Tango Southwest

My partner and I have been teaching Latin dancing styles for many years which include: Salsa - New York and Cuban style; Cha Cha Cha; Bachata; and Argentinian Tango. We have a passion for dance which comes from our own personal backgrounds: mine having roots in New York City and Jazz music culture; and my partner Ines having roots in her home country Venezuela in South America. We have both been in the U.K. for a long time and we joined together some time ago to combine our talents and resources to produce Salsa and Tango dance instruction. Our websites are www.salsaplymouth.co.uk and www.tangodevon.co.uk. The two interconnecting sites give the profile of what we do and how. We aim to reach out and inspire others to feel the infectiousness of this latin dance culture and we try to convey its root structure in as pure and undiluted form as is possible. We aim to teach with clarity, precision and discipline but at the same time to make the whole learning experience accessible, achievable and fun.



But Argentinian Tango is perhaps the most interesting and exciting of the Latin dance forms to now hit the U.K. not only because of its appeal to a wide age group but also because of its unique stylistic qualities which enable a huge range of individual expression.

We teach a comprehensive introduction to footwork and step patterns with an emphasis on posture, attitude, leading and following techniques. Additionally, we focus on the interpretation of music in terms of rhythm and timing. Every type of dance has a language. When the dancers know the essential parts of the language it is easy to communicate. So what we teach makes it possible to indicate the direction shape and mood of the dance. You need this technique to understand the language at first, and then it becomes automatic. Later you can just feel the music and interpret its impressions by the way you move. When you know the technique well enough and have a repertoire of signals, shapes and patterns you will move to the music in an improvised way and your partner will dance with you.



Generally speaking, the man leads by invitation, and if accepted and understood, the lady will move with him. Having said that, a good leader will provide strong and stable direction and this will mean that the lady will have plenty of support to improvise her own step within the structure of the lead. So, in the beginning we concentrate on technique.



Tango is a great dance for couples who want to dance together and broaden their horizons of communication. As a dance form it is best learned with a regular dance partner and by that I mean it could be someone special or a casual acquaintance, but in any event someone who will commit to regular classes and practicing.



Beyond this there are stylistic advantages - Tango really lends itself to "dressing up" and working the floor with its expressiveness and movement. Ladies can be delicate and provocative; men can be bold and suggestive. But the entire dance inspires passion and character which can take many forms.



Finally, a thought about dance generally. Many forms of exercise are presented to us as the penultimate cure for the ailments of modern inactivity but only dance has been given the real thumbs up by the medical profession as being ideal all around exercise that doesn t damage the system. Actually it produces just the right amount of stress to encourage cell renewal; muscle tone; and weight loss. A couple of hours of dancing will hardly feel like exercise at all but the health benefits are significant if undertaken on a regular basis.

When you dance you feel life on a completely different level. It can elevate your mood and your temperament to become a most enjoyable experience. Argentinian Tango is guaranteed to take you there.