January 2016

Saturday January 2nd ----  3:00-5:00pm

All regular continuing students are encouraged to take the 2 hour continuous workshop - consider drills and fundamentals time to review and practice.  Beginners are welcome to join us for the first half only for the discounted rate of $10 but everyone is asked to arrive at 3:00pm.

2 hour workshop: $20 per person

November 2015

Saturday Workshops resume at Starlite Ballroom

3:00-4:30pm  Tango Seducción - Beginners & returning students

An intensive workshop style class in Fundamentals for beginners and returning dancers. Classes are continuous (not a series) and designed to train students to achieve fluid movement, core control, axis, balance, frame and dissociation, through intention and invitation.

To achieve maximum potential and fastest growth, this curriculum may be combined with the FASTTRACK beginner classes offered by Tango Fantástico.

4:30-6:00pm  Tango Apasionado - Intermediate & Up

Enjoy a focused intermediate workshop that introduces new moves and incorporates them into familiar sequences. Filled with information Tango Apasionado cultivates immediate results. A thorough knowledge of Fundamentals is required as intermediate movements can only be successfully achieved from a solid foundation.

Single Workshop:  $15

Intermediate students may elect to take the beginners class to review fundamentals and pay-it-forward to incoming students: Two workshops $25

Location:  Starlite Ballroom, 5178 Moorpark Avenue #60, San Jose CA 95129

October 2015

October 17, 2015 -- Gancho, gancho

Gancho for leaders, gancho for followers, repeat!  Exploring ganchos, gancho combinations, finishing touches and even a rally!

October 10, 2015 -- El Centro Del Tango

The Center of Tango:  Center of the individual dancer, center of rotation, center of the circle, center of the dance floor and the energy center.  An exploration of tango elements we need to understand - physically.

October 03, 2015 -- Blocking and Exits

The success to failure ratio with planned or choreographed involved tango sequences is almost always unrewarding due to the constant changes in the environment (other dancers moving around the floor), limiting everything from our direction to our expression - that is, unless we have the whole floor to ourselves.  To overcome these perceived restrictions we need to acquire the skills that will allow us to change midstream.  Starting with a reasonably complicated sequence we will look at multiple ways to adapt, alter and "Improvise" solutions.

September 2015

September 26, 2015 -- Applied Physics

Various forces are at work when we dance Tango.  We are working with energy.  Consider these actions: Attract, repel, resist, absorb, rotate, accelerate and displace...And these concepts:  gravity, balance, kinetic energy, inertia, momentum and wave motion.  Sound familiar?

Understanding how two tango dancers work together requires a sensitivity towards how each individual action affects one's partner - negatively or positively.

September 19, 2015 -- Expression

Happy, sad, mischievous or playful, through tango we are able to express our mood.  Taking a couple of sequences involving both linear and circular tango moves, we will explore how to change the expression by altering fundamental elements starting with the embrace.  Music is the vehicle we use to generate a 3 dimensional expression which is why occasionally an unfamiliar tune can be particularly inspiring.

September 12, 2015 -- Side Colgada/ Back Volcada sequence

These tango moves are Off-Axis and while they can be a lot of fun they also have some obvious risks, due to being Off-Axis. Even when leaders have developed great skills there is still an issue of TRUST as every follower needs to be convinced that their leader will ‘be there’ to support them (their axis).  Words do not suffice - great skills are the only convincing factor.

The Colgada is an exercise in balance away from a shared, central axis at the floor. The Volcada is an exercise in balance working from a fulcrum (at the chest) which creates a shared central axis above the floor.

September 5, 2015 -- Caress the floor

Our connection with the floor is paramount in creating a fluid, smooth and elegant dance. This includes a study of the way our legs move in every step as well as fancy moves such as boleos al piso, barridas and many embellishments. A good understanding of the connection with the floor will improve balance and stability too.