May 30th and June 13th + 27th at Corazon de Tango

June is 

J ABLING month

at

CORAZON de TANGO

6305 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR

And he's gonna get a jump on the month by DJing for us 

on the 5th Friday in May (30) too !

That's this Friday, comin' up.  Don't miss it.

Drop-in beginners lesson 

 8:00 - 9:00 (with J.)

 DJ:  J Abling  (9:00 - 12:30)

* good music * good snacks * good folks * good fun *

$7 (or $5 for students)

includes lesson + dance

Contact Megan at meganpingree@comcast.net for more info if you really need more.

Leaving Monday Nite Classes at the Viscount

May was my  last month of teaching regular Monday evening group classes at the Viscount Studios.  As it turned out, I actually had just half of the month before I was called back to Maine for family reasons . So my withdrawal from the Viscount has been unexpectedly lurching. I am so relieved that Carrie was already in place as my co-teacher for this transition month!

Although I instigated my departure, I have mixed emotions about it.

On one hand, I have been teaching big group classes for a long time, starting  back in the late 90's with Clay.  So it will feel strange not to be doing that on a weekly basis.

And I have loved working at the Viscount, first under Jeff and Janine's ownership, then with Kevin, Sarah, and the extended family of Viscount teachers.  They are a very special assortment of talented individuals and I feel lucky to have been part of the teaching team.

Which brings me to my co-teachers -- Bill Alsup and Chris Perkins. Bill and I have taught together for longer than I can remember –since Clay left Portland, I guess.  We've grown up as teachers together, played off each other's strengths and weaknesses -- maturing (?) into our  current relationships with each other and with the compelling dance of Argentine tango.

Bill's immersion in another absorbing activity (bicycling), plus the ongoing Sunday practicas, plus an actual full-time day job, had him needing an occasional break from Monday teaching. So Chris, thank goodness, filled in, contributing to me and to our students more variations in the seemingly endless palette of tango flavors, energies and styles.  I owe so much to the dancers with whom I teach as they teach me so much!

I also appreciate the women who've assisted me thru the years – most recently and most often, Cynthia Stillwell. It's a mostly under-praised role, but it's important to me, when teaching solo, to have a helper who can demonstrate good technique, lead me occasionally, dance with students in either role, and be an extra set of sensors for what's happening in the classroom.

All the students who have passed through the Studio B doors have been a challenge and a gift – motivating me to find ever better ways to help them discover and unfold their own tango selves, and providing me with a perpetual prod for my own journey.

So I am sad to go.

On the other hand, I do want more flexibility in my schedule for tango tramping and personal travel.

 And my own home studio is ready  now.  I've been using it for private lessons  since June 07, and I am eager to create new ways  to stay active as a tango teacher -- pursuing a vision of smaller classes and mini-specials (workshops) -- sometimes solo, sometimes with a co-teacher.  I don't have details about this yet, but I am very excited, and will be letting anyone interested know about it thru flyers, email and www. portlandtango.com.  Or feel free to check this blog, or contact me at 503 222-4691 or meganpingree@comcast.net  to ask what I'm up to.

Meanwhile, I feel really good about passing the VDS baton to Carrie.  May the Viscount  classes continue to be an irresistible Argentine tango pathway for a very long time to come!

April - May 2008 CLASSES at the VISCOUNT with MEGAN

April 28, May 5th, 12th and 19th, 2008.
Viscount Studio B, 726 E. Burnside St. Portland

6:30 - 7:30 ARGENTINE TANGO Level 1B (BEGINNERS) with Megan.

1B. The fundamentals of lead:follow, connection, frame, playing with the music, a different kind of check steps, a check turn, and another classic Tango phrase, the Ocho Cortado. All in the parallel system, and using both tango & milonga rhythms.

Level 1 is for total beginners, folks with just a smattering of drop-in classes, and students who want to start learning "the other" role. The goals are to familiarize students with basic tango concepts and movements, to provide a solid foundation for more complex or subtle tango, and to have fun!

There are 2 months of Level 1. Each of the months has different material.  It does not matter whether you start with A or B. No previous experience or partner required.

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7:30 - 8:30 ARGENTINE TANGO Level 2B (BEYOND BEGINNERS) with Megan & Carrie Whipple.

2B. Turns, turns, turns! They are essential components that add more fun, variety, navigational flexibility and musical expressiveness. We'll learn the molinete pattern, how enter and exit in both crossed and parallel systems, and how to maintain good connection with your partner while you turn.
Level 2 builds on the skills established in Level 1 and adds another layer of foundational material. We refine lead:follow principles, introduce the 3rd of the basic rhythms (vals), and add key new concepts and vocabulary.

There are 2 months of Level 2. Each of the months has different material.  It does not matter whether you start with A or B. Pre-requisites: Level 1A & 1B, or instructor pre-approval. No partner required.

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8:30 - 9:30 ARGENTINE TANGO LEVEL 3 (INTERMEDIATE) with Megan and Carrie Whipple.

Most leaders have a repertoire of 6 - 8 moves with which they are especially comfortable.  They use them frequently, and are good at leading them. But without variation, leaders and followers get bored.  So, how to keep it interesting? By changing the QUALITY of the movements. We'll be exploring the 4 elements of earth, air, fire and water, to see how moving and connecting differently with your partner can be so much more interesting than the latest new move!

Level 3 focuses on taking lead: follow techniques to a higher level, strengthening the connection between partners, expanding and polishing the step repertoire, and deepening responsiveness to the music itself. Each monthly topic (such as "socially acceptable boleos", "making milonga your friend", "safe and sane sacadas", refining close embrace, "turns of all types", and "cadenas") allows students to refine their fundamental technique, which ultimately allows for more improvisatory possibilities. Emphasis is always placed on clear, attuned lead and follow skills, as well as usability.
Pre-requisite: Levels 1A, 1B, 2A, & 2B, at least 4 months of classes, practices, and social dancing - or instructor pre-approval.

For info or pre-approval, contact meganpingree@comcast.net.

To pre-register, contact info@viscountstudios.com or call 503-226-3262.
Each series is $40 pre-registered, or $45 if you do not pre-register.