Tango as A Dance
Tango is the art of connecting with another person on a very fine wavelength without using words in the context of emotionally powerful music. It has a unique power to bring people together in strong communities.
It is a social dance that evolved in Buenos Aires, Argentina, around the end of the 19th Century. It has drawn elements from many origins (African, European, Native) and continues to evolve even today, in cities around the world, as dancers strive to simultaneously recreate the old traditions and push the dance forward into uncharted territory.
Tango as we Teach it
The Global Tango Mar Vista Center for Tango Arts & Extremes is a local effort to build community through quality Tango instruction.
We work with The 8th Style School of Tango in Seattle, collaborating on the development of a teaching curriculum that efficiently provides total beginners with a solid grounding in the structure of Argentine Tango.
Currently, this entails:
- Starting with a simple, chest-to-chest style that can be used in any crowded dance hall around the world
- Moving to a more flexible and elegant salon style, which opens way to the more modern evolutions of the dance
- Musicality and connection are constant themes throughout the curriculum
In working with community members, we adopt a very personal approach, mentoring each person to grow in the dance according to their own realities and needs. We strictly limit class size so that we can develop a relationship with each new member.
We emphasize “inner game” principles of allowing the body to discover methods that work for executing effective and relaxed movement, instead of creating tension by “telling” it what is “correct/incorrect.” In this manner, learning becomes more active and pleasant.
We also organize Tango practices and a lot of other things on a voluntary and donation basis. We believe that the Tango experience extends well beyond the dance floor, but hold fast to always improving and deepening our enjoyment of the dance.
Please note: Tango is a practice, like Yoga or Kung Fu. if you come expecting quick results or entertainment, you will likely be disappointed. We invite you to come with an open mind, a curious heart, a lot of patience, humility, and a sense of humor.
The Center’s headquarters are in historic Mar Vista. The “Tango Concepts Lab and Arboretum” stands proudly at 12759 Caswell Avenue, a classic LA “back house” guarded 24/7 by an exuberant and sometimes irate cactus. By appointment only.
All classes and events are hosted at our dance space, the S.I.T.E.For more imformation about TMV, including its people and places, be sure to check out the information available in the "Tango Mar Vista" sections of our website.