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Tango as a great motivator

July 24, 2013

It’s amazing that something as simple as a social dance can change and motivate people in many ways.polkadottango.wordpress.com

Ah, but Tango is not just any ordinary social dance. Tango is deep and complicated and very addicting. It has a way of enveloping people’s lives and inspiring them to make changes in how they live, act, or think.

When people fall in love with Tango, they are often inspired to do things that totally change their life’s direction.  Some people move thousands of miles just so that they can be surrounded by a better, more intensive tango community (me!).  Others plan all their vacations around Tango destinations and Tango Festivals. And yet others find a way to live in Buenos Aires, often for months or even years at a time. Some tango dancers I know have chosen to make Buenos Aires their permanent home. Or even more, some find a way to make Tango their livelihood.

Because of this I have decided to write a semi-regular article with people’s stories about how Tango has changed their lives.

Today, we will tell Ashvin’s story.  Ashvin is a Bay Area tango dancer, promoter, DJ, and instructor who in a recent past, designed IT solutions for the financial industry.

This is Ashvin’s story of how Tango changed him:

“A Story of Courage and Transformation”

Ashvin did not come from a dance or sport background. As a recent transplant to the Bay Area for work, he considered himself a shy, socially awkward immigrant engineer. He was so shy that he was afraid of going into a restaurant or store by himself unless it was absolutely necessary. You can imagine his reluctance in taking his first tango class!

DJ Ashvin
DJ Ashvin

The tango is an intimidating dance, which requires keen body awareness and ability, and some measure of social competence. Ashvin struggled with the sticky social dynamics associated with most dance communities while trying to grasp the subtle complexity of the dance. In his formative years, Ashvin spent his tango time at the erstwhile dance studio, The Danceasy, which ran a weekly milonga. This was a friendly event with compassionate hosts and patrons, and he found refuge in the kind, supportive atmosphere. When, in early 2010, the studio decided to close its doors, he was faced with having to venture into unknown territory.

He saw an opportunity, and decided to start his own tango event (Tango Universe). He wanted to create a nurturing environment for others like him in which to grow their dance and social skills. In creating his own Tango event, he found a way to address his fear of social situations by finding the courage to become a leader

In this role of a tango promoter, Ashvin began to appreciate and attend to the needs of others. It was a rough road at the beginning as an event organizer in one of the most competitive tango communities. Faced with making everyday decisions for his patrons and his career, he began to learn about himself and most importantly, to gain confidence.

Performance at Tango Universe
Osvaldo Natucci and Enriqueta Kleinman performing at Tango Universe

Three and a half years later, Ashvin has become very busy with Tango, running his own milonga, teaching, DJing and organizing workshops with visiting Tango instructors. Since his weekly Saturday night milonga first opened it’s doors, it has steadily gained in popularity, reaching up to 80 patrons on a regular night.  He also DJs at several other milongas around the Bay Area and of late, has been invited to DJ at a few popular Los Angeles milongas. He was also a DJ at Tango festival for the first time, this past April, the Chicago Mini Tango Fest.

Ashvin feels that this journey has transformed him into a socially adept, mature, compassionate and astute human being, and has taught him to embrace his fears in a healthy manner.

How has Tango changed YOU?

Filed Under: Musings, Teacher Spotlight Tagged With: Argentine Tango, Ashvin, Bay Area Tango, Milonga, Tango dancing, Tango motivation, Tango Universe

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

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

sflovestango
🦃 Thanksgiving is only one week away!! If you a 🦃 Thanksgiving is only one week away!! If you are in town and up for a weekend of post-turkey (ham/steak/veggies/stuffing or whatever dishes you're having) embraces, 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 ~ 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨 at @verdiclubsf is ready for you!!

🍁 Brought to you by @tanguera_e, @jesram_sf, and Adolfo C.
🔗 event link in our bio!👆
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #specialevent #tangoevent #milonga #alternativetango #afternoonmilonga #eveningmilonga #thanksgivingweekend #bayareatango #sflovestango
@bandonegrotango 2023 Autumn USA and Canada Tour s @bandonegrotango 2023 Autumn USA and Canada Tour started with a 💥 at @thetangodome last Saturday in Oakland, CA!! They blew off the roof and also took our breath away❤️‍🔥 Enjoy snippets from that magical night and don’t miss their 2nd and final stop in the SF Bay Area TOMORROW at @tangolabruja ❣️🎶🎵🎻🪗
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #specialevent #onenightonly #TangoConcert #contemporarymusic #tangomusician #tangoorchestra #bandonegro #ontour #milonga #tangoevent #socialdancing #bayareatango #sflovestango
✨TANGO THIS SATURDAY Oct 28✨ 𝕆𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟛 for Tango Aficionados in SF Bay Area… 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐚, October Edition at @thebeatberk in Berkeley!! Longest running All-nighter in the North America since 2000~ Share your warmest embrace with out of towners and welcome new dancers from @stanfordtango and @berkeleytangoclub ~

Hosted by @tangonnection and @ayano.yoneda.tango
9:00p - 10:00p Special Chacarera Class with guest teacher Helene Eriksen
10:00p - 4:00a Milonga with guest DJ @prashantiyer 
Chacarera break around 1:00am

event details link in bio👆
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #allnighter #milonga #tangoevent #socialdancing #bayareatango #sflovestango
✨TANGO THIS SATURDAY Oct 28✨ 𝕆𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟚  for Tango Aficionados in SF Bay Area… @bandonegrotango is kicking off their 2023 Autumn USA & Canada Tour at the one and only @thetangodome in Oakland!! 🎵🎶🎼🪗 Nightclub Style Tango at its best! DJ @jonas.aqui will keep you dancing in between live music sets.

Brought to you by @macaronifinearts and @voulkosfoundation with ❤️ event link in bio👆contact tangodome@gmail.com for ticket info 🎟️🎫
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #specialevent #onenightonly #TangoConcert #contemporarymusic #tangomusician #ontour #milonga #tangoevent #socialdancing #bayareatango #sflovestango
🍁The last weekend of October is quickly approac 🍁The last weekend of October is quickly approaching and it’s popping!🥳 

✨FRIDAY✨ 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 in San Francisco with DJ Dan Boccia visiting from Anchorage, Alaska! Hosted by @tangosabor 

🎵ABOUT DJ DAN🎵
The music is what first drew Dan to tango in 2000, and he still loves the music deeply. His DJ journey began with college dances using vinyl in the late 80s, continuing on to DJ for several kinds of social dances through the 90s, and he has been DJing tango events throughout North America since 2001, including an epic all-nighter at the Beat in Berkeley CA in 2003 that lasted 9 1/2 hours, ending around 7:30am! He enjoys studying the crowd and selecting songs in the moment, with seamless transitions between tandas, taking the dancers on a dynamic journey with the music.
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #milonga #tangoevent #socialdancing #bayareatango #sflovestango
✨Not to be missed this week✨ learning from one ✨Not to be missed this week✨ learning from one of the best tango artists and teachers, Moira Castellano❣️ event details link in bio👆
October is a busy month for Tango in San Francisco October is a busy month for Tango in San Francisco!🍁 Starting off… Charles Gorczynski returned to the Bay Area and WEST COAST TANGO ENSEMBLE world premiere at @thetangodome last Saturday, October 14, 2023!!🎶❤️‍🔥 hosted by @macaronifinearts & @voulkosfoundation 

Featuring:
@redwoodtango 
@devan.moran 
@basmaedreesviolin 
@keikocadby 
@charithp 
@antonestaniel 
Stella Bonilla
@amiblami13 
@fabricanfabricant 
@steelnhammers 

#sanfrancisco #bayarea #tango #argentinetango #contemporarytango #tangomusic #tangomusicians #livemusic #milonganight #tangodancers #specialevent #onenightonly #sflovestango
On October 10th, 1902, one of the greatest bandone On October 10th, 1902, one of the greatest bandoneon virtuoso was born in La Boca, PEDRO LAURENZ (10/10/1902-7/7/1972). His birthday was celebrated at @el_valenciano1153 with an interactive lecture by @ayano.yoneda.tango so many of us got to know what makes his music special, how he became who he was, and the stories of his career told by his rivals and colleagues. Of course, the usual Tuesday night social dancing at El V was only complete when plenty of Laurenz’ music were danced to throughout the night!

Brought to you by @tangosabor
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#specialevent #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #bailemostango #tangoislife #morethandancing #tangomusic
Las Chicas del Tango @thetangodome Oakland, Califo Las Chicas del Tango
@thetangodome
Oakland, California
26 de agosto de 2023

Piano @sfsumi
Violín @basmaedreesviolin
Contrabajo @hannahmacgilv
Bandoneones @sinai_rim y @clarastern_bandoneon
Cello Vicky Ehrlich

#repost 📸 @clarastern_bandoneon 
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#tango #argentinetango #specialevent #onenightonly #sanfrancisco #oakland #bayareatango #femalemusicians #livemusic #thedome #womenintango #chambermusic #contemporarytango #bayareaconcert #powerhouse #sflovestango
It's been a while since we do a spotlight on any t It's been a while since we do a spotlight on any teacher. But someone like @lucianavallel who has been a regular visiting teacher for over 20 years, we are very glad to welcome her back to San Francisco for the first time post-pandemic! (link in bio!👆)

Starting with pre-Milonga class this Thursday Aug 10 at @milongamalevaje, Friday Aug 11 at Milonga Genesis (hosted by @tangosabor) and two weekends of Intensive Tango Workshops at Monte Cristo Social Club (event link in bio👆)!
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangoclass #tangoworkshop #tangoteacher #tangoartist #sanfrancisco #sflovestango #bayareatango
Any time at @tangamente.sf is a great time to revi Any time at @tangamente.sf is a great time to review the social tango etiquette, a.k.a. The Rules of the Road, courtesy of @tangonnection & @ayano.yoneda.tango ♥️
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #tangofestival #tangomarathon #etiquette #floorcraft
❤️‍🔥 @tango_with_winnie and @hugosatorre ❤️‍🔥 @tango_with_winnie and @hugosatorre continued their SF Tour with a weekend of Adventures in Tango Land at @tangodome !

They first blew us away with Saturday Tango Nightclub joining forces with The Dome's house band, Orquesta Tipica Domo, including a special guest artist Aude Bresson.👏 Then they kept the adventures going with a Sunday afternoon Live Music Practica for Dancers! 🎶❣️🎵🎹

If you miss out The Dome events completely, check out our stories for a few highlights!👆 Want to feel the magic of their music in person? Don't miss the rest of their SF tour!👇
~Tuesday 6/27 at El Valenciano (hosted by @tangosabor w/ Julian)
~Saturday 7/1 at @tangamente.sf (hosted by @tanguera_e and @jesram_sf)

☝️Links in bio!
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevent #livemusic #tangomusic #contemporarytango #tangodancers #bailemostango
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