Tuesday, January 14, 2014


Argentine Tango Dance Classes at the Blue Sage !6pm-8pm Every Thursday, January 23rd through February 27th
“Tango is a feeling that is danced.”




Classes are $9 at the door ($7 in advance).
Credit Cards are accepted, even at the door.

Bringing a partner with you is not necessary, it’ll all even out in the end.

You can bring your children and Lene Menely will babysit them while you are dancing (no additional cost).

Shoes with good traction are a bad idea.  Slippery-bottom (hard plastic or leather) heels with straps to hold them while walking backwards usually work well.  As do leather bottom dress shoes of any kind.  Nice, thick socks work wonderfullyand are my personal preference.

Class instruction will begin at 6pm and continue for 1 hour.  From 7-8pm the space will be available for practice and socializing and everyone is strongly encouraged to stick around, ask questions, try things out, and have fun.

When you see someone dancing tango, you see steps.  But when you dance tango yourself, you forget all the steps and just let the music move you.  Tango is a language with which to improvise, physically, to music.   The experience of merely watching tango is as foreign to the experience of dancing tango as the experience of watching people talk in an unknown language is to the experience of being in the conversation.
The origins of the tango are unclear because of poor documentation. It is generally thought that the dance developed in the late 19th century in working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Montevideo, Uruguay, as practiced by Uruguayan and Argentine dancers and musicians, and by immigrant laborers.  Since that time, the dance has undergone several evolutions, including:
  • Show (or “Stage”) Tango involving elaborate moves, reminiscent of gymnastics, which are clearly viewed from a distance in a large theater,
  • Ballroom Tango (both “American” and “International”) which branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance,
  • Tango Neuvo which explores all the possibilities of movement within the framework of Argentine Tango, consequently leading toward a shift in all styles of tango away from teaching what to dance toward teaching how to dance.
These classes at Blue Sage will focus on traditional Argentine Tango styles as well as, out of the 3 off-shoots listed above, Tango Nuevo.  Traditional Argentine Tango styles as well as Tango Nuevo are danced regularly at social dance events worldwide referred to as “Milongas”.

With the basics you will learn at these classes, you will be able to “speak the language” and “join the conversation” of tango all over the world.

About the Instructor

Chris Garre learned to dance tango in 2004 from David Caditz in Bozeman, Montana.  Throughout the years he has learned from dozens of international instructors, danced all over the country, taught in a few places, and lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina several times for months on end.