May 10 - Birthday of Marta Bautis, Lesson by Walter Monteblanco

Last week, April 26, Birthday of Walter Monteblanco

The Celebration

We are thrilled and honored to celebrate Walter's birthday at Firehouse.  Our wonderful friend Walter has been teaching Argentine Tango since way before I knew it existed, and he's my absolute favorite vals partner in the world as well as one of my favorite people. 

The birthday dance

Gay started the celebratory dance, and I was second.  Each of the tangueras then had her turn. Since Walter follows as flawlessly as he leads, we invited the tangueros to cut in as well.  I played music as long as there was a line.  ​

Milonga del Barrio hosted by Jon Tariq; Classes 8L30-9:30p (beginner and advanced), social dancing 9:30pm-2am; Plentiful free parking on the street; 2 Salons 2 DJS every week. Traditional and Nuevo salon; Classes are included in the admission which is $15 per person, college students w/ID $10

Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. Last week, I promised to offer a rationale for why I (and virtually every other Tango professional I know) teach steps to students, when we’re assured by the great maestros that, in fact, there are no steps in Tango. As we’ve all heard many times by now, social Tango is a completely improvised dance. It lives in the moment. It comes from the individual soul. Some say, Tango is actually a total way of life.

Well, at least, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. For those of us who were born in places other than Argentina, however, there’s just no possibility of learning how to dance Tango by hanging out for years in the milongas, and letting Tango permeate our very being. Alas, our only recourse, it seems, is to take dance lessons.

And, like it or not, dance lessons ultimately mean dance steps.

As a student, I spent many years trying my best to learn what Tango was, and in my own case how it differs from the ballroom, swing and “latin” social dance disciplines with which I was already familiar. As a teacher, I was ultimately able to develop a very specific pedagogy, which I think has been helpful in setting my students on the road to understanding this incredibly complex dance — albeit from the outside in (by which I mean analytically) rather than the way an Argentine might learn (through years and years of constant exposure).

In evolving my own approach to teaching, the two crucial questions I continue to ask myself are:

What does one actually do in dancing Tango?

How does one do it?

The easy answer to Question 1 is that (as a leader, at least) one sets about the task of memorizing lots of steps. As a follower, on the other hand, one finds oneself lucky enough to be in the arms of a skilled leader. As to Question 2, things tend to get a bit murky. If one’s goal is to be a performer, the how of Tango involves years of intensive focus on a wide spectrum of individual techniques, followed by more years of working with various partners in building flawless teamwork. As a social dancer, however, the how of Tango involves quite a different path — that of developing expertise in executing the often elusive skill set I usually refer to as the lead/follow mechanism.

Because this Tango Tip series is devoted to the art/craft of social dancing, I’m going to share with you in some depth my pedagogical approach to teaching. If you think this seems to be an effective process, you can put it work yourself in progressively increasing your Tango skills over time. However, I strongly believe that it would prove far more beneficial, if you were able to work closely and consistently with a proficient teacher in your quest for competence — and well down the road, to mastery.

Here is part of the systematic teaching approach I find myself using with the majority of my serious students. (When I encounter what I’m going to call “casual” students or perhaps people who believe that the learning process can be significantly truncated to suit their own special needs, I prefer to commend them to other teachers.) Today, I’m going to provide you with a quick outline of Part 1 of my “system:”

Part 1 — “Tango is a way to walk”

1.     Introduction to the lead/follow mechanism in five fundamental improvised linear interactions between lead and follower.

2.     Use of lead/follow in structured and improvised start/stop walking exercises.

3.     Introduction to improvised rhythmic movement.

4.     Introduction to short suggested sequences and sequence choices in building improvisations. (Here’s where “dance steps” start to enter the picture.)

5.     More steps: Two common pre-determined fundamental Tango sequences — la cunita and la cruzada.

6.     Introduction to simple pivots.

7.     Introduction to the parallel and crossed systems of linear movement.

I sometimes come across a student who thinks of the skills and techniques I’ve just outlined as “beginner stuff.” I’ve also encountered “teachers” of Tango who feel that these skills somehow happen by themselves, and are therefore unnecessary to focus on. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, mastering this group of skills in a conscious, methodical way forms the essential foundation of what all of social Tango is built on. I firmly believe that the serious student whose goal is to learn to dance absolutely must make this an ongoing part of his/her systematic practice regimen.

Next week, we’ll begin to discuss Part 1 of my pedagogy in greater detail. In future Tango Tips, I’ll outline additional parts of my methodology, discuss the ongoing importance of dance figures as a teaching tool, and continue to spell everything out in a more in-depth way.

Every Monday at 8:30 p.m., Fran and Pat teach a one-hour class entirely devoted to the study of adornment for both leaders and followers. We focus on the precise way in which dancers should use their legs in order to move in the appropriate style of Tango. We also help you build a powerful vocabulary of exciting adornments, which you can incorporate into your dance.

People have been asking us to teach this class for years – and now, at last, we’re delighted to offer it. Be sure not to miss this opportunity to learn the art of adornos right from the ground up! And while you’re at it, why not enroll yourself in our 7:30 p.m. Intermediate Tango Class. This will give you a full Monday evening of Tango.

See you then.

If you like the idea of keeping American social dance alive -- not competitive or performance dancing, but real social dance the way it was traditionally done -- we invite you to join us every Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. for a fun-filled 2-hour social dance fix.

Class One

Concentrating on authentic American Foxtrot, Triple Swing and Salsa

Class Two

West Coast Swing, Waltz and Rumba

Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Studios 353, 2^nd floor

353 W. 48^th Street (between 8^th & 9^th Avenues)

New York City

The longest-running and friendliest practica in NYC! Come join our happy group of social tango dancers, whose sole purpose is to enjoy dancing and to practice what they’re learning. Everyone dances! Essential Tango Therapy! Pat and I will be on hand to answer any questions you may have, and help you with material you’re working on. Plus you get a new “must-have” move each week! No partner required, all levels. Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 West 46^th Street, 11^th floor, (bet. 6^th & 7^th Aves) www.franchesleigh.com

If you’d like a private lesson, you can visit our website at www.franchesleigh.com, call Fran directly at 212-662-7692, or email him at franchesleigh@mac.com Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/franchesleighllc

Thanks to all who helped throughout the night.