Missoula Spring Tango 2017

Friday, May 12th

6:00 – 7:30 | Class 1 of 3 • Taught by Lauren Coleman – Bozeman, MT. ~ Tango Masala
Spice up your tango! Fun ways to add musicality to your dancing, amuse your partner and play with the music.  ¡Sabroso!

6:00 – 8:00 | Practica at the MCT Room 305

7:45 – 8:45 | Mixer
Fun dancing and games to get to know the other dancers. Facilitated by Patrick Marsolek & Lori Mitchell –  Missoula, MT. There will be door prizes for attendes!

9:00 – 2:00 | Welcoming Milonga • 90/10 (Trad/Alt) • DJ Dmitry Pruss – Salt Lake City, UT

Saturday, May 13th

12:00 – 1:30 | Class 2 of 3 • Taught by Tommy Smith – Boise, ID.
~ Traditional vs. Alternative Tango Musicality: Celebrating the Similarities, Highlighting the Differences.
Let’s explore the things about alternative music that makes it fun to dance to (hint: it’s the same as tango!) and how the genres use those elements in different ways. We’ll bring in our traditional tango music tools and learn how to modify, stretch, and break them so they feel different enough to stand out, yet familiar enough to still be tango.

1:00 – 3:00 | Practica at the MCT Room 305, 3rd Fl.

1:45 – 3:00 | Separate Women’s and Men’s Socials
This separate workshops will focus on the women’s/men’s role in tango, with some technique, some Q & A on etiquette and social codes in tango, personal experiences and challenges and will include some snacks and drinks.
This is a great opportunity to connect with others of your gender, socialize and share your experiences.
Women’s Social is above the DDC studio in “The Loft“.
Men’s Social is next door to the East in the Engineering Building. See directions at the DDC.

3:30 – 6:30 | Matinee Milonga with live music by Tango Sensación – Helena, MT. Additional DJ by Patrick Marsolek – Missoula, MT.

8:00 – 9:00 | Introductory Class • Taught by Krys Standley and Ann Stevenson – Missoula, MT

9:00 – 1:00 | Grand Milonga • Traditional music • Theme: Celebrate Spring • DJ Sean Erickson – Billings, MT

1:15 – 4:00 (?) | Late, Late Milonga • 40/60 (trad/alt) • DJ Danny Ripcord – Nelson, B.C.

Sunday, May 14th

1:00 – 2:30 | Class 3 of 3 • Taught by Heather Grant – Nelson, B.C. ~ Dancing the music between us… a subtle exploration of selective musicality.
Using simple exercises, games and techniques to enhance our awareness within the embrace, we will be working with how to more deeply connect with, and ‘hear’ our partners. This increased sensitivity leads to a more subtle awareness of flow within our movement, that fits beautifully into dancing selectively the flow of the music.

1:00 – 3:00 | Practica at the MCT Room 305, 3rd Fl.

3:00 – 6:00 | Afternoon Milonga • 70/30 (trad/alt) • DJ Rob Gallimore – Missoula, MT

6:00 – 8:00 | Potluck BBQ • at Krys and Vince’s house: 615. N. Davis St.

8:30 – 11:30 (?) | Closing Milonga • 90/10 (trad/alt) • DJ Lloyd Hausam – Spokane, WA.

VENUES:

DDC Studio – 121 W. Main St.
Free Parking all weekend long on Main street and across the street in the parking garage.

MCT Theater – Room 305, 3rd Fl.
The corner of Main and Adams (the back door of MCT) in the double doors, up the stairs to the third floor, down the hall!

All Weekend

There will be a clothing exchange running through the weekend. So, bring your tango clothes and shoes to sell! If you have questions, contact Lori Mitchell.

Other questions? Contact Patrick.

Whole weekend, all events – Student rate – $90

Must show current I.D. at registration

Milonga Pass – $75

Includes all six milongas, socials, mixer, practicas and music jam.

Milonga Pass – Student Rate – $55

Includes all six milongas, socials, mixer and music jam.

Class Pass – $60

Includes all three connection classes, and Grand milonga, socials, mixer.

Individual Class –  Student rate – $10

Must show current I.D. at registration

Individual Milonga or Social- Student rate – $8

Must show current I.D. at registration

Lauren Coleman – Bozeman, MT.
Lauren Coleman has studied the Tango in Buenos Aires, Argentina and from master teachers at workshops in major US cities and in Europe. She has traveled to Buenos Aires every year for over 18 years in order to bring current material and an authentic flavor to her classes. She has studied from over a hundred Argentine masters in such festivals such as the Chicago Int’l Tango Congress,  Stanford Tango,  CITA, Tango Fireworks, Denver Tango Fest, Portland Tango Fest and the Mantova Tango Fest. Over years of teaching the tango, she has developed a unique organic and musical approach to this complex dance.

Sean Erickson – Billings, MT.
Sean’s classes focus on musicality to golden age tango. Sean first jumped into the tango world less than three years ago, and has already traveled to Buenos Aires twice to learn from the masters. When dj’ing milongas, Sean’s focus is to keep the floor alive with energy so that no one wants to sit out a single tanda.

Rob Gallimore – Missoula, MT.
Rob is an ex-martial artist teacher and competitor of many years who was looking for an activity that was more gentle after many sports injuries.  Rob found dance with his wife in 2008 and never looked back. After Swing, Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Foxtrot, Country Two Step, Waltz, and Samba lessons, Rob began teaching Swing, but found Tango shortly after.  Its music, freedom, and class intrigued Rob, and it quickly became his primary study in dance for years. Any given week you can find Rob sharing his enthusiasm for tango at local tango practices, classes,  working with beginners, and attending/DJ-ing social dances. Rob regularly attends Tango festivals and events, as near as Missoula, and as far as Budapest. He has taken private lessons from many of the best teachers available at these events to further his understanding of the dance.

Heather Grant – Nelson, BC.
Organizing events, offering lessons, and building a Tango community in Nelson BC have been the main focus of Soul Tango owner/instructor Heather Grant since 2011. Heather combines her background in mindfulness, somatic awareness and mind/body therapeutic practice, with her passion for Argentine Tango. She feels the embrace in Tango as a potent relational practice… a moving meditation for two. According to Heather this dance is empowering to both partners. It’s a clear and objective mirror for self-reflection (and selfregulation), and is a useful tool for cultivating awareness, empathy, and connection. At it’s best, she sees Tango as a pathway to healing, and is currently pursuing a post graduate degree specializing in dance therapy. Creator of Armchair Tango, a unique course, exploring the dance through music, history and culture, Heather travels the world to learn and dance, and delights in experiencing Tango as a common language of connection across cultures. “Tango will meet you where you meet it…. the possibilities are endless.”

Patrick Marsolek – Missoula, MT.
Since Patrick first tasted tango in 2005, he’s attended seminars, festivals and has studied with many of the modern ‘masters’ of tango from the United States, Europe and Argentina. He’s been twice to Argentina to experience the rich culture of tango and study from the Porteños. He’s one of the founding members of TangoHelena, and is dedicated to promoting the tango and the culture of the dance in Central Montana and has taught tango since 2007. He’s shared tango in schools, retirement communities, workplace Christmas parties, private groups and individual lessons. Currently Patrick is working on building the tango community in Missoula and Western Montana with his wife Lori Mitchell, and the tango dance team – a group of the tango ‘regulars’. 

Lori Mitchell – Missoula, MT.
Over the last 30 years I have studied modern, ballet,  jazz, flamenco and trained in Pilates, Gyrotonics, and Laban movement fundamentals. My work as a dancer has encompassed performance hanging from ladders, dancing in fountains, and dashing across the Broadway stage. Whenever possible I dance in Joy French’s Thursday night Modern class – I highly recommend it. My tango career began in 2009 with classes at the DDC and continues to expand from there.  In 2014 I spent 3 weeks dancing  in Buenos Aries. Tango is a passion shared with my husband Patrick, we regularly attend Tango festivals studying with internationally recognized teachers. We teach  regular classes and workshops at the DDC, as well as dancing and teaching  throughout Montana and leading workshops in Spokane, and British Colombia.

Dmitry Pruss – Salt Lake City, UT.
Irene & Dmitry discovered Argentine Tango in 2006, first taking classes and dancing locally and then across the United States and in many countries abroad. For the tango to bloom in the Salt Lake Valley, we feel that it is our duty to give back to the community which shaped our first, still unsure steps on the dance floor, and nurtured our growth in tango. Irene is excited to translate her dance experience into teaching, and Dmitry turns his love of tango poetry and music into DJing and translations of tango lyrics. We volunteer with the club events, and we feel especially proud about our favorite brainchild, the monthly Milonga Sin Nombre.

Danny Rondeau (AKA Danny Ripcord) – Nelson, BC.
Danny started his first Tango class in 2014, seeking ways to improve balance and coordination in his Blues/Fusion dance practice.  It proved addictive, and since then he’s taken classes and workshops on all parts of Tango, to the degree that a Lazy-obsessive can, and the bug doesn’t seem to be subsiding.  While primarily a Blues/Fusion DJ at home in Nelson, Danny is always keeping an ear out for “Tangoable” music that isn’t traditional, and loves the chance to DJ an Alt-Milonga.  Secret thrill- finding modern music that has a rhythm structure that will support dancing Milonga, because it’s so rare!

Tommy Smith – Boise, ID.
Tommy discovered tango with his dance partner/girlfriend Christian in early 2012. Since then his love for Argentine tango has grown into an obsession as he seeks ever increasing depths of knowledge. Tommy brings his analytic and organized teaching style into the tango classroom, striving to present concepts that both reinforce each other organically and are accessible to students of all levels. He teaches comfortable and connected social tango, emphasizing versatility, thoughtfulness, and musicality. With over 2 years of tango teaching experience, Tommy has taught in multiple locations around Boise, including weekly beginner lessons, group progressive series, and student club classes at Boise State University. Tommy also has a passion for DJing, as he believes great music with varying energy is key to great social dancing. To educate and motivate beginning DJs, progressing DJs, and those interested in tango music, he offers semi-regular DJ workshops.

Krys Standley – Missoula, MT.
Raised in Montana, Krys came to tango through improvisation and contact improvisation.  She loves the intimacy and creativity of these dances, and was hooked by tango as a dance one can engage in for a lifetime.  The welcoming local dance community in Missoula was just what she was looking for when she moved to Missoula in 2013.  Krys enjoys leading and following, and discovering the possibilities for initiation and listening in both roles.

Ann Stevenson – Missoula, MT.
Ann delights in sharing tango with curious newcomers and long-time tangueros alike. She brings an attentive, playful presence to the dance floor.