Here’s another challenge from the ministry of silly walks. This walk is all about pressing into the ground and relaxing at the same time. It is similar to a previous challenge the ‘Silly anesthetized walk’. The swagger silly walk is here to help you feel how to walk in a relaxed way that is powerful and well connected to the ground. The swagger silly walk brings in the upper body to create a much more holistic and natural walk.The swagger silly walk is only silly if you want it to be, but making it silly can truly help your understanding of how your body moves holistically. In truth, a very refined version of this silly walk is how we should all be walking everyday, everywhere we go.
Due to the success and popularity of our highly-personalized classes, we are now changing our immersive beginning classes to advanced/intermediate courses, in which we decide what to teach after students arrive to class. This allows us to focus on the needs and desires of everyone who attends.
As always, every class will incorporate body and movement awareness exercises, sensitivity and connection in the embrace, and deep explorations of concepts within the dance.
Followed later in the evening by a Practica(a time to practice what you have learned, to try new things, to get and give feedback, and to dance in an informal setting). Visit the Practica page for more information.
Saturday, April 13th is Canceled!
But, it will be rescheduled! Stay tuned for announcements, or sign up for our mailing list.
In tango, a relaxed yet stable walk is very important. It turns out that the same walk in our everyday life can help us be more engaged in the world around us. Feeling our strength in the ground and relaxing through our steps while standing tall feels really good! We can feel much more aware of our selves and the world around us. Relaxing into the walk can be difficult, but luckily we have the ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’ to help us! This is a very silly walk, so maybe you just want to do it at home, unless you don’t mind looking silly, in which case feel free to do this walk wherever you like.
In the last few months we have given some rather intense workshops for beginners that included some prerequisite homework. Among them was a series of challenges to get our students into the proper frame of mind for the classes. Everyone came to class with an idea of what they were getting into, and a fresh view of themselves standing and walking through their days. This greatly facilitated the classes and allowed everyone the chance to really get a handle on this dance we love. This challenge is an expansion of the first challenge we gave as homework.
Walking is something we do every day without thinking. This challenge is about finding awareness as you walk and stand through out your day. Once you do, walking and standing may never be the same for you again.
To begin, we will start with a concentrated effort in finding awareness. You will want to revisit this concentrated exercise every so often. Over time, you will find your awareness of how you walk and stand invading your everyday movement, from standing up from your desk, to walking down the hall, to pushing a cart or standing in line at the grocery.
Due to popular demand, Eric and Susannah are excited to announce another immersive foundations tango class!
This class will follow a different format from the last, with a stronger emphasis on connection and subtle movement, while diving deeper into visualizing proper posture and movement. We will be incorporating parts of our Tangobreath vinyasa in class to create awareness and Provide practice techniques that will go well beyond class time.
This 4-hour class continues our exploration of essential technique in Argentine tango to prepare you to attend milongas (social dances) and practicas in a much shorter time than a more traditional series. We will also be inviting experienced dancers in our community to participate, so that you will have the opportunity to work with individuals who can give you personalized and knowledgeable feedback during the class.
Saturday, October 6th
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
The West Asheville Vineyard, 717 Haywood Road
$40.00 pre-registration
DEADLINE FOR REGISTERING: Friday, September 28th
We need to have a minimum number of participants to offer this class, so we encourage you to pre-register or contact us soon, if you are interested! We will also be providing more pre-class study material and exercises, so be sure to let us know you are coming!
Additional IMPORTANT information:
We structure our classes in unique ways in order to delve into deep studies and explorations of our bodies and the material. Since we want you to get the best experience and assimilate the most from this intense class, we will have some required exercises and material before the lesson. We will provide all of this material to you a week or more in advance.
Becoming aware of the circles and spirals that happen in our body as we walk.
This challenge builds on our last challenge, Sinking into our Standing leg. We will use that same exercise, but apply it to every step we take as we walk. Walking down the street, the hallway, the grocery store, give this a try, but try not to think about it too much. Do this once at home, with focus, then do it whenever you walk somewhere, even if it is just for a few steps. Our goal is to become aware of the circles and spirals that our body creates internally as we walk. Ultimately we want to relax into a healthy balanced walk and remain aware of how our body is moving and how it feels.
The flow of movement between partners can appear magical.
Every week in TangoLab, we start class with some exercise to create awareness of our partners through the embrace. Our goal is to encourage dancers to create and sense movement in response to one another. Beginners, even those that come from other dance backgrounds, are always amazed at how this internal flow of movement works to create a conversation between partners. When done very subtly, it can be difficult to see any flow of movement, yet we are speaking volumes, and responding to one another. It might seem like magic.
Explaining what needs to happen to internalize the flow of movement is difficult, however, which is why it is so important to choose our words and imagery carefully. There are many phrases and words that are commonly and casually used when teaching or learning Argentine tango. In our teaching, we have discarded many of them because they are vague or have multiple meanings. It is a careful practice to put these things away, not use them, and find a thorough and meaningful replacement when needed.
In this week’s class we are continuing with creating a yummy embrace as we incorporate and explore the many movements we discovered in the ocho cortado.
In TangoBreath we will continue our work from previous classes with adornos by adding a few more. These movements are becoming more important as we continue to explore their effect within the embrace in TangoLab.
In TangoLab we will begin, as always, with presence in the embrace and subtle core movement. This is the perfect way to start learning Argentine tango. We will continue working with variations in linear movement while we begin incorporating the many choices in direction when following a pivot.
Last week we completely dismantled the ocho cortado, this week we will continue to explore all of its parts and the mirrors and reversals of those parts. Including an examination of linear and circular crosses.
As always our class will incorporate changes in direction, and how our internal movement brings life to the embrace. Including how to find which foot your partner is on while creating the opportunity for adornos, and a dynamic, great feeling embrace.
This week’s orchestra is Carlos Di Sarli, which will be quite refreshing after the last few weeks of Biagi. Di Sarli’s music makes it easy to hear the phrasing. Kiki and bouba, are now living at Homewood, so they will always be available to add a visual to what you are hearing and feeling in the music.
In this week’s class we are continuing with creating a yummy embrace as we explore changes of direction and pivots. Including variations on the incredibly simple ocho cortado.
In TangoBreath we will continue our work from previous classes with adornos by adding a few more. These movements are becoming more important as we continue to explore their effect within the embrace in TangoLab.
In TangoLab we will begin, as always, with presence in the embrace and subtle core movement. This is the perfect way to start learning Argentine tango. We will continue working with variations in linear movement while we begin incorporating the many choices in direction when following a pivot.
We will continue our exploration of the ocho cortado and variations. Find out why the ocho cortado is just a fancy name for a simple everyday step. We will examine this very simple movement, and the options for exiting it as single movements which can be applied everywhere, not just following the two steps that are called “ocho cortado”.
As always our class will incorporate changes in direction, and how our internal movement brings life to the embrace. Including how to find which foot your partner is on while creating the opportunity for adornos, and a dynamic, great feeling embrace.
This week’s orchestra is Rodolfo Biagi, perfect for being hit over the head with phrasing and learning to search out sweetness. This week we will bring out the kiki and bouba, so the music will be extra fun.
If you have been to our tango classes, you know we always incorporate the pelvic floor in its role toward solid, fluid and confident movement. Here is your chance to get a full dose of what it takes to be fully aware of how to use your hips, sacrum and tailbone in every tango movement.
Creating a dynamic embrace with internal spiral and the resulting adornos is key to creating smooth fluid movement that feels good to your partner.
We follow up our pelvic floor class with a class on how to visualize and attain fluid movement. This includes creating dynamic tension and compression within the embrace, and how adornos and internal movement play a part in making the embrace feel amazing, all while we explore several different sacada’s and how to find them. All of the visualizations and technique for creating fluid movement can be applied to all aspects of dancing tango. Learning to find all 36 regular sacada’s can change the way you think about Argentine tango movement, and open doors to many other possibilities. These classes are all level, but will increase in difficulty to challenge dancers of all abilities.
CLASSES
From floor to pelvic floor: free your hip, the rest will follow. 1-2:30 PM Coming to a deeper understanding of our dynamic pelvic region gives access to stable & fluid movement. Using the pelvic floor is the key to being a solid lead or follow.
Visualizing and creating fluid movement on the path to every sacada. 3-4:30 PM Learn visualization and technique to create fluid, delicious movement within the embrace, while we learn how to find all of the sacadas. Visualization of pivots and spiral while creating various adornos is a big part of this class. This class will be equally challenging and interesting to both leaders and followers. The pelvic floor class is a pre-requisite for this class.
HOMEWOOD MILONGA 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM
Lisa Jacobs will be our DJ.
Acupressure and Tui Na (Chinese massage) by Katie Bruce L.AC. We are pleased to announce that Katie Bruce L.AC. will be offering acupressure and some Tui Na (Chinese Massage) during the milonga. Visit Katie’s web site for more information! Katie will be available from 8:00-10:00 for suggested donation of $10.
Some wine, snacks and, as always, a special treat prepared by Susannah will be provided. BYOB.
Private Lessons
As always, we will be available for private lessons. Please contact us to make arrangements.
Here's another challenge from the ministry of silly walks. This walk is all about pressing into the ground and relaxing at the same time. It is similar to a previous challenge the 'Silly anesthetized walk'. The swagger silly walk is he
