| Tango in Central Illinois |
What is Tango?
Where can I dance tango?
Who will I meet dancing tango?
How can I learn to dance tango?
How can I prepare for tango instruction?
INSTRUCTION FOR NEWCOMERS TO TANGO
All activities are at the Phillips Recreation Center, 505 W Stoughton, Urbana, unless stated otherwise.
8-10 PM
(Women dance with several experienced male partners)
[ Cost of workshop can be appplied to course listed below ]
May 15 - June 5
8-10 PM
(Women dance with several experienced male partners)
[ May 8 Workshop Recommended as a Pre-requisite ]
7:30-9 PM
prior to Milonga from 9 PM - 12 AM
June 11 - July 16
8:30-10 PM
There are several types of tango. You may have seen tango portrayed on television or in the movies as a dance with rapid movements, high kicks, perhaps even lifts and drops. This is exhibition tango, designed for presentation on the stage. Or you may have seen ballroom dance competitions or classes that include 'tango'. The ballroom versions of tango (American and International) were derived from the tango danced in Argentina in the early part of the 20th century, but adapted to fit the cultural norms of American and European societies. Ballroom tango has a march-like quality and is danced to music with drums that makes it different from the tango danced in Argentina.
The Tango Society of Central Illinois teaches and promotes tango as it is danced socially today in the night clubs of Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango. This tango is characterized by a close connection between a man and a woman, and a close connection of both with the music.
There are 3 main rhythms in the tango family: tango (the slowest), milonga (the fastest), and vals (an adaptation of the European waltz). All are danced at the social dances (called ‘milongas’). Tango dance music has a constant tempo and rhythmic structure that makes it suitable for dancing. There is also tango music for listening that lacks these rhythmic characteristics.
Dancing tango consists primarily of walking progressing in a line of dance around the dance floor, with the walk interrupted with stops and turns and changes of direction, all the time connecting one's movements to the rhythm of the music. Although there are a few small sequences of 'steps' that students learn when they start tango, as they advance their dance becomes more improvisational, with a turn or change in direction possible at every step, i.e., their dance progresses towards greater creativity in using small dance elements, i.e., improvisation, instead of moving towards complex memorized 'figures'.
Because tango consists of natural walking movements, if it is taught as an improvised walk to music, it is relatively easy to learn. People of all ages can learn it. At the same time, the essentially infinite possibilities for improvisation make tango an exciting challenging dance for those who wish to become advanced dancers. This is the way we teach tango in Tango Society courses.
Tango has become a popular dance throughout South and North America, Europe, and some parts of Asia. In the United States, tango social dances (milongas) are held regularly in most large cities and in many university communities. (See our links to Midwest Tango Communities.) In Central Illinois the Tango Society has hosted milongas at the Phillips Recreation Center in Urbana on an approximately monthly schedule since 1999. (See milonga information.) In addition, there have been milongas held at the Illini Union of the University of Illinois, and at various dance halls, nightclubs and coffee houses in Champaign-Urbana. (See Community Calendar for current schedule.)
Our local community is very active and friendly and always welcomes newcomers. We have dancers ranging in age from 18 to 80, married and single, with and without regular dance partners. A significant number are students, faculty, and staff at the University of Illinois. We also get dancers from neighboring communities in central Illinois and western Indiana. Our tango community is ethnically and culturally diverse and includes people who have originated from many countries around the world.
Since 2001, the Tango Society of Central Illinois has offered tango courses at the Phillips Recreation Center. (See Tango Instruction). Currently we are offering convenient 6-week courses that fit within the University of Illinois semester calendar. In their emphasis on musicality, partner connection, and navigation, our courses are designed to prepare students for social tango dancing. After completing our Foundations of Tango course, students should have acquired sufficient skills to dance comfortably at milongas. Subsequent courses improve students’ dance abilities.
We also offer introductory tango lessons (see above), usually before milongas. These lessons are designed to give students the most basic skills needed for dancing tango socially (i.e., a basic understanding of tango musicality and navigation, plus about a half dozen walking variations). Although the repertoire provided is limited, you should be able to dance at milongas after completing one of our introductory tango workshops.
The Tango Society also regularly sponsors workshops from internationally recognized visiting tango instructors. (See our current Workshop schedule).
You do not need a partner to take a Tango Society course. Although if you have a partner you will have numerous opportunities to dance with that partner in a class session, we also change partners throughout the session.
What you will need is a pair of shoes appropriate for dancing. Most dress shoes with a leather sole will be appropriate. Tennis shoes and other shoes with rubber soles usually have too much traction. Sandals or any shoe without support on the heel will make the dance more difficult. Clothing that limits movements of the legs (e.g., long tight skirts) or gets caught in your partner's legs (e.g., long loose skirts) also hinder learning the dance.
| Tango in Central Illinois |