Curriculum
Technique Classes
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T1 - TECHNIQUE I
(This class is a prerequisite for M201 and higher)
Posture, precision, footwork, and body awareness.
(Prerequisites: None)
T2 - TECHNIQUE II
(This class is a prerequisite for S101 and higher)
Strength, balance, and coordination.
(Prerequisites: None)WT - WOMEN’S TECHNIQUE
Strengthening & coordinating movement specific to the woman's role.
(Prerequisites: None)MT - MEN’S TECHNIQUE
Strengthening & coordinating movement specific to the man's role.
(Prerequisites: None)
Milonguero Style [back to top] Tango for crowded dance floors, the embrace is closed and the focus is on simple vocabulary done rhythmically to the music. Milonguero style is the reigning standard for social tango today, from the halls of Buenos Aires to the packed ballrooms of the American and European festivals.
M101 - BASIC STEPS
Basic milonguero steps done exclusively on the body. Involves learning and refining vocabulary from simple back ochos to the ocho cortado.
(Prerequisites: None)
Week 1 walking and communicating without arms
Week 2 back ochos
Week 3 rock turn to the left and the embrace
Week 4 rock turn to the right
Week 5 ocho cortadoM102 - SIMPLE COMBINATIONS AND TURNS
Intertwining the basic milonguero steps to create new combinations and more advanced turns.
(Prerequisites: None, Recommended: M101)
Week 1 review
Week 2 salida cruzada and combining rock turns
Week 3 combining rock turns with ochos and rock turn to the left with the cortado
Week 4 back-side-cross turn to the left
Week 5 medialuna turn to the rightM103 - ADVANCED COMBINATIONS AND TURNS
Exciting turns covering the dynamic media luna and the milonguero dip.
(Prerequisites: None, Recommended: M102)
Week 1 walking on the right in cross-system and back-side-cross to the right
Week 2 rock turn to the left and back-side-cross to the left
Week 3 rock turn to the right and back-side-cross turn to the right and the media luna
Week 4 medialuna and ocho cortado
Week 5 milonguero dip
M201 - MILONGA
Finally, the fun, fast, often upbeat ancestor of the tango is brought to light. Learn what the compadritos
were so excited about more than a century ago.
(Prerequisite: T1)
Week 1 two basic patterns in 4 countsWeek 2 patterns in 5 and 6 counts Week 3 two patterns in 8 counts Week 4 two more patterns in 8 counts, with corridas Week 5 basic traspie
M202 - BASIC MUSICALITY
Essential elements of tango music such as the break and the syncopa.
(Prerequisite: T1)
Week 1 breaksWeek 2 pauses Week 3 syncopas Week 4 framed double-times Week 5 walking on the 2 and isolated half-beats
M203 - VALS CRUZADA
Exploring different beats in the tango waltz as well as extreme single-axis turns.
(Prerequisite: T1)
Week 1 basic timing: dancing on the downbeat, the 1 and the 2, continuous turns
Week 2 phrasing and suspension
Week 3 vals dynamic, leaning back in close-embrace
Week 4 single-axis turns to the left
Week 5 single-axis turns to the right
M301 - THE EMBRACE
Creating a comfortable, consistent embrace to fit any partner.
(Prerequisite: T1)
M302 - ADVANCED MILONGA
Going further with rhythm & traspie.
(Prerequisites: T1, M201)
M302 - MILONGUERO COMBINATIONS I
Beautiful and rhythmic combinations with catches and barridas.
(Prerequisite: T1)
Salon Style [back to top]
The elegant and expansive tango from the 1940’s, salon style originates from the time when dances were held in more expensive, more spacious venues. The embrace is close but flexible, opening slightly to make room for various figures while always returning to the initial “V shape” to finish the step. S101 - THE FIVE CLASSIC PATTERNS The five classic salon patterns that stem from the "salida basica" or the "basic exit." (Prerequisites: T1, T2) Week 1 salida basica Week 2 el ocho Week 3 parada Week 4 back ocho Week 5 basic turn to the right w/ sacadas S102 - INTEGRATION WITH MILONGUERO STYLE Transitioning between salon and milonguero combinations. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 entrances, exits, walking and resolutions Week 2 pasadas Week 3 transitioning between milonguero and salon back ochos plus paradas Week 4 blending milonguero turns with salon back ochos Week 5 blending milonguero turns with the basic turn to the right w/ sacadas S201 - GIROS (TURNS) Classic patterns and variations for the turn. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 full turn to the right with sacadas Week 2 turn to the left with barrida Week 3 the lapis Week 4 sharing the center of the turn, the full molinete Week 5 the woman's planeo S202 - SACADAS (ENTRANCES, DISPLACEMENTS) Learning classic and reliable patterns of sacadas. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 the man's forward and open sacadas Week 2 the man's back sacada Week 3 the woman's forward and open sacadas Week 4 the woman's back sacada Week 5 the fourth sacada S203 - BOLEOS (VOLEOS, KICKS IN THE AIR) Learning classic and reliable patterns of boleos. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 back boleos led in opposition to the rotation of the hips Week 2 front boleos led in opposition to the rotation of the hips Week 3 back boleos led in the direction of the rotation of the hips Week 4 front boleos led in the direction of the rotation of the hips Week 5 useful combinations S204 - SALON VALS Polishing your turns and sacadas through the control and grace of tango vals. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101, M203) S205 - CHANGES OF DIRECTION Blocking and sending the ocho as a modern method of moving around the floor. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 blocking the back ocho Week 2 sending the back ocho Week 3 blocking the forward ocho Week 4 changes of direction in parallel system Week 5 change of direction for the man S301 - GANCHOS (KICKS BETWEEN THE LEGS) Learning classic and reliable patterns of ganchos. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 ganchos of the open step from the back ocho Week 2 ganchos of the forward cross from the back ocho Week 3 ganchos of the forward cross from the open step Week 4 ganchos of the open step from the open step Week 5 gancho variations for the man S302 - COLGADAS Learning classic and reliable patterns of colgadas. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 getting comfortable sharing the same axis Week 2 right-hip colgadas Week 3 left-hip colgadas Week 4 plank colgadas, back and forward Week 5 planeo colgadas, plus ganchos S303 - VOLCADAS Learning classic and reliable patterns of volcadas. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 deep leans and elongated walks Week 2 volcada classic with variations Week 3 forward volcada with the right leg free, plus combinations Week 4 backward volcadas Week 5 volcadas with ganchos S304 - SOLTADAS Learning classic and reliable patterns of soltadas. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 intro to breaking the embrace, under-arm-turn technique specific to tango Week 2 breaking the embrace in a line Week 3 breaking the embrace in the turn Week 4 breaking the embrace with check-steps Week 5 breaking the embrace with colgadas S401 - SALON COMBINATIONS I Beautiful patterns combining turns, sacadas, boleos & ganchos. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 turns, sacadas (back and/or women's) Week 2 turns, boleos Week 3 turns, ganchos Week 4 sacadas (back and/or women's), boleos Week 5 sacadas (back and/or women's), gancho S402 - SALON COMBINATIONS II Beautiful, challenging patterns combining turns, sacadas, boleos & ganchos. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 turns, sacadas (back and/or women's), boleos Week 2 turns, sacadas (back and/or women's), ganchos Week 3 turns, boleos, ganchos Week 4 sacadas, boleos, ganchos Week 5 turns, sacadas (back and/or women's), boleos, ganchos S403 - SALON COMBINATIONS III
A major revision in the curriculum will be phased in over the next few sessions. Here is a letter announcing and explaining the new curriculum. The complete curriculum will be posted soon.Beautiful yet intricate combinations to stretch your skills as a dancer. (Prerequisites: T1, T2, S101) Week 1 boleos, ganchos, colgadas Week 2 boleos, ganchos, volcadas Week 3 boleos, ganchos, soltadas Week 4 boleos, colgadas, volcadas Week 5 boleos, colgadas, soltadas Tango
101: Five Basic Moves (1 hr) Getting used to dancing close and
learning some very useful basic steps for the social dance floor.
Tango
102: La Salida Basica (1.5 hrs) A regimen of physical exercises introducing the basic techniques of movement used in Tango, followed by a course of study on “La Salida Basica”, or “The Basic Exit”, which is the first of several classic figures designed over the decades to develop strong skills in the dance. Each week will end with a repetition of the figures from Tango 101, this time with phrasing and more technique. 1.) Walking a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) La Salida Basica c.) The Walk with ½-time MG 2.) Back Ochos and the Cross a.) Drills: Walking, Front Ochos, Back Ochos b.) La Salida Basica c.) Back Ochos to the Cross with Phrasing 3.) Rock Turn to the Left a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) La Salida Basica c.) Rock Turn to the Left with Phrasing 4.) Rock Turn to the Right a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) La Salida Basica c.) Rock Turn to the Right with Phrasing 5.) Ocho Cortado a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) La Salida Basica c.) ½-time Ocho Cortado with Phrasing Tango 103: El Ocho (1.5 hrs) More physical drilling of the basic tango movements, followed by an exploration of the second classic figure, “El Ocho”, or forward ochos from the cross. The last part of class focuses on the most useful Milonguero variations based on the inherent rhythm in the ocho cortado. 1.) Walking the Milonguero Groove a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) El Ocho c.) Walking 7-8-1, 3-4-5 2.) Walking plus Ocho Cortado a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) El Ocho c.) 7-8-1 Ocho Cortado plus 7-8-1 Walking 3.) Ocho Cortado plus Milonguero Turn a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) El Ocho c.) Full 7-8-1 MG Turn Combo 4.) Pasadas a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) El Ocho c.) 7-8-1 Pasadas 5.) Combinations a.) Drills: Walking, Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos b.) El Ocho c.) Walking, MG, Walking, Pasadas Tango 104: La Parada (1.5 hrs) More sophisticated drills, introducing the “molinete”, followed by working on “La Parada”, or “The Stop”. Each class ends with more work on useful turns, with both plenty of review and new variations. 1.)
Milonguero Dip 3.) La Media Luna a.) Drills: Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos, Molinete b.) La Parada c.) La Media Luna 4.) LML + Groove Variations a.) Drills: Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos, Molinete b.) La Parada c.) LML + Ocho Cortado/Pasada 5.) Additional Combinations a.) Drills: Forward Ochos, Backward Ochos, Molinete b.) La Parada c.) MD + Swing Cortado/Pasadas, LML + Swing Cortado/Pasada Tango 403 - Ganchos Part I -- Classic to Modern Ganchos Not recommended for crowded dance floors, these leg to leg “hooks” are nevertheless fun, beautiful, and eventually a great source gratification for the ego of the avid Tango dancer. |
Curriculum |