Update: At this time TangoSpring offers workshops and private lessons. Contact Oleh Kovalchuke at tangospring@gmail.com to arrange a private lesson. Rod Derby teaches group classes in Colorado Springs (see http://tangosprings.com for schedule).

Class description: Beginner Session

Tango is dance for anyone. The only requirements are innate sense of rhythm and desire to tango. Students should be able to start dancing (express music via rhythmic tango walk) after two lessons. Lessons three and four introduce essential variations in the walk and prepare students for more advanced material of lessons five and six.

A partner is not required but is always recommended to balance gender. We will rotate partners frequently during the class.

Lesson 1  Tango fundamentals: Balance (posture, tango walk), rhythm (single and double-time beat steps), connection (communicating with torso, tango embrace).
Homework. Find and express double-time beats with tango walk.

Lesson 2  Exploring tango rhythm: rock step, rock step turn, milonga (social tango dancing) primer, cross.
Homework. Practice rhythmic walk, tango walk with double hooks and cross.

Lesson 3  Walking cross feet: the lead, cross feet walk, cross from cross feet walk, back ochos.
Homework. Practice back ocho variations.

Lesson 4  Musicality - putting it all together and doing it to the music: review of first three lessons, finding the beat in unfamiliar songs and couple navigational tricks.
Homework. Dance!

Lesson 5  Popular close-embrace combination: ocho cortado, ocho cortado variations, front ochos.
Homework. Practice grapevine.

Lesson 6  Introduction to turns.

The syllabus is approximate and will be adjusted to accommodate students' dancing abilities. Since all lessons build on previous material, new students will not be accepted after the first lesson. If you miss a lesson you will have to take private class to catch up.

		"We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once." Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Class Advice

• Closed toe shoes with leather sole are recommended.
• Argentine tango is danced in close embrace, personal hygiene is important: take a shower, use little or no perfume.
• Leave your front pockets empty.

Class description: Milonguero Class

Milonguero session is available only to those students who completed beginner session and wish for further improvements. Unlike the beginner session, which covered tango "bread and butter" material, milonguero session is dedicated to tango "morsels". If you are comfortable with material learned in the beginner class feel free to take individual lessons, drop-ins are allowed. Even though partner rotation would further improve lead/follow communication, we do not have to rotate partners during milonguero session.

Milonguero session material. Turns: left from rock step, right from ocho cortado, right from back ocho, left/right back ocho turn. Walk variations: back ocho/side lead, parallel sacada, walking sidewise, side rock step from crossfeet walk, quick step, walking to one beat while leading to a different beat. Playing with balance: single axis turns, balanced walk-around, volcada, colgada.

Each lesson is about 1 h 10 min long with 15 min free practica immediately after the class. Class begins at 7 p.m. Please arrive about 15-20 minutes in advance to register and to change shoes. Grab a beginner and help them at their practica (remember they will become good dancers soon). If you prepay for the milonguero class feel free to come to beginner class and take it free of charge - it will improve you as a dancer and will introduce you to new partners.

Where to dance: Local Milongas
The recommended venues are listed below, check Tango Colorado calendar for comprehensive list of activities.

Tuesday practica at Turnverine (Denver). The practica is 7-10:30 p.m. every Tuesday.

Wednesday milonga at Blondies. 20 N Tejon st., Colorado Springs (map). The milonga is 7-10 p.m. every Wednesday.

Friday milonga in Mercury Cafe (Denver). The milonga is upstairs every Friday 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Saturday milonga at The Tango House (Denver). Saturdays 8 p.m. - 1 a.m.