Newsletter # 3-9/10/10
THANK YOU DARLENE AND TODD for teaching our Thursday night class while we were attending the
Denver Tango Festival. We hope it was an enjoyable and refreshing experience for everyone
who attended. We look forward to the growth of this young new teaching couple in Tucson.
DENVER WAS AS AWESOME AS EVER!!!
People sometimes ask us why we travel to so many festivals throughout the year. There are a
variety of reasons but first and foremost we travel to become fully immersed in the tango
experience. Obviously, Rusty and I love to dance tango and we love to dance tango with
others that love to dance tango - and those that travel to dance, really do love to dance
tango 
Other than a trip to Buenos Aires (or maybe even Berlin), a festival is the peak moment for dancing, learning, integrating, socializing and sharing. It is the opportunity to test out your personal dance - can your dance really work with someone who has never danced with you before. A festival can also provide you with a more realistic view of your level of dance and how you are growing in relation to the wider world outside of your local community. As Rusty says "Dancing with strangers is the ultimate litmus test for your tango!"
Festivals also provide us with opportunities to develop our teaching skills by learning from other teachers, especially master level teachers that we usually encounter at festivals. Witnessing and experiencing what is evolving in tango enables us to bring some fresh new ideas, techniques, and sequences back to our local community to further enrich Tucson's dancing.
If you have not experienced a festival yet we hope you are able to attend one in the future, we will be happy to provide some insights into the differences of the many festivals around the country to assist you in finding one that best suits your current needs and aspirations. And, of course there is one right here in your front yard March 3-7, 2011, The Tucson Tango Festival which is an excellent opportunity to see what the excitement is all about.
Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt will be here September 17-19, 2010. The weekend will consist of 6 workshop classes and 2 milongas - all to be held at the Sheraton. Please register as soon as possible so we can do our best to maintain a gender balance. You can pay at the door, but please let me know you will be attending in advance. Also, we have collaborated with Tucson Tango Society to arrange the class timetable with the TTS practica schedule. This will give attendees time to complete the workshops on Sunday and have time to drive over to the TTS practica at Dunbar. I am sure TTS will be sending out a notice about that very soon.
Fall is here, people are back in town and with the temperatures cooling, tango is heating up. Visiting Instructor Workshops, Anniversary Outdoor Milongas, Fund-Raising Tango Events, the opening of a new Argentine Restaurant (by the owners of Casa Vicente), Introductory Tango Workshops, Guerilla Tango with a live band and more to come I am sure. Visit Tucson's very own Tango Calendar to view all the upcoming activities going on around town.
The 2011 Tucson Tango Festival is only 6 months away. Rusty and I are working hard to get the website all up to date and the announcements ready to go out. We have scheduled our first Festival Volunteers Meeting for Friday October 15, 2010 at 6:30pm. We will host a BBQ and will do some indoor/outdoor dancing at the milonguita following the meeting. Please put this date on your schedule and let us know if you plan to attend the meeting and BBQ. This meeting is open to everyone who has or has not volunteered in the past. If you are curious about the festival and what volunteering involves and the benefits of volunteering please attend.
Love, light and gratitude,
Jo & Rusty
"May we all learn to love well. May we all find something to love that is larger and more
powerful than anything we fear."
From the book "I Will Not Die an Unlived Life" by
Dawna Markova.
September 14th - October 5th we will be offering a 4-week series in Molinetes at your
Tuesday night Advanced
class
It is this opposition that gives the Molinete its power. We will help you create a workout
for your practice sessions that will keep you from getting dizzy doing the circular
grapevine of the Molinete. We will use famous and traditional steps and combinations that
end with:
- Cross System & Parallel - Twin Molinetes
- Leg Wraps
- Sacadas
- Barridas
- Ganchos
These events will happen but the focus is PURE Molinete!!!
To keep the momentum flowing there will be no drop-ins allowed after the first class. All
participants must pre-register or register at the door on the first night. We will post the
series topics and dates on Learn-to-
Tango.com where you will also be able to register.
Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt Tango Workshop
September 17-19, 2010
World-renowned tango dancers and teachers
Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt started in the New York City and Buenos Aires tango scenes,
learning from the old milongueros and dancing every night in the milongas. They went on to
teach and guide young dancers in the art of Villa Urquiza style Tango in 2003. In 2007, they
relocated to San Francisco and opened their studio "TangoVida San Francisco". After three
marvelous years there, they moved to South Beach and opened "TangoVida Miami" in 2010.
As Ney and Jennifer are only here for a few short days, private lessons times are limited. Please schedule your private lesson now - priority will go to those who are registering for the full workshop. We are also offering full-time student rates - please contact us in advance for the details and to register.
Full workshop details available by clicking here!
Intro to Tango Workshop
September 25-26, 2010 and December 11-12, 2010
For the beginner and those serious about reinforcing their foundation we are offering: An Introduction to Argentine Tango workshop. This workshop will provide the foundations and techniques combined with a few social starter figuras to enable the beginning dancer to get out on the floor and start dancing. This is designed to be an immersion of six hours over 2 days to provide a jump-start to the learning and dancing process.
Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Partners and individuals are both welcome - we will ensure a gender balance.
Tango Bootcamp: Enganches-Barrida-Gancho
October 23-24, 2010
For the Intermediate and above tango dancer: These are the perfect sequences because of the technique you will master as you integrate the movements.
Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Partners and individuals are both welcome - we will ensure a gender balance.
A Tango Experience with Brigitta Winkler
November 12-16, 2010
Brigitta is an
incredibly gifted teacher of Argentine Tango. With a degree in Body-Mind Centering and over
twenty years of experience teaching and performing tango around the globe, she is one of the
most inspiring and innovative artists in the tango world today. In class, she has the knack
of unlocking her students' creativity and making tango fun and exciting at any level.
In the early 1980s, Brigitta discovered tango in Buenos Aires, studying with such legendary dancers as Virulazo, Juan Carlos Copes, Antonio Todaro, Pepito Avellaneda, Gustavo Naveira, and Eduardo Arquimbau. Her studio, Tanzart, has been a pillar of the tango community in Berlin, Germany since 1987. Most recently, Brigitta collaborated with four other women to create the internationally acclaimed dance company "Tango Mujer," weaving argentine tango together with contemporary dance and theatre for sold-out audiences in NYC and Berlin in 1998, and on tour in the US in 2000.
The Basics and Beyond
November 20-21, 2010
This is an all levels class - whether you are new to tango or have years of experience this class is for you. Pre-requisite: Intro to Tango or a minimum of four weeks of beginning classes. This workshop will offer foundational techniques applicable to all level dancers.
Space is limited so pre-registration is required. Partners and individuals are both welcome - we will ensure a gender balance.
Australia
Mid-December to Mid-January
Rusty and Jo will be in Australia to teach a couple of workshops and to visit Jo's folks for the holidays. Happy Holidays everyone!
Tucson Tango Festival
March 3-7, 2010
Go to the WEBSITE for all the details!