SO YOU WANT TO START DANCING, MEET NEW PEOPLE, AND MAKE LIFE LONG FRIENDS? YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE!
Tango dancers go out to dance socially at “Milongas.” There are Milongas happening every night in NYC at various dance studios, bars, and restaurants! Beginner tango classes will give you all of the tools you need to start dancing socially, but you’ll never stop learning!
STEP 1: GROUP CLASSES
If you want to start your tango journey, I recommend group classes!
I have an absolute beginner, no partner required, no experience required class every Friday 7-8pm! If you have a little more experience, stick around for the Intermediate class 8-9pm with Robin Thomas and I at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant (140 2nd ave).
STEP 2: PRACTICE, PRACTICE PRACTICE!
Practice makes perfect, and you don’t need to come with a practice partner to enjoy “practicas.” A practica is a social tango event that encourages dancers to practice moves they are working on!
My Friday co-instructor Robin also has a practica on Tuesdays. We encourage you to ask your fellow dancers about what they are working on! You may be surprised by how friendly people are if you just ask :) More info here
Mariela Franganillo has a practica on Saturdays from 11am-2pm. A teacher will be there to give a mini lesson and answer questions! More info on La Practica here
For a complete list of Practicas, Milongas, and other events, check out The New York Tango Calendar
STEP 3: TIME TO DANCE! YOU CAN FIND ME AT THESE MILONGAS
Just to be clear, you have been dancing this whole time! But we are building up to be able to dance at “Milongas.” Milongas are more formal than practicas, and we dance with people in sets of 3-4 songs! There will be a fun (and very clearly not tango) song in between each set so you know to switch!
Wednesdays I love Tango Cafe with hosts Adam and Ciko
Thursdays you can find me at La Nacional with host Juan Pablo Vicente
Friday stick around after class with Robin and I at Milonga Gallo Ciego. There is some pretty great Ukrainian food here as well!
Saturdays there is a rotation of events!
Sundays you can find me dancing to the tunes of Tine Herreman, DJ and host of Milonga El Destino
For a complete list of Practicas, Milongas, and other events, check out The New York Tango Calendar
STEP 4: INTERMEDIATE CLASSES
The beginner classes will definitely get you onto the dance floor, but learning tango is a life long journey! Even as a teacher I enjoy taking classes with different teachers from the US and abroad. Some intermediate/ advanced classes I would reccommend are as follows:
If our Friday Intermediate class 8-9pm with Robin Thomas and I at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant doesn’t work, on Wednesdays my friends Adam and Ciko always have an interesting topic to cover 7-8pm before their milonga. More info here.
Thursdays there is always an interesting class given by the performers before the milonga at La Nacional
STEP 5: ACCELERATE YOUR LEARNING WITH PRIVATES
Tango instructors offer privates so that we can answer your questions 1 on 1! I would recommend starting privates after you have a grasp of the basics of tango. Since privates are more more costly than group classes, I believe that they are a better value when you are more grounded in the basics.
If you would like to schedule a private with me, email me at dagnyarizona@gmail.com with the subject “Tango lesson” and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
MORE SUPPORT & RESOURCES
Here is a link to the most Frequently Asked Questions!
If you want some exercises to do at home, or have questions about shoes and other fun things, check out my YouTube channel!
If you want to know what music to listen to, I have a few Spotify Playlsits!
I have many articles about tango topics such as dancer foot care, healthy foods that beat inflammation, and more over at my blog!