Are you ready to learn and master the “4th Sacada“? How about finessing those always challenging “with boleos“? Or even more, finally figuring out how to properly lead or follow “colgadas” and “soltadas“.
The advanced Tango workshop that you have been waiting for is happening this weekend!
Who better to learn from than Jaimes Friedgen and Christa Rodriguez, founders of the 8th Style School of Tango. They will be in San Francisco teaching an advanced Tango workshop June 23rd & 24th.
Learn more about the workshops and register here.
So what is this “8th Style School of Tango” and what’s so great about Jaimes and Christa?
To start, some of the top dancers in the U.S. have gotten their foundation and excellent technique from the “8th Style School of Tango”. I won’t name names, but they definitely stand out on the dance floor.
Jaimes Friedgen has been involved in Tango since 1996. (That means he started Tango when he was still a teenager!) In 2006, Jaimes founded the 8th Style School of Tango in Seattle, Washington. Through collaborations with dozens of gifted dancers, teachers, and administrators, the 8th Style emerged as the new standard for an organized, curriculum-based tango school in America. Jaimes had a goal “to develop the most effective system of teaching tango ever created”. Perhaps he has succeeded as many of its methods and systems have now been adopted across the U.S. and abroad.
Christa Rodrigues has been called “an ultra-feminine powerhouse of refined grace, dignity, and confidence who would set a new standard for the American tango aesthetic”. She has been performing and teaching with Jaimes since 2009. Christa has a direct, no-nonsense teaching style both effective and charming for serious students of the dance.
While researching the “8th Style”, I learned that the name was penned by the Bay Area’s very own Tango blogger and Tanguero, Igor Polk. According to the website… Jaimes “has affectionately continued to refer to his ever-changing way of dancing as ‘the 8th style’. As an extension of this, ‘the 8th style’ has come to mean not specifically Jaimes’ style, but ‘your own personal style’, one that is uniquely yours such that no one can fit you into a box of set parameters. Chicho dances the 8th style. Tete dances the 8th style. Veron dances the 8th style. La Turca dances the 8th style. Cecilia dances the 8th style. Geraldine dances the 8th style. All the greats of this age and times past have become unclassifiable; having spent years studying others, they have become themselves”.
Below is a clip of Jaimes and Christa performing at Cell Space during their last visit to San Francisco.
Are you wondering what level dancer you are? Can you handle an advanced workshop? Clay Nelson has a helpful article here on knowing your level. At the bare minimum, you should at least know the difference between a “contra” boleo and a “with” boleo and how to properly execute a sacada.
When attending the Advanced Workshop, make sure to come with a partner at your same level, so that there will be less frustration and it will be easier to grasp the concepts. If you cant’ find a partner contact Neeraj, and he will help you find one. Register for Workshops here.
For those not ready for the advanced classes, Jaimes and Christa will be teaching an intermediate class and performing at Cell Space this coming Wednesday, June 20th. You can also catch them at the All Nighter on Saturday.
Get more details on TangoMango.org and also visit TangoCraft.com