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ABOUT ARGENTINE TANGO
Argentine Tango is not the tango you see in Ballroom Championship dancing on TV, nor is it what you might have learned in a Ballroom tango class. Rather, it's the social partner dance that is practiced in clubs in Buenos Aires and all over the world, with an emphasis on the relationship between you, your partner, and the music. It is more sensuous and more intimate than other derivative forms of tango. The movie The Tango Lesson has good examples of both club style and stage Tango. Many ballroom dancers (ourselves among them), once introduced to Argentine Tango, have forsaken the study of other dances to focus solely on this exhilarating, romantic, and intensely passionate dance: the Tango.
UPCOMING EVENTS ...
A list of workshops, festivals, and other special events occurring in roughly the western third of North America.
May 2012:
- Vantangofest, Thu-Mon, May 17-21, 2012:
Tango festival in Vancouver, Canada: vantangofest.com/
- Denver Memorial Day Tango Festival, Thu-Mon, May 24-28, 2012:
12th annual Denver tango festival in Denver, CO: tango.org
June 2012:
- Live music with the Redwood Duo, Sat, June 2, 2012:
Local live tango music and dancing with the Redwood Duo (bandoneon & piano, from the Redwood Tango Ensemble) from 9-11 pm at the Redwood Cafe in Cotati, CA: Tango Petaluma, Redwood Tango Ensemble
- Tango in the Square, Wed, June 6, 2012:
SF Bay Area Tango Association milonga in Union Square Park on the first Wednesday of each month during summer (May-Sept) from 6 - 8 pm, this month with live music by Tango Number 9; Union Square, San Francisco, CA: bayareatango.org/spotlight/spotlight.php
- Nora's Tango Weekend, Fri-Sun, June 29-July 1, 2012:
The short version: 15th annual SF Bay area tango festival in Emeryville, CA: tangoweek.com
July 2012:
- Nora's Tango Week, Mon-Fri, July 2-6, 2012:
The long version: 15th annual SF Bay area tango festival in Emeryville, CA: tangoweek.com
- Tango in the Square, Wed, July 4, 2012:
SF Bay Area Tango Association milonga in Union Square Park on the first Wednesday of each month during summer (May-Sept) from 6 - 8 pm, this month with live music by Redwood Tango Ensemble; Union Square, San Francisco, CA: bayareatango.org/spotlight/spotlight.php
- Seattle Tango Magic, Thu-Mon, July 12-16, 2012:
Tango Festival in Seattle, WA: seattletangomagic.com
- Summer Getaway Tango Weekend, Fri-Sun, July 13-15, 2012 :
A weekend of milongas and classes with Liz Haight and Masami Hirokawa (of Santa Fe, NM) in Salida, CO: CasaTangoSalida.com
August 2012:
- NEW! Burning Tango, Fri-Sun, Aug 17-19, 2012:
Clay Nelson (organizer of Portland TangoFest & ValenTango) has created a NEW tango event, with a simplified schedule of classes and milongas, to be held in a beautiful 100-year old ballroom in McCloud, CA (near Mount Shasta): Clay's Dance Studio, Burning Tango
- Denver Labor Day Tango Festival, Thu-Mon, August 30-September 3, 2012:
Annual Labor Day weekend tango festival, "by dancers, for dancers," in Denver, CO: denvertangofestival.com
September 2012:
- Tango in the Square, Wed, September 5, 2012:
SF Bay Area Tango Association milonga in Union Square Park on the first Wednesday of each month during summer (May-Sept) from 6 - 8 pm, this month with live music by Tangonero; Union Square, San Francisco, CA: bayareatango.org/spotlight/spotlight.php
- 1st Vancouver Tango Marathon, Fri-Sun, September 21-23, 2012:
A new event scheduled for September 2012; not much info on website as of this posting; in Vancouver, Canada: magictango.com/calendar.html -- scroll to bottom of page for listing under "Upcoming Festivals".
October 2012:
- Portland TangoFest XV, Wed-Mon, October 10-15, 2012:
Fifteenth annual tango festival in Portland, OR: claysdancestudio.com
- Red Carpet Tango Festival, Thu-Sun, October 25-28, 2012:
A new tango festival to be held in Las Vegas, NV: redcarpettangofestival.com
For more information on tango events in the San Francisco bay area and other major US cities, visit the excellent and comprehensive Tango Mango website at tangomango.org.
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THE TEMPTATION TO TANGO
By Irene D. Thomas and Larry M. Sawyer
Two of Tango Mendocino's resident milongueros have written a fascinating book about the attraction of tango and what it's like to learn this complex and engaging dance.
A unique feature of this book is that it includes both a man's and a woman's point of view. Irene's essays give newcomers an idea of what they will encounter, both physically and emotionally, in the process of learning this dance; advanced dancers will recognize themselves and the experiences she describes. Larry's short stories offer vignettes of the tango experience from a variety of perspectives and add an extra dimension that enhances the reader's understanding of the alluring world of tango.
Part essay, part memoir, part history, part fiction, The Temptation To Tango appeals to experienced dancers, beginners just starting their tango journey, those who aren't yet sure if tango is for them, and those who are simply curious about why this dance is so compelling to so many.
Excerpts from the book are available online. Visit their website, http://TheTemptationToTango.com, for more information and to order your copy.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF LEAD AND FOLLOW ROLES
Leaders:
Some may say that Leading is the more challenging role in tango, because from a kaleidoscope of options, continuous split-second decisions require pleasing a partner, interpreting the music, maintaining safety & direction, and uniquely expressing oneself.
Followers:
Some may say that Following is the more challenging role in tango, because it requires near-psychic sensitivity which must be slightly subdued, while making continuous accurate split-second responses to match a partner, enhance the music, maintain balance, and uniquely express oneself.
With thanks to Polly McBride of Portland, OR -- from her (now defunct) All Things Argentine Tango website.
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TANGO DANCE ETIQUETTE
Here is an informative explanation of the etiquette of the Tango. This is especially good information for new dancers who haven't yet had much experience at milongas or Tango dance workshops, with lots of good general tips plus specific advice for leaders and for followers. More experienced milongueros probably know much of this already, but it's still a good review.
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WHERE DO WE DANCE?
Here are maps and driving directions to tango venues on the Mendocino coast:
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