Diary of upcoming Sunday workshops:

Wood Farm near Norwich in rural Norfolk
Sunday 11:00 - 16:30, £50 for four hours of tuition
including a delicious home cooked and healthy lunch, all totaling 5 or 6 hours

Sunday 22nd March 2020
Enliven your tango vals

Tango vals and tango have different characters and ways of moving to the music.
Capture and harness the flowing energy of vals.
We will include many interesting concepts and movements that you will be able to include in your dance
and fit them to both vals and differently to tango

Sunday 19th April 2020
'Barridas y Pasadas'
Balance, connection and precision

Barridas and pasadas provide a welcome change of dynamic in your tango giving moments of intensity using balance and precision.
We will cover many exciting variations of these moves
to enrich your dance.

Miriam Gita demonstrating during Sunday's Argentine Tango Workshop

Film clips from some previous workshops:

LEG WRAPS aka ENGANCHES
Enganches 4 hour workshop clips showing much of Miriam's teaching and dancing. Miriam goes into full detail so that her students can then use enganches in their improvised dance. The performances throughout the workshops demonstrate options how to incorporate enganches beautifully and musically.

The music in the clips is from
Inspiración -  Adolfo Carabelli canta Carlos Lafuente and Malena - Anibal Troilo canta Francisco Fiorentino
​

   VOLEOS. Music in the video dance clips is from Milongueando en el cuarento by Anibal Troilo and Nostalgias by Francisco Lomuto canta Jorge Omar. This video contains video clips taken from a 4 hour long tutorial  intensive workshop on voleos (boleos). In our workshops we always focus on the technique and style and here we consider in detail the lead and follow needed to get good voleos. In this short film you will be able to see some of our exercises used to develop a natural movement of the free leg as so beautifully exemplified by Miriam in the dance clips. Also included is a discussion about the principal differences between a planeo and a voleo. 

   OCHOS for Milonga
Ochos for milonga are demonstrated in the above video Hugo Diaz - Taquito Militar
During this improvised dance Miriam is demonstrating the variety of hooked and pivoted ochos that can be done during a milonga of this type. This improvisation is spontaneously and accurately lead and followed so that the musicality of both dancers is apparent. The music is Taquito militar as performed and arranged by Hugo Diaz after the original also famous composition by Mariano Mores. The amazing thing about this music for a milonga is the extreme way it changes tempo and mood often quite suddenly and makes for an exciting interpretation of the music.

Ganchos, or hooks, are an integral part of Argentine tango and add a rich additional layer of expression to many moves you already do. The lead and follow for ganchos requires a great deal of accuracy, co-operation and sensitivity. At this workshop you will learn the technique and timing you need to be able to use ganchos with confidence and elegance in your dance. With four hours of expert tuition you will become familiar with several different types of gancho and we will show you exciting ways of including them seamlessly into your dance. 

Music in the dance clips is from
La noche que te fuiste by Miguel Calo 
Danzarín  by Anibal Troilo. 

Calecitas. How to do Calecitas aka Carousels in Argentine Tango also with Caricias on the Stork. How to ensure that the dancer in the centre is kept on his or her axis and how then to also do the stork. The tutorial included calesitas in Tango, Milonga and Vals. The tutorial workshop also included Circular Caminatas (walking) and demonstrations to the music by Miriam Gita and Stephen Vince. 

​Music in the dance clips is from
El Porteñito   by Ángel D'Agostino Y Su Orquesta Típica
Gitana Rusa  by Ricardo Malerba canta Orlando Medina

Recent past workshops: 

Rebotes or rebounds and traspiés, both straight and circular in Argentine tango
An intensive workshop
for Tango,Vals and Milonga
​Sunday May 19th 2019, 11am to 4.30pm 

Rebotes sound simple and should look effortless. 
We will include both the straight rebote and a swiveling one for both leaders and followers.
Traspié is using the same leg twice normally in milonga and suits double time and syncopation.

Calasitas aka carousel and the Molinete
​often referred to as the Giro in Argentine tango An intensive workshop
​Sunday March 3rd 2019, 11am to 4.30pm 

A good calasita looks effortless but takes a lot of balance and sensitivity to make it work well. You'll learn the lead and follow to smoothly get into and stay in a poised calasita. We'll go over the technique you'll need to achieve good balance in tango and the most effective embrace for a communicative connection in the lead and follow. You'll have fun trying many variations for the free leg during the turn and interesting exits from the calasita.
The Molinete is often referred to as simply the Giro, however, there are many types of Giro and the Molinete is the common one.
​A Molinete in the Spanish language is both a toy windmill and a turnstile.
The pivots performed by both the leader and the follower in the Molinete requires a great technique and much practice to keep them smooth, seemingly effortless and and thereby aesthetic.

Essential Vals and Milonga - Argentine tango intensive workshop
​Saturday 9th February 2019, 11am to 4.30pm 

          When Vals and Milonga are played during an evening of tango the mood lightens - they are fun [but not to be under-rated]
A social dance in tango is called a milonga the same word as the dance called the Milonga. During the evening there will be 2 tandas of tangos then a vals followed by 2 tandas of tangos then a milonga. [A tanda is a set of 3 or 4 tracks or songs]. So it is great to know how to dance these other two dances which have much similarity with tango but are not quite the same, which is what makes them lovely and adds variety to the evenings dancing.

Cadenas aka weaves in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Sunday the 3rd of February 2019, 11am to 4.30pm

In a cadena you rotate around each other to curl down the floor using pivot turns combined with a variety of other steps to create an exciting travelling combination. We'll show you the technique for all the elements of various types of cadena focusing on the connection for a dynamic lead and follow. The flowing motion of a cadena goes well with the music in Vals so this workshop will include both tango and vals.

Sacadas in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Sunday the 20th January 2019, 11am to 4.30pm 

Sacadas are a wonderful way to add space and energy to your dance. You can use them to express your musicality and create exciting dynamics by changing the pace. The sacada is a displacement or exchange of position within the couple and you can use it to bring sensitively lead and followed flicks and decorations such as golpes and firulete into your tango. At this fun and friendly workshop we'll help you improve your technique to be able to fit sacadas confidently into your dance.

Planeos in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Sunday the 6th of January 2019, 11am to 4.30pm  

A planeo in Argentine tango is a gliding arc of your leg transcribed around your body. Your leg searches as it glides and what it discovers often leads on to the next exciting moment of your dance. Both leads and followers do planeos so everyone will be given exercises to help you perfect the technique for doing a varied range of different planeos. The planeo is an accurately lead move and we will focus on the lead and follow that you will develop to create a deep connection during planeos. The music is always the most important part of tango for us and we'll encourage you to develop the scope and style of your planeos to express your own personal musicality. 

Creative crosses and cross system in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Sunday the 9th of December 2018, 11am to 4.30pm

At this fun and friendly workshop you'll learn to use the cross - la cruzada - creatively in Argentine tango to give a lyricism to your dance and to gently guide changes of direction. Getting in and out of cross system is the key to fluidity in tango and enables the lead to keep his options open giving rise to new levels of creativity in your dance. We'll cover all the essential technique you need to know to be able to lead and follow crosses and to walk elegantly in and out of cross system. You'll learn exercises to practice to help you build up the strength and control to be able to get the most out of crosses in your tango. 

Enganche - Leg Wraps - in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Sunday the 2nd of December 2018, 11am to 4.30pm,

You can learn how to add Enganche or leg wraps seamlessly to your dance at this intensive workshop. Enganche are an essential part of the Argentine tango aesthetic and we'll show you the technique you'll need to be able to look great doing them. They rely on accurate and sensitive timing from the leader and a relaxed free leg from the follower and we'll give you exercises and practice so that you can achieve this. 

 Vals and Milonga in Argentine tango intensive workshop
​Sunday 25th November 2018, 11.00 to 4.30pm,

Milonga and Vals are an integral part of Argentine tango yet differ greatly from tango in their emphasis and mood. Milonga has a persistent beat and an earthy, grounded feel to it. Vals is characterised by its sweeping lilt and light, uplifting mood. At this fun and friendly workshop you'll learn to dance to both these genres of tango music. The confidence you'll develop dancing to milonga and vals will greatly broaden the scope of your tango experience. Specialist workshop teachers Miriam Gita and Stephen Vince will show you which specific dance moves lend themselves very well to milonga or vals when performed with the appropriate emphasis or feeling in relation to the music. You'll learn how to change the mood and style of your dance to be able to fully enjoy dancing to milonga and vals.

Ganchos in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Saturday 10th November 2018, 10.30am - 4pm,

Ganchos, or hooks, are an integral part of Argentine tango and add a rich additional layer of expression to many moves you already do. The lead and follow for ganchos requires a great deal of accuracy, co-operation and sensitivity. At this workshop you will learn the technique and timing you need to be able to use ganchos with confidence and elegance in your dance. With four hours of expert tuition you will become familiar with several different types of gancho and we will show you exciting ways of including them seamlessly into your dance. This intensive workshop makes a fun and friendly tango day out including a generous lunch break for a sociable, sit-down, shared lunch. You don't need to bring a partner but booking in advance is essential so we can balance numbers. We limit the group size to five couples to ensure the high quality of teaching and enable us to give each participant plenty of personal feedback. Call Miriam on 07706 746750 or email [email protected] to reserve your place.

Voleos in Argentine tango intensive workshop
Sunday 28th October 2018, 10:30 - 16:00

Voleos are one of the most dramatic and expressive parts of the Argentine tango repertoire. At this workshop you will learn the lead and follow for many different types of voleo and the technique you need to be able to include them as a lead part of your dance. By the end of the afternoon you will be able to do accurate and sensitive voleos and your tango experience will be more exciting than ever! This fun and friendly, intensive day includes four hours of the very best tuition from expert workshop teachers Miriam Gita and Stephen Vince and a generous break for a sociable, sit-down lunch. The dance studio at Wood Farm is set in gorgeous rural Norfolk and the whole experience makes a very worthwhile day trip to the countryside.

The Dip in Argentine Tango  
Sunday 14th October 2018, 10:30 - 16:00

The dip is a classic Argentine tango move with many exciting variations including the subtle dips within the dance as much as the classic ending. You'll learn how to create these beautiful and intense moments in your dance at this workshop by focusing on the technique, timing and co-ordination that makes it happen.

Salidas - Exit from the world outside, entry in to the world of tango
Saturday 29th September 2018, 10:30 - 16:00

Salida means exit and is used in tango to mean the exit from a figure but also the beginning of the dance because the beginning of tango is an exit from everyday life into the world of tango. There are so many different options for salidas and yet most dancers use the same couple of steps every time and miss out on so much potential creativity and individuality in their dance. At this workshop you will discover the huge range of possibilities for salidas and learn how to use many different alternatives to fluidly enter and exit and transition between phrases within your dance.

Curved lines in Argentine tango
​Saturday 8th September 2018, 11:00 - 15:30

Curving your steps is one of the essential skills in tango and gives rise to a great range of possibilities as well as making every step you take look fabulous. In this workshop you will learn how to shape your linear steps to add style and grace to every step you take. We will also introduce you to a wide repertoire of impressive moves that are all based on your new skill of curving a linear step. This ability will augment your Argentine tango aesthetic and widen the scope of your dancing.

Sunday 3rd November  2019
'Shaping for leaders and followers'
How to make yourself look good on the dance floor. Creating that Argentine Tango aesthetic
of legs, feet and body.

Sunday 20th October  2019 
'Smooth and Seamless Tango'

Sunday 26th January 2020
'The quality within each step'

It is not the step you take but how you take it.
We will deal with one's balance and control of each step and how the music influences the nature of each step's transition.
Using some fun an interesting examples
Each couple will be taught at their own level

Shaping in Argentine Tango
We will teach both leaders and followers the technique of shaping the feet, legs, arm and head positions with and from the core.
We will cover the aesthetics of movement in each step that you take and how to look good within the embrace. We will show you the tricks of shaping, important for both sides of the couple.

Sunday 23rd Feb 2020
Making the most of the moment
'How to keep dancing in the ronda when it stops moving'

Turning on the spot and introverted moves to make the most of your limited space on a crowded dance floor.
You will learn the techniques of suspension and La Pausa
in decelerated motion
among many other fascinating moves

Experienced, specialist workshop teachers Miriam Gita and Stephen Vince guide you through four hours of enjoyable and rigorous tuition with humour and sensitivity. These fun and friendly intensive Argentine tango workshops in rural Norfolk cost £40 and make a worthwhile tango day out including a generous lunch break for a sociable, shared lunch. You don't need to bring a partner but booking in advance is essential so we can balance numbers. We limit the group size to ensure the high quality of teaching and enable us to give each participant personal feedback. Call Miriam on 07706 746750 or email [email protected] to reserve your place. All welcome

Harnessing Momentum
During this workshop we will show how to use the energy that has already been already generated within the couple.
This technique simplifies the lead and follow during improvisation to the tango music.
It reduces the number of options since one does not want to block the energy but to go with it - and that is a most pleasant feeling.

Seamless Tango
During this workshop we will go through the ingredients one needs to ensure that one's tango flows with the music.
Remembering that it is not the step that you take but how you take that step that makes your tango.
For example, a part of what we will be doing is to hone skills such as how to be aware of what your partner intends and what he or she is doing ..
too much to go through here in words. Come along and be amazed at how it all works seamlessly - there is space for one more couple.

The follow on from this workshop is on Sunday 3rd November - Harnessing Momentum

Want to quickly make progress in your tango? Come to these fun and challenging workshops to boost your skill and enjoyment of tango whatever your level. Our workshops offer plenty of new challenges for dancers of any level. At these technique based intensive classes you will build a lasting muscle memory in the vital movements of Argentine tango which will give you the ability to really dance improvised, authentic Argentine tango with elegance and flair. All workshops must be booked in advance. Call 07706746750 to reserve your place.

Previous workshop topics (without descriptions):

Dissociation and Isolation
Rotational Movement
​Getting around each other
Tango on the Spot
Alterations 4th August 2018
​La Pausa 18th August 2018