Jessica Gerdel
Tango & Movement
Pedagogical Path
A deeper study of movement and Tango Argentino through body mechanics, awareness, and learning methods
Why study Tango Argentino through movement pedagogy?
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path was born from curiosity.
I’ve always been highly detail-oriented, even a bit stubborn sometimes, asking why, questioning absolutes, looking beyond superficial recipes and refusing to take things for granted.
After 6 years dancing tango, one of my teachers in Buenos Aires suggested me to enroll in the Instructors Program of the University of Tango. Becoming a tango teacher didn’t even cross my mind at the time. My motivation was much simpler: just curiosity and a desire to better understand how Tango Argentino actually works, to improve my own dance.
I didn’t imagine how that decision would shape the years that followed.
Studying tango pedagogy opened a much larger question:
What really happens in the body (and mind) when we learn movement (and to teach movement)?
This curiosity led me to explore different fields of bodywork and movement education.
I got certified as a Yoga teacher with later specializations in Yogatherapy, Kundalini Yoga, trainer of trainers, and eventually followed postgraduate studies in Dance/Movement Therapy to keep deepening my path. Again, without the intention of changing careers, just the desire to understand something I was witnessing every day: how people are transformed through Tango Argentino.
Through this path, my focus expanded beyond steps and specific tango technique. The questions became deeper:
How do body mechanics influence the way we move and connect?
Why do different people learn movement in different ways?
What actually supports long-term learning in dance?
How can teaching create a space where curiosity and discovery are possible?
Exploring movement pedagogy, somatic practices and learning processes, not only transformed my own dance tremendously. It trained my eye to observe movement more precisely, to understand how learning unfolds over time, and to develop a critical perspective on teaching methods and about my own learning patterns.
Unexpectedly, this exploration also revealed the thread connecting my previous professional life and my work in tango.
Something a classmate told me on the third year of the Tango Instructors program was the first brick of that bridge. And while studying Dance/Movement Therapy, the rest became clearer.
My background in sociology, social communication, and education was not separate from my dance journey as I thought for more than a decade. It became part of a larger framework that now informs how I approach understanding and sharing movement and Tango Argentino in its holistic nature.
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path was born from this intersection.
It is a space to explore movement and Tango Argentino as more than just a dance: as a practice of perception, communication, and embodied learning that can positively impact how we move and learn on and off the dance floor.
A space to study how we learn movement
Most dance classes focus on what to do. Here we explore how and why it works.
Too often, the difficulties that seem “advanced” are rooted in fundamentals of body mechanics that are overlooked.
When these elements are embodied, the dance becomes simpler (even for complex movements).
This pedagogical path focuses on developing those underlying skills through somatic work, movement exploration, precise technical observation, and active reflection on how we learn to move.
Participants learn not only how their body functions and how they can organize it for each task, which is the principle that allow Tango Argentino and any other social dance to work with different partners, orchestras, and spaces. They also study the different elements that form a pedagogical approach, how choice of one or another influences the learning scenarios, and how empowering this information can be for their own learning process.
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path is a long-term study space for dancers who want to go beyond learning steps and start to understand:
✨ how movement organizes in the body
✨ how communication happens in improvised dances like Tango Argentino
✨ how musicality connects with physical perception
✨ how different people approach movement learning
✨ how small changes in perception transform the dance
✨ and how to support others in their learning process
Who's the Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path for
While I connect every topic with references to Tango Argentino, as it’s the dance I dedicated myself full time since 2015, the principles explored in this program apply to movement learning in many other disciplines too.
Two main lines of interest attract participants to this program:
Learning pedagogy is of course crucial for (aspiring) teachers, therefore it calls participants interested in body awareness and movement research, who are curious about teaching, guiding practice spaces, or understanding pedagogy.
At the same time, participants also join simply because they want to understand their body and their dance more deeply, refine their perception, and develop the kind of body awareness that makes tango (and everyday movement) feel reliable and adaptable in real social dance situations.
What they all share is a desire to explore tango and movement with curiosity, precision, and critical thinking.
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path is ideal for:
Dancers who want to refine their skills
Some dancers reach a point where learning more figures is no longer the main question. They start to wonder:
Why movements work? Why do some feel effortless while others remain difficult?
What creates clarity in our movements?
Why does connection sometimes disappear even when we know the steps?
Why do some dancers seem able to adapt effortlessly to different partners and music?
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path offers tools that help participants observe movement with greater precision, understand how body mechanics influence connection, and recognize what supports their learning and discovery process.
Dancers interested in teaching or assisting
Many tango and social dance instructors start teaching because they love the dance, and rarely receive structured training on how people learn movement.
This program introduces fundamental pedagogical principles that can support tango teachers, class assistants, Práctica hosts, and people generally interested in developing teaching skills or in understanding how their own learning process works.
Movers from other disciplines
While the main reference is Tango Argentino, the topics explored in this program apply to movement learning beyond this dance.
The work draws from movement pedagogy, somatic awareness and experiential learning, which are relevant for dancers, yoga practitioners, movement educators interested in understanding how bodies organize movement and communication, and people wanting to move in more efficient and healthy ways on and off the dance floor.
Curiosity and openness to exploration are more important than specific technical background or professional field.
A bridge between dancing and understanding
Tango Argentino and other social dances are often described as an improvised conversation between two bodies. Yet the tools to study that conversation in a structured way are rarely taught.
This program offers a space where dancers can explore that dialogue more consciously, combining movement practice, observation, and reflection.
Over time, this process helps participants develop stronger dance skills and a deeper relationship with the learning process itself.
What we explore
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path integrates elements from:
✨ Somatic movement practices
✨ Perception and body awareness training
✨ Partner communication and non-verbal communication
✨ Observation and pedagogical reflection
✨ Tango Argentino technique and structure
Participants gradually develop a clearer understanding of:
✨ how the different parts of the body interact and organize for movement
✨ how to move in efficient and healthy ways
✨ how learning happens in the body
✨ how observation conditions the experience
✨ why people learn in different ways
✨ what’s special about learning Tango Argentino
✨ how the Tango embrace communicates without words
✨ how music get translated into movement
How the sessions work
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path is structured as a progressive exploration rather than a traditional class format.
We meet in dedicated monthly sessions that combine guided movement explorations, individual and partner exercises, observation and reflection, applied theories on learning, pedagogy and consent, practical application to Tango Argentino dancing (or alternatives if you’re coming from other disciplines), and practical tools for movement learning and teaching.
The atmosphere is focused but relaxed, allowing time to explore details that regular dance classes can’t hold in such a way.
Each session develops around a theme that we approach from two lenses: the learner’s lens and the pedagogical lens.
The path itself is primarily about developing perception and embodied knowledge that can enrich your own path in the dance. Participants interested in putting the pedagogical training into practice, eventually assist in classes or help guide practice spaces under Jessica’s mentorship.
Who can join
The Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path is open to dancers and movers, with or without specific experience in Tango Argentino, who are interested in deepening their understanding of movement.
You don’t need to be a teacher to participate, only curious and willing to explore and learn.
Though it isn’t required to attend other Jessica’s classes to join, and it is an optional path for her students, the Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path complements the Tango Basics Course, Grow your Tango, the Tango Immersion Program and the Focused Prácticas.
Together they create a learning ecosystem where dancers can develop technical clarity, creative freedom, and critical understanding of the learning process.
When and where
Apr 19. 13:30-15:00
May 17. 14:30–16:00
Jun 21. 14:30–16:00
July 19. 14:30–16:00
Sep 20. 14:30–16:00
Oct 18. or 25. (soon to be confirmed)
Nov 22. 14:30–16:00
The sessions are held in central Vienna (1150), easily accessible for local dancers and those traveling from afar due to its proximity to Westbahnhof, one of the main train stations in town.
📍 Zentrum Exist, Sechshauser Str. 38-36, 1150 Wien
FAQ
The Tango Essentials Lab is open to all levels, no previous experience is required to join.
The Thematic Workshops are better suited for participants with some previous experience, offering layered tasks for different levels.
If you're new to Tango Argentino, it's recommended to take the Tango Basics Course, a few sessions of the Tango Essentials Lab, or a set of private lessons to speed up your start into the dance, before joining the Tango Immersion group.
Continuity and consistency are the only shortcut to become a tango dancer and develop a stronger shared rhythm with the group. Nevertheless, Tango Immersion is a flexible program. Each Immersion Weekend is complete in itself and can be joined independently, even single workshops. Some dancers come from far away and only follow the Immersion Weekends arc, as the program offers tools you can take home to continue practicing on your own or in your local tango community. Others dive-in fully, combining the weekends and Focused Prácticas with the Tango Basics course and even private lessons for a total immersion. And some step in when a theme resonates or their agendas allow. All ways of engaging are welcome.
Missing an edition does not put you “behind”. Each return is another entry point into the process — core principles are revisited throughout the year to allow new participants to orient themselves, and returning dancers to deepen their understanding. Participants who register to the semester path or the yearly arc, and miss a full Immersion Weekend due to illness or unforeseeable circumstances, can catch up in the Focused Prácticas and attend a semi-private lesson with me on the next Tango Immersion Weekend to clarify questions if needed.
No. The focus is on body awareness, embodied understanding, musicality, and improvisation — skills that support social dancing, connection and personal expression rather than memorized material.
No. It’s enough to be curious about movement, body mechanics, and the ways we understand and learn a dance.
I’m naturally drawn to learning in detail. That curiosity is what led me to join the Tango Dance Instructor Training I completed in Buenos Aires, and everything that followed. At the time, becoming a tango teacher was not my intention. Learning about movement and how to learn, offers valuable tools: it helps you discern what truly supports your process as a student, wherever you go. And supports your relation to movement on a deeper layer.
For some, this path may eventually open the desire to share knowledge with others. For others, it simply enriches their personal journey, bringing clarity, autonomy, and confidence in their own practice. Both motivations are equally welcome to join the Tango & Movement Pedagogical Path.
Payment is possible in cash, bank transfer or card. You'll receive the instructions via email (check your spam folder if you don't receive it shortly after registering). Payment in installments is possible for the semester and yearly path.
Yes, students under 30 years old and people with low income or unemployed can apply to a partial scholarship of up to 20% off. Apply via email or in person, indicating the % support you're requesting.
How can I help you?
Jessica Gerdel
Certified Tango Argentino-Yoga teacher and somatic movement facilitator.
Guiding dancers toward embodied awareness, connection, and freedom on and off the dance floor.
contact@jessicagerdel.com
+43 681 10323630
