Continuing your tango learning on Mondays and Wednesdays

The grand tour of venues in Southampton to hold a tango lesson continues. With any luck the journey is at a happy rest for a while with the current venues: Mavericks on Mondays and the Slug and Lettuce on Wednesdays.

In both cases the floor is pretty decent, and the space much more private than with the previous venue, so fingers crossed! See www.tangolingua.com/find- us for full addresses and a map.
 

Continuing your Leaning

Firstly, well done to the recent Argentine Tango Fundamentals course graduates! The next course starts this Monday, 15th Oct. Remember, if you bring a friend, you get a free lesson! Full details and booking here: http://www.tangolingua.com/courses/argentine-tango-fundamentals

Now, the main topic of this post is how to continue your tango learning while attending the weekly classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

If you've been coming regularly on a Monday for a while now, then you'll know that the feedback and variations you get are different from the what the new beginners get. The aim being that you continue to be challenged.

From now on different content will be given in a more organized fashion. The group will be split into parts at different points in the lesson, with one group being introduced to the basics, while the other group(s) are given more challenging and stimulating variations and practice of the fundamentals.

Each lesson will have specific material for students of different experience levels. The idea is that even experienced dancers will feel that their tango has developed over the course of the 6 weeks.

So if you'd like to continue your tango learning, you are invited to continue to attend the Tango Fundamentals course held on the Monday sessions.

The same concept will apply to the Wednesday classes, which focus on more advanced tango concepts.

Lastly on this topic, making a habit of asking questions is a great way to increase your learning.

Workshops

Thanks to all those who came to the Technique Booster workshop in Sept and made it such a fun occasion! The next one is being planned for the end of Oct or the beginning of Nov. If you'd like to spend the afternoon developing and refining your tango, getting in depth with the technique and spending enough time practicing for it to begin to sink into your body, then this is your chance!

If you'd like to attend the next Technique Booster afternoon workshop, please reply to this email with:
a) your preference for day (Sat, or Sun afternoon)
b) the tango topic(s) you'd most like to work on.

Thanks!

Enjoy your dancing, take care, and I hope to see you soon,

Joe

Last minute venue change for 3rd Sept

Last night I was contacted by the Maple Leaf club and informed the venue was now mysteriously closed and all bookings cancelled... which puts them off the Xmas card list. But all was not lost!

I've spent the last 24 hours hunting for an alternative for tonight. Luckily I found one about an hour ago. I really hope if you're planning to come to the class tonight (and/or later for the social dancing) that you check your email or find this post before leaving later!

The venue for tonight (Argentine Tango Fundamentals course, and mixed level class), 3rd Sept, is:

Shirely Parish Hall,
St James Road (just on the corner of Colebrook Ave, a stones throw from the St James church)
Shirley,
Southampton, SO15 5LW

See here for a map: http://goo.gl/0U2ab

The times are unchanged, 8-9:15pm for lesson, followed by social dancing. And yes, I will still bring cake as promised!

Please do not go to the Maple Leaf Club tonight, the lesson is moved to Shirley Parish Hall. 

Also due to a lack of venue, this Wednesday class is currently cancelled, but if I can find a venue in time, I'll post a notice on the Tango Lingua FB page and the www.tangolingua.com website, so if you'd like to come that class be sure to check those links.

However, for next week, 10th Sept, I've arranged for the Monday and Wednesday classes to continue at: La Margherita Restaurant Bar
1 Town Quay
Southampton SO14 2AQ

If it works out well this could be our regular venue. Fingers crossed.

Well, that's it. Sorry again for any inconvenience. If you have any trouble finding the place tonight, just give me a call.

New venue, giro workshop, new timetable, and the possibility of cake...

Hello!

I hope you're well and have been enjoying some of the belated summer. Here's the low-down on Tango Lingua happenings in the next few weeks.

New Core Skills 1 course

The next course starts on 3rd September. If you want to revise or clarify the basics of tango, including walking and pivoting, or if you're a complete beginner, this is the course for you. More details and booking here:
http://www.tangolingua.com/courses/argentine-tango-fundamentals

Coming to the end of the Core Skills 1 course, and want to save serious money on future lessons? Then consider taking out a subscription: http://www.tangolingua.com/tango-lessons/tango-dance-class-subscriptions

Mini Milongas - After each lesson, until 11pm there will be social dancing, with some nice lighting, and biscuits. Everyone is welcome, especially recent beginners! The music will be a mix of classic tango, neuvo and alternative. Price: £4, or free if you come for the class.

Technique Booster Workshop 26th August

Thanks everyone who came to the previous workshop in July and made it such fun! The next Technique Booster workshop will be held on Sunday afternoon August 26th, just over a week from now. This one will focus on the giro, with variations in timing, order of steps, speed, continuous turns, progression along the line of dance, and more.

For recent beginners and those not familar with the giro, it is a series of steps where the follower steps around the leader, or where leader and follower step around each other. For you this will be an introduction to this beautiful, classic tango movement.

For more experienced dancers this will be an opportunity to polish your technique and explore some interesting, fresh and dynamic variations. As always, we get deep down into the technique side of things, and how to make it look and feel beautiful in the dance.

Just £24 for the whole afternoon workshop! For full details and to book now (you must pre-book to attend) see:
http://www.tangolingua.com/workshops/southampton-26th-aug

New Venue!

I'm very excited to announce that Tango Lingua will be relocating, from 3rd Sept. From September all group lessons (and maybe the workshops too) will be held at:

The Maple Leaf club,
16-22 The Polygon, Southampton SO15 2BN
(map http://goo.gl/xDviK)

This newly refurbished venue is right in the centre of Southampton, it has a beautiful wooden dance floor and a rather stylish interior and bar. It even has disco lights :) Oh, and it should be a little easier to park too, for those who drive.

Lessons will remain at the same time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8-9:15pm, with the mini-milonga until 11pm.

I hope that you'll come and help me celebrate the move on 3rd September! There might even be some cake...

New class timetable and socials

It was great to see so many people come to see Lisa off at her leaving do on 25th July. It was a fine night and she is missed. I think she's having fun though, and has found a wonderful apartment, with dance floor (living room) and a swimming pool, while she continues to search for a tango club.

Since now there is a milonga at the end of each class, this is the twice weekly social. So do come along to catch up, chew the fat - even if you've not been for ages - and maybe do some dancing too!

Class changes: Over the last month or so I've been experimenting with the lesson format, and the Monday lessons are now 'mixed level', meaning all experience levels join in the class, along with the beginners. This has the advantage of allowing the beginners to learn with more experienced dancers. The more experienced dancers get to polish the basics while at the same time being given more challenging variations and refinements. So far it's working pretty well. That's the Monday lesson 8-9:15pm.

On Wednesdays, I've been covering more advanced movements and concepts, and teaching in a style slightly more orientated towards those who are serious about learning tango to a high level, i.e. more practice drills, more repetition, and stricter and more precise attention to technique. So if that sounds like the kind of class you might enjoy, come down on the Wed. It's still mixed level and open to everyone, but expect to be pushed harder than on a Monday.

One way of looking at it is that the Mondays start at a basic level, with more advanced material given to those who are ready, while the Wednesday classes start at an advanced level, with more basic material given to those who need it. Any questions, just ask!

Training opportunity: Finally, I'd like to put on some special classes for those interested in becoming trainee teachers of beginner students. These will be primarily focused on sharing some methods and concepts I've found helpful in my teaching of the basics, along with some technique training. It will be hard work, but rewarding and fun for those who want to go in this direction. It's aimed at those dancing tango for at least 6 months and dancing regularly in the milongas. If you're interested or know someone who might be, let me know.


Take care, and I hope to see you soon,
Joe

'Olympic tango', new courses and workshops, mini-milongas and more..

Hello!
As for the summer, well at least the trees aren't thirsty... :)

I've just returned from 10 days dancing in Holland, with some lovely memories and fresh inspiration. Glad to be back now, and looking forward to seeing you soon.

Here's a quick summary of what's happening in the next couple of weeks:

First up, there's a new 'Core Skills 1' course starting next Monday 23rd July. If you want to revise or clarify the basics of tango, including walking and pivoting, or if your'e a complete beginner, this is the course for you. More details and booking here:
http://www.tangolingua.com/courses/core-skills-1

Mini Milongas - I'm trying a new format to the evenings now at Povey's on Mondays and Wednesdays. There will be a lesson from 8-9:15pm. Then, until 11pm there will be social dancing, with some nice lighting, and biscuits. Everyone is welcome, especially recent beginners! The music will be a mix of classic tango, neuvo and alternative. Price: £4. (If you come for the class then the social dancing is free.)

Technique Booster Workshops

The next Technique Booster workshop will be held on Sunday afternoon July 29th. It will focus on interesting combinations of leader and follower secadas, and free leg movements for gancho leg wrap combinations. For less experienced dancers, simpler variations will be given.

As usual, the workshop will be suitable for recent beginners and more experienced dancers alike.

This time it's just £24 for the whole afternoon workshop! For full details and to book now (you must pre-book to attend) see:
http://www.tangolingua.com/workshops/southampton-29th-july

Events and Performances

Next Wednesday 25th July I'll be performing again in London, with Bianca Vrcan who runs the Rojo Y Negro tango school. The 'Olympic Tango' event is free and open to guests. You are welcome to come and watch us dance, to a live piano performance. Details here:
http://www.cultura.embavenez-uk.org/

Here's a short promo video of the Platform 33 event in London I performed at in June. Check out the little tango clips from about 3/4s of the way through :)
http://www.facebook.com/v/10151925960950424

'Question time'

(Once again, in case you missed it on the last newsletter) Here's the idea: If you're keen to learn, each week I invite you to come to me with one tango question after your class. It could a step you're struggling with, a new step you'd like to learn, a general sticking point, something to do with timing or musically. Basically anything tango related you'd like my input on. I will then spend 5 minutes with you individually on your question. Besides hopefully encouraging more people to come to class, I really hope this opportunity will encourage you to focus on how you'd like your tango to develop, and assist you in getting there. Now the rest is up to you!

Socials

This Saturday 21st July, is Lisa's leaving party! It's from 7pm at Povey's Dance Centre. You are warmly invited. If you'd like to come please let me know!

Would you like to organize a tango social? Great! Drop me an email with your idea.

Take care, and I hope to see you soon,
Joe

Save money, great upcoming tango events, 'question time', summer break, guest teacher, and more...

Summer is here! (Although its doing a fairly good job of disguising itself so far.)

There's quite a lot of info in this post. So get yourself a tea and read on for some exciting events, new learning opportunities, plus some chances to save some money..

Workshops and your revision notes

The workshop on 10^th June was great fun, if you made it along, thanks for being a part of it! Hopefully you're feeling the difference in your dancing at the milongas already. As promised here are some revision notes I made for you, along with a few related ideas which you may find helpful:
Revision notes for 10th June Technique Booster workshop - developing a delicious embrace

New workshop

The next workshop in Southampton will be on free leg movements and embellishments, including a variety of leg wraps, ganchos and boleos, along with rulos for followers. It will help you find more relaxation, freedom and fluidity in your tango dancing.

As usual, the workshop will be suitable for recent beginners and more experienced dancers alike. For those who feel ready there will be the opportunity to explore some leg wrap and gancho chains.

The date is not yet fixed, so if you'd like to do it, please let me know which of these two dates you can make: 22^nd July or 29^th July, Sunday afternoon 1-5:30pm, followed by a 1 hour practica.

I'm trialling a new price for the workshop in order to make it more accessible for more dancers. The new price is just £24 for the whole afternoon workshop!
 

Events and Performances

If anyone is around Deal on the Friday 29^th June, I'll be performing at the Deal Festival in Kent with Sophie Miller. For the opening evening we'll be tangoing to around 8-9 songs over the evening, including to live music! For more details on the event please see: http://www.dealfestival.co.uk/

Before that, on 28^th June, I'll be performing in London at the City Arts and Music Project with Bianca Vrcan for the Platform 33 event. For more details and tickets see: http://www.platform33.co.uk/
 

Summer break

I'm going away to Holland for some further tango training myself in July, so Wed 11^th July there will be no class (although Liz might open the hall up for practice), and Monday 9^th and 16^th July Liz will be running the beginner class.
 

'Question time'

Here's the idea: If you're keen to learn, each week I invite you to come to me with one tango question after your class. It could a step you're struggling with, a new step you'd like to learn, a general sticking point, something to do with timing or musically. Basically anything tango related you'd like my input on. I will then spend 5 minutes with you individually on your question. Besides hopefully encouraging more people to come to class, I really hope this opportunity will encourage you to focus on how you'd like your tango to develop, and assist you in getting there. Now the rest is up to you!
 

Invite a friend

For a while now I've been running the deal where if you bring 3 other people to a course you get a free private lesson. I'm now adding to that a second deal:

Bring a friend and get a free group lesson. If you bring someone new along to a lesson or to the beginner course, who you think might enjoy tango, then you get a free group lesson. Bring two people, get two free lessons, and so on. Simple. So if you want to reduce the cost of your tango, and help share the joy of this magical dance, get your friends along!
 

Save even more money, pay in advance

Would you like to cut over 12% off the cost of tango lessons? Then now you can pay in advance. Make a subscription for lessons online, billed every 8 weeks, and pay only £7 per lesson, rather than the normal £8. You effectively get a free lesson every 8 weeks!

If you want to come to more than one lesson a week you can save 25% off the normal class price! Full time college or university students (or the unemployed) can get almost 50% off normal lesson prices! Book now on this page:

http://www.tangolingua.com/tango-lessons/tango-dance-class-subscriptions
 

Guest teacher

On Wednesday 4^th June, Sarah Stribley from Thames Valley Tango school, will be teaching with me. She'll be sharing some of her knowledge on ladies technique, for making your footwork more elegant and musical. For the leaders, in this session I'll be showing you some fancy footwork of your own.
 

Socials

As mentioned in the previous email, Lisa's leaving party is on the 21^st July, from 7pm at Povey's. You are warmly invited. If you'd like to come please let me know!

Would you like to organize a tango social? Great! Drop me an email with your idea.

 

Take care, and I hope to see you soon,
Joe

A Jubilee tango performance, some sad news, my first tango film appearance, a new workshop on 10th June, party time, and more!

I hope you're enjoying the sun (and haven't gotten too burnt!) and your dancing.

Here are some of the exciting things that have been happening recently at Tango Lingua, and what you can look forward to in the coming weeks!

Diamond Jubilee Tango Performance This Saturday 2nd June, I've been invited to do a tango performance at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee fundraiser event for The Alliance of Fibromyalgia ME/CFS. I'll be performing with Liz and we're really looking forward to it. We'll also be giving a fun 20 minute taster lesson. Please come and join us!

It's in Twyford (near Winchester), and starts at 8pm. There will be live music and other entertainment. Tickets are £12, including a complementary glass of bubbly. For booking contact Loveday on 01962776583. For full details see this poster: Jubilee_fundraiser.jpg

On the subject of performances, a big thanks to Gary and Sue for inviting us to perform on the very special occasion of their 30th wedding anniversary, earlier this month! A further thank you to Visionary Events for inviting us to perform at the Carnival fundraiser event at 90 Degree, in Southampton on 30th April.

The Return of the Technique Booster - 10th JuneThis Technique Booster workshop on Sunday 10th June is about improving your ability to dance socially with the music and with your partner, in the milongas. We'll focus on the embrace - and making it feel delicious - and simple patterns and turns you can improvise with to express the music more.

An afternoon workshop gives you the chance to get technique into your body in a way that's not possible in a regular evening class. It's going to be a lot of fun and it's going to be recent beginner friendly! That means you don't need a lot of tango experience to benefit from this workshop.

Does that mean if you've been dancing for a few years you won't get much from it? No. As with the previous workshop, the basic idea is presented, along with optional and more challenging variations for you to try, if you feel comfortable doing so. The aim is that everyone who comes can enjoy it and be appropriately challenged.

Time: 1pm - 5:30pm (with tea and snack breaks), followed by a free 1 hour practica.
Price: £32 per person (£26 concessions)
Venue: Povey's Dance Centre.

No need to come with a partner.

Book the workshop for Sunday 10th June now:
http://www.tangolingua.com/workshops/southampton-10th-june

My First Tango Film Just a few weeks ago I was asked by Hourglass Productions to dance in a short film. The concept was to do a dance interpretation of a new romance - so perfectly suited to tango. I said yes. As it turned out, I ended up doing the acting parts too (hopefully not too badly). Laura Beduz kindly partnered me for the film. Here it is for your viewing pleasure. Let me know what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHdDXabUC2U

Calling for new blood (and old) - Argentine Tango Fundamentals Course A new 'Core Skills 1' course (formally known as the beginner course) begins on Monday 11th June. So if you're completely new to tango (or to dance in general), or you already have some experience but want to refresh the fundamentals to help overcome some sticking points, you are invited to take part in this 6 week course.

For full details of what you'll learn, and to book now, see:
http://www.tangolingua.com/courses/core-skills-1

You can read some testimonials of happy tango students, past and present here:
http://www.tangolingua.com/testimonials

Know some people who would like to try tango? Get a free private lesson for every 3 referrals.

Sad news, but let's make the most of it (and other social occasions)The sad news is that Lisa is leaving us for South Africa, at the end of July. Having started barely 6 months ago, her passion for tango is inspiring and I know a lot of people will miss her. But on the bright side, she's having a leaving party, to which you are warmly invited! This will be on Saturday 21st July, from 7pm. Contact me for full details. There will be food and drink, and you are invited to bring some to contribute. Of course, there will be lots of dancing, so bring your tango shoes!

But before that, there will be a BBQ (hmmm, BBQ :) ) on bank holiday Tuesday 5th June, from 3:30pm. Bring yourselves, plus food and drink!

Finally on the social front, I'm thinking of going to see Prometheus (the Aliens prequel) at the cinema, maybe this Sunday. If you'd like to join me, let me know :)

In closing I'd just like to give a huge thank you to the tango teachers from London, Bournemouth and Totnes who visited last Saturday for the very first Tango Teachers Symposium, and made it such a success. Here's to the next one! And here's a picture of us on the day:

New workshop, new prices, a TV opportunity and more...

New Workshop

Due to the success of the previous one, coming up soon on 10^th June is the next in the series of Technique Booster workshops. This one will focus on the embrace, patterns and turns.

If you'd really like to iron out a few of your sticking points in dancing in the close (or open) embrace and a variety of turns and common step combinations for the milonga – or if you're fairly new to a lot of those elements – this workshop is designed for you. (I.e. it is recent beginner friendly!)

As usual the approach will be relaxed and friendly, while focused on technique.

If you'd like to do this workshop on Sunday 10^th June, 1-5:30pm (with breaks and a 1 hour practica from 5:30pm) please book now!
The booking page and more info is here: http://www.tangolingua.com/workshops/southampton-10th-june
 

New prices

I'd really like to encourage as many people as possible to dance tango, and I know that sometimes money is an issue. So I'm offering lower prices for students, unwaged or low waged* dancers.

This lower price is £5 per lesson (or £6 for both lessons in an evening). If this pricing applies to you, just come along and pay the new rate.

*'low waged' is for you to decide. But as a rough guide, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the individual full-time income (pre-tax) for a 'minimum acceptable standard of living' in the UK is currently £15k pa. So if you're around or below that than by most counts you're probably on a 'low income'.

The beginner course is dead, long live the beginner course!

From this point on, the course formerly known as 'the beginner course' will be called 'core skills 1'.

As before, it will cover the fundamental parts of tango like walking, moving together in an embrace, basic ochos and crosses, and dancing to the beat and in the line of dance. It will still be a course suitable for complete, two left-footed beginners. But I also really want to encourage anyone who wishes to improve those fundamental points of their tango to come and do it, even if you've already done it before.

Those who have repeated the core skills 1 course will tell you that you learn something new every time and that the more your simple walking in an embrace improves, the more the rest of tango opens up to you.

If you're already reasonably proficient in your tango, don't worry about spending the whole lesson working with complete beginners; more experienced dancers will be given more detail and more challenge.

So for anyone wanting to do the course again, please feel free to drop in on the Monday 8pm sessions.

Want to tell your story on TV? I recently got a call from someone working on a new Channel 4 documentary series. It's about women, presented by actor Sharon Horgan. One of the films will look at the experiences of women who reach middle age and discover a new hobby or passion which transforms their life - tango being one such hobby! So:

• Did you discover tango in your 40’s/50’s?
• Were you lacking in confidence or fed up with your routine?
• Was tango the catalyst for change in your life?

If you want to be involved and share your story please contact me.