Holiday schedule

Thanks to the Most Fabulous Queer Tango Community, the practica WILL meet while we are away.

The practica will meet from 7-9 with hosting and DJing by Matt and Tad. There will not be a class, but Tad, Claudyne, and Eve will be there to work with students.

Dec 14: Matt
Dec 21: Tad y Claudyne
Dec 28: NO PRACTICA
Jan 4:  First Sunday of the month and nowhere to relocate. NO PRACTICA
Jan 11: Tad y Claudyne
Jan 18: Duro y Vio are back

Also, if you want to dance more, we know you will be welcomed at the MIT Practica on Thursdays.
They are meeting on Dec 18, but have not yet posted the January schedule. We recommend that you arrange to go to the practica with a practice partner or a group (maybe you can organize this on the 14th). Please check here for schedule and directions.  The practica usually meets in the elevator lobby on the 7th or 8th floors of the building. After you enter through the atrium, turn left for the elevators. Street parking should not be difficult in December and January.

!!! We do have space in the Monday night semi-private class starting January 19. Please let us know if you are interested.

Sunday nights at Spontaneous Celebrations 

7-8 pm: Practica (practice). if you come just to practice, you can continue until 9 pm. there’s plenty of space to dance even with the class starting at 8.

8-9 pm: Class (absolute beginners and all levels are welcome any time. no registration is necessary, this is a drop-in class.)

prices:   Practice only 1-2 hours $5
If you take the class: $10 (practica is free for people taking the class)

Also we are now offering semi-private lessons (maximum 6 students) in Jamaica Plain on Monday and Wednesday nights. Next series starts Monday January 19.  to sign up, contact: tango@duroyvio.com

In Cambridge, Eve is offerinig a drop-in class Tuesday nights at 6:45 pm at 16 Bow Street, Union Square. contact: tangoqueer@live.com.

Schedule of Sundays 7-9 pm at Spontaneous Celebrations

• June 1 NO session.
• June 8 Guest instructor: Vineet
• June 15 Guest instructor: Vineet
• June 22 No session at Spontaneous. Queer Tango Outing to Boston Tango Festival, hosted by Tad.
• June 29 Guest instructor: Eve
• July 6 Guest instructors: Steve & Pamela
• July 13 Guest instructor: Eve
• July 20 Guest instructors: Claudyne & Tad
• July 27 Guest instructors: Steve & Pamela
• August 3 Guest instructors: Claudyne & Tad
• August 10 Guest instructors: Claudyne & Tad
• August 17 Guest instructors: Steve & Pamela
• August 24 Guest instructor: Eve
• August 31 Duro y Vio are back!

Details
• Summer Queer Tango will be 2 hours, from 7-9 pm.

• There will be only one class for all levels of beginners, starting at 7. Then supervised and unsupervised practica. Everyone is welcome.

• Absolute beginners are always welcome!

• The charge for instruction & supervised practica will be $10 per person. If people come just to practice unsupervised, we ask for a $5 donation to support the space.

• Al and Max will host the practica.

• Duro y Vio will continue to answer email and phone inquiries.

NEED MORE TANGO?
The following instructors have expressed support for Queer Tango and are excellent teachers.
• Thursdays starting June 5 in Cambridge with Pamela & Steve Slavsky. Info here:

• Tuesdays starting June 3 in at Ruggles Baptist Church in Boston with Carlos & Tova. Info here:

* 2nd Queer Tango outing Friday May 23 7 pm class and milonga to follow at Providence Tango Festival (May 23-26):  Let us know if you want to go and we’ll arrange carpools!  THIS outing replaces our normal Friday night class.  http://providencetango.com/events.html

* 3rd Queer Tango outing Monday May 26 1 pm class on “leaders and followers secrets” with Homer Ladas (we LOVE him!)  at the Providence Tango Festival.

These classes that we have picked out for you are appropriate for your level. It is very inspiring to learn from very advanced professional dancers and they have special ways of understanding and explaining the movements. We are confident you will enjoy and develop in these classes.  Unfortunately the festival is a little expensive. The classes are $30 and the Friday night milonga is $20 and the discounts only kick in if you sign up for several days.

Let’s go dancing! Let’s go together!

We’ll go to the MIT practica on Thursday May 15, 8-11 pm.

Meet at 8:00 in the lobby of Building 36 (black glass thing with an atrium) at 50 Vassar Street in Cambridge.

Street parking around and on Mass Ave. Also try Albany, south of Mass Ave.

if you bring a friend to the class for their first time, you’ll receive a coupon for one free class.

(two friends, two coupons…)

As you are choosing some things from your closet or a store, here are some things to keep in mind:the sole of the shoe

• For leaders and followers, shoes MUST have a smooth sole, no rubber, no grippies.

• The best sole is suede. most shoe repair stores can add “dance chrome” (fake suede) to any pair of shoes. (Don’t wear these outside or you’ll wear out the suede fast.) At the hardware store you can buy a wire “suede brush” that will restore the texture of the suede when it gets matted.

• Many people use a leather sole. that’s fine too. It wears longer than suede, but it can be more slippery than suede. (some dancers carry leather and suede, if they don’t know how the dance floor will be.) Many current shoes have a “man made” sole that is smooth, but not leather. That will probably work fine for you now, and you could add suede later.

flexibility

• Both leaders and followers need to be able to point their toe. This means that the arch of the shoe should have some flexibility. If it is a women’s high heel, this is less important, because the shoe is essentially already pointed. If it is a flat shoe, then it must be flexible. If you are trying to figure out which shoes to bring, put them on and try pointing your toe.

• The shoes should not be boots, because your ankle is restrained and you will not have enough mobility.

shoe width

• Since our feet pass very close together it is important that the shoe be no wider than necessary. Some shoes have a sole that protrudes 1/4″ beyond your foot. that will be difficult for tango. Check out the photo below of some gorgeous kenneth cole shoes. The two on the left are narrow. But see how the sole protrudes on the shoe on the right?

pointy toes

• lately the fashion world has graced us with shoes that point an inch beyond our actual toes. some people enjoy dancing in pointy toes. before buying shoes like this for tango, try pointing your toe and changing your weight onto that foot. i think the point gets in the way of smooth movement, but this is a personal choice. and style.

dance sneakers

• Lots of people just LOVE dance sneakers.
• These are special because they “break” under the arch so you can have a lot of flexibility in your foot.

• Both of the online shops we recommend carry a good selection of dance sneakers. these feel like, well, sneakers. they are super comfortable. fortunately they’re getting more stylish too!

• Here are the selections from guaranteedfit and tango-wear.

• Dance sneakers have a special kind of rubber, with a lot of plastic in it, so that they don’t grip. they are pretty good on all surfaces.

the shoe on the left above is made by a company called Fabio which makes sneakers especially for tango. you can admire their shoes on their website. also we hear that tango-wear will be getting the entire Fabio line some time in march, 2008.