Why Argentine Tango?
There a lot of answers for this, be it … To meet new friends … To find a lover … I just love the elegance of the dance … I love the music … I like the mood of tango … I like the dress and the high-heels … To work out and get slim and sexy … To spend the night and relax after work with some friends ……
Do I need a partner to dance Argentine Tango?
No, Argentine Tango is a very social type of dance and it does not require a partner since the custom of Argentine Tango is that everyone change partners after 4 songs. So, in a dance party (milonga), you can just go alone and dance with others and make friends. Also, in classes, we always rotate partners to make sure everyone dances with different partners to feel different leading and following.
Will I be too young or too old to learn Argentine Tango?
No. There is no age limit to dance tango, in Argentina, people dance from 8 – 80 years old. In HK, the major range being from 20 to 50.
Do men dance Argentine Tango?
Yes, men dance tango. In tango, it actually makes men more man and women more woman. Men wear normal work clothing like suit or casual clothing with jeans to dance tango, no need to wear deep-V sexy costume.
What do I need to wear for the class?
For girls, if you don’t have a proper Argentine Tango shoes yet, use any ballroom dance shoes or high heel with strap over ankle or any comfortable shoes which can pivot. And just wear any comfortable clothing which can show your body alignment and pants or skirts which allow you to move your legs without much restriction.
For men, just wear shoes which have a smoother sole to allow easier turning, and not to pointed front. Normal work or casual clothing will be fine.
Where can I buy Argentine Tango shoes?
For ladies’ shoes, we have Tango Brujo (order from Argentina through Lily). For men’s shoes, we have “2×4 al pie” (order from Argentina through Raymond).
You can order them or other brands over internet.
Does dancing Argentine Tango help slimming up?
Yes, while dancing Argentine Tango you do a full body workout: arms and hands, legs and feet, abdomen, waist and even your bottom! It is especially good to slim up your lower leg by wearing high heels. And for both men and women, it is very effective to reduce your spare tire!
How many classes it takes usually before one can start dancing in the dance parties?
Usually, one need around 4 classes to learn the basic elements in Argentine Tango, but for dancing in the dance floor, it depends on how well you can manage them with your body. Girls usually need only 3-4 classes and they can start to try being led by different leaders in the dance floor. However, for men, usually it takes a bit more time for practice, so that they can use what they learn from classes in dance floor.
Can I have private classes and how much does this cost?
Yes, Raymond and Lily teach private classes too. An individual class costs HKD 700-900 per hour (depend on the no. of students and teachers).
What is the different between Argentine Tango and Ballroom Tango?
They are very different! Ballroom tango is more popularly seen in movies and other source, the image of dancing couple with rose in their mouth is in the mind of most people. However, Argentine Tango is the origin of Ballroom tango which is developed in Europe when Argentine tango was brought there and being standardized. Here are the major differences:
| Argentine Tango | Ballroom Tango | |
|---|---|---|
| Body form | The embrace is close on top and open below for more foot work expressions in dresses with high splits. | The embrace is open on top and close below with long dresses. |
| Steps | Totally improvised, no fixed sequences. No standard names for sequence of steps. | Sequences standardized with names. |
| Music | Music played by Orchestras with complex music structure, very often the music itself is an artistic endeavour. | Music by digital arrangement with more simple structure, most of the time more commercial. |
| Partner | No fix partners. The custom is to change partner every 4 songs. | Usually danced with fixed partners. |
| Expressions | Dancing for the partner, intimacy between the dancing couple. | Dancing for the audience, more show off. |
Is Argentine Tango a Latin dance?
No, Latin dances generally include Salsa, Samba, Merengue which come from Central and South America. Argentine Tango originated from Argentina, and specifically Buenos Aires, which is a mix of dance culture from South America, Europe and Africa. When people talk about Latin dances, they don’t include Argentine Tango usually as it is really quite different from other Latin dances.
If I want to start learning, what classes should I start with?
You can start with the Beginner courses. Each course is having 8 classes, 1 class per week for 8 weeks. We have courses on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Say if you join Monday course, you have to take all classes on Mondays, if you cannot take any classes, please inform us in advance so that we can arrange you to classes in Tuesday or Saturday courses.
How much is a Beginner course?
We have Beginner Pass at $1800 for (8+8 classes) valid for 4 months. It includes a 8-class full course and free re-take for another round of 8 beginner classes after the 1st full course.
It means if you take a Saturday beginner course, after the 2 month full course, you can re-take another Saturday course. If you cannot take the classes all on Saturdays, you can let us know in advance, we can assign the 8 additional classes from Monday and Tuesday courses.
How if I may have to miss some classes?
If you know it in advance, please inform us so that we can arrange you to classes in other courses. If not, you can still take it back in the retaking period.
How long does it take to be able to dance a tango?
You will be able to learn the basic elements of tango in the beginner course, these elements are enough to be able to dance a simple tango. But to be able to use it smoothly, it depends on how much practice you put into it.