Teaching philosophy
Nuevo Milonguero dancers’ goal is to put a smile on our partner’s face. NM teachers’ goal is to foster dancers who will will do the same. To this purpose, NM teaching focuses on the following concepts:
- Communicating with one’s self: grounding, balance, relaxation
- Communicating with one’s partner: giving, receiving and interpreting body signal
- Understanding and interpreting tango music of the Golden Tango age
- Mastering, combining and adapting the basic tango movements to various spatial and musical conditions
In NM the feel of the dance takes priority over the form. Therefore there is no emphasis on aesthetics, no choreography, and no type of sequence exercises in Nuevo Milonguero classes.
The following formats are available for scheduling:
Privates
Private instruction is available for dancers who want to dive deep into the Nuevo Milonguero style and expedite progress. Private instruction is not recommended for dancers who want to sample the NM style or learn NM parallel to other styles because this leads to confusion and impedes progress in any style.
Guided practicas
Something between a class and a practica where people work on known concepts under someone’s guidance. There is no formal instruction but the practica guide suggests topics for practice and actively gives personal attention and feedback.
Privatandas
mini-private class: shorter (lasts for one tanda) and more affordable than a regular private class. Privatandas focus on one single issue to improve in one’s dancing.
Privatandas can be scheduled during practicas or as short privates (but never at milongas!)
Workshop topics
This list is by no means exhaustive – we are open to suggestions but also strive to tailor each class to a particular audience. Therefore, no two classes are ever the same!
Close embrace fundamentals series
An introduction to the basic technical elements of nuevo milonguero style:
- posture and embrace
- spirals (ascending, descending, and lateral)
- parallel in-line and outside walk
- step control / play
- simple (no spiral) pivots
This class is best suited for dancers with minimal experience in close-embrace, dancers who want to revisit the fundamentals in depth, experienced dancers who want to explore the opposite role, as well as absolute beginners.
Prerequisites: none. Suggested class length: 3 sessions of 1,5 hour.
Tango elements in-depth series
Shorter, targeted workshops that focus on any one element of the “close embrace fundamentals” series in depth.
Prerequisites: none. Suggested class length: 1 hour.
Close encounters of many kinds: a primer in close embrace tango
Two-part class that gives an overview of the various close-embrace styles. The first part is a presentation of a few most popular close-embrace styles with a focus on the corresponding teaching approaches so that students can make the most out of any close-embrace class they attend. The second part of the class is an introduction to the nuevo milonguero style.
This class is best suited for dancers with minimal experience in close-embrace as well as for dancers who have been taking classes for a while but have not established or mastered a preferred close-embrace style yet.
Prerequisites: none. Suggested class length: 2 hours.
Tango manners: the little details that can make or break your tango appeal
Tango is a social dance. The traits that make one a popular or less sought-after dancer extend beyond pure technique. This presentation will cover the basics of the social world of tango:
- Structure of tango events: what to expect if you are new to the party
- Tango culture: invitations, rejections, and everything in-between
- Tango traffic code: to, on, and out of the dance floor
- Navigating awkward situations
Musicality for everyone series
Short workshops that aim to sharpen the dancers’ ear. We will work with one song per session. We will study the phrasing of the song and identify signature sounds that we will then highlight with our dancing.
Prerequisites: none. Suggested class length: 1 hour.
Musicality for followers series
Musicality is often viewed as the leader’s prerogative while follower’s musicality is viewed as limited to embellishments. This workshop explores the opportunities for musical expression in every single following step.
Prerequisites: followers must be able to dance in close embrace while maintaining an independent axis, as well as to be relaxed and attentive to the lead.
Suggested class length: 2 sessions of 1,5 hour OR 3 sessions of 1,5 hour including an overview of tango music.
Subtractive tango: creativity through the absence of communication
Tango learning tends to be viewed as an additive process: dancers strive to add more elements to their repertoire. What we do not do, however, offers just as much potential. In this workshop we explore the ways in which absence (absence of lead/communication) can be used to create unconventional moves.
Prerequisites: familiarity and comfort with all of the concepts of the “close embrace fundamentals” series.
Suggested class length: 2 hours