August 18, 2004
Carlos & Michelle's Recuerdo Tango Club in Chicago--Saturday Milongas are BACK!!--Wednesday Lessons & Practice Parties
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Omar is teaching in Chicago from Wednesday, July 28 through Monday, August 2. Please visit recuerdo@recuerdoclub.com for details about the classes.
The following description is taken from the Recuerdo Club website:
Omar Vega is one of the strongest creative forces in the tango revival in Buenos Aires. He is considered the master of rhythm and is internationally famous for his extremely rhythmic style of dancing Milonga Traspie.
He is unsurpassed in the small, syncopated steps that make Milonga an expressive and passionate experience. His trademark is a calm style based on rhythmically flowing movements with fast "traspie." His use of Traspie Technique allows the dancer to play with the beat within the traditional core of Tango. In Milonga and Tango Omar Vega teaches beautiful small steps which can be danced anywhere. His style is based on the Buenos Aires traditions of dancing figures that fit the space and interpreting the music improvisationally.
Omar is celebrated as a careful and charismatic teacher, and has taught extensively in New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Boston, as well as in cities in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. He has also made many appearances on television and film, including dancing with film maker Sally Potter in The Tango Lesson
Friday night - Aspen Club - 8 pm – 10 pm - Practica $5.00, free w/full workshop.
It is recommended that beginning students attend the practica to learn basic steps
Saturday - Aspen Club - 12 pm - 4 pm - Progressive Workshop
Sunday - Aspen Club - 12 pm - 4 pm - Progressive Workshop
Privates:We have time for SIX private lessons! They will be held on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday mornings before the classes start. Privates on Saturday and Sunday will be at a different location due to space availability at Aspen. We can give you more details when you call to book your private lesson. Carlos and Michelle request that you arrange to have a partner accompany you for your private. You will receive the instruction, but having a partner to dance with during the lesson allows Carlos and Michelle to observe your dancing and provide better input on what they are teaching.
Full workshop $90 with practica Saturday $50 Sunday $50 Privates $60 plus $10 floor fee
$30 Deposit required, cancellation of workshop by August 14 if enrollment is not sufficient.
Send deposit to Sheryll Ryan, 2405 Walton Lake Circle, Fairfield, IA 52556. If you have any questions, please contact Sheryll at 641.2133.1011 or Kelly Custer at 773.551.0241.
Note from Webmaster Greg: June will bring Carlos and Michelle to Cedar Rapids for their second visit to this city. Carlos and Michelle's First Workshop In Iowa City was held February 27-28-29, 2004. It was very well attended on all 3 days. Most folks participated in all 3 days, while others came only to the Friday demonstration and introductory lesson, or the full day workshop on Saturday. It was clear that folks appreciate Carlos & Michelle's clear teaching style, appropriate repetition, and building from one "element" to another in a logical path. Their special dancing exercises are unique and illuminating in how they teach you to use your body to express your soul through the Tango. We hope those of you who participated will continue your venture in learning this amazing dance. Argentine Tango is something you can do now, and continue to do as time passes. It can very truly be a life-long passion. Many of the most respected tango dancers have been dancing for decades!
Please mark you calendars now for the upcoming August 2004 weekend of Argentine Tango in Cedar Rapids. Discover and dance the passion that is Tango!
February Workshop
Our dates are February 27, 28 and 29, at the Wesley Center in Iowa City. I will send out another announcement with full details at the beginning of January. Because this is a new venue and we need an idea of the number of dancers who plan to come, we're asking you to pre-register and pay a deposit of $20. If you would like to pay the full workshop fee when you register, that would be great. Please make your check payable to Sheryll Ryan and mail it to 2405 Walton Lake Circle, Fairfield, IA 52556. If you include your email address, it will be easier for me to confirm receipt of your registration. If you have any questions, please call me at 641.472.4480 or email me at sryan@humanfactors.com. You can also contact Kelly Custer at 641.472.1001. Gail Ireland is our Iowa City contact who is helping us with arrangements for the workshop.
In March we'll return to Morningstar on the 26, 27 and 28th. We?ll provide details closer to the workshop, but wanted to give you the dates so you can plan ahead.
Tango Teachers
Carlos and Michelle have encouraged us to bring other teachers to our community. We will be better dancers if we learn from other teachers as they have different styles, techniques and approaches to teaching. Kelly and I are contacting other instructors and will let you know when we have completed negotiations.
Classes and Milongas in Chicago
We're hoping that Carlos and Michelle will have a new location for their milongas in the very near future. Those of us who have gone to Chicago to dance can't wait for them to get settled in a new space. When you attend a milonga in a big city you have the opportunity to watch advanced dancers, see different styles of social dancing, dance with new partners, and learn more about the dance. Not to mention, have a wonderful time!
If you plan to be in the Chicago area, you can attend a class with Carlos and Michelle or schedule a private lesson. You can get more information by writing to them at recuerdoclub@aol.com
Volunteers
Well, it seems that I'm not moving to Washington DC after all (hooray) but will still be traveling a great deal. We need volunteers to help us put on the workshops. Please volunteer to put up posters at restaurants and other establishments that you frequent. Let us know what locations you can cover and how many posters to give or send you.
Kelly and I want you to know how much we appreciate your support. Let's Tango!!!!
Kelly Custer, 641.472.1001
Sheryll Ryan, 641.233.1011, sryan@humanfactors.com
From: "Sheryll Ryan"
Subject: Argentine Tango in Fairfield - Upcoming Events
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 09:43:17 -0500
Dear Tango Dancers:
In this newsletter:
*a review of the last workshop, please see the discussion of practice and steps at the end of the newsletter
*the schedule for the July workshop
*road trip to the July 19th milonga in Chicago
*Tango Gala in Chicago August 9
Our workshop with Carlos and Michelle in June was a wonderful success! Of the three workshops so far, this one was the best. Based on the evaluations they received, a significant and concrete level of improvement was experienced by all. The atmosphere was coherent and attentive, and the students progressed at a very rapid rate. We're looking forward to our next workshop and two fun trips to Chicago. Kelly and I are excited that we now have an active, committed Tango community. Our community includes dancers from all of SE Iowa, and we are delighted that everyone has supported our events with such enthusiasm.
Carlos and Michelle will return for the next workshop on Friday, July 25th through Sunday, July 27th at Morningstar Studios. The schedule for this workshop is below. Please note: If you have attended a past workshop or will attend the Saturday classes in July, please consider attending the intermediate class on Sunday. By attending the Saturday classes you will have mastered the basic steps and will gain a lot from the technique taught on Sunday.
Road trip! Join us for a trip to Chicago to attend a milonga at the Recuerdo Club on Saturday, July 19th. We'll leave in the morning so we have time to take in some of Chicago's shopping and restaurants. For those of you who don't know, Michelle owns Una Bella, a wonderful clothing store for women. She has some beautiful tango clothes, so let me know if you're interested in making UnaBella a stop on the tour. After dinner we'll head to the Recuerdo Club for a 1/2 hr. lesson and then to dance the night away. Milongas last until the wee hours of the morning, so if you prefer to go to bed early, we'll make sure you have a way back to the hotel. Late Sunday morning we'll return to Fairfield. We're checking on hotels now, so for planning purposes assume that a motel room will be approximately $85 per night. We need to know by next Friday (7/11) if you are planning to go, if you would like to share a room with someone else, if you would like to carpool, and if you would like to take a private lesson with Carlos and Michelle. Email me at sryan@humanfactors.com or call Kelly at 641.472.1001.
Tango Gala! The Recuerdo Club is promoting tango and local tango dancers by sponsoring a gala, formal dress affair at the beautiful Chicago Athletic Association in downtown Chicago. The address is 12 South Michigan Avenue and the event will be held in the main dining room. The fee is $40 per person pre-paid or $50 at the door. This includes a complimentary cocktail and hors d'oeuvres. There will be a special tango showcase where you'll see the most accomplished dancers in Chicago perform. Make checks payable to Recuerdo Tango Club. After a phone or e-mail confirmation, mail checks to Michelle Costello c/o Una Bella Ltd, 19 south La Salle St, #102 Chicago, IL 60603. Cash accepted at the door, do not mail cash . There will be a special rate for accommodations at the Chicago Athletic Association. For information call 312.593.3553. If you would like to carpool with others from Fairfield, email Sheryll Ryan at sryan@humanfactors.com, or call Kelly Custer at 641.472.1001.
September workshop with Carlos and Michelle. We originally announced a workshop in August, however the actual date will be September 5, 6 and 7th. We'll give you details on that workshop soon.
Thursday practicas. Practice what you learned in these workshops every week on Thursday, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, at Morningstar Studios, 51 1/2 S. Court Street in Fairfield. If you haven't attended a workshop, but want to check out Argentine Tango, join us and we'll show you what we're learning.
Kelly and Sheryll promote these events purely for the love of the dance and not as a source of income. If you would enjoy helping us with promotion and set-up for the events, we would be delighted to have your help. One way that everyone can help is to encourage your friends and family to dance with us and come to the workshops.
Carlos and Michelle are masters at evaluating the level of expertise of the dancers in the class as the workshop progresses. They ensure that new dancers receive the attention they need, and that more experienced dancers are challenged to improve technique and learn new steps. Those of us who have attended the previous workshops know that every minute spent in their classes results in being better tango dancers.
Review of the June 2003 workshop
Fun new tango moves were taught with a strong emphasis on the foundations of tango technique. Carlos and Michelle demonstrated and discussed each move that they introduced, then, as we practiced the steps, they circulated through the group making individual corrections. They reminded us of the importance of practice and exercises to gain control of the moves. (During our Thursday night practicas we will continue the pivot exercise, walking exercise, and two-person grapevine exercise. As soon as we have the equipment in place, each Thursday we will play the video we made of Carlos and Michelle executing each step that they taught.)
There was some discussion at the previous workshop about whether the man does or doesn't lead the crusada or cross. There are nationally known teachers such as Daniel Trennor, who say it should be done automatically by the woman. However, top level teachers from Buenos Aires, such as Fabian Salas, Omar Vega, Carlos and Alicia Guillermina, who teach that every single step in this dance is led. The only exceptions are added adornments or embellishments improvised when timing in the music permits. Carlos and Michelle believe that teaching the man to lead this dance completely holds only advantages for both follower and leader. "I had the pleasure of dancing with a salty old milonguero visiting Chicago from Buenos Aires. There was not one moment of ambiguity about where to place my next step, despite the fact that I was then new to tango. He marked all the steps and tempo for me with absolute clarity. What a pleasure!"
Here's to a thriving tango community and all of you who have made this possible.
Regards,
Kelly Custer and Sheryll Ryan
Argentine Tango in Fairfield
Kelly - 741.471.1001
Sheryll - sryan@humanfactors.com, 641.919.3426 (cell)
In Fairfield Iowa
(Fairfield is in SE Iowa on US 34: 1:15 from Cedar Rapids, 2:00 from Des Moines, 4:00 from Omaha/St. Louis/Kansas City, 5:00 from Chicago.)
Argentine tango is one of the oldest of the current social dances, sensuous, alluring, and beautiful, full of improvisation and creati- vity, danced to unique and gorgeous music, and very different in style and steps from the ballroom tango that many people first learn.
Carlos Favre (a Buenos Aires native) and Michelle Costello studied with tango masters in Argentina. Carlos owns a famous Chicago tango nightclub (http://www.recuerdoclub.com) and has taught and performed tango professionally since 1995.
Learn traditional salon-style tango:Basic mechanics & technique
The art of leading & following
Dynamics of posture
Walking steps, pauses, flourishes
Relaxed attentiveness
Dancing in response to the music
Connection & improvization
Out-of-towners: Let us know if we can help you find accommodations with local hosts. We'd like to encourage you to stay the whole weekend. Let's have a great milonga Saturday night!
Questions, registration, housing coordination, etc,
Kelly 641-472-1001, or Sherryl sryan@humanfactors.com.
We welcome feedback and suggestions.
For more experienced dancers, we all know time is well spent refining our basics. Carlos excels at teaching the clean technique that is the foundation of tango. Now is the time to correct bad habits and continue to develop the good ones that will allow Iowa to shine! Based on feedback from the last workshop, they will keep a balanced ratio of explanation and practice in each class. They will focus on women's technique and men's lead. In the future we can look forward to separate classes in women's and men's technique, as well as more advanced classes. We hope to keep them coming every month, which will result in a steady momentum for us as dancers and the development of a strong tango community. Thank you for supporting the growth of tango in Iowa!
A word about Fairfield´s practicas
(Morningstar Studio, Thursdays 8-10)
We are getting about 14 people and we are progressing! It´s so encouraging to see the improvement each week, from people new to this dance. We have consistently a few more men than women. The following classified ad will be running in the Fairfield Weekly Reader:
WANTED: TANGO WOMEN for the dedicated men who are coming to weekend workshops and practice every Thursday even though you are not here! Don´t miss out on this beautiful, connected, subtle dance form and the men of exquisite substance and sensibility who have already recognized it. New men welcome—your job is the hardest; Carlos and Michelle will teach you to be good leads for the women who will be thrilled to find you!
This is an exciting time; we can help tango break open in Iowa.
Join us,
Kelly Custer
WHERE: Lessons at Morning Star Studios, east side of the Fairfield Square, 51 1/2 N. Court St.
REQUIREMENTS: None - no partner or experience necessary.
HOUSING in local homes is available for out-of-town guests: please inquire.
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