27 October 2021, by Cosima Díaz Campos

In tango, as in nature, we root down in order to rise up. And we also rise up to root down. It's a two way stream.

Our tango embrace is build from the ground. A grounded stance is so important: we root to rise! From a solid, balanced standing position we can embrace each other in a free and comforting way. Without a good fundament from the body, the embrace will be easily used to correct our own imbalance or postural problems.

In our classes we emphasize how we use the connection to the floor to rise in our upright posture. The idea behind the phrase 'root to rise' is that every position and movement is built from the ground up.

Pada bandha (foot lock) is a yoga technique in which the soles of the feet are placed on the ground so the weight is evenly distributed in the foot. This pada bandha connects the body with the earth through the...

 Photo taken during a performance for the opening of the cultural season in Amsterdam (Uitmarkt, main stage), during the time that I only trained solo. Photographer: Bert Verleur.

20 October 2021, by Cosima Diaz Campos

This blog is about what solo tango training means to me, and why I think it is so important for every tangodancer.


Why I started solo tango training

At the start of my tangolife I trained solo. Mariano had a dance partner with whom he trained at least three times a week for a couple of hours, for their theatre shows, and he did not want to train with me. He only danced with me at milongas. He had taught his ex-girlfriend tango from absolute beginner to professional, and he did not want to fall into the same trap again. So his plan was to never dance professionally with his girlfriend. We all know that plan failed, but let's save that story for another time. In this...

_{12 October 2021, by Cosima Díaz Campos}

El Molinete is the name of the 'windmill' figure in tango.  Classically, the molinete consists of a side step, front step, pivot forward, side step, pivot backward, and back step. The molinete can start in any of the four directions. When four steps are made around, we get a giro (full turn). When only three of the four steps are being made, we usually call it a media luna (half moon).

Although there are also combinations in which the leader walks the molinete around the follower, in most variations the follower walks the molinete around the leader in tango. The leader is in the middle, and can dance many different variations while the follower walks the molinete. The leader invites the follower to dance around him by continuously keeping the rotation in his spine to one side. The leaders' steps are build from combinations of changes...

_{26 September 2021, by Mariano Diaz Campos}

"When should we start teaching navigation on the dance floor to our beginner groups?" This is a question we regularly get from Tango teachers who join our lessons. Navigation on the dance floor is a special skill to learn, that can be supported by the teachers. 

For us the answer is undoubtelty: from the very first step. With an elegant balance and a caminada the navigation can be practiced really well from the very beginning. The caminada helps to dance in the ronda, and the balance is great to use to dance on the spot. Next is the cunita, a simple turn on the spot. This is useful for the leaders to learn to scan the dancers around them, and get a sense of the flow on the dance floor. Depending on the flow of the group of dancers, the leader can decide to walk forward, or to stay on the spot (turning or not). It is just as important to be...