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Getting to know Gabriela

September 20, 2013

Gabriela Condrea is a Tango dancer and instructor, world traveler and author of the book “When 1+1=1: That ‘Impossible’ Connection.” She is in the Bay Area this weekend offering a few unique Tango workshops . Gabriela hails from Seattle, Washington and prior to Tango was an 8th grade teacher. A year sabbatical in South America became a life transforming experience. Here at SF Loves Tango we love to hear how Tango changed people’s life’s. Gabriela’s visit to the Bay Area seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about her with an SF Loves Tango interview.

Gabriela Condrea SF Loves Tango:  Welcome back to the Bay Area.  How long will you be here and what do you have planned?

Gabriela:  Thank you.  I’ve been lucky to meet so many wonderful people who have taken an interest in my writing and tango projects and really made me feel welcome in the Bay Area.

I’ll be here September 20th to the 22nd and have quite the line-up of events coming up: an interactive book presentation (When 1+1=1), tango workshops to share tools for developing presence and connection in walking, ochos, and (so very tango) the cross, visiting with Ivan Shvarts during his class in Emeryville and talking to him about “liver tango,” and last, but not least, I’m so excited to be collaborating with local Oakland author and tanguera Sasha Cagen, offering a workshop on tango and personal growth.

Here is the schedule:

Friday 9/20:  Guest Teacher at Release Tango Friday
Saturday 9/21:  Tango Workshops (Connection & the Cross!) at Studio 1924
Interactive Book Presentation at Café Mediterraneum FREE!
Sunday 9/22:  QuirkyConnection Tango Workshop w/ Sasha Cagen

Details at www.GabrielaCondrea.com/tango/events/Bay_9-2013.html

SF Loves Tango:  You have been doing a lot of traveling since your book was published, can you describe a few of your most memorable travel experiences.

Gabriela:  I have many travel stories and tango stories… How about I give you a little of each?

Traveling with the book as a catalyst/excuse has been amazing.  So many people have pitched in to make it possible!  Having the book, my blog, and upcoming series of video interviews from the road really opened up some great opportunities to connect with people.  One of my favorite things has been hearing peoples’ stories.  Everything from how Matt of Fat Matt’s Rib Shack in Atlanta got his start, how they developed their secret sauce (no, he didn’t give me the recipe), the strong bonds with his employees who are more like family; or the tour guide from the Florida Everglades at Coopertown Air Boat Tours who told me that this – he said, sweeping his arm across the landscape – has been healing for him after coming home from the army.  The stories are many and many of them quite amazing.  I think the most amazing part is realizing that although they’re all so different and unique, they’re also very similar themes that we all encounter in our lives, and on the dance floor: this amazing network of tango aficionados is like having a family everywhere you go.  Especially when I reach out, someone is always there to help.

During my first book tour to Europe, I visited a friend in Bonn, Germany.  She lent me her bike and I made my way to a tango event where I met Ulrike, who assured me that the tango community will never leave you without a place to stay: Just bring a sleeping bag and you’ll never not have a place to stay in the tango community, she said.  Then there was the man I met at the Ukrainian in New York, who told me that tango has been therapeutic for him – a new kind of drug.  And although I’ve been lucky to never struggle with substance abuse problems myself, I could understand him. I’ve learned that remembering just how similar we are can really help us empathize with one another and celebrate our differences.

SF Loves Tango:  I read that you first learned Tango at Dinzel’s Tango studio in Buenos Aires.  I took a private lesson with Rodolfo Dinzel and it was by far one of my most memorable experiences in Buenos Aires.   He told my partner to imagine himself as a river, continuous and flowing and for me to imagine myself as a bird playfully flying along with the river. This visualization was transformative for our dance.  Did you have a similar experience with Dinzel?  Can you describe for us what it felt like to learn Tango at Dinzel’s studio?Dinzel Tango

Gabriela:  Learning tango at the Dinzel Studio was one of the best things that happened to me.  It completely fit my learning style and changed my vision of what is possible.  At the Dinzel Studio, you learn by doing.  There are classes, but as Rodolfo Dinzel once told me, “If they’re walking, let them walk.”  The emphasis is on learning by experimenting and exploring, through trial and fire and bouncing off the white stucco walls of the square rooms of this little house so many people come to call home.  I was fortunate to study closely with Rodolfo, taking his seminars and observing his teaching.  He uses many metaphors like the one you mention above, to help people reach a deeper, emotional level.  Bits of his wisdom, his vivid analogies, the way he plays with subtleties and nuances, are scattered throughout When 1+1=1.  Rodolfo taught me so much more than how to dance tango; he sees deeply, he gives openly.  Perhaps most importantly, he helped me understand that learning is an active process, that if you want something, you have to go out and get it, that intelligence is knowing how to choose.

SF Loves Tango:  Having been a teacher in the past, how has that helped you in teaching Tango?

Gabriela: I’ve taught in some form or another since I was 13 years old and began assisting with swimming lessons after swim team practice in the summer.  At 14, I was training to teach gymnastics so that on my 15th birthday (the legal age to work), I could start teaching on my own.  My mother is a teacher and both of her parents were teachers.  I used to sit in my mother’s language classes, watching her, how she interacted with her students, how they interacted with one another.  Her approach to teaching languages has greatly shaped my approach to studying and teaching spoken languages and the way I share (teach) the physical language of tango.  And of course, Rodolfo Dinzel and many other teachers influenced me a great deal.  I think we remember the most passionate ones – the people most passionate about what they’re sharing.

When I was teaching at Asa Mercer Middle School in Seattle, I had a co-worker, Martin.  Martin could make the most lifeless Power Point slideshow breathe.  When he talked, everyone listened.  He hooked you with his wit and reeled you in with his smile, and before you knew it, you’d sail right through what could have been one of the longest half hours of your life!  His students loved him.  His classes were a hit.  I wanted to do that, too.  I wanted to be that way with my students.  But I couldn’t do it – no me salía.  I could admire Martin, but I couldn’t be someone I’m not.  Learning tango and teaching tango have been that way, too.  I’ve found lots of great examples of people I want to emulate – on the dance floor, in their classes – and I’ve encountered some examples I want to make sure I don’t replicate.  Teaching has taught me to gather all those ideas and find my own way of expressing them, my own way of organizing them.  And the many years of teaching have given me the confidence and the freedom to follow my intuition and improvise.

SF Loves Tango: We should all be wise enough to follow our intuition and improvise… in life and Tango.  Thank you Gabriela for sharing your stories with us!

Would you like to read her book? Here you go:

Filed Under: Musings, Special Events, Visiting teachers Tagged With: Argentine Tango, Bay Area Tango, Gabriela Condrea, Special Tango Events, Tango dancing, Tango workshops, When 1+1=1

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

Celebrate #bayareatango community, support everyone involved & share ♥️ of #tango with San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

sflovestango
🧨 New year, new beginnings! One happened yester 🧨 New year, new beginnings! One happened yesterday at @thetangodome – first Women's Gathering hosted by @ayano.yoneda.tango, including folks who identify as women.

Part clothing & shoe swap, and part cultivating a safe space to be vulnerable, be generous, be supportive, and be real with each other.

Looking forward to more of this and building a community that keeps involving what tango events can be beyond the dance! 🙌 
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangolovers #womenintango #bayareatango #sisterhood #beyondthedance
As the year-end approaches, many SF local tango ev As the year-end approaches, many SF local tango events have had or will have their last event of 2022 to wrap things up. This year's last Milonga Rubia al Sur happened this past Sunday, Dec 18 with DJ @ayano.yoneda.tango and special performance with visiting artist, @martinalmironartist, and milonga host, Lisette @passion4tango. 

With the holidays coming up and Argentina winning the world cup, dancing tango all night long around Lisette's very own flower arrangements was just the appropriate celebration people needed.

Hosted by Lisette Perelle, Milonga Rubia is held every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month, with current location at Just Dance Ballroom (2500 Embarcadero) in Oakland and a different DJ for each event.

✨ Fun fact - how Milonga Rubia got its name... ✨

Lisette's Argentine friends have always been calling her 'Rubia' because of her blonde hair. One day about 6 years ago, when she was discussing naming this new milonga with @julian_tangosf, he said, “Why not just call it Milonga Rubia?" That's how Milonga Rubia got its name! The event once was in a venue in Emeryville/Richmond. Once Lisette changed venues to a more southern location (Just Dance Ballroom in Oakland), the event's name was changed to 'Milonga Rubia al Sur' accordingly.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #sundayfunday #milonga #milonganight #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #oakland #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
Last Saturday, Saturday Dec 17, @abrazoqueertango Last Saturday, Saturday Dec 17, @abrazoqueertango hosted their Holiday Bash with performances by @mirabtango and Miranda at @tangodome, a cool art gallery and dance space at 951 62nd St in Oakland.

🏳️‍🌈 Abrazo Queer Tangois a volunteer-run organization, and after expenses, all funds are used to pay for their events and offer discounts to students and folks short on cash. To help the org break even in 2022 and fund its 2023 programs, last Saturday's event was positioned as a fundraiser with a sliding scale $20-$40 for folks to choose how they'd like to show their support, offering a sweet night of performance, community and great music in a magical location. 

Missed the event yet still would like to support Queer Tango? Donations always totally work! Please write *donation* in the comment via your favorite method:
Venmo ➡️ abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal ➡️ abrazoqueertango@gmail.com
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevents #milonga #saturdayvibe #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #queertango #oakland #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
💫 #motivationmonday is not over yet so here is 💫 #motivationmonday is not over yet so here is a quick recap of the International Day of Tango at @greatnorthernsf last night! 💫 Milonga hosted by @julian_tangosf with DJ @loco_chung. 
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#diadeltango #tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevents #milonga #sundayfunday #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
This Friday night in the heart of San Francisco, t This Friday night in the heart of San Francisco, tango dancers and the public who are curious art lovers had a unique experience with live music performed by local tango musicians and the strategic mix of TANGO • VALS • MILONGA • ALTERNATIVE music by DJ @jonas.aqui of @jxtango at @drawingroomsf_annex, an art • gallery • studio in the Mission district – a free event by the collaboration of @chetangosf, @drawingroomsf and @artistmigration. 

Artists featured:
Sumi Lee (piano) @sfsumi
J Ramada (bass)
Basma Edrees (violin) @basmaedreesviolin
Verónica Freidkes (vocal) @veroverofreidkes

Check out our stories and story highlights for snippets of the performances and tango dancing around art pieces!
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❣️ about Che! Tango SF❣️

All events created by Ramada Salieri and Elaine Chiu are dedicated to providing an inclusive and friendly dancing and learning environment in San Francisco and the Bay Area regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other characteristic or trait.

ONGOING EVENTS
Che! Milonga: Every 1st and 2nd Saturday of the month 
Che! Música + Milonga: Once every quarter on a 2nd Saturday
Milonga Uno: 3rd Saturday of every other month
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❣️ about The Drawing Room SF ❣️

MISSION
The Drawing Room connects community through art to help improve the overall human condition by making art accessible and part of the daily fabric of our lives. 
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❣️about Artist Migration❣️

ANTI CAPITALIST ART
Artist-led curatorial project providing performance and exhibition opportunities to international artists.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #livemusic #fridaynights #art #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #artislife  #tangomusicians #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #bayareatango #sflovestango #jxtango
Those who came out to @tangolabruja last night had Those who came out to @tangolabruja last night had an epic evening of dancing and live music with three highly skillful tango musicians’ improvised music – Trio Tangazo, a dynamite tango trio made up of Sascha Jacobsen (bass), Seth Asarnow (piano), and Adrian Jost (bandoneon). 

~~Fun fact~~
Sascha, Seth and Adrian all performed at La Bruja previously - either with other tango ensembles or in duo - but it was the first time all three of them taking the stage together!

📍 @berkeleycityclub 
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#tango #concert #milonga #milonganight #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #improvisation #travelingmusician #musiciansofinstagram #california #berkeley #bayareatango #tangomusicians #tangodancers #socialdance #dancingislife #sflovestango
🥧 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so @milongamalevaje 🥧 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so @milongamalevaje is closed for that matter, but here is something different & fun from last Thursday 😉 with DJ @jonas.aqui, courtesy of hosts @tanguera_e, Ramada Salieri and Adolfo Caszarry.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #milonga #milonganight #tangoevent #tangoalternativo #alternativetango #tangonuevo #embrace #bailar #bailemos #socialdance #partnerdance #tangodancers #dancingislife #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #sflovestango
✨ FRIDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨ It’s been awhile sin ✨ FRIDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨

It’s been awhile since Milonga La Genesis (hosted by @julian_tangosf) has live tango music. Last night LEO TANGASSO QUARTET was in the house, featuring @leogassomusic from Montevideo, Uruguay on bandoneon,  @smurfetteshum on piano, Stella Bonilla on violin,  @digsmahler on double bass.

(🎥 @tangonnection, edited by @sflovestango)
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #specialevent #bayareatango #tangomusic #livemusic #tangomusicians #bandoneon #piano #doublebass #violin #quartet #onenightonly #milonganight #sanfrancisco #sflovestango
👏 The all-female tango ensemble, 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨, wrapped up their 2022 concert tour at @alameda_elks1015, playing for a full house of guests at the @housetango Community Milonga.

𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is a collaboration between powerhouse female tango musicians @sfsumi (piano), @heynisolera (bandoneon), and @teagbby (violin). Their concert on Sunday featured guest bassist @fabricanfabricant and vocalist @teresatam.sing.

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The mission of 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is to present contemporary Argentine tango through virtuosic artistic performance and educational events.  Sumi, Heyni, and Teagan originally bonded in Buenos Aires, drawn by a mutual love of tango music, as well as by a realization of the inequality of professional opportunity for women in the tango genre. They studied under the same maestros and performed with prestigious tango orchestras in Buenos Aires.  They now frequently perform around the world, including in their respective adopted cities of San Francisco (Sumi), Washington, DC (Heyni), and NYC (Teagan). All of the musicians also produce their own music. 
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#tango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #travelingmusician #heynibando #tour #beautifulwomen #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #berkeley #oakland #bayareatango #tangomusicians
🎉 Saturday, October 22 marked the grand re-open 🎉 Saturday, October 22 marked the grand re-opening of Vecher Tango at the Russian Center of SF!

After a long pause of two and a half year, the magnificent grand ballroom was filled with tango energy again. What made the occasion extra special was the incredible performances by another visiting master couple @javierchikk & @moiracastellano. To top it off, @virginiaychristian "Los Totis" joined Javier & Moira on the floor for a mixed maestros dance!

Shout-out to our dearest friend Davood Yazdani, Julia Schiptsova of Tango Element, and all the local organizers for making this weekend feel like a mini tango festival in San Francisco!
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#tango #argentinetango #argentinetango♥️ #tangoargentino #milonganight #tangoperformance #bailar #bailemos #bailando #tangoshow #tangoevent #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto
✨It's a star-struck tango week in SF!!✨ @vir ✨It's a star-struck tango week in SF!!✨ 

@virginiaychristian "Los Totis" have been teaching in San Francisco (brought to you by our very own Davood Yazdani who's in collaboration with Julia Schiptsova of Tango Element!) And we were mesmerized by their fantastic performances last night at the special edition of @milongamalevaje at @verdiclubsf ! 🤩👏
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#tango #argentinetango #argentinetango♥️ #tangoargentino  #tangoperformance #bailar 
#bailemos #bailando #tangoshow  #tangoevent #tangoperformance #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto
💫 Exactly a year later, 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨, an all-female tango musician collaboration, has returned to the SF Bay Area!! 

Last night they took the audience on a magical journey to Buenos Aires with a concert-milonga at @tangolabruja in Berkeley. Check out our stories to see more snippets of their performance!

𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is a collaboration between powerhouse female tango musicians @sfsumi (piano), @heynisolera (bandoneon), and @teagbby (violin). The concert last night featured guest singer @veroverofreidkes.

The mission of 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is to present contemporary Argentine tango through virtuosic artistic performance and educational events. Sumi Lee, Heyni Solera, and Teagan Faran originally bonded in Buenos Aires, drawn by a mutual love of tango music, as well as by a realization of the inequality of professional opportunity for women in the tango genre. They studied under the same maestros and performed with prestigious tango orchestras in Buenos Aires.  They now frequently perform around the world, including in their respective adopted cities of San Francisco (Sumi), Washington, DC (Heyni), and NYC (Teagan). All of the musicians also produce their own music. 

Catch them for the rest of their tour!
🔸10/20 (Thur) 10pm, World Folk Jam concert w/ ten other world music groups, Oakland
🔸10/21 (Fri) 7pm, Sebastopol Center for the Arts
🔸10/22 (Sat) 7:30pm, Sunset Music and Arts, San Francisco
🔸10/23 (Sun) 3:30pm, houseTango Community Milonga @ Alameda Elks Lodge, Alameda
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#tango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #travelingmusician #heynibando #tour #beautifulwomen #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #berkeley #oakland #bayareatango
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