Autumn Term in Malvern, let's learn to tango in time for those Christmas balls !

Time to blog ?
We seem to spend so much time sitting in front of our computers these days, updating profiles on social media, checking our emails, when actually.. why are we doing this ? Because we want to dance... ?

So, please accept my apologies for the my lack of attention to this blog for such a long time - to be totally honest it is simply that I released I was spending too much time sitting on my bottom instead of using it. But the guilt has set in and I feel inspired now to write again at least to spread some goodwill around the world about the huge benefits & joys of dancing.

Today, I will simply update everyone with news of our new "school term" the essential information concerning our scheduled tango classes.

Here, in quiet and rural Great Malvern, Worcestershire, we are incredibly proud  to be able to offer everyone, from absolute beginners through to advanced tango dancers, the opportunity to learn and improve Argentine tango only from the most experienced and brilliant teachers we can offer.  Miriam & Dante are renowned world class dancers who travel the globe regularly performing, and teaching tango. They are the Principals of the Oxford Tango Academy, which is acknowledged to be the UK's largest Tango academy, forging links nationally and internationally with other exciting tango groups. We strive to give our dancers the chance to learn from these kind of people, who will inspire you by their great enthusiasm and sheer devotion to dance and tango culture.

Watch a video here & read the biography of Miriam & Dante:
Here is a video of us performing in Salon Canning, Buenos Aires a few weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrE6nPVkZO4&feature=youtu.be
More videos and photos on our website: www.miriamydante.com

Biography:
MIRIAM & DANTE have become known for their passion for teaching and dynamic and expressive performances. They are currently based between London and Oxford, and as well as teaching weekly classes in Central London, are directors of the biggest tango school in the UK, comprised of two thriving tango academies: The Northern Tango Academy and Oxford Tango Academy. They have been guest artists in tango schools, milongas and festivals across the world, including the Mallorca Tango Festival, Nottingham Tango Festival, Porto Tango Festival, Ulverston International Music Festival, Karlsruhe Festival, Che London Tango Festival and The International Book Fair Mexico 2015, as special guests representing the British Council. They have also been part of shows with important orchestras such as Tango Siempre, Aurora Orchestra and Daniel Melingo. They were finalists in the World Tango Championships in Buenos Aires in the category of Tango Salon (de pista) in 2015. 

OUR TEACHING 
We have been working on our pedagogy over the last eight years and have developed a unique method for learning, using a lot of conceptual explanations as well as detailed technique and often some anatomical explanation. We have found certain ways of explaining both movements and body awareness which improve student's dancing significantly - we have also of course had the opportunity to study with some of the important maestros in Buenos Aires and have adapted and adjusted key concepts based on our own dancing experiences. Our backgrounds and our trajectory are quite different from most dance couples and this has given us a unique pedagogical approach - which we are always excited to share with our students.

When we're not seriously working in classes here in Malvern with Miriam & Dante, then you  can find us at our Practicas, sharing with fellow dancers our practise, and developing huge passion for endless beautiful tango music.
An increasing number of dancers also now travel to neighbouring tango groups and dance at milongas, or social dances, or as time goes by, those retro Tea dances! You can literally fill your life with uplifting joyful dance ..

But, I mustn't linger, lets get on with the important information about classes !

So, for the beginner or absolute beginner, we are running a special 6 week course with Miriam & Dante, who will start everyone off with an advantage. I believe it is always better to learn direct from the top, as habits can be difficult to change as we know, so if you are lucky enough to be able to book into the course then you'll be well-prepared for taking tango further at any time you wish to.

Tango for all!  new courses starting next Wednesday 5th October with leading Argentine dancers just returned from South American tour Miram Orcutt & Dante Culcoy. 

where?

at our tango "home" for the last 7 years, The Lyttelton Well, Church st, Great Malvern WR14 2AY. 

centrally situated in the spa town of Great Malvern, next to the beautiful (usually flood-lit at night) Great Malvern Priory. After the class, there are bars and cafes where you can go for a drink. Prezzo, Gallery 36, Ask, Pubs.,  etc.. 

The dates :

Tango for absolute beginners, NEW six week course 

Wednesdays 7.15 - 8.15pm as follows ;

1. October 5th - Miriam & Dante

2. October 12th - Miriam & Dante

-   October 19th -   Practica week, (NO class) opportunity to practise skills learnt so far and enjoy whole evening of tango music (no charge for beginners) 

3. October 26th - Miriam & Dante

4. November 2nd - Miriam & Dante

5.. November 9th - Miriam & Dante 

6. November 16th - Miriam & Dante (end of beginner's course)

However, as this a special structured course, it is important to please enrol now, as there are limited places!    

email claire@tangomalvern.com  or tel 07785 359528 

Tango absolute beginners, NEW six week course £45  

Please note this is a  pre-booked course only.  

Other classes are available to drop-in dancers as well as regulars.

8.20 - 9.20pm  Fundamentals / improvers class 

9.30 -10.30pm  Intermediates +  class 

fees £9 drop-in per class, 2 classes £14, or block of 5 classes £40.

The tango term is 5th October - 7th December. 

Lots of Christmas parties and Milongas to enjoy in December / New Year.. start getting ready now  

Come to the ball Cinderella, your dreams just may come true ..

I am incredibly excited about everything this weekend - yes, maybe  it’s nearly Christmas (panic, shopping? cooking etc?) but first, we have our annual festive party milonga, the rather sophisticated sounding “Tango & Canapés“ at the equally swish Feathers Hotel in Ledbury, an enchanting country market town in Herefordshire. Just over the hill from Tango Malvern’s birthplace  2009) + regular meeting place, (Malvern,)  the Feathers has presented itself as the perfect location for a truly romantic idyllic Christmas tango party.  Of course, we love to dress up for the occasion, this year we’ve simply suggested “elegant tango de salon,” inspired, to be honest, after watching the live screening of the Tango World Championships in Buenos Aires, August this year, especially as two of UK’s (and recently at Tango Malvern) most respected dancers and teachers, Dante Culcoy and Miriam Orcutt were finalists there!  Not only did their performances inspire us to want to dance elegantly like them, but the dresses and suits the dancers wore, were magnificent, to say the least!  Don’t worry, we won’t be judging your personal dress style -  sadly, I never quite managed to get to Buenos Aires to shop for a “cinderella-dress” in time, but nonetheless, we do hope you will enjoy expressing how you love to dress for a real tango ball ! 

Over the last few months, I have met on a few occasions, and danced with, an utterly charming man Hector Espinosa who is a brilliant photographer in his own right, but also dances with great passion and sensitivity and has been hugely appreciated by numerous people in the tango world for his iconic images of tango. I am delighted that Hector will be joining us this Saturday 19th December for “Tango & Canapés” at the Feathers, which I know will come as good news for the ladies..but also, he will be discreetly holding his camera during the evening and hopefully catching some of those precious, wonderful moments .. these pictures will not be uploaded onto social media until they are approved of by the subjects and then hopefully, a donation could be made to the very worthwhile charity that Hector supports .. Hector Espinosa, who's fundraising for @CasaAlianzaUK on @JustGiving.  you can donate now http://www.justgiving.com/Hector-Espinosa

This way, I hope you will agree, we can all enjoy Christmas, our beloved tango, and help  a worthy charity as well.. we are extremely grateful to Hector for his participation in this idea, too..xx

It's nearly Christmas !! Dance Tango at The Feathers Hotel, Ledbury.

A wonderful evening is planned for Saturday 19th December - at the perfect festive hotel in Ledbury, the splendid historic coaching inn Feathers Hotel. Ledbury is easy to get to,  either by main road, M5/ M50 or train, if travelling from the north, south, east or west.  Once again we have managed to arrange an intimate soirée for the discerning tanguero, complete with the Feathers' delicate handmade canapés served around 9pm. There are romantic open fires and cosy bars where you can relax with some good wine.  Dress - elegant tango de salon. Indulge in the golden age of glamorous dressing!
This year we are just thrilled to have a very special Dj Paul Strudwick  http://magicroundabout.eu/ providing virtually non-stop guaranteed-dancing-tango music from 7.30 - midnight. Paul is a lovely sensitive man who will select some of the most beautiful music available .. prepare to dance for hours ..

Anyone coming to Ledbury before the event starts at 7.30pm should try to arrive in time to enjoy at least a good look around the town.. still time to Christmas shop !! There are numerous independent wonderful shops in Ledbury, offering boutiques, jewellery, delicatessens, interiors, homewares, the Velvet Bean Chocolate shop (not to be missed !)  an excellent wine merchant Hay Wines, Organic shops, an Apothecary, Hair & Beauty salons, and of course, plenty of cafes, Tea shops, bars, restaurants for  lunch, tea, or early supper.  It really is worth spending some time around Ledbury...make the most of it!

The Argentines in Malvern !! Two glorious weeks of the best tango teaching !

Argentine Tango in Malvern from the best authentic teachers !! Only at Tango Malvern 

We care about our dancers at Tango Malvern and have over the last 6 years brought in some of the very best teachers of tango in UK and from abroad ..

This week Wednesday 30th September  at Colwall Village Hall we can’t wait for our trusted and well-loved Pablo Rodriguez to teach us after his summer break .. we will be welcoming our beginners from 7.30pm and later the improvers/intermediates from 9pm. 

Pablo has acted as our mentor for the last 5 + years and we really appreciate his authenticity, passion  and generous teaching skills when he visits our group in Malvern! 

check Pablo out also at his Tango classes / Milongas in London : http://www.tangothelight.com

….

Next week for the first time ever in Malvern and also, at last (!) we have a huge treat for our dancers -

the young and glamourous  dancing/teaching couple Dante & Miriam.

Dante Culcay(Argentina) & Miriam Orcott(Canada) recently qualified as finalists in the highly prestigious world championships of Tango de Salon in Buenos Aires. They also have an extensive shared history of performing and teaching all round the world in festivals and events. 

see more about them at http://www.oxfordtangoacademy.com

Together they bring a rich foundation of tango knowledge, with emphasis on correct body awareness and technique plus tremendous natural beauty and elegance in their own dance. Pure joy to watch and hugely inspiring for us all . They also run the Oxford Tango Academy and the Annual Oxford Tango Festival. We are excited to make this connection with such world class dancers yet who live in the UK! Their first workshop is on Wednesday 7th October at Malvern - please book in advance for the classes as space is limited ! phone or  email claire@tangomalvern.com or message me on Twitter or Facebook  tel : 07785 359528

Social media / photography during social events /milongas

Social Tango to most of us is something we experience as personal, and even somewhat private. The more we dance the more intense the connection with our partners, ourselves and the music can be. Sometimes, the clicking of phones and cameras on the dance floor can be intrusive and even if it goes unnoticed whilst dancing, the aftermath  of the Facebook exposure later on can shatter the dream we had been enjoying during the actual event. How cruel those “snaps” can sometimes be .. when what we felt at the actual time may have been blissful and sublime? Tango photography is a serious art just as all photography really is.. you only have to look at some of the famous photographers exhibitions and work to acknowledge that certain lighting and effect have a huge impact on an image created.  Please don’t think of me as a “kill-joy” or tango snob perhaps .. I embrace the art of tango wholeheartedly and passionately and love enjoying a good sociable milonga with friends and a glass of wine (or champagne ideally) but lately, I have noticed the effects of the iPhone, iPad etc., at the milonga!   Of course, I realise that the snaps are taken mostly from a generous and a light-heated perspective, friends observing others in their glamorous clothes and shoes, dancing with lots of different partners, “having fun” and what’s wrong with that ?  It’s taken me a few months to get my thoughts fully together and to write these few lines about this tricky subject and I hope the majority of readers will understand my position.  The milonga can be a wonderful sanctuary from the outside working world - we dance to express our joys and sorrows, we dress in perhaps a more creative way than we do otherwise, we embrace sometimes strangers as if they are lovers for just 4 minutes.  The moment is precious, the event can be magical in its entirety. Sometimes the venue is a plain old village hall, yet during a tango  we could be transported to an exotic location anywhere else in the universe. Yet - afterwards how often has your dream been shattered?  That’s sad, that’s not I how I remember last night, the place, the ambiance, the tango I danced ..

So for this next occasion on  Sunday 14th June, when we will be treated to the exemplary musicianship of the live quartet  Tango Siempre, as well as the sensitive and complimentary recorded music by traditional tango DJ Paul Strudwick (www.magicroundabout.eu) in our lovely airy Colwall Village Hall, at the foot of the majestic Malvern Hills, I will request that all phones are on silent, put away in bags and pockets - with no photography taken within the milonga at all. If you want photos of your friends please take them outside of the milonga, having your picnic, wherever, so that when we wake up the next day we can reflect on our dreams of the previous night  without disillusionment. 

Emi Cloke "artist for the day" Sunday 14th June

At our next special milonga, Sunday 14th June with the famed Tango Siempre live tango band,  we are very excited that we have,  for the first time, local artist Emi Cloke, in attendance for the event ! I first met lovely vivacious Emi at a magnificent concert on 23rd May with the Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra (WSO)  at the St Martin’s Church Worcester. Having only just heard that Saturday morning of the concert on Radio 3, and then mainly, I must admit, because I was attracted to a promised work by Piazzolla - my shameless addiction - “Oblivion” and also, unusually of course, being performed on a saxophone (!) by the world-acclaimed Rob Buckland!  I have a life-long passion for the saxophone. Life is wonderful the way if we just follow our hearts and instincts we can be led somewhere even more surprising. The whole evening was hugely enjoyable, including hearing the whole of the Planets suite  by Holst , a first for me, and meeting Emi who was there as the WSO’s “artist in residence.”  Emi paints and draws what she feels when listening the music and whilst being there during the performance, expressing another perspective of the music though visual art !   I was totally struck by her creative and colourful work and as the days went by after the concert, I thought about how fascinating  it could be to develop a similar project within tango.  So, happily, we have arranged with Emi to join us on Sunday 14th June at the Colwall village hall, complete with her artists materials - she will take up a suitable vantage post in the hall from where she can draw & paint tango-inspired pictures ! Emi will also have some her current work with her, cards for sale, and I hope you will enjoy this additional artistic angle she will bring to us! 

follow Emi Cloke

@Emi78WR2 on Twitter to see some of her work !

Misa a Buenos Aires

Spring has arrived without doubt, with one of the most breathtaking bluebell displays on and around the Malvern hills ever. There is a lot to love, to be proud of and to celebrate in Malvern. We owe so much to the natural beauty of the area which has inspired numerous artists, musicians and writers for centuries. Today we continue along this road of practising and developing the arts in an even wider sense.
The Malvern Festival Chorus has presented our Argentine Tango group with an unprecedented opportunity to dance our beautiful tango, the non-show, "non-Strictly" version, the tango of the people, as part of their wonderful concert on 13th June in Great Malvern Priory.  We look forward to working with the chorus and their orchestra Tango Siempre, in furthering the development and appreciation of the hugely rich tango music and culture originating from Argentina over a hundred years ago.