Pre-Festival
Argentine Tango Intensives with Daniel Trenner, of New York & Massachusetts, USA, with a partner TBA
All participants always together in one room... Experienced dancers get all 28 hours with Daniel and partner, plus Milonga w Performances. Beginners get 22 hours if they don't qualify for block #2. But experienced dancers must attend block 1 as well. All experienced dancers will benefit from a review of the basics Daniel style… :)
One of Tango’s first modern pioneers, and a consummate dance teacher, Daniel played an important role in spreading the discovery of the social, improvisational Argentine Tango we enjoy today. Beginning almost 30 years ago he studied with, interviewed, filmed and organized for the oldest generation of dancers in Buenos Aires. The focus of this program is the revealing of ‘real’ social Tango, as it evolved through the generations of “milongueros”, and especially understanding the archetypal relationship between leader and follower.
Tango is comprised of the union of two “voices”, lead follow, male female, yin yang, often referred to as “connection”, the “holy grail” of a social dancer’s search. In the golden years of tango (1940-50) in Buenos Aires, these roles were aligned in society and the dance. In modern times they are no longer.
Men in the 1940s "studied" Tango in classes, or practicas. There they learned both roles, practicing back and forth between them. Women learned in the family, from trusted males, and went to the Milonga, or real social dance setting with the expectation of only being led well. A new beginner leader never touched a female, and would have been ashamed to dance with her.
In the Modern Tango world, men and women attend classes together. Often this creates confusion as they are asked to learn in a non-traditional way, with male and female beginners learning together, with each learning their own role exclusively, something that would NOT have happened in the Buenos Aires of the 1940s.
In Daniel's class we will explore the traditional roles with a modern attitude. Everyone learns both roles which is the traditional approach, but women attend class, which is modern. Be prepared to challenge yourself to empathize with the other by embodying their role as well as your own. This is the essence of Daniel's approach, a modern tango fusion of learning styles. It is why Daniel is so effective.
Thursday, Jan 8, 2015
Everyone together!
Part 1- 2 hrs…
Daniel's famous "Tango from Zero" - An Introduction to tango for absolute beginners is delightful and makes it possible for even the most doubtful. This is a great opportunity to give people their first Tango experience; perfect for your reluctant two-left-footed friends. Complete novices are welcome! Experienced dancers too!! Learn how to introduce newcomers to tango. Bring a new dancer and attend with them!
Part 2- Video Lecture 2 hrs
Tango: History and Mythology, A lecture with video and graphic imagery from Daniel's extensive collection.
Tango is an experiential art, when danced socially, and a powerful performance experience, when presented on stage. These two faces of tango have evolved simultaneously over the last 100 plus years. The success of tango as a cultural phenomena is measured by its journey from the dance and music of the impoverished mixed race Porteno (Argentine) slum, to the cabarets of early twentieth Paris, to Hollywood, back to the flowering of tango culture in Buenos Aires during WW2, and finally in its modern revival as a social dance experience.
Friday Jan 9- Weds Jan 14- late afternoon 2 hour block #1
Tango Foundations for Everyone: Tango through the Lens of its Default Vocabulary. Basic Tango vocabulary, musicality, and communication skills, in an atmosphere of curiosity and investigation. Participants will receive a tour of the grammar of social tango; basic movement, and lead and follow, the hardest part of Tango. Different Tango Styles will be introduced. Ease and efficiency with this material underly all the complexity of serious tango development. We will proceed to fundamentals of Tango's technique (Follower's Mind) and architecture (Leader's Mind), and the decorations of each. This coarse will prepare the participants for the Milonga, social dance experience, and allow them to join festival classes for experienced dancers. Come with or without a partner. Bring your most comfortable shoes and a pair of clean socks. No tango or dance experience required.
Evening Activity Block
Friday, Sunday, Wednesday… 2 hr class block #2
Ongoing Tango Study for experienced dancers already learning the form: We will begin a review of Basic Tango vocabulary, and communication skills, and build from there: Embraces- open, close, and flexible. ; Salida's- the Argentine Social Rituals ; Complex figures and patterns. ; Squares & Spirals- advanced turning vocabulary: Nuevo Tango- modern alterations in the tango vocabulary. ; Decorative Adornments and rhythms. ; Milonga & Vals- Tango's Sibling forms. Come with or without a partner.
To enroll in this section you must have completed a beginner class with Kiran, or at another school, or be an experienced tango dancer from another city. If you are not sure if you qualify please have a direct conversation with Kiran.
Saturday
Video Lecture Tango Dancers of the Modern Revival, 1980s and 90s. 2 hrs
An eyewitness account of tango’s reemergence as a modern dance, including the impact of tango’s major figures. We will watch full length exhibitions of famous stage dancers, influential milongueros, revival generation teachers, and the first protagonists of the Nuevo Style. Daniel is a tango historian, this is your chance to find out specifics about where and how tango came to life again!
Monday
Q & A with Daniel 2 hrs
Bring your questions about Tango's history and modern revival!!
Tuesday Milonga w Performances
Wednesday
Final Ongoing Study Class
We will take maximum 30 participants for this workshop. For fee structure, refer to this page.
ABOUT DANIEL TRENNER
Daniel Trenner is a dance pioneer. From the late 70s until the early 90s he was an innovative Jazz, Modern, and Post Modern dancer. He happened on Tango in Buenos Aires in 1986 while teaching at the State School of Contemporary Dance in the San Martin Theatre. He was one of the first young people involved in tango's revival. He studied with, interviewed, filmed and organized for many of the Milongueros, the older generation dancers. He has been called a “Johnny Appleseed of Tango” for his 20 years of touring as a tango teacher, visiting more than 100 cities on 4 continents. He was one of the early proponents of teaching tango by its elements, he created the first Tango tours to Buenos Aires (Bridge to the Tango,bringing more than 1500 people dancing in 7 countries), and the first Tango store in North America (The Tango Catalogue). He produced more than 80 volumes of Tango Instructional Video, with more than 40 artists (BttTV). He visited Montreal in the 90s ran the first years of the Montreal Tango festival (Tango Locura- 1996-1999). In 1998-2000 Daniel ran an intercultural exchange in Havana Cuba. He settled in Northampton, MA in 2002, and is presently teaching at Smith, Amherst, Mt Holyoke, and Hampshire Colleges, and the Performing Arts High School (PVPA). Read more about Daniel Trenner at www.danieltrenner.com See the rerelease of much of his video archive at itangocafe.com
“Cristina and I have known Daniel as a friend and tango mentor for many years now. Throughout the years he has he given us much needed advice for the art of teaching tango and also for working as a full time instructors. In addition, Daniel has shed much light on the development of tango historically from the Golden Age and, in a first-hand account way, since it’s reemergence as a global social dance in the 80’s and through the 90’s. This is much needed information, which without Daniel’s thoroughness of documentation and attention to detail, would otherwise be lost or mired in a state of utter confusion, gossip, and make-believe. The United States tango scene owes a great debt to Daniel for his early pioneering work, vast community building efforts, and scholarly recordings. In truth Daniel was and still is the bridge to the tango for many of us...”
- Homer & Cristina Ladas
“
Daniel's experience in tango is almost unparalleled of any teacher I know. He was studying tango in Buenos Aires in the 1980's with many milongueros that are no longer with us and not only learned from, but documented a lot of them on film. Because of this he has a unique perspective in the tango world today -- bridging the old and new styles and being able to transmit his knowledge to students in an informed, entertaining, and well-thought out manner.”
- Alex Krebs
“Daniel Trenner was knocking on the door of Buenos Aires to discover the world of Argentine Tango long before any of us knew it existed! With his extensive dance background he was able to decipher much about Argentine Tango in this very much underground scene of the late 80s and early 90s and by spending one on one time with the authentic Milongueros. Luckily for all of us he was also a great teacher and shared his knowledge with dancers all over the United States as he traveled and also through an extensive video collection in which he documented so much of his discoveries about Argentine Tango. Daniel is truly a fountain of knowledge and experience when it comes to Argentine Tango. An opportunity to study with him is one I highly recommend!”
- Christy Cote
daniel trenner
danieltrenner.com
itangocafe.com
northamptontango.com
danieltrenner@gmail.com
