Portland ValenTango XI
Instructor's Class Description
NOTE: Instructors are listed alphabetically. If you cannot find them below, please link to their home page and email them directly for questions you may have about their classes.
Adam & Ciko:
Beginner; Understanding the music
We will breakdown the structure and phrasing of the music. Allow it to be a guide for our movement.
Intermediate; Exploring the music
We will explore commen elements in tango music. Quick quick slow, Syncopation, Pausing, and how to discipline
our movement to react to the music.
Advanced; Expanding your musicality
We will look at when and how we pick and choose what to dance to. What our we trying to achieve?
We will also explore how to find yourself in the music.
Advanced Couples; Finding your inner rubberband (rebounds/elasticity)
This class is about exploring rebounds and elasticity.
We will discover how to use our connection with our partner through the embrace as well
as our connection to the floor to add more dynamic movements in our dance.
Carlos & Tova:
Beginning - Ochos and Turns that Grow with You
The ocho and turning techniques you will learn in this class are advanced fundamentals that you'll return to at all levels of dancing in open embrace. They are not beginning versions that you'll have to replace when you become an intermediate dancer, but will serve you well for many years. If you've already learned ochos and turns this class will help refine your technique, and if you haven't yet then you'll gain a solid foundation.
Beginning - The Ahhh Embrace
When someone says that a tango dancer has "amazing connection" they don't mean that he or she knows all the right people. No, they mean he/she's really nice to hold on to and move with in a tango embrace. It's one of the best compliments you can get as a dancer. In this class, we'll set you on the road to getting just such a compliment.
Intermediate: Learn to Fly without Leaving the Ground
A space opens up on the dance floor (down the line of dance, of course!) and you and your partner launch into horizontal flight, feeling the air rushing past. The focus of this class is on creating that rush, and the movements will include changes of direction, quick turns, and some axis-sharing.
Intermediate - Stop that Giggling! Amusing Tango
Argentine tango can be sooo serious. Or, it can be a kick in the pants (sometimes literally). Learn how to play with maturity and elegance -- or wit and sass, take your pick -- from two members of the Tango Cheeseballs.
Advanced - Milonga Musicality: Sophisticated Rhythmic Play
Quick, precise rhythms + unexpected pauses = exhilarating milonga. Break from your usual milonga patterns, play with quicks and double-quicks, stop on a dime. You can also apply these skills to express piano fills and bandoneon flurries found in classic tango music.
Advanced - Kick-Ass Piernazos
OK, so this is a bit of a misnomer, since "kicking" is not actually what's going on here. Piernazos are high ganchos, ones that hug the hips or torso of the person being ganchoed.
Damian & Jennifer
1. Spicing Up Your Dance (Musical Interpretation): Musicality is a subjective matter. However, at times, it is sometimes difficult to know where to start when dealing with the music. Which "elements" should I articulate? In this class, we will explore some possibilities and help you hone your skills in deciding for yourself.
2. Surviving on the Social Dance Floor: We can all walk around a crowded room by ourselves, but for some reason, as soon as another human being is placed in front of us, we forget how to navigate. In this class, we will help you gain some repertoire so this is never an issue again. This class is strongly recommended for all levels!
3. 1 Sacada, 2 Sacada, 3 Sacada, More?: This
class will cover sacada technique that you can apply in a variety of
locations. Expect the unexpected...as your mind opens to seemingly
unlimited possibilities. (Hint: There are 48 possible sacadas...do you
know where they all are?)
4. Freezing and Hot Boleos: Indisputably boleos are one of the most fun, yet highly technical movements in tango. Come learn some secrets of the trade, as well as explore some unique options with the music.
5. Shadow Ganchos: You may be asking yourself "What is a shadow gancho?" ....well, guaranteed to blow your mind, this class will push the envelope. We're not telling...so we hope to see you all there for this very special workshop. Of course, good gancho technique will be analyzed.
Korey & Mila:
F: Feel good on a crowded dance floor, beg.
Insider secrets for enjoying dances on the festival floor. Games, excercises and strategies to build confidence, awareness and survival skills for both leaders and followers.
K: Accelerating Rock Step Turns, adv:
New twists on classic social dance vocabulary. We'll work with syncopas, alterations, and single axis turns for compact and energized social dancing.
M: Small And Beatuiful, int.
Elegant and energized movements that develop leader's sensitivity and follower's musicality. We will work with movements that can be done in the smallest spaces to provoke the biggest smiles.
N: Musicality: Suspension and Accent, Adv Couples Intention, timing and musicianship for suspending movements and releasing with dynamic accents. We'll work with music that includes lyrical and accented moments with some specific movements as well as techniques that can be applied in a wide range of vocabulary.
Maria & Gustavo:
Beg.: Tango Salón, technique and basic sequences.
This class will consist in basic excercises designed to develop a confortable posture while the dancers walk embracing one another, and the explanation of basic figures that can be used within the small space the couple might have to move in the context of a milonga. It will specially point out to the development of the dancer's creativity.
Int.: Giron and contra-giros in tango salón.
During the class the students will get to know the proper technique to excecute complex sequences of giros and contragiros while keeping the constant embrace (chest to chest).
Adv.: Sacadas en línea & giros con sacadas for tango salón.
Sacadas and giros con sacadas usually need to be done in big spaces that we usually don't have when we are dancing at milongas. The students will develop sequences designed to allow them to do a variety of sacadas keeping the intimacy of the embrace and in the context of a very crowded milonga.
Adv. Couples: Giros and contragiros for milonga (lisa and traspié) The class will consist in the explanation of complex sequences or giros and contragiros to be done to the fast milonga rythm.
Beg.: Introduction to milonga Lisa and Traspié By studing easy sequences of milonga lisa and the basics of milonga traspié, the class will point out to the development of the students musicallity in order to interpret with their bodies the speed of milonga's beat.
Adv.: Rythmics, space management & ornaments for tango salón.
The class will develop different ways of listening and interpreating Tango's beat with movements that can be of proper usage at social tango dance halls. It will also consist in technical explanation of different ornaments for both the leader and the follower, that don't imply risking the dancer's sorroundings. The special focus will be on improvisation, both for the leader and for the follower.
Melina & Detlef:
Advanced couples (Thu, 11 - 12.15)
Elegant and exiting: Variations of the cross The cross of the woman is a very interesting and elegant element, if it is not danced automatically. Why use it only in the 8-count-basic and always left in front of right foot? We examine the technique of leading & dancing the cross properly, develop surprising new solutions and explore a couple of new crosses. Brace yourself for a very intense work in the couple, that will enhance your improvisational skills and the connection to your partrner!
Beginners (Thu, 1.30 - 2.45)
Rhythm is it: Variations of the Caminar
Tango is basically walking to the music. We’ll explore the posture, the embrace and rhythmic variations of the tango walk, that will impress every Milonguero!
Intermediate (Fri, 11 - 12.15)
Walking in an embrace: Elegance & closeness For us, Tango is walking in an embrace. During this workshops we’ll work on on the differents aspects and variations of walking in the parallal and crossed system, that can get very challenging. We’ll focus on the appropriate inner and outer posture, the expression of each step and elegant movements without the limitations of „clinging to someone".
Advanced: (Sat, 11 - 12.15)
Express yourself: Dimensions of the music and the dance The music makes us move. She does not only transmit a certain rhythm and velocity, but also emotion and expression. Each Tango is a masterpiece, which may be interpreted in a unique kind of way. We do not teach different steps to different orchestras - we examine the dimensions of music and dance, which allow us to express ourselves in the movement.
Pre-Milonga Beginners class (Sat, 7 - 8) Tango - a new language Tango is a language with words and a grammar! We'll discover the first words - steps in all directions - and combine them to our own spoken sentences. There is no need of memorizing any choreography - you'll improvise and dance freely from minute one!
Advanced couples (Sun, 3.30. - 4.45)
Take your time: Tango con Sabor
Discover the slowness of the music and enjoy the embrace with the partner. Tango is not about arriving somewhere but about savouring each little movement in the process. During this class we’ll focus on closeness, feeling and pleasure in slow and romantic Tangos.
Tomas & Carol
Vals fundamentals: we will be presenting principal elements, discussing the musicality as well as learning the basic figures that will help you construct a good waltz.
Power winding: a class about understanding our tango-body winding and unwinding abilities. Through this, movement can be empowered for both roles.
Synergy: the different mechanics we can use to empower our walk can create different qualities in our dance; this allow us to change the dynamics in our dance, and can be applied in both roles.