2008 Tango Classes in Buenos Aires: Back to Tango Salón

A lot of my readers have been asking for classes in Buenos Aires. I've been taking classes in a lot of places, but my focus is now Tango Salón (what is Tango Salón? that's for another Blog). So I asked one of my favorite teachers (and bloggers!) here in Buenos Aires, José Halfon (http://nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/) if he has any suggestions. This is the text of his email (original in Spanish, below). I did my best with the translation, but it ain't easy.

Thanks Jose!

My dear friend Daniel asked me to suggest some Tango classes. I'll suggest three different classes currently offered in Buenos Aires.

• Chiche and Marta on Sundays at 7pm and at 10pm in Torquato Tasso (1575 Defensa). They're a couple who have kids and grandkids and have been teaching for many years. For us and many others, their classes have been fundamental.
  Their content, simplicity and logic have withstood the test of time. I don't know how many other couples you can say that about. Nowadays the tendency is to mention certain "maestros" who are hip and cool. I, instead, begin my list with this couple: times have changed, but they're still together and actively teaching and dancing. Hurray for Chice and Marta!
  
• Sebastián y Roxana, Monday 8.30pm in Sarmiento 722 4th floor. Seba and Ro are part of the new generation that has reinvented Tango Salón. It's even more highly stylized, if that's possible. Their dancing is both elegant and musical, with a high degree of expressiveness and maleability. These are traits which don't abound in this part of the City.
• El "Chino" Marcelo, Wednesday 8pm, Carlos Calvo 948. El Chino is a teacher and dancer who knows a lot and keeps a low profile. His idea is a bridge between what we learn from corporal study -- normally called "Nuevo Tango" -- and more traditional dance. In my opinion, el Chino is a partner in "Nuevo Tango Salón," which is the movement that we passionately support.

In all three cases, you'll find people with a open mind. Each of them defends their own way of thinking but yet is respectful of others' ways of thinking. And all of them have an incredible desire to teach the legacy of his beautiful country.

A Heartfelt "Saludo" to All the Readers of Esquiensoy,
Jose Halfon

Original in Spanish

A pedido de mi queridisimo amigo Daniel, voy a proponer 3 clases de tango diferentes, para tomar en estos días en Buenos Aires.

La primera, es la de Chiche y Marta, los domingos de 19:00hs a 22:00 hs. en el Torquato Tasso. Defensa 1575

Chiche y Marta, son una una pareja con hijos y nietos y  muchos años en la docencia. Sus clases han sido fundamentales para nosotros y para muchos otros, porque sus contenidos,  simples , y lógicos, son  imbatibles al paso del tiempo. No se cuantos pueden decir lo mismo.

Hoy en día esta quizás mas de moda, nombrar entre los maestros de uno a ciertos bailarines, buenos y Cool.Yo quiero empezar mi lista, por estos 2, ya que los nuevos tiempos, los encuentran unidos, y activos. Hurra por Chiche y Marta.

En segundo lugar, quiero nombrar la clase de Sebastian y Roxana, lunes 20:30 hs. en Sarmiento 722 4* piso.

Seba y Ro, forman parte de una nueva generación que re-invento el Tango Salón, que lo estilizó aun mas, si es eso posible.Tienen un baile realmente elegante y musical, con plasticidad y ductilidad, algo que desde mi punto de vista,no abunda por esa zona de la ciudad.

Para terminar mi lista quiero nombrar la clase del " Chino" Marcelo, los miércoles, 20 hs. Carlos Calvo 948.

El Chino, bailarín y maestro, de amplio conocimiento y bajo perfil, da habitualmente una propuesta, que hace un puente,que une el estudio del cuerpo que brinda, lo que se suele llama " Nuevo Tango " y el baile mas tradicional. Digamos que el Chino, es para mi otro socio del Nuevo Tango Salón. Movimiento al que aderimos con pasión.

En los 3 casos, se van a encontrar con gente de cabeza amplia, defensora de lo suyo, y respetuoso de lo ajeno. Siempre con ganas de enseñar, lo que esta tierra hermosa nos lego.

Un saludo cordial a los lectores de " Esquiensoy "

Jose Halfon

 

 

Alejandro and Marisol's Classes

Here are their classes so I can throw this piece of paper away:

Medrano 645
Domingos 23.30 - 01.00 (práctica + músicos + cine + debate)
Domingos 19.00 Avanzados
Miércoles 22.00 Intermedios
Viernes 22.00 Milonga

I recommend these guys, although they're classes have been better with -- and in some cases impossible without -- a partner.

Private Classes

Now I'm basically stuck in Argentina for the forseeable future.

Some people have asked me what classes I recommend and so forth, and I really don't have any easy answers. I like the classes at DNI, but I think that for most people Tango Nuevo is like driving an 18-wheeler before you can ride a bicycle (well, something like that). I like the classes with Jose and Viky (http://www.nuevotangosalon.blogspot.com/) and with Alejandro and Marisol (also very modern) and I do take an occasional class in DNI. But personally, I've been taking a lot of private classes with Cecilia González, who is awesome for what I want to do (tango salón).

I went to a Tango party the other night (have fun in Canada, Maral!) and there were a lot of modernos there. I think the women do quite well in Tango Moderno, since the same concepts of lead and follow apply. But the men suffer, because they are leading complex stuff and sometimes you have to modify your arms and you can't lead everything from your torso. The real deal is that Tango Moderno is true dance: the torso moves the arms, the arms move the hands, the puntos de apoyo (connections) move the woman. But before you get to that point, it's much better, I think, to focus on moving the woman from your torso. Tango Moderno is basically a relaxing of more traditional tango, meaning that many of the rules can be broken. So if you don't have those rules ingrained in your body, it's a terrible looking free-for-all.

But I was watching one of the guys at the party who women have told me dances quite well at moderno. And he sucks: hips going in any direction, torso going in any direction, hands moving independenly of torso which is basically always moving with the hips... obviously, if you never learn to dissociar (separate? disconnect?) you will forever move like an inelegant putz in tango.

While I'm rambling, they were showing that terrible Duvall movie on TV the other day. Man, Duvall actually dances tango! I mean, he's not a great tango dancer, but he's quite good (or at least in those choreos that they did). Sally Fields or whatever her name is in that other movie with Pablo Verón is an absolute yutz, and the movie isn't much better than Duvall's hitman bullshit.

But yet, Tango must advance... hopefully soon I'll comment on Zotto's show, which I saw over a month ago...