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Halloween Milonga @ Impiana Hotel (31 Oct 2007)
Impressions of the International Tango Festival (Turkey 2007)

The festival was very well organized by Aydogan who runs the El Encuentro tango school in Istanbul. There were about 300 participants from more than 30 countries besides the local support. People who registered early and had no partners, were paired up with other tango dancers. This, of course, was very much the luck of the draw. I was lucky to have another teacher from one of the other cities. We were able to help each other with all the new techniques and step variations that were taught.

There were 4 pairs of teachers, all young, new-generation teachers of Tango Nuevo - each pair excellent instructors and fluent in English. All of them were spectacular performers with very individual styles. There were 2 tango bands - one that played more traditional music and even had singers and the other played electronic tango music. Both bands were wonderful and very much appreciated by the Turkish people themselves. The electronic band played their interpretation of Oblivion - it was exquisite.

Going to a festival is the perfect and economic way to learn from good teachers, though you may end up with information overload! However, from the milonga point of view it can be disappointing. The Turkish tango community do stick to the format of tandas and cortinas for the music at the milongas. However, during the cortinas, they do not sit down so that there is a chance to make eye contact and perhaps, get a tanda or two of dancing. When they enjoy dancing with you, they dance 8 - 10 numbers at a stretch. So during the festival, more time was spent watching others dancing, which can also be very interesting and constructive, but really makes for yawning and being tired, early in the evening!!
My suggestion to those who may want to attend festivals in future. Go for the festival (if possible in a mixed group) and then spend some time after for sight-seeing and attending local milongas. The 2 milongas that were attended after the festival saw us enjoying many dances with the local tangueros who are good leaders and have a lovely musicality.
It was also an opportunity to meet many interesting people and make contacts with tangueros/tangueras from different countries. It was amazing to meet many who travel with the express purpose of dancing tango in another country. What a wonderful way to see the world.
For all our loyal tango people who started with us from the very beginning, Lale sends her love to all who might remember her. I spent 5 glorious days with her and the picture shows us when we went for a milonga at Tango Jean on the first Sunday. We arrived at 10 pm and were just in time to stop the owner as he was locking up! It appears that even in a large city like Istanbul (15 million people) Sunday is a slow night! We stayed for one drink and had a few dances.
Past Workshop: Gato Valdez and Andrea Monti
(23 to 27 August 2006)
Gato and Andrea had a successful visit to Kuala Lumpur. The workshops were completed with a milonga dinner held at the up-market restaurant, Frangipani, that was greatly enjoyed by all.

Shown below, the schedule of workshops.

Wednesday, 23rd August, 2006 - Little Havana, Corner Lorong Sahabat/Cangkat Bukit Bintang

7.30 - 9.00 pm
Technique I: (all levels) posture, leg and foot positions, walk with elegance and style, half a time, normal beat and double time walk.
Ochos technique, waist rotation, excercises for weight changes, balance and pivot. Introduction to turns (giros) technique.
9.00 - 10.30 pm
Tango I: ( all levels from Advanced beginners) walking sequences, viaven, stops and pauses for embellishments.
Practica/Milonguita
10.30 pm onwards. Open to everyone. Entrance to Little Havana RM 10/-- which includes 1 drink (beer, soft drinks)
Saturday, 26th August, 2006 - Royal Selangor Golf Club Multi-Purpose Hall, Jln Tun Razak
2.30 - 4.00 pm
Technique II: excercises for balance, simple embellishments, turns (giros) technique, voleos and ganchos exercises. (It is highly recommended that the students who want to take this class, take Technique I first )
4.00 - 5.30 pm
Tango II: (Intermediate) simple turns with "escapada", simple turns with entradas, double turns.
Sunday, 27th August, 2006 - Royal Selangor Golf Club Multi-Purpose Hall, Jln Tun Razak
3.30 - 5.00 pm
Tango III: (Intermediate Advanced) Secadas Technique. Sequences with secadas and voleos.
5.00 - 6.30 pm
Milonga: (All levels but not Complete Beginners) simple and playful moves to apply in the social dance.
Past Workshop: An Evening of Tango - Workshops with Laura Legazcue
Stories by Raul Cabral

The Milonguero Dancer and His Body... read more
The Milonguera Dancer and Her Body... read more
The Beauty of Simplicity - Doing the Easy Thing is Difficult... read more
Tango Musicians & Singers
Mariana Avena, singer from Buenos Aires.
Mariana's talent and interpretation power, along with the Tango Total ballet, and the music of Leonardo Marconi Quintet will lead audiences to feel like being in in the heart of Buenos Aires. Great tango repertoire classics, from Gardel to Piazzola, in a multimedia show that expresses the Tango phenomenon in the 21st century. A spectacle of lights, images, dance and sensuality, with high impact and emotion.
Website: www.marianaavena.com
Al Tango, band based out of Poland.

Jaroslaw Kutera (Accordion), Marcin Maciejewski (Bass/Contrabass), Marcin Markowicz (Violin), Piotr Rafalko (Vocal), Robert Morawski (Piano)

Website: http://altango.art.pl
Gabriel Vallejo Quartet, France

Gabriel Vallejo Quartet was created from a personal sound search and through compositions that are directed toward the sounds of new groups; which are multidimensional and that mix harmonically Tango, Jazz, Classical and elements of Latin American rhthms.
Website: http://elcuarteto.online.fr
All about Tango

by Philip Seyer
There are many kinds of tango. The three most popular in America are 1) American Tango, 2) International style tango, and 3) Argentine tango. In my view, International tango is better described as "English tango" since that's where it originated and it is not truly international in popularity. For example, International tango is certainly not so popular in Argentina. American tango is well-suited to social dancing, where you dance with a partner you've never danced with before. It is a lead and follow style. International tango is more choreographed -- so much so that those dancing international style often stop in the middle of a routine if they make a small mistake and are often not able to recover well. American style dancers just improvie and keep going. American and International styles are quite sharp in style with headings turning quickly and steps taken in a "quick-hold" manner rather than a graceful manner. American and International styles are similar and often danced in ballrooms. Argentine tango is very different in style and is not danced so often in ballrooms, but at special "Argentine tango dance parties," where nothing is danced but Argentine tango all night long. Argentine tango is unusual in that the leader must know every step the follower is taking and see it in his mind's eye. Argentine tango is often very smooth and romantic, unlike American and International. However, Argentine tango can also be very fast and exciting, depending on the music. As an example of a difference, in Argentine tango the leader sometimes steps forward toward the follower with his left foot while the follower si stepping backward with her left foot. This is never done (to my knowledge) in American and International styles. Argentine tango also has some very unique steps where the dancers kick between each others' legs.
Tango in Bali

29th August - 4th September - by Marguerite

It was a wonderful week, well organized yet loose and relaxed enough so that people could flow in and out of the program while doing their own thing. It really was a happy crowd. The villas were so relaxing and comfortable. Stefani (owner of Villa Kresna) has created something very special at Sunset Village and keeps it running smoothly and quietly for the enjoyment of all her guests. The fact that we had the dining room for our use every evening, made it a continuous week-long party, that made bonding among all the participants much more special.

Fernanda & Guillermo conducted workshops that were fun despite being hard and serious work. Both were completely professional and fabulous instructors during the workshops and the greatest of fun to be with, outside of "work". We truly could not have had a more perfect combination. They managed to convert Zak and Paul (Dubai Tangueros, "brought up" on Tango Fantasia) to love social tango. That was an achievement. The Dubai Tangueros/tangueras are now meeting on Friday afternoons to dance and plan the future of Tango Dubai…….. social tango style!

The Tango Renaissance by Christine Denniston Christine Denniston is author of Dancing Tango
The fall of the military junta in Argentina in 1983 began a spectacular Tango Renaissance in Buenos Aires. Friends of mine who were in Buenos Aires at that time tell me the atmosphere was extraordinary. Suddenly everyone wanted to move. It was as though a physical weight had been lifted from them. Yoga classes were full. Martial arts classes were full. Dance classes of all kinds were full. And suddenly people wanted to learn to dance Tango, the ultimate symbol of Argentina to the rest of the world, because suddenly it felt all right to be proud to be Argentine again. read more

Argentine Tango Blooms under Miami's Palm Trees

MIAMI (Reuters) - You have to sign a release form accepting that your instructor may hold you close, touch you and invade your personal space.

But apart from that American touch, when the bellows instrument known as a bandoneon sets off a wistful tango, you might just as well be in Buenos Aires.

Tango classes and ballrooms -- milongas, as they are called -- are booming in Miami, the heavily Hispanic city better known for salsa and other Latin rhythms. read more

PAST WORKSHOP: Argentine Tango Workshops with Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt Ney Melo and Jennifer are argentine tango teachers & performers currently based in New York City. They are part of the new generation of Argentine Tango Teachers, who mixes "close-embrace" in traditional and nuevo tango. read more

Ney Melo's website: www.neymelo.com

Jennifer's website: www.close-embrace.com

Photos from their visit to Malaysia: click here
Seeking All Things Tango He held her tightly, pressing one hand into the back of her black halter dress. She wound her fingers around the nape of his neck. Together, they tangoed across the dance floor, their cheeks, shoulders, hips all touching. This wasn't the kind of tango of old Hollywood movies in which the man and woman arch far away from each other at the waist, face opposite directions and march with arms extended. read more

PAST WORKSHOP: Tango in Bali with Fernanda Ghi & Guillermo Merlo - 29th August to 4th September 2005

This is a unique opportunity to enjoy the beauty and mystery of Bali as well as hone up on your tango dancing skills. We have a wonderful combination here - Stefani Kanginaddhi is mad about tango, has lived in Bali for the last 22 years, married to Andre Kanginaddhi, who is a native Balinese. Their resort Villa Kresna will be the venue for the tango holiday. She has devoted her restaurant to the promotion of dancing for the last 2 years. Tango is now high on her agenda.

Date: 29th August to 4th September 2005
Venue: Villa Kresna, Seminyak, Bali
Villa Kresna information: www.villa-kresna.com

PAST WORKSHOP: Fernanda Ghi & Guillermo Merlo in Kuala Lumpur (25th & 26 September 2004)

Hola Tangueros/Tangueras of Kuala Lumpur, A warm embrace for good health. Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo are verifiably one of the most prominent couples in the world of Argentine Tango. They are renowned for their style, interpretation, choreography, command of the stage and clear teaching technique. read more