic and suspenseful
valses.
Intermediate
Technique (Int)
Learn
technique for figures such as giros
(turns), barridas
(drags), paradas
(stops), sacadas
and boleos and their
incorporation into a social dance. Dance
with rhythmic and melodic variation and musical expression.
(Pre-requisite: 2 Advanced Beginners Sessions
or equivalent of 1 year of tango).
This is a 1 year+ course. (Pre-requisite: 2 Advanced
Beginners Sessions or equivalent of 1 year of tango).
Various
topics, e.g., Ins & Outs
of Boleos & Social Ganchos, Turns & Extra-Revolutionary
Turns.
"
Sacadas
& Leg Wraps (Intermediate)
Explore a large family of sacadas that
vary directionally and dynamically, including low &
high, and leader & follower sacadas. Incorporate
sacadas & leg wraps into walks and turns on the
social floor. Explore how to vary wraps dynamically,
dancing them softly or as rhythmic accents. Pre-requisite:
3 Basic series or equivalent.
Advanced
Fundamentals - Hard Core Technique for Experienced Dancers:
Turns (Intermed
/ Adv)
They say that it takes
an average of 9 years to do a great turn. We will
work on technique to execute a great one in 7 (!)
The course covers exercises
for balance, coordination and connection in walks, turns
and selected figures.
Recommended:
>1.5 years of dedicated dance experience.
Advanced
Fundamentals - Hard Core Technique for Experienced Dancers:
Dynamics & Engagement (Int
/ Adv)
Exercises
and drills for leaders and followers will focus on grounding
and balance to achieve multifaceted expression in one's
movements: intensity, subtlety, strength, softness,
suspension, quick agility or dramatic slowness. We will
also work on how to create and modulate forces in out-of-phase
motion and contra turns. The ENGAGEMENT OF FOLLOWERS
is critical to bringing out one's voice and for dancing
as a full partner. The follower can express all of the
above qualities and enrich the dance. This material
is valuable for both open and close style dancing.
Musicality
(Intermed
/ Adv)
One
of the greatest challenges in tango is to create a multi-textured
dance that is rich in musical nuances.
This course explores the following topics:
Distinguishing the
Orchestras and how to dance to them
Survey
of tango rhythms (marcato, sincopa, 3-3-2, habanera)
Interweaving of rhythm and melody
Musical dialogues
Musical phrasing
Pauses and Suspensions
History of Tango Music
Dancing
the Musical Classics (Adv.
Beginners / Intermediate)
The
four major orchestras of the Golden Era of tango (D'Arienzo,
Di Sarli, Troilo and Pugliese) inspire distinct and
dynamic tango qualities, i.e., experienced dancers dance
differently to each of these orchestras. Using
classic figures, explore in depth how to dance the music
of these orchestras with melodic and rhythmic distinction.
Musicality: Tango Orchestras &
Musical Expression (Intermed
/ Adv)
Tango
is danced differently depending upon the orchestra. Even
within a song, there are ways to vary the dance musically
to inspire one's partner.
Topics include:
Dancing D'Arienzo
- Bringing out the soul behind the beat
Dancing Tanturi
- Finding contrast in lyricism
Dancing
Laurenz - Surges, suspensions & slingshots
Dancing
Pugliese - Phrasing & building intensity
Musical
Rhythms in Tango, Milonga & Vals
(Int / Adv) From
an understanding of musical rhythms (e.g., the
marcato and sincopa of tango, triple time variations
of vals), we will explore how to dance in distinctive
musical styles, using accents, syncopations and dynamic
range.
Experienced
Figures: Changing Dynamics
(Intermed/Adv)
Learn
how to generate dynamic changes in your dance, from
precise rhythmicity
to flowing
lilts to
dramatic suspensions
to fast spins
to sweet lyricism.
Play with elasticity and engagement in both closed and
open style dancing.
Challenges
in Tango (Adv)
Challenging
material on musciality, dynamics and technique for experienced
dancers.
The
course incorporates the following themes: Mirror,
Invert, Revert, Reverse, Revoke, Contra, 2's & 4's.
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CLOSE
EMBRACE SERIESa
Close
Embrace Fundamentals (Intermed)
Skills
for dancing comfortably within a close embrace.
Work on posture, balance, connection and dancing rhythmically
& melodically within a shared axis. Learn how to
mark the music for classic figures which include salida
variations, cortes, giros, milonguero-style ochos.
Pre-requisite: 3 Basic series
or equivalent, facility with the cross system.
Limited Class Size.
Cadence,
Presence & Classic Figures (Buenos Aires Tango)
(Intermed)
Dance the close embrace (apilado) style of Buenos Aires
milongas. Dance with cadence and the ability to
mark the music. Explore classic figures that can
be done in small spaces and their innovative variations.
Figures include giros, cortes, milonguero-style ochos,
cambio de lado, cambio de frente, salida de 1940's.
Pre-requisite: Close Embrace Fundamentals (may be concurrent).
Experienced
Close Embrace: Classic & Classy Milonguero Figures
(Int / Adv)
Dance
the close embrace (apilado) style of Buenos Aires milongas.
Dance with distinctive cadence to different orchestras.
Explore classic figures in small spaces and their innovative
variations. Figures may include giros, salida
de 1940's, sacadas, boleos, reversals,
cambio de lado, cambio de frente, changes
of direction. Pre-requisite:
Close Embrace Fundamentals (2 series or equivalent).
Limited Class Size.
Tango
Lab: Dynamic Motion
Centrifugal
Acceleration, Elasticity, Reversals, Suspensions
8:00 PM Session
1 (Adv. Beginners
/ Intermediate)
Enrich your tango by incorporating dynamic qualities
to classic figures (Pre-req:
2 Basics series, ease with the cross system).
$90
9:15 PM Session 2 - (Intermediate)
Dance social figures that progress in difficulty arising
from Session 1's dynamic themes, such as out-of-phase
moves, single axis turns, changes of direction, arrastres,
etc. (Prereq: Session
1 or Instructor Approval) $90
Off-Axis "Leans" - Cradled,
Suspended & Dynamic
Figures
(Intermed
/ Adv)
Explore
dynamic off-axis figures, and how to improvise musically
within a social context.
Focus on Follower's Technique
–
Dynamic pro-active engagement – WITHOUT
passive “leaning”
Free leg decorations
Topics:
Syncopated Calesitas
Invisible Colgadas
Suspended Elasticity
Incipient Volcadas & Volcada Variations
Reversals
Pre-requisite:
Close Embrace Fundamentals or equiv.
Close
Embrace Vals (Int / Adv)
Working
with the four major triple time rhythms of vals, we'll
explore powerful approaches for dancing flowing, dynamic
and suspenseful valses. Pre-requisistes: 3 Basic
series or ease with parallel and cross system walks,
cruzadas, ochos and simple turns.
Close
Embrace Milonga - No Sweat Fancy Feet
(Int / Adv)
Learn
how to dance to fast music with eas, precision
and without rushing. Find a relaxed
connection for both the smooth milonga
lisa and more rapid traspie.
Explore how milongueros use cadencia
to dance a natural and effortless milonga.
FIGURES
FOR A small SPACE (Intermediate / Adv.
Intermediate)
Dance richly, fully and intricately within the smallest
of spaces; a most useful skill for dancing anywhere
(festivals, crowded milongas, house parties or in your
living room).
Buenos
Aires Primer (Int / Adv)
OR "Creating
Magic in a Small Space". This
course is for all who want to enjoy dancing in experienced
communities, where the floor is generally PACKED, whether
it is the milongas of Buenos Aires, at a festival in
Denver or the Netherlands, or in Boston at the Zeitgeist.
Topics include:
Creating rhythmic
& lyrical magic within a small space.
Contrasting dynamics.
Cool on-the-spot figures.
Creative slow traveling moves.
Dancing with Musicality
is one of the most prized skills among experienced dancers.
We will cover how Followers and Leaders both can musically
enhance their dance together. Recommended pre-requisite:
Close Embrace Fundamentals, may be concurrent.
Milonguero
Nuevo (Adv)
Find
innovative ways to add to your vocabulary within a close
embrace. Incorporate
nuevo elements
socially even on a crowded floor. Figures may
include any of the following: alteration of direction,
single axis turns, linear boleos, social ganchos, sacadas
& leg wraps.
Prerequisite: Two Close Embrace series or equivalent.
Changes
of Direction Advanced)
Investigate how to dance changes of direction
comfortably within close embrace, leading to a tremendous
expansion of movement possibilities.
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