by Ilya on February 24, 2010
As you might know, I teach Tango lessons at OUMA (Oglethorpe University Museum of Art) on Monday nights. Argentine Tango is a perfect complement to the carefully selected Art exhibits of OUMA. Currently we enjoy gently illuminated Henry Matisse drawings. Our students think that Tango dance, music and Matisse go hand in hand.
March 2010, enter martini. Yes, as in “shaken, not stirred”, Grey Goose vodka martini. Every Monday (except the first one) during the month of March there will be a special event in the Museum sponsored by Grey Goose:
Mondays in March: Martinis with Matisse
March 8, 15, 22,29, 2010, 6:30 – 8:30p
View the current exhibition, Henri Matisse – A Celebration of French Poets & Poetry while sipping on a Grey Goose Martini and enjoying hors d’oeuvres provided by Brookhaven Bistro. $15 includes two drink tickets and hors d’oeuvres. Limited tickets available. To purchase tickets, click here.
Martini and Matisse do go together well (martini in moderation, of course). As martinis and dancing do not match, I had to move Tango classes in March from Mondays to Tuesdays. We will be back to our regular Monday nights Tango beginning April. (The next Beginner Tango Course will start on Tuesday, March 16, 7p).
If you have never visited OUMA – here is a perfect occasion. Those who like art will be happy seeing Matisse, those who like martinis will be satisfied too with the Best Rated smooth vodka taste! And, I am sure, most of you would enjoy both.
What was the expression – dance responsibly, drink till you drop? Or was it the other way around? Leave a comment… :)
by Ilya on January 12, 2010
Is this blog about Tango as a dance Only? Well, yes and no. Yes – because everything we write about here has some sort of a connection to Argentine Tango. No – because Tango is more than just a dance.
Tango, and nothing else... (from work by Willow Bader)
If you take it to an extreme (a good one in this case), it becomes a lifestyle. While not all dancers treat is as a lifestyle, most do enjoy multiple benefits Tango offers: staying fit, meeting new folks, making new friends, enjoying beautiful music in classes, practicas, and milongas (Tango dance parties), improving how one feels about oneself and life in general. In other words, when we hit a rough patch in life, Tango helps keep potential depression at bay.
I say that Argentine Tango, besides being a musical style and a dance, is an exercise and a therapy, it is not an exaggeration. Below is a brief write up of a scientific research on a therapeutic side of it:
A psychology researcher of the University of New England Rosa Pinniger, believes she can prove that just six weeks of this passionate partner dance can serve as an alternative therapy for depression. The science behind her thinking is that the nature of Argentine Tango requires partners to “switch off the automatic negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression”.
She continues to state what is well known to any serious Tango dancer: when you learn Tango you have to focus completely on your partner, on the movement, you have to be in the present moment. Any time a person’s mind wonders off, the dance disconnects and breaks up.
When partners are fully connected with each other and music, no negative thought can enter their minds. One dance lasts usually two to three minutes, one tanda, or set (Tango is danced in sets of three to five songs at a time) provides a wonderful time off from negative thoughts people might experience for various reasons. In Rosa Pinniger’s view this time off makes people realize that this freedom from negativity is possible and desired.
The researcher plans to do a 6-week scientific trial with three groups – one getting regular Tango lessons, another having meditation classes, and the third group would receive neither. She hopes to prove for Tango to be a viable alternative option to the more widely accepted therapy, meditation.
She says: “While we already know that meditation can be helpful in the treatment of depression, not everyone can meditate. But everyone who can walk can tango. It doesn’t matter whether you’re graceful or not – it’s all mindfulness and connecting with another person.”
As a Tango dancer and instructor I am positive she would succeed. Should you decide to enter the wonderful world of Tango, regardless of what your goals and needs in life are, my job is to make it easy, exciting, and fun for you to learn Argentine Tango in Atlanta.
The next 8-week Beginner Course starts on Monday, January 18, 7pm. Sign up here (form on a sidebar).
P.S. Have a personal story to share? Do comment!
P.S. (BTW, have you seen the list of close to 100 signs to tell if one is a Tango addict? If no, keep visiting this blog, I’ll be posting the best ones occasionally.)
by Ilya on October 20, 2009
by Ilya on October 20, 2009
It was great to see many Tango dancers from Atlanta as well as Augusta who came to the Grand Opening of Milonga OUMA. Everyone knows a milonga is only as good as the folks that come and dance at it. Seemed like good time was had by all. Hope this support and camaraderie among tangueros continues in the future on every 3rd Sunday of the month. The space is superb. The art of Argentine Tango dance and music is a complete match to the feel and ambiance of the Museum of Art. I am very happy to host a milonga at such a great space. If you could not make it last Sunday – do come and check it out next time!
Wish there was more time to take pictures. I saw other taking photos as well. Maybe they will share them or post somewhere. Ashley was using a professional looking camera to take Tango photos for her school project (yes, sometimes folks work/study even while attending a milonga!). Look forward to her posting them on Facebook…
Here are a few photos that Katya and Jessie managed to take while I was doing who knows what :)
In the next post you will find a couple of videos of dancing when Osvaldo was playing…
Ilya / Tango Bohemia
by Ilya on October 15, 2009
Check out unique door prizes for Grand Opening of Milonga OUMA (Sunday, Oct.18). It is a signed 8-piece Series of Tango Art by Misha Lenn, an accomplished artist who incorporated Argentine Tango into his work. Eight of our guests will be proud owners of one of these wonderful pieces.
Misha Lenn believes the Argentine Tango dancing is a wonderful form of improvisational art very similar to jazz. His longtime interest in Argentine Tango advanced after he met with and took several dance lessons from the famous Argentinean tanguero Pablo Veron in 2004. Since then Misha Lenn completed two magnificent series of watercolor paintings dedicated to his love for this passionate and elegant dance. Misha finds Argentine Tango an endless source of inspiration, and we anxiously await more of Misha’s dancing colors.
Misha Lenn creates a unique art of “moving illusions” through his decorative style of watercolors. His mission is to celebrate sophistication-emotionally, physically, and intellectually. His art is a boundless emotional energy captured in the movement. It enlightens awareness of everyday realities of life and elevates life enjoyment. It challenges people’s perception of the world around them inviting them to celebrate its fragile yet eternal splendor.
More on Misha Lenn, his art, and his Tango Series.
