What is Argentine
Tango?
Argentine Tango is both a genre of music and dance invented
at the turn of the century in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the
product of a cultural melting pot during a time of great historic
change, involving immigrants from South America, Italy, Germany,
Africa, and Eastern Europe. The Tango has a rich tradition that
spans over a century. Since the mid-eighties is has been enjoying
a huge revival around the world.
Argentine Tango is a social dance which should not be confused with Ballroom Tango. In Argentine Tango, there is no basic step; the couple relies on an intense awareness of each other's movements and energy which allows them to move in unison to the music. The ability to improvise a dance with another person and move together with such strong connection is a fascinating and addictive experience for many people. Learning Tango is forever challenging and it inspires a life-long passion for those who pursue it as a hobby or a profession.
One of the joys of dancing Tango is the wonderful worldwide community of dancers. Since it is a social dance, it is not necessary to have a regular partner. You can travel around the world and have wonderful dances with people who you have never met before. Many cities have thriving Tango communities and opportunities to go dancing almost every night. Tango clubs are proliferating at universities as the younger generation catches on to the universal appeal of this dance. At a typical Tango dance or "Milonga", you will see people of all ages, from all over the world dancing together.
In Providence, the local tango community was founded by Ellen Mayer in 2000. Providence Tango is nationally known for it's beautiful studio and for creating talented and unique dancers. In addition to the dedicated local instructors, PT regularly invites some of the best Tango teachers from around the country and the world to provide students with many opportunities for learning. The famous monthly marathon Milongas attract the best social dancers on the East Coast.
Do I need a partner?
No, you may come alone, with a partner, or with friends.
Can I dance only with
my partner if I like?
Yes, however, for the purpose of learning well and rapidly, we
strongly recommend that you change partners during the class.
Can I dance tango at
weddings/other social dance events?
Nowadays, there are tango events happening with frequency in nearly
every city in the world. Also, because tango is an improvised
dance form, it is possible to dance it to many styles of music,
both traditional and contemporary. While you may not hear traditional
tango music at a wedding or social event, you will likely still
be able to dance tango with a partner who also knows how to dance
tango.
How is Argentine Tango
different from Ballroom Tango?
The original Argentine Tango is a "street dance," in the same
family as Swing/Lindy Hop or Salsa. It does not have a syllabus
or a series of patterns to memorize and repeat. Partners improvise
(invent their own steps) in order to express the music, rather
than learning a routine. Once you learn tango movement and the
skills of leading and following, you can dance with any tango
dancer in the world, even if you have never met.
When can I start? Do
I have to attend a complete series?
You can start any in any of our beginner classes. See
schedule. You do not need to take a complete series, but we
do suggest than you attend classes regularly in order to learn
at a steady pace.
How long will it take
to learn?
Everyone learns at their own pace, dependent on movement background,
previous experience, and general health. A rough estimate is 3
months to become comfortable with the tango, and 6 months to become
a confident tango dancer.
What
if I miss a class?
It depends, if you sign up for a series and miss a class you can substitute a class from another series of the same level. If you get a 6 class card you can take any regularly scheduled tango class, at any time durring the 3 months following your purchase.
For consistency of learning, we encourage you to attend every
week, but we understand that some scheduling conflicts cannot
be changed and so you may use the 6 classes whenever you like.
What shoes/clothes should
I wear?
Wear comfortable clothes that you can move around in. Your shoes
should also be comfortable and should fit your feet snugly. If you wish to purchase dance sneakers or tango
shoes, ask one of the instructors in class.
What makes Providence
Tango special?
Providence Tango was created not only to provide tango instruction,
but to form a community of dancers who value creative expression,
teamwork, and good fun! Our instructors are outstanding, and our
monthly Marathon parties attract the best social dancers on the
East Coast. We look forward to welcoming you to the studio.
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