TangoSpring
    Connection | Balance | Rhythm
Argentine tango
classes, workshops, DJing
   
Contact : 
Oleh Kovalchuke 
Oleh

Description of beginner classDescription of beginner classDescription of beginner classClass recommendationsClass recommendationsClass recommendationsDescription of milonguero classDescription of milonguero classDescription of milonguero classWhere to dance tango - local milongasWhere to dance tango - local milongasWhere to dance tango - local milongas Argentine tango blog by Oleh Kovalchuke



Update:
At this time TangoSpring offers workshops and private lessons in Kansas City, MO.

Contact Oleh Kovalchuke at tangospring@gmail.com to arrange a private lesson.



Class description: Beginner Session

Tango is dance for anyone. The only requirements are innate sense of rhythm and desire to tango. Students should be able to start dancing (express music via rhythmic tango walk) after two lessons. Lessons three and four introduce essential variations in the walk and prepare students for more advanced material of lessons five and six.

A partner is not required but is always recommended to balance gender. We will rotate partners frequently during the class.

Lesson Tango fundamentals: Balance (posture, tango walk), rhythm (single and double-time beat steps), connection (communicating with torso, tango embrace).
Homework. Find and express double-time beats with tango walk.

Lesson Exploring tango rhythm: rock step, rock step turn, milonga (social tango dancing) primer, cross.
Homework. Practice rhythmic walk, tango walk with double hooks and cross.

Lesson Walking cross feet: the lead, cross feet walk, cross from cross feet walk, back ochos.
Homework. Practice back ocho variations.

Lesson Musicality - putting it all together and doing it to the music: review of first three lessons, finding the beat in unfamiliar songs and couple navigational tricks.
Homework. Dance!

Lesson Popular close-embrace combination: ocho cortado, ocho cortado variations, front ochos.
Homework. Practice grapevine.

Lesson 6  Introduction to turns.

The syllabus is approximate and will be adjusted to accommodate students' dancing abilities. Since all lessons build on previous material, new students will not be accepted after the first lesson. If you miss a lesson you will have to take private class to catch up.



    "We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once."

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Class Advice

  • Closed toe shoes with leather sole are recommended.
  • Argentine tango is danced in close embrace, personal hygiene is important: take a shower, use little or no perfume.
  • Leave your front pockets empty.



Class description: Milonguero Class

Milonguero session is available only to those students who completed beginner session and wish for further improvements. Unlike the beginner session, which covered tango "bread and butter" material, milonguero session is dedicated to tango "morsels". If you are comfortable with material learned in the beginner class feel free to take individual lessons, drop-ins are allowed. Even though partner rotation would further improve lead/follow communication, we do not have to rotate partners during milonguero session.

Milonguero session material. Turns: left from rock step, right from ocho cortado, right from back ocho, left/right back ocho turn. Walk variations: back ocho/side lead, parallel sacada, walking sidewise, side rock step from crossfeet walk, quick step, walking to one beat while leading to a different beat. Playing with balance: single axis turns, balanced walk-around, volcada, colgada.

Each lesson is about 1 h 10 min long with 15 min free practica immediately after the class. Class begins at 7 p.m. Please arrive about 15-20 minutes in advance to register and to change shoes. Grab a beginner and help them at their practica (remember they will become good dancers soon). If you prepay for the milonguero class feel free to come to beginner class and take it free of charge - it will improve you as a dancer and will introduce you to new partners.



Where to dance: Local Milongas
Coming soon.

Why tango? 

  "I have started to dance tango because I thought it was the most spectacular dance I had seen.

I continue to tango because it is the most intimate and the most improvisational of all the social dances I have tried."

Oleh

Movie clip 


Milonga at El Beso, Buenos Aires (the dancer in the white shirt entering the frame in the last 15 seconds of the clip is me):

Milonga at club El Beso, Buenos Aires



Pictures from the class








Video 


 Videos from milongas in Buenos Aires
 Videos of milongueros dancing tango
 Videos of Oleh dancing tango




Music 


Recommended tango music for dancing

Tango Top 12
Carlos Di Sarli
Juan D'Arienzo
Ricardo Tanturi
Miguel Caló
Enrique Rodriguez
Francisco Canaro
Edgardo Donato
Angel D'Agostino
Anibal Troilo
Alfredo De Angelis
Osvaldo Fresedo
Pedro Laurenz

All about tango music: TodoTango
Listen to 23 tango orchestras  

Radio Tango

Tango CDs: TangoStore.com

Good tango CDs:

Carlos Di Sarli: Coleccion 78 RPM: 1943-1948
Juan D'Arienzo: Con Sus Cantores, Vol. 2
Ricardo Tanturi: Coleccion 78 RPM: 1940-1950
Miguel Caló: Al Compas Del Corazon
Enrique Rodriguez: Tangos, Valses y Milongas

More recommended tango CDs in Tango Blog



Discussions 


Tango-L
Tango-L (uncensored)
Tango blog




Good reads  


Tango and Chaos by Rick McGarrey
New "nuevo tango"
Tango blog by Alex Long




    "Those who danced were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche




Argentine tango blog by Oleh Kovalchuke