Silvia y Alain de Dance Conmigo dance Mala Junta

http://www.danceconmigo.com/ offers private and group classes in Montreal

In this dance, Silvia and Alain celebrate the 6 year of Dance Conmigo in business. It has been a wonderful experience in which great friendships and relations with the students and among the students have been established.

Sacadas workshop at Dance Conmigo May 25th 2012

Dance Conmigo teaches private and group classes in Montreal http://www.danceconmigo.com/tango

This was a Sacadas Workshop hosted by Alain Guillot and Cheryl Williams  held at Dance Conmigo studio on May 26th from 13h00 to 14h30.

Sacada means displacement of a leg or foot by the partner’s leg or foot or whole body. Sacadas can be discrete and hardly noticeable or big and flashy. In this video we did some Sacadas that were physically challenging, but very fun to do and visually attractive.

Sacadas Atelier/Workshop @ Dance Conmigo

(English below)
Dance Conmigo vous invite à un atelier de Sacadas, animé par Alain Guillot et Cheryl Williams, qui se tiendra au Dance Conmigo studio (3655 Saint Laurent #207) le 26 mai de 13h00 à14h30.

 Sacada signifie le déplacement d'une jambe ou d'un pied par la jambe ou le pied de votre partenaire. Venez et apprenez plusieurs variations de sacadas.

 Cet atelier est ouvert aux danseurs qui ont plus d'un an d'expérience en tango. Aucun partenaire n'est nécessaire, cependant si vous n'avez pas de partenaire, inscrivez-vous et payez avant le 22 mai. Cela nous donnera l'occasion de vous assurer que vous aurez un partenaire.

 L'atelier comprend 60 minutes d'enseignement et 30 minutes de temps de pratique. Le prix est de 15 $.

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Dance Conmigo invites you to a Sacadas Workshop hosted by Alain Guillot and Cheryl Williams to be held at Dance Conmigo studio on May 26th from 13h00 to 14h30.

 Sacada means displacement of a leg or foot by the partner’s leg or foot. Come and learn a few more variation of this visually pleasant step.

This workshop is open to dancers with more than one year experience. No partner is necessary, but if you do not have a partner, register and pay before May 22nd. This will give us an opportunity to make sure that you will have a partner.

The workshop will be 60 min of teaching and 30 minutes of practice time. The price is $15.

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Alain and Halina dancing Tango (Organito de la Tarde)

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes in Montreal. (www.danceconmigo.com)

Alain and Halina were invited to do a Tango demonstration at a biweekly Caribbean dance party called Family Dance. This parties are organized at Studio Metronome by dance teacher Emile Darius. In this evening they dance "Organito de la Tarde" by Carlos di Sarli.

Halina Dudyk have been coming to Dance Conmigo for over 6 years, and although Halina is above all a social dancer, she enjoys the challenge of performing in front of an audience.

Alain is a Tango addict.  He will take advantage of any possible opportunity to talk about Tango, teach Tango or perform Tango. Alain would be delighted to teach or dance at your next social event.

Pictures of the Role Reversal Class

Role reversal in not only a great tool to improve the communication between partners. It is also very fun. All during the class, both leaders and followers could not stop laughing while finding themselves in the other side of the dance. I could see their brains racing to process all the information that they already had but which had to be applied from a different perspective.

I do not know how to thank my student for being so patience with us the teachers. Thank you guys. 

Circular Colgadas: Michelle & Joachim

Circular colgadas are extremely deceiving. At the beginning they seem to be so easy and natural, then as the dancers try learn all the elements that come into play, (body pasture, changes in the abrazo, momentum of the movements, foot positioning) the dancers can realize how difficult this movement can be. After many hours and even weeks of practice, it begins to feel natural, the dancers can get in and out or the circular colgadas with little hesitation  and finally, when the dancers feel comfortable with the movements they realize how easy and natural it is do and wonder how did they ever dance without circular colgadas.

At Dance Conmigo, we dedicated almost the whole Winter 2012 session to learning, practicing and experimenting with  Circular Colgadas. The students were delighted and now it has become part of their every day dancing.

Tango Music for Beginners

Dance Conmigo offers Private and group tango classes

If a person registers for a tango class, love the class and the music, the next logical step would be to get some music to practice. But here comes the question: Which is the best tango music for beginners?

Usually my first tango lesson every session starts with walks. Without explaining any of the characteristics of the Tango walk, I ask students to walk as if they were walking in the streets and then I put a tango song. This Tango song has to be a song in which the beat is clear and constant.

Some of the favorite composers used for beginner classes are Carlos Di Sarly, Francisco Canaro and Miguel Calo; their music has a clear and simple tempo that is easy to follow in our Tango infancy.

After one to three years, a tango dancers begins to understand how to walk in harmony with the music. It is at this moment that the dancer could start experimenting with other composer such as Juan D'Arienso, Anibal Troilo, Ricardo Tanturi.

Of course, when a tango dancer goes to a milonga, he/she does not know the names of the songs that the DJ is playing, and at the beginning, perhaps every song sounds the same, most of them have a violin, a piano and a bandoneon, but the first purchased song should have a clear and steady tempo that would be easy to follow as we concentrate in doing a perfect tango walk.

Role Reversal in Tango

Dance Conmigo offer private and group tango classes as well as instructional dance videos. http://www.danceconmigo.com/tango

It happens often during private classes that I guide a leader to better show him what the follower is supposed to feel and I ask a follower to guide me, so that she can better understand what the leader is asking of her.

If from time to time we decide to reverse roles we can enhance the appreciation of each other and we can see the dance from another perspective.

 By understanding the other dancer's role, we can improve our connection and confidence when we hit the dance floor.

Alain

Tango Foot push, Sacada, Body wrap (Dance Conmigo)

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes http://www.danceconmigo.com/tango
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We did a nice decoration. The leader bring the follower into a sentada  position, then he searches contact with her foot and pushes it into the air. When She is coming, back, he guides a back ocho.

We also worked with a Sacada and a body wrap.

Tango, fish tail, Simple flashy sacada, Nice body rotation #4

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

In this class we did some variation from the previous week. Specifically, I like to always show two versions of the same movements, one version for the milonga and one version for a performance.

During the last few classes I have been focusing almost exclusively on body rotations. I have encounter unexpected challenges as I am trying to explain the body feeling to the students. So far I am giving myself an 80% success rate. on my 20% failure, I am attributing it to not explaining things in a way that would be understood by a particular student, or the student not being experienced enough to to guide the move properly.

On the other hand, some time I practice learning a move for hour before explaining it. I think that it is only normal if the student do not get it perfectly withing the 55 minutes of one class.

I would truly appreciate any feed back.

Body Rotations # 3 (Dance Conmigo)

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

This is the third video of a the same subject of body rotations.

Our main objective is to always have fluid movements. Take the energy of our partner, use it and give it back. The movements should not be sharp and snappy, rather the should be fluid and continuous. We are always leveraging our weight with the weight of our partner.

Tango Demo at Dance Conmigo party March 2012

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

This was a monthly party organized by Dance Conmigo. In this party in particular, there was and Argentine Tango class, followed by general dancing in three different dance floors (salsa, Tango & ballroom).

Some time during the party, Alain and Cheryl danced an Argentine tango "Comme il faut" by Carlos di Sarli.

Tango Rotations #2 (Dance Conmigo)

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

Giros to the left. Tango 2 lesson 5

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

In this video we did Giros to the left.
We started with a cross system and feet crossed at 5
then we rotated our partner to our left.
To this giro we added a "lapiz" of foot decoration
We also showed how to exit steeping back
Finally, for complexity sake we did a giro to the left with a "barrida".

Dancer: Alain Guillot and Mariya Cherkasova

Half moon with Parada and decorations. Tango 2 lesson 3

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

-In this video we started on "2"
-The leader guided the follow into back Ochos.
-At the end of the second back ocho, both the leader and the follow pivot and step back.
-Both dancers open
-Follower steps foward
-Leader searches her foot to create a "Parada"
-The follower one or several decorations
-The follower passes "Pasada"
-Both dancer finish with a walk or with 6-7-8.

A la Gran Muñeca - Carlos Di Sarli Y Su Orquesta Típica

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

Dancers: Alain and Halina.

Alain and Halina dance for fun.

Al Compàs Del Corazòn - Carlos Di Sarli

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

Dancers: Alain and Cheryl. Dance Teachers from Dance Conmigo

Back Ocho on "8". Lesson 12

We did basic until "7"
Then the leader guided his partner to step back on a back ocho as he steps back himself. The follow does 3 or 5 back ochos and then they get out on 3-4-5.

On the second version, the leader guided just the first back ocho and then he got out with a cross system on 3-4-5....

Energy and Direction, Lesson 6

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
All our Tango videos can be found at http://tangodanceconmigo.blogspot.com/
www.danceconmigo.com

Tango is different from many other dance in a way that it give us a lot of freedom in regards to patterns, direction, energy and musicality.

In this video, we talk about the ability to start the dance in which ever direction and energy as the leader desires. In a crowded space he will probably start forward or to the side with small movements. In a place with lots of space, there is to restrictions, the leader could decide to start in any direction and with any amount of energy to get the desired effect.

This is an exercise that merits lots of experimentation. Play with it... Do small steps, big steps, test all the different directions in which you could start the dance an make some comments. I like to know how you did.