Argentine Tango Workshop

Friday, March 10^th

8:30 – 9:30 pm Chamuyo and
9:30 – 11:30 pm Milonga

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 refreshments, music, and most of all dancing. They will do a demo for your enjoyment. $5 donations are welcomed for this social dancing event.

Saturday, March 11^th

1:00 – 2:30 pm Technique 1 (all levels)

Excersises on posture, balance, attitude, changes of weight, fundamentals for walking, waist rotation, "ochos," turns, changes of rythm, and double time.

Learn to apply their smooth tango technique to this quick and playful dance.

Salòn Tango: barridas (sweeps), voleos on the floor; simple embellishments and combinations.

Salòn Tango: pauses, turns and sacadas, simple patterns from salida "cruzada,” and combinations.

Salòn Tango: double barridas (sweeps), voleos and ganchos. Combinations.

While not required, it is advisable that the students take the first technique 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.

All Workshop Events at Central Coast Dance: 2004 10th St., Los Osos. From Hwy 101 (north or south), exit on Los Osos Valley Rd. Proceed 10 miles Northwest to Los Osos and turn Right on 10th St., continue 2 blocks to Central Coast Dance on the corner of Santa Ynez Ave., above Los Osos Liquor. Please park on the street, because the lot is reserved for convenience store customers.

Cost: Classes are $25 each, three for $70, or all six for $130. One hour private classes are also available, for $80 for a single person or $100 per couple, contact Rich to schedule.

Gato & Andrea will review the material covered over the weekend and answer questions. You will also have plenty of time to practice and have opportunities to receive corrections from these expert dancers. $15 for the evening at the San Luis Obispo Vets' Hall (near the corner of Grand & Monterey).

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.

Download the PDF version of this announcement (1.7 MB).

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