Jessica Gerdel
Tango Basics in Vienna
Build Tango Argentino foundations you can actually dance with
Tango Argentino has such a rich vocabulary, that learning tango is often confused with collecting steps.
The biggest surprise for most learners is to discover that Tango Argentino is an improvised dance.
If you ever learned a second language, you’ll find that learning tango follows the same process.
Dancing Tango Argentino is about understanding the principles underneath the steps:
✨ how your body organizes,
✨ how movement connects between two people,
✨ how you navigate space and music,
✨ how simple elements combine into endless possibilities.
That’s exactly what Jessica Gerdel’s Tango Basics program offers, focusing not only on what to do, but on how and why we move the way we do in this dance.
Two complementary paths into the Tango Basics
TANGO FOUNDATIONS
WEDNESDAY 18:00-19:00
📍 Hegelgasse 14, 1010 Wien
Join a systematic exploration of the Tango Argentino vocabulary.
We’ll break down the fundamental tango patterns, understand their internal structure, and explore the movement principles that make them possible.
Here is where you build the two things that actually make tango work: how to carry your own movements in a typical tango setting, and how to listen to another body through touch instead of only copying steps.
By week 8, you’ll be able to walk onto a social floor and dance with someone you’ve never met or practiced with, using the essential movements that form the Tango Argentino language.
You learn the map → Understand the language → Discover what you can do with it
This course is best for you if you want to:
✨ Build from zero or rebuild a solid Tango Argentino vocabulary.
✨ Understand how classic Tango Argentino figures are constructed and interconnected.
✨ Clarify movements as you learn them, or if you already know them.
✨ Develop a more systematic understanding of Tango Argentino.
✨ Gain tools for learning new figures without simply copying them.
You can join with or without a dance partner and learn both roles.
No previous experience required.
1st cohort: Oct 7 to Nov 25.
Registrations close after the 3rd class to ensure a steady group progress.
OPEN LEVEL TANGO ESSENTIALS · Embodiment & Integration
SUNDAY 18:00-19:00
📍 Hegelgasse 14, 1010 Wien
Join an open-level space to learn and return to the Tango Argentino fundamentals, start from zero, refine what you already know if you aren’t new to the dance, and explore how the essentials of tango work in real movement with another person.
Each class has a focus:
Posture, embrace, walking, axis, connection, musicality, navigation, weight transfer, improvisation, and more.
Always returning from different perspectives to the foundations that support your dance.
Learn → Revisit → Refine → Connect the dots → Make it your own
Best for you if you want to:
✨ Start tango or return after a pause.
✨ Strengthen your foundations at any stage.
✨ Refine technique and efficiency of your movements.
✨ Understand something you “know” but don’t fully embody yet.
✨ Improve your connection, musicality and navigation on the dance floor.
✨ Have space to explore questions that arise in your dancing.
No previous experience required. All levels welcome.
Join with or without a dance partner and learn both roles.
You’re encouraged to join the Focused Práctica on Wednesdays to integrate what you learn while socializing in an easy-going atmosphere.
After each Sunday class, join the MILONGA DEL TRES MIL, our new weekly social, sometimes with live music.
Which one should I join?
The best part is you don’t have to choose.
Each course is complete on its own while complementing each other.
Wednesday’s TANGO FOUNDATIONS help you understand and develop the Tango Argentino vocabulary in a systematic way, on a steady rhythm.
Sunday’s OPEN LEVEL TANGO ESSENTIALS teaches you what sustains Tango Argentino as an improvised language of movement and connection in a mixed level setting.
You can choose one if you like. Together, they create a richer practice.
They approach the same underlying practice from different directions.
Wednesday gives you more structure. Sunday gives you space to integrate what improvisation can look like.
And the more consistently you work with both, the more the two begin to inform each other and the quicker your dance becomes fluent.
Location
📍 Hegelgasse 14, 1010 Wien
What do we mean by Tango "Basics"?
In every language, there are words and structures that keep appearing, even when the conversation becomes sophisticated.
Tango Argentino works in a similar way.
What we see on the social dance floor or in a performance may look complex, but underneath it are relatively simple movement principles and relationships.
The classic figures of Tango Argentino are built from these elements.
What changes is how dancers combine them, adapt them to music and space, and add their own timing, dynamics and style.
The Tango Argentino basics aren't the simple things you leave behind. They're the foundation you keep returning to.
That’s why advanced dancers still walk, transfer weight, pivot, change direction, and negotiate space. A deep study and training of the basics is what makes them look so smooth and professional.
The more clearly you understand and embody these elements, the more possibilities become available.
More than memorizing steps
When learning a language, memorizing sentences without understanding how they are built may help you repeat those particular sentences (sometimes out of context), but it doesn’t necessarily help you have a conversation.
The same happens in Tango Argentino.
You can memorize a sequence perfectly and still feel lost when:
your partner responds differently,
the music changes,
there’s less space than expected,
you forget what comes next,
or you want to do something that wasn’t in the choreography.
Jessica’s approach has always been to use figures as material for understanding, rather than as an end in themselves.
In these classes we ask:
✨ What is happening in my body?
✨ What is happening between us?
✨ What makes this movement possible?
✨ How can I adapt it rather than reproduce it?
Boom! 🔥
This is what draws the line between those who stay on the surface of the system, and a teaching that goes beyond putting you to memorize its forms.
The popular Tango Argentino figures that the Dinzels systematized so exhaustively are just a way of seeing and organizing tango vocabulary. Their real research and inheritance is the understanding and embodiment of Tango Argentino as a dance of freedom and dialogue.
Jessica treasures those teachings of her maestros and cares that you can access them too, encouraging you to go the extra mile and giving you tools to not conform to just memorizing steps.
Who is this for?
“I’m completely new to tango”
Welcome! You don’t need previous experience.
“I’ve danced before”
We build from the ground up without assuming that “beginner” means passive or simplistic.
Returning to foundations with more awareness can reveal things that simply weren’t accessible when you first started.
“I’ve been dancing for years”
The basics don’t expire. You may find new possibilities in movements you thought you already knew, and greater clarity in how they connect to more complex vocabulary. Stay curious and you’ll see novelty everywhere.
“I’m coming back after a break”
Both days offer a way back in. Sunday can be an especially gentle re-entry point, while Wednesday can help reorganize your map of tango.
You don’t have to dance with a fixed partner
You can join with or without a dance partner.
You can also learn either role. We don’t tie dance roles to gender or sexual orientation.
Learning both roles gives you another perspective on the same movement, often making your own role clearer.
Not sure? No worries. Jessica encourages students to explore both dance roles whenever possible while holding the space with freedom for everyone’s choice.
You don't need to know how far you want to take your tango yet. Just to give the first step.
FAQ
No. Many participants come solo. We rotate partners during the class, which is an essential part of learning how to adapt and communicate in Tango Argentino.
No. These classes will help you learn from zero.
The contents of each class are adapted to the participants' level, so if you already have experience you'll get instructions connected to what you already know, and if it's your first time you'll be guided through your first moves.
Our tango journey is designed to help you work on your dance skills through different layers at a time.
The Tango Foundations on Wednesdays and Open Level Tango Essentials on Sundays help you keep your fundamentals sharp, and fixing any root issues if you already know the basics but some things don't always work.
Grow your Tango and the Tango Immersion Program offer mixed-level material that we'll always adjust to your level, so you can grow your dance sustainably.
If you're unsure, you can always reach out and I'll help you find the best fit. Or just start here and adjust as needed. The structure is designed to support different stages of learning and you'll always get guidance.
Tango Argentino isn't something you "finish" after X number of classes. It’s a practice you develop over time.
Anyone can learn Tango, each at their own pace.
Most dancers start feeling their progress after a few weeks and developing confidence in social dancing after a few months of consistent classes and practice.
Beginners that start from zero and attend regularly the Wednesday and Sunday Tango Basics classes and Focused Prácticas are usually ready to join the next level after 1-3 months.
Consistency helps, but flexibility is built into the system.
You can combine different classes and Prácticas to maintain your learning rhythm. Sessions typically include a brief recap of the previous one, and the Prácticas are the ideal space to catch up and make sure you learn the contents with proper guidance.
Yes, but always with context and purpose.
The goal is not to accumulate half-good figures, but to understand how to use them in a way that works with different partners and the music on the dance floor.
Instead of focusing on memorizing sequences, we work on the principles that make your dance functional: body awareness, embodied understanding, musicality, and improvisation — skills that support social dancing, connection and personal expression rather than memorized material. You might not notice at first how many steps you're learning if you don't keep track, but no worries, you'll get guidance on how to do the homework 😉
Your learning rhythm is meant to support your life, not add pressure. You can can always reach out and we'll help you plan a program that fits your reality.
Everyone can learn tango, each at their own speed.
How soon you'd like to feel comfortable in your body and with your dance is your parameter to decide how much it is worth committing for you.
Tango is like learning a language: the more often and regularly you study and practice, the fastest you become fluent.
I support you with several sessions of guided practice, more than 2 classes per week, and a Tango Learning Pass that gives you easy and affordable access to all of them. A welcoming community that values depth, exploration and collective growth supports you as well.
This isn’t just a class schedule. It’s a full learning ecosystem that helps you get on the dance floor sooner than later. You're welcome to drop in if you have no hurry. Tango starts making sense with continuity. You choose your pace.
No. Dance shoes or special clothes aren't required. Nevertheless, some shoes support your body's health better when dancing Tango. Find some guidance here, and reach out to me for recommendations if you're considering buying dance shoes.
They are practice sessions where we give your body time to repeat, explore, absorb and transform what you learn in class, allowing you to really own every move and saving you time in the long run. You can see them as a training lab that supports your Tango learning.
They play a crucial role in how the work matures over time, since repetition builds body memory and guidance makes sure you're repeating the right thing. They also help you integrate in our dance community and ensure group coherence week to week, since those who miss a class can use the Focused Práctica to catch up, and those who only attend the Tango Immersion Weekends can stay attuned.
They're an open space for mindful practice, where dancers from the worldwide Tango community are welcome to join regardless of where they learn, so you also get to interact and practice with different people beyond classmates.
Consistency matters more than intensity.
Dancers who combine weekly classes, guided practice and social dancing tend to progress faster and feel more confident. Some combine the group setting with private lessons to speed up their process even more, benefiting from professional personalized feedback.
How can I help you?
Jessica Gerdel
Tango Argentino – Yoga teacher and movement facilitator.
Guiding dancers toward embodied awareness, connection, and freedom on and off the dance floor.
contact@jessicagerdel.com
+43 681 10323630
