San Diego Tango Calendar
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Frequently Asked Questions by first time attendees:What should I wear? How dressed up do people get? Tango clothes are a lot of fun, but you shouldn't feel any kind of pressure to dress to any particular style for your first lesson. Instead wear clothes that you can move comfortably in. For women this means skirts that aren't too long or too tight. You want to be able to take a long step and not feel constrained. Skirts longer than mid-calf can be a hazard for getting stepped on or getting tangled in the legs and are also not recommended.I hear a lot about tango shoes (and shoe divas) what should I wear for my first lesson? For both men and women shoes should be comfortable, and have flexible, preferably non-rubber soles. You want to have some ability to pivot (turn the foot) on the floor without putting a lot of strain on the ankle and knees. For women, a low heel (1-2 inches) can be helpful for positioning the body, but the shoe should be well attached to the foot (ie should have straps holding the shoe to the foot). Is it really free? Our goal is to give you an exposure to tango and inspire you to start your tango journey. This class is merely designed to give you an introduction to tango so you can see if it is for you. If you decide that you want to learn tango, you need to take a progressive tango class. We can help you find where those are and give you recommendations for teachers we like. Is there a class every week? NEARLY every week from 9-10 there will be a class. Once every couple of months there is a visiting instructor who will give an advanced lesson during this time. What is the milonga afterwards? Can I stay and watch? At 10pm we turn down the lights and the milonga, or social tango dancing, starts. We encourage you to stay and watch since this is goal of taking tango classes, getting out to dance! So stay and see what tango in San Diego is all about! You can read about social conventions for the social dance floor if you want to know more about what happens at the milonga. Do I really not need a partner? Really you don't! But feel free to bring friends with you. We try to make sure that everyone gets to dance regardless of whether they come with a partner. And since tango is an improvised dance you don't have to worry about practicing patterns with a partner. The skills you learn should be applicable to anyone you dance with in the social dance scene. What else can I do to get ready for my first lesson? I highly recommend listening to some tango music now handily available online! Pandora Radio, Live 365 (a whole genre of tango stations), Radio Cubik (this was on of my favorites oh so many years ago when there weren't many choices) and Streaming from BsAs (click "En Vivo") are reasonably stable choices. How about some more music? OK. If you are ready to get some more music try this site that has some compressed albums. I've got some direct links to some orquestras that I find to be particularly useful for beginners, Carlos Di Sarli Instrumentals, Juan D'Arienzo Instrumentals, and Francisco Canaro. Try to see if you can hear the steady walking beat, even practice walking around your house to it! Back to Tango San DiegoCheck out my new Tango Shoe Blog to see all about my journey as a tango shoe diva.December 11, 2008 Please email me with any questions, dead links, or if you know of an event I've omitted or one that has been cancelled. America Mauhar ~ 2009 |
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TangoSanDiego is copyright 1999,2000,2001,2002,2003 by Michael J. Hamilton 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 by America Mauhar