Argentine Tango Workshop

Friday, March 18^th

6:30 – 7:30 pm Chamuyo and
7:30 – 9:30 pm Milonga at Higher Groundz

There is so much more to Tango than just dancing! Kick off the evening with a free discussion group (chamuyo). Andrea & Gato will discuss the music, dance and culture of Tango. Bring your questions and enjoy this informative chat.

Continue the evening with great food, drink, music, and most of all dancing. They will do a demo or two for your enjoyment. No cover for this social dancing event at the Higher Groundz Family Coffee House, 3230 Broad St., Suite 130, San Luis Obispo (Broad and Orcutt).

Saturday, March 19^th

12:00 – 1:15 pm Technique 1 (all levels)

The class will be broken into two parts -- Leaders with Gato and Followers with Andrea. For the ladies: excersises on posture, balance, changes of weight, waist rotation, walking, "ochos" and turns. For the men: body posture, body atittude, changes of weight, balnce, fundamentals for walking, changes of rythm, "abanicos", double time excercises.

The Argentine Waltz: Rythm and musicality, smooth sacadas, specific turns and patterns. Sequencies.

Double turns with left and right leg, turns with barridas and ganchos.

If you can walk, you can learn to Tango!

Linda Drake hosts another great dance at the Oddfellow's Hall. Come enjoy a varity of music -- tango, ballroom, salsa, west coast swing, etc. -- starting at 8:00pm.

Before the dance, kick off the evening with a one hour Argentine Tango lesson. Gato and Andrea will teach a special introduction to Argentine Tango covering the basics required to get around the floor and how Argentine Tango differs from Ballroom Tango. Cost for both class and dance is $10 per person and is not part of the workshop price structure.

Salòn Tango: fundamentals, smooth walking, following, change of direction, pauses, musicality and coordination. Simple patterns.

Simple turns with "entradas," turns with soft "sacadas" and double time exit. Voleos. Combinations.

The class will be broken into two parts -- Leaders with Gato and Followers with Andrea. (It is advisable that the students take the first class to participate in this one.) For the ladies: review fisrt class, simple voleos (low & high), embellishments for walking and for "ochos." Turns with voleos, excersise for good ganchos. For the men: review first class, body rotation, turns, "enrosques" and "planeos" for turns, leading technique for turns and voleos.

Turns and counter turns, low and high sacadas. Turns to the left. Combinations and sequences.

All classes at the San Luis Obispo Oddfellow's Hall: 520 Dana St., San Luis Obispo. From Hwy 101 (north or south), exit on Marsh St. From Marsh, turn left on Nipomo St., and Dana St. is the first left after Higuera.

Cost: One technique class $25 or both for $40 per person. The other classes are $30 each, three for $80, or all five for $120. One hour private classes are also available for $80 per couple, contact Rich to schedule.

Hugo "Gato" Valdéz & Andrea Monti started dancing together in 1998. They dance "Tango Salón" with refinement and distinction. Together they have formed a well-known reputation not only for their elegance, technique and musicality, but also for their "caminar a tierra" which has made them excellent representatives of the typical tango "porteño."

Through many years of experience and work, they have developed a teaching method based on the techniques of posture, balance, axes, weight changes, rhythm and especially on the tango walk, emphasizing the interpretation of music, and encouraging students to express their feelings when dancing.

They have made numerous Tango Tours all over the world, as well as performances and presentations in Show Clubs, Restaurants, Tango Bars, and Milongas too numerous to count.

Gato and Andrea have taught and shown their style in Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Central America, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

They worked in the II Encuentro Internacional de Tango Valencia 2004 (Spain) and in the Portland TangoFest 2004, Oregon (USA).

In Spain they integrated "Las Estrellas del Tango" company together with other distinguished dancers and one of the most prestigious orchestras in Buenos Aires, "Los Reyes del Tango" performing at "Palacio de los Congresos", Playa de Aro, August 2003.

In Australia they were invited to participate as the main argentine couple in the "Tango Takes Two" company, which performed in the well-known Cremorne theatre in the city of Brisbane and in the PlayHouse Theatre in the city of Perth, December 2002.

See photos and read more about Andrea and Gato at their web site, www.GatoTango.com. Be sure to check out the fun video on their site too!

For more info: Call Rich, (805)783-0569.

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