I got as far as the hotel lobby then had to go back upstairs for my sunglasses; seems I’d forgotten what it was like to leave the hotel in daylight.
I’d originally planned to go to La Maria Rolera to see how it compared to its sister milonga on Tuesday, but Diego was insistent I had to go to the DNI practica, and I’m certainly not going to argue with his recommendations.
I did, though, manage to go to both …
Continue reading A relaxed afternoon at the DNI Practica and La Maria Rolera milonga
A couple of my Ms had both suggested I try a new school: Tango y Nada Mas. They run three classes, all on a Monday evening: fundamentals, improver/technique and intermediate/advanced – followed by a one-hour practica.
The plan was to try the improver/technique class, have a drink with M while we sat out the intermediate/advanced one, and then do the practica. This, it turned out, was a very sound plan …
Continue reading Trying Tango y Nada Mas for the first time; a lesson in levels
Today was a rather a mixed day. Started well, went downhill and looked like it wasn’t going to get any better, but was rescued in the end.
It began with the unofficial practica, which we’re currently hosting at home while the numbers permit. There were eight of us today, which was a full house. This included Steph, who joined us as a leader …
Continue reading A mixed day, but began and ended on a high note, so calling it good
Yeah, this is another lengthy blog post. You know the drill: grab a cup of tea or glass of wine before reading …
Some might argue that a 2-hour practica, 90-minute group class and 3-hour milonga is a touch enthusiastic. Indeed, an unkind person might be tempted to suggest this has shades of a return to The Crazy Days.
Especially as I was doing all of this instead of going to a friend’s birthday party, but then she is a tango teacher so is understanding of the early-stage addiction to all things tango …
Continue reading A really useful hiphop-free practica, and a crowded but fantastic milonga
Today I lost a long-running battle with Fede … He kept wanting me to use cross-system, arguing that it would open up a whole new world of possibilities. I kept resisting because I felt like it would open up a whole new world of complications.
But as what I wanted was more simple ways to turn, and he said the answer to this was to be found in cross-system, I relented …
Continue reading Finally losing the cross-system battle, and ‘the best you’ve ever danced’
Ok, this one, too, might sound a bit like a return to The Crazy Days, with a practica, group class and milonga all in one evening – but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Tonight’s Tuesday milonga was temporarily relocated to O’Neill’s this week due to redecoration at the normal venue. As there was no separate room for lessons, they were offering an all-levels class which sounded like it might be fun (‘Tango Secrets’). Plus the milonga was likely to be crowded given the smaller space, so I thought the pre-class practica might be a good plan if I hoped to do any walking …
Today was a little like going back in time to my crazy days of tango, when I signed up for every class and workshop on offer, peaking at seven classes and a milonga in one week.
Today was a two-hour practica, a 90-minute intermediate class and a milonga …
My temporary tango routine continues with the Wednesday and Sunday Juan Martin and Steffie classes.
I thought this blog post would be short, as I was hardly able to do anything in last night’s intermediate class. But I turned out to be very, very wrong about that. So grab a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable …
Continue reading A lesson too far, but one new turn and three old thoughts
Let’s start with the bad news: the topics of tonight’s classes with Juan Martin & Steffi sounded perfect, but I didn’t feel that what they actually taught was a particularly good match for the promise.
The beginner/improver class was supposed to be on ‘the fundamentals of the embrace,’ while the intermediate one was billed as ‘figures in close embrace for crowded milongas’ …
Continue reading The art of circular dancing feels tantalisingly close
Given the unusual nature of what I’m seeking as my next step, it’s no surprise than the standard Tanguito classes didn’t seem an especially good match. That’s not a commentary on the quality of the teaching; it’s commentary on the gap between what most schools offer and what I actually want.
However, for a four week period, something rather different is happening at Tanguito. Namely, visiting teachers Juan Martin Carrara & Stefania Colina are taking over. Steph and friends were raving about them, and they weren’t wrong!
Continue reading Two absolutely fantastic group classes with Juan Martin Carrara & Stefania Colina
journey of a trainee tanguero 
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