New! On October 1-3 lessons and milongas with Ines Moussavi and Constantin Ruger (Germany) Ines Moussavi is in Riga again. This time her partner will be a world class teacher and dancer - Constantin Ruger.
Workshop programme Friday, October 1 18.00 – 19.30 Estilo Milonguero I* 20.00 – 21.30 Active following: communication during the dance
Saturday, October 2 12.00 – 13.30 Estilo Milongero II* 14.00 – 15.30 Women/Man technique (separate lessons) 20.00 – 21.30 Adornments for her and him – led or unled
Sunday, October 3 12.00 – 13.30 Milonga: from easy to (almost) impossible 14.00 – 15.30 Big steps – small steps: dynamics of dancing 19.00 – 20.30 Rhythm or melody – or both?
*All workshops will be about close embrace and teachers will focus on good contact between partners, straight and relaxed posture, balance, elegance and freedom of movements, movement principles, but will not focus on certain figures and combinations. In other words, lessons will be about the base basics that are necessary for everyone and without which it is impossible to dance beautifully and derive pleasurable sensations from tango…..
Location: Riga Secondary School 6 (A.Caka 102, corner of A.Caka and Artilerijas Streets, opposite to Ziedona park)
Prices: 20 Euro/per person/per lesson (1.5 hours). If you take all eight lessons – 140 Euro/per person.
Milongas (detailed information will be given later)
Friday, October 1 21.30 – 2.00 Location: Riga 6th Secondary School
Saturday, October 2 21.30 – 2.30 (?) Information about the location and precise time will be added later.
Sunday, October 3 20.30 – 1.00 Location: Riga Secondary School 6
Accommodation Information about hotels you can find here: www.booking.com Nearest hotels:
Constantin has playful energy and a light-hearted approach which makes his classes a joyful experience. But don't be fooled by his 'cheeky' nature, he is a brilliant dancer and astute teacher with an eye for the smallest details. He teaches in a very clear way. He started dancing Tango Argentino in 1997. He teaches and dances all over Europe and in the USA. His most important teachers are Gustavo Naveira, Chicho, Julio & Corinna, Susana Miller, Tete and many more. His style combines elements of the traditional Salon-Style with modern tango. Every Friday he hosts a big milonga at the "Ballhaus Walzerlinksgestrickt" in Berlin. Ines is one of the most elegant and sensuous Tango dancers currently teaching in Europe. She embodies the spirit of the dance and best of all, is able to impart this fantastic gift to her students. She was trained by the amazing Eric Jorissen from Nijmegen, who is her most important influence, as well as many known Argentine teachers during her yearly trips to Buenos Aires. She also runs a series of dance holidays. Together they will make a learning experience you will never forget.
Here’s what Ines says about herself: “As long as I can remember I love to dance. Some years I concentrated on Dance-Theatre, Jazzdance and classical Ballet. Since 1996 I dance Tango Argentino. It was love at first glance when I visited my first milonga, the "Roter Salon" in Berlin. I was impressed by the intimacy, the music and elegant moves. The next day I subscribed for my first tango lesson, not knowing that the process of learning and enjoying new possibilities will never end. Tango became the most important thing in my life and - lucky me - even my profession. Some things that I like to share with my students: relaxed upright posture, comfortable embrace, feeling for the music, solid balance and elegance in movements, connection in the couple and attention for the others dancers, taking care of the line of dance.”
And about her tango-way: “In January 1996 in Berlin I made my first steps into the world of Tango. A classical Tango-Introduction: the magic 8 steps, Ochos, Sandwich...well, the basics. Sticking to simple figures I visited my first New-Year-Ball in "el-Corte" in Nijmegen. I was stunned! In Nijmegen I realized, that there had to be something I missed - why they all dance so different? How comes they did it so harmonical and co-operative while being so precise and elegant and in connection with the music? And the "floor craft" - watching the couples on the very crowded dance floor I got the feeling everyone moves coordinated in relation to the surrounding dancers. Just fascinating! As the years passed by and after many stops there and in Buenos Aires I increasingly recognized how to achieve this special feeling, and I'm still fascinated by all those frisky details which reveal themselves in a tango-life. You have to be patient, but it pays out in the end. In my lessons I try assure my student's will to achieve a contact, a co-operation with each other, the feeling of being together. And I focus onto the musical feeling, too. I hope to see them someday being surprised and happy by all those opportunities to move to the music. It is very nice that this never ending discovery keeps on all the time.... Many things I learned by my students and I am thankful for their confidence.”
*Estilo Milonguero (tango apilado / confiteria style) This style originated as the 'petitero' or 'caquero' style in the “Tango Golden Era” in the1940s and 50s in closely packed dance halls and "confiterias”, so it is danced in close embrace, chest-to chest, with the partners leaning - or appearing to lean - slightly towards each other to allow space for the feet to move. There are not many embellishments or firuletes or complicated figures for the lack of space in the original milonguero style but now also those figures are danced, which only at first glance seem impossible in close embrace. Actually, a lot of complicated figures are possible even in milonguero. Today, it is the most common tango style in the Buenos Aires milongas where most of milongueros dance for 30 – 50 or even more years. Although the rhythmic, close-embrace style of dancing has existed for decades, the term "Milonguero Style" only surfaced in the mid- '90s when the name was created by Susana Miller, who had been the assistant to Pedro 'Tete' Rusconi. Many of the older dancers who are exponents of this style (including 'Tete') prefer not to use the label. Although there are only few dancers in Latvia who dances pure milonguero style, this topic has been chosen because it may give more valuable information and practical skills that will be useful for everybody. The main of them are the following: excellent contact between partners that provides more freedom in your movements, better awareness and feeling of yourself, your partner and other dancers, as well as an emotional intimacy that is the primary meaning of tango.
