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Tango for the Day of Love

February 10, 2014

Valentine’s Day is coming up this Friday. Due to consumerism and pressure to buy stuff on every holiday possible, Valentine’s Day seems to have lost its meaning.  Valentine’s Day should be about celebrating love. And I’m not talking about love just for your partner, but love for your family, friends, pets… you get the idea.

Let’s try something different this Valentine’s Day. Instead of giving candy and cards, eating fancy meals and buying over-priced roses, bring your loved one’s to Tango.

Homer and Cristina demonstrate the Tango Embrace (Hug).
Homer and Cristina demonstrate the Tango embrace (hug).

Tango is danced between lovers, friends, acquaintances and even perfect strangers. And the special thing about this dance is the embrace. You wrap your arms tightly around each other and move together to the sounds of beautiful orchestras, three minutes at a time.  And when those three minutes are over, you chat a little and then embrace again, three more times. What an odd thing to do with a perfect stranger, but at the same time, it’s perfectly normal.

Very few other social dances require such tight embracing.  Most importantly, the tango embrace is really a hug. A long, one armed hug, but a hug indeed. And recent studies have found that long hugs are the kind of hugs that release oxytocin, “the love hormone”.  I can’t help but wonder if extra oxytocin is released while dancing Tango. Perhaps its what makes Tango so addictive. 

Why not release the “love hormone” for Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate love?

Bring your loved ones, even if they have never danced before.  Many of these options listed below offer beginner lessons. Some even offer live music. And if you really can’t convince your loved ones to dance, at least bring them to Alma del Tango’s dance performance and fundraiser in Marin.  Always a treat.

These are your Tango options for Valentines Day:

Valentines Elegant and Free Live Music Milonga

RedwoodTangoJonathan and Olivia, in collaboration with The Marin County Mart Concert Series and The Redwood Tango Ensemble present an elegant Valentine’s Day Concert and Milonga. Wine, empanadas, and other culinary delights available for purchase. Dress to impress! Concert and Milonga is free!

Location:  Marin County Mart Concert Series,  2257 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, CA
5:30 – 6:15   Redwood Tango Ensemble Concert
6:15 – 7:15   Absolute Beginner Tango Lesson
7:15 – 10:30   Milonga DJ music by Jonathan
7:30 – 10:30   Milonga w/ Redwood Tango Ensemble and Performance by
Jonathan y Olivia

Valentine Dinner and Milonga with Live Music at La Casa GrandeValentines Day milonga 2014

Milonga and live music Performance by Redwood Tango Ensemble on a 65′ x 15′ heated and covered balcony with views of the San Francisco Bay. Full sit down dinner in the dinning rooms with views of the San Francisco Bay with drinks and deserts. Private estate has four dance floors and a new sound system, one Main Ballroom, a Salsa dance room, Theater Ballroom for Nuevo Tango and a Karaoke room. $25 is a deal for Workshop, Dinner and Milonga.

Location:  La Casa Grande, 18050 Reamer Road, Castro Valley, CA
8:00 – 9:00   Workshop
9:00 – 11:00   Valentine Dinner
9:00 – 11:00   Milonga with DJ Asvin
11:00 – 2:00   Milonga to live music Redwood Tango Ensemble

 

Monte Cristo Milonga with Lisette PerellePampa_lisette

Lisette is a fabulous teacher.  Monte Cristo has a warm, friendly atmosphere, great hardwood floor, a full bar and a free beginner class. $15 Int/Adv Class and milonga, $10 for milonga only.

Location:  Monte Cristo Club, 136 Missouri St (near 17th Street), San Francisco, CA
7:00–8:00 Free Beginning Class
8:00–9:00 Int/Adv Class with Lisette – “Ganchos for Men and Women”
9:00 – Midnight, Milonga

Milonga Sácale Punta

“Sácale Punta”, an exquisite evening of socializing and dancing held every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month in downtown Berkeley. Top-quality traditional music provided by local and visiting professional DJ’s. The venue has a beautiful, spacious wooden floor and a balcony overhead. Complementary refreshments, baked goods, and assorted snacks are served. Join us for an evening of blissful dancing and warm company!  DJ: Yuling Chen.  $5 Students/UCB Faculty & Staff with valid ID, $10 General

Location: 2133 University Ave, Berkeley, CA
9:00 – 1:00a   Milonga

Free Emeryville Tango classes & PracticaIvan Schvarts

Every Friday classes all levels and practica. Great place for seniors!  Presentation by Ivan Shvarts founder of the Golden Age Tango Academy, nonprofit 501C3 .  Free!

Location: Emeryville Senior Center, 4321 Salem St. Emeryville, CA
1:00 – 2:00   class
2:00 – 3:30   practica

La Pista – Class and Practica with Doruk & Erin

Erin_Doruk_ArgentineTangoThis is a great place to bring new dancers.  Both Erin and Doruk are excellent dancers and teachers.  Erin brings classical and contemporary dance training to tango. Doruk brings rhythmic musicality, strong connection to the partner, and creative vocabulary; his teaching focuses on clarity of lead, and structural understanding of tango.
$10 package deal ($5, practica only)

Location: La Pista – Upstairs, 768 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA
7:30–8:30 Tango FUN – damentals with Erin & Doruk
8:30–10:30 – Practica

 Switch Tango Fridays

QueerTangoQueer-led/all-welcome vibe providing switch skills for all, whether switch, follow or lead. Switch Class followed by DJ’d Practilonga. Weekly we train as Tango Switches, developing partners and skills which you can switch roles during a song or from tanda to tanda. This gender-neutral learning environment encourages all toward more (fun!) practice for better dancing, with a great range of tango classics and current music in this friendly, inclusive atmosphere. All levels, all genders, all sexual orientations heartily welcomed. Light snacks provided. Casual dress, only street shoes taped or mole skinned.  $10 Class, $5 Practilonga, $12 both.

Location:  City Dance Annex, 1420 Harrison at 10th Street, San Francisco, CA
Class 7 – 8pm
Practilonga 8 – 10pm

Tango Classes and Practica Party at ODC Dance Commons

Featuring music of the Orquestas Típicas as they evolve beyond the Golden Era. At the Friday practica, as we are practicing, refining, and exploring, we will also take a journey of how the orquesta tipicas evolved from the Golden Age of tango. Refining old arrangements of classic tangos, completely new arrangements of classic tangos, as well as new compositions, all within the formation of the orquesta tipica.  Light snack & drinks provided. Casual and spacious dance studio plus kids are welcome too! One class & practica $14, $6 Dance practice only.

Location:  ODC Dance Commons/Rhythm & Motion, 351 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, CA
7:30 – 8:30 Beginning & Intermediate Tango Dance Lesson  w/ Julian & Claudia
8:30 – 9pm  Supervised practice , studio Skirball A
8:30 – 11:30pm Tango Practica

TANGO MAGIC…the spell is cast!  Alma del Tango’s 2014 student production

TANGO-MAGIC-WEBTango Magic explores the magical moments of the dance. That unspoken connection between partners, the music and the movement. In Tango Magic you will meet many of the characters who frequent the milongas, (a venue for social dance) in search of the magic. There’s the Newbie … he hasn’t quite mastered the dance…or the etiquette. The Tango Addict… who is so obsessed, she practices  the tango walk in the supermarket. The couple who met on the dance floor and before long, stopped changing partners.  The  Authentic Argentine – tango is in his soul!  And the married couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a nostalgic choreography set to Nuevo tango music.

Discover how tango touches lives and has the power to transform them. Like magic! Conceived and Directed by Debbie Goodwin. Written by Lanny Udell & Jonathan Cutler. Proceeds will benefit Alma del Tango, a Marin-based non-profit dedicated to encouraging artistic expression and the development of community through Argentine Tango.

Location: Alma del Tango Studio, 167 Tunstead Ave. San Anselmo, CA

Friday Shows:7:30pm & 9pm
Show $20 general seating $25 premium front row. Tickets available at www.almadeltango.org, or call 800-838-3006.

 

For more information on any of these events, please refer to Tangomango.org.

 

Filed Under: Learning Tango, Milonga Spotlight, Musings, Special Events Tagged With: Argentine Tango, Bay Area Tango, Live Tango Music, SF Tango, Tango dancing, tango hug, Valentine's Day Tango

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

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

sflovestango
✨ Vecher Tango at the Russian Center had another ✨ Vecher Tango at the Russian Center had another star-struck night!✨

@ariadnayfernando returned to San Francisco after their last visit in 2016 for @noras_tango_week.

On top of teaching all afternoon and performing four songs of their choice, they surprised us with an improvised encore to live music by Seth Asarnow (@sethasarnow on piano) and Adrian Jost (@fueyequerido on bandoneón), a first-time collaboration for the four artists altogether!! 👏👏♥️♥️🙌🙌 ¡Qué celebración del Tango!

Thank you Julia Schiptsova @juliasch999 and Davood Yazdani for bringing @ariadnanaveira and @fernet_sanz back to SF! We look forward to welcoming them back later this year in Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for details.

Check out our stories for video snippets from the amazing evening!
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino  #tangoperformance #bailar #bailemos #bailando #tangoshow #tangoevent #tangoperformance #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto #sanfrancisco #tangoislife #sflovestango #livemusic #duo #bandoneon #piano #improvisation
That Saturday night ❤️‍🔥 when Duo Villarr That Saturday night ❤️‍🔥 when Duo Villarreal Crom, @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom joined forces with Orquesta Típico Domo at @thetangodome !🎶🎻🎸🎹🎤
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #milonga #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
Part 3️⃣ of Duo @juanvillarreal_13 & @patricio Part 3️⃣ of Duo @juanvillarreal_13 & @patriciocrom Crom at @thetangodome … a Chacarera! When the musicians extended an invitation to the audience to join them on stage, a few dancers spontaneously jumped at the chance! 👏👏👏👏
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
REPOSTING… because how could one resist missing REPOSTING… because how could one resist missing the standing ovation *and* an encore because earlier post got cut off due to unknown glitch🙈… Second half of part 1️⃣ the highlights from an amazing night at @thetangodome with Duo 🎸🎸 @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom ! And our very own @scottodaymusic made it a guitar trio for the encore! 
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
❤️‍🔥DJ @lebendiguna DROPS THE NEEDLE with ❤️‍🔥DJ @lebendiguna DROPS THE NEEDLE with the world’s fastest learning curve!❤️‍🔥

When Una’s laptop unexpectedly failed to connect to @thetangodome sound system, Daniel Peter’s vinyl collection and on-the-spot knowledge transfer to the rescue!! 😮🔥🧯❤️ After watching Dan just a few times dropping the needle between tracks, Una hit the track her FIRST TIME trying‼️✌️

🎥 @thetangodome 
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #milonga #tangodj #tangomusic #vinylrecords #newskillunlocked #tangoislife #oldtechisgoodtech #bayareatango #oakland
Part 2️⃣ from a fun Saturday night at @thetang Part 2️⃣ from a fun Saturday night at @thetangodome with Duo Villarreal Crom, featuring Tango Guitarists @juanvillarreal_13 and… Señor D'ARIENZO?! 👀🤨 Can you guess what was happening here? 😆😉
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #puppet #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
Part 1️⃣ of the highlights from an amazing nig Part 1️⃣ of the highlights from an amazing night at @thetangodome with Duo Villarreal Crom, featuring Tango Guitarists @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom ! 💎 watch till the end to see SF’s very own guitarist @scottodaymusic joined them for an encore!

🎸ABOUT THE ARTISTS🎸
Juan Villarreal and Patricio Crom began working together in 2010 playing tangos in milongas and clubs in the city of Buenos Aires. From the beginning, the Duo Villarreal-Crom, tried to find a particular aesthetic and a unique style that they have refined with the passing of the years.

Today they are one of the most renowned duos on the tango scene in Buenos Aires and the world, having made countless tours in Latin America, Europe and the United States.

They have released 4 albums: "De corte romántico (2012)", "Cinco tonos (2015)", "En la luna de Valencia (2017)" and "D'Arienzo en guitarras (2022)". In May 2023 they will present their new album consisting entirely of original works.  In 2022, they were on the cover of the renowned German magazine "Tangodanza", the world's largest tango magazine.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
♥️ 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 ♥️ (link in bio🔗)

Did you know that the very first post on SF Loves Tango was published by @maikalanidesigns on 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮? And April 21, 2019, is when the brains and hands behind SF Loves Tango changed to us, @jxtango ? We would like to celebrate these anniversaries by recapping what we’ve accomplished post-COVID and start looking ahead!
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#bayareatango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tango #tangocommunity #sanfrancisco #sflovestango #dancingislife #tangostories #beyondthedance
👋 Many of you know @aviksbasu and Mitra Martin 👋 Many of you know @aviksbasu and Mitra Martin as accomplished tango dancers and teachers. But did you know they are also professional researchers with curiosity and interest to understand tango better?

Check out this cool new research project they are working on: the 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆! (link in bio 🔗)

⏳ It takes about 20-30 minutes to answer some intriguing (anonymous) questions about what you experience as you dance - mental talk, images, sensations, etc.

🎯 Fill it out today and help them reach their goal of 1000 participants by April 30th! They’ll gather neat data to create more empathy and understanding and help the community grow.
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #community #tangocommunity #project #research #qualitativeresearch #communitybuilding #sflovestango
Abrazo, the queer milonga, happens every 3rd Satur Abrazo, the queer milonga, happens every 3rd Saturday of the month, and today, April 15, @abrazoqueertango welcomed @inesmuzzopappa for the first time and the pre-milonga class was sold out!
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#tango #argentinetangoclasses #tangoworkshop #tangoargentino #queertango #tangoevent #bayareatango #berkeley #bailemostango #milonga #learningisfun #dancingislife
✨SATURDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨ Che! Milonga is a con ✨SATURDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨

Che! Milonga is a conventional 4.5-hour long milonga with a cozy and casual vibe that happens on 1st and 2nd Saturday of the month at La Pista Tango Studio. 

Tucked away among storage and industrial spaces for local businesses, La Pista is a dedicated tango studio frequently used for classes and workshops. With lighting, seating, wall projection, and table decoration arrangements, our beloved hosts, Ramada and @tanguera_e , put thoughtful touches that give the space a nightclub ambiance.

Check out our February story drop featuring @che_tango_sf (sflovestango.com/che-tango-sf/) and tomorrow, Saturday, April 8, is your chance to dance at their Che Milonga with DJ @kostas_aretos ! 

📸 from Che Milonga on Saturday, April 1st with DJ @ayano.yoneda.tango 
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangodancers #tangolovers #dancecouple #socialdancing #tangoevent #milonganight #embrace #bailar #bailemos #dance #partnerdance #improvisation #dancingislife #sflovestango
❤️ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 ❤️
Women's History Month is almost over, but celebrating the impact of women is today and every day! 

Remember the Women's Gathering hosted by @ayano.yoneda.tango in the beginning of this year? Are you curious about the 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 and 𝙬𝙝𝙮 behind these events? 
"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 – 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 – 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳." – Ayano Yoneda

More in our latest story drop (🔗 link in bio)!
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangoevent #tangostories #tangocommunity #bayareatango #tangosanfrancisco #womensupportwomen #communitybuilding #lifteachotherup #sflovestango
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