Ever wanted to dance Tango Argentino?
In the mood to try something new and build meaningful connections?
Already dance and searching for a harmonic combo of technique, self-awareness, ease and connection with dance partners and a sense of community?
The Tango Immersion weekends await you.
Tango Immersion is an in-depth Program that supports your learning process and address what you can improve, regardless of where you are at in your tango path. Focusing on quality over quantity and saving you time in the long run.
Each edition of the program takes place once a month, in the form of an intensive tango weekend, so we can get into a deeper work using time more efficiently.
Next editions of the program:
May 9th-11th & June 27th-29th
In-between editions, you can keep training and learning while having fun at our focused prácticas, most Sundays at 18:30. Dates here.
🗓 May 9th
19:00-21:00 Fundamentals (part 1)
🗓 May 10th
17:30-19:30 Fundamentals (part 2)
🗓 May 11th
15:00-18:30 Open level sessions*
18:30-open end (up to 21:00) Practice gathering for all levels
🔴 Attention! On May we’re at a different location than usual 🔴
📍 Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 12, 1070 Wien (Yass·Me)
*For ease to keep a group rhythm during the weekend, if you have zero experience you’re required to take the Fundamentals before attending the Open level sessions, or can book a private lesson if your agenda doesn’t fit the schedules.
The whole program is for all levels.
The Tango Fundamentals are both for participants with and without previous experience (more on it below if you aren’t new to tango and wonder why to work on your base).
Each time on these sessions we address different topics and perspectives on the core elements of Tango Argentino.
The program runs on different lines of work that are common to all levels to prioritize quality, using different approaches and exercises according to each participant’s case, from simple to complex.
Keep reading if you want to know more.
Who's Tango Immersion for?
Detail lovers
Curious people
Fans of quality over quantity
Out of the box thinkers and doers
People with open mind and good vibes
Tango lovers who value the holistic nature of Tango Argentino
Critical thinkers that don't conform to “must do's” without understanding why, when and if they make sense
People willing to build meaningful connections and growth within a welcoming community
❤️
Sounds like you?
Let's talk Tango
I always tell my students that Tango Argentino is a language.
And it isn't just a metaphor.
It's a language you learn to speak with your body.
There's no official system though to say you're at A1, B2, C1… level at it.
And self evaluation is rather far from reality in most cases.
There's also no unified official program to teach it, as it's a popular dance, not academic.
At most, there's different approaches, some more or less thoughtful and coherent than others.
So, how can you get fluent on it without wasting time?
Tango Immersion is an in-depth Program I designed to support your learning process and address what you can improve, regardless of where you are at in your tango path.
Instead of pretending that knowledge is linear and everyone learns the same way and in the same speed, I work from an approach that meets you where you are. Aware of the many dimensions that interact together in a dance like Tango Argentino, and the particularities that each person brings into the room.
In order to prioritize quality, I organize the Tango Argentino skillsets on different lines of work that are common to all levels. (More on that below)
Using different approaches and exercises, from simple to complex, according to each participant's level.
There's naturally some contents that build on top of others. It's specified accordingly on each edition of the program if it applies.
If you have zero experience, you're required to attend the Tango Fundamentals sessions before attending the rest of the program, or can book a private lesson if your agenda doesn't fit the schedule.
The Tango Fundamentals are for participants with previous experience too. Each time we address different topics and perspectives on the core elements of Tango Argentino.
There's more on it below if you still don't know the importance of working on your base.
Each edition of the program takes place once a month in the form of an intensive tango weekend, so you have it easier to save the time in your agenda and we can get into deeper work using time more efficiently.
NEXT TANGO IMMERSION EDITIONS:
🔴 Attention! On May we're at a different location than usual 🔴
🗓 May 9th-11th 📍 Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 12, 1070 Wien (Yass·Me)
Friday 19:00-21:00 Fundamentals (part 1)
Saturday 17:30-19:30 Fundamentals (part 2)
Sunday 15:00-18:30 Open level + Practice & socialize from 18:30 (open end, up to 21:00)
🗓 June 27th-29th
You're welcome to join with or without a dance partner.
You can learn both roles or the one of your choice regardless of gender.
Happy to meet you
Hi! I'm Jessica
My journey to connect with my body started with Tango Argentino.
I wasn’t looking for it back then. After a while dancing, I became aware of how disconnected I was from my body and how tango was opening that door for me.
Being a very rational person (academic overdose included: graduated from three BAs, went through a MA program and half of another one… just to start the list), body and emotions were like two invisible islands for me.
Long story short, life took me to become a certified Tango Argentino instructor in Buenos Aires.
Along that path, my sociological eye helped me notice that tango was being transformative not only for myself but for other people I met in the community.
I became curious.
How’s that a dance can impact in such ways other aspects of life?
I wanted to know how the body-mind connections work and thought that Yoga could be a place to look for it. So I decided to enrol in a yoga teachers program.
I was lucky to join a school that understands yoga as much more than fancy poses and physical demand, and became certified as Yoga Integral teacher. An approach that allows to choose and adapt the many techniques that exist in yoga to what’s beneficial for the student, regardless of their previous experience or physical condition.
These learnings gave me some of the clues I was looking for to understand what happens with Tango Argentino, and many others I was totally unaware of.
My curiosity continued to grow and the doors to my inner journey opened even more.
I found myself exploring other body-mind integration approaches, like Bioenergetics, Body-Mind Centering®, Psychodrama, Authentic Movement, Expressive Body Arts, Contact Improvisation, movement analysis and somatic education, among others.
From the many paths I tried, I chose to follow a postgrad in Dance/Movement Therapy to deepen my journey. And there’s no words to tell you how it changed my life.
Curiously, while this path was more clarifying for my approach to dance than many tango classes I attended before, friends at the milongas started to ask me what I was doing, if I was taking extra classes or such.
They noticed something different in my dance.
Something they liked and wanted to reach themselves.
That path of embodiment and conscious movement was the most influential in my work to this date. More supportive for my self-awareness, self-confidence and empowerment than traditional counseling. And definitely powerful to improve the way I relate to myself and others, both in dance and daily life.
My interest in the connections between body, mind, emotions, identity and culture keeps driving what I do.
Honouring the teachings of my Maestros and Maestras, I build my own way to help others access the art of Tango Argentino in its holistic nature.
For me, Tango Argentino is a philosophy of life.
A path to freedom, empowerment and personal transformation.
A door to a deeper connection with ourselves and others.
It’s culture and community.
Definitely way more than a mere collection of memorized steps to copy and repeat.
When learning with me, you can expect a mix of all this.
Traveling is my other big passion so it is also present in what I do.
In a more obvious way, by designing transformational retreats and cultural immersion experiences in Argentina and other Latin American countries. Soon around here too 😉
And in the subtle ways, by bringing parts of that culture to my classes and events in any place I’m based at. Which at the moment means bringing to Austria what I love and miss from tango in Buenos Aires ❤
Tango Immersion Program
Tango Argentino is a popular dance. Did you know?
Popular as created by regular people.
Somehow, in the last decades it became common to learn it the same way as standard dances, shrinking the creativity and organicity that's in the core of this dance, delaying into many years what it takes to most tango enthusiasts to taste what improvisation can be like (if they ever do).
It's the reason behind many cases of tango learners who were exposed to only memorizing their role for steps that later didn't work at the milonga, and came to my classes looking for an answer to their despair.
And of dancers who spent many years searching for the missing ingredient to achieve the precious connection everyone talks about in Tango Argentino, and found their aha moments with the approach I offer.
If you've followed my work, it's no news that I approach Tango Argentino from a holistic perspective that shortens the path to improvisation and connection.
The Tango Immersion in-depth program continues this approach from an even more efficient use of time.
It supports you in developing improvisational skills sooner than later, to truly own the popular moves you see at the Tango Argentino socials, and to go beyond, as the art of improvisation is everything but merely copying others.
You may have heard me saying countless times that Tango Argentino is a process, and full of subtleties.
Building up quality, flow and confidence in your dance comes by diving deep into those details, with the patience and consistency that every learning process needs.
Fostering long-term mastery and a deep connection with the culture, tradition and evolution of Tango Argentino.
That's what this program is about and I'm very excited of what we accomplished in its first editions in Vienna and what's next to come!
✨ Each edition of the program focuses on one or more of the following lines of work, with the necessary pauses to keep long sessions light and easy to digest the contents:
The Journey of Precision and Connection
We work on the fine relation of “me” and “we” from the body, mind and emotional dimensions to allow the encounter in the dance.
Mindful Movement
With attention to detail and personalized feedback, this line of work helps you develop body awareness and trains your attention for precision, quality of movement, active presence and fluidity in the dance.
Tango Vocabulary
If Tango Argentino is a language, the music, its popular moves, and how they’re used, are part of its grammar.
This isn’t a typical “copy paste” approach where you’re limited to see, copy, memorize and repeat steps mindlessly.
Truly owning the technique and popular tango figures comes from a deep understanding and embodiment of their dynamics. And that’s what we do.
Improv Exploration
There’s no Tango Argentino without improvisation.
Regardless of the method that each school follows, improvisation is supposed to be the goal.
Although all roads might lead to Rome, I build practical shortcuts.
More than Dance, a Community
Tango Argentino, in its essence, is community.
Train your attention and skills for the collective use of the space, on and off the dance floor.
Understand its codes and current context, culture, and your role in the entire ecosystem.
✨ OUR ROADMAP ✨
The first edition of the program focused on the lines of work "Mindful Movement" and "More than Dance, a Community".
April edition focused on "Tango Vocabulary" and "Improv Exploration".
On May we'll continue with these two lines and musicality.
The program is designed in a way that you can join at any time*, and continue learning and enhancing your dance on each edition.
Are you ready?
Let's train your palate to taste the subtleties that make this dance so special!
*If you have zero experience it's required to attend from day 1 (Friday).
If your schedules don't fit, contact me to book a private lesson to catch up for the rest of the program.
The Tango Argentino Fundamentals
The place to start if you’re new to tango, and to come back at any time.
This module comes in a crash course format (a couple of sessions vs a full month in regular weekly courses), and focuses on the essential elements of Tango Argentino.
It's designed to help new tango enthusiasts step on the dance floor in record time, and those with previous experience to improve the functionality and aesthetics of their dance, discovering new details on each edition of the program.
Attending the Fundamentals sessions is a pre-requisite to join the rest of the program if you have zero experience, and the perfect memory refresh if you've been away from tango.
Those who've been dancing long enough to care about precision, quality and range of movement, find the holy grail to excellence in continuously improving the fundamentals.
Each edition of the program brings a different approach to the contents and some add-ons, giving you the chance to learn something new every time you go through the sessions.
Save the dates!
May 9th-11th
June 27th-29th
NEXT EDITION:
🗓 May 9th
19:00-21:00 Fundamentals (part 1)
🗓 May 10th
17:30-19:30 Fundamentals (part 2)
🗓 May 11th*
18:30-open end (up to 21:00) Practice gathering for all levels
🔴 Attention! On May we're at a different location than usual 🔴
📍 Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 12, 1070 Wien (Yass·Me)
*After completing the Fundamentals part of the program (or if you have previous experience already), you can continue with the open level sessions on Sunday at 15:00, before the practice gathering.
If your times don't fit the schedule and don't have previous experience, you can book a private lesson to catch up in order to join on Sunday.
Join with or without a dance partner and invite your friends.
You're welcome to choose the role(s) you want to learn and to learn both, regardless of gender.
Bring a good attitude and an open mind to learn and co-create a good atmosphere for all.
Have previous experience and still wonder if the Tango Argentino Fundamentals are for you?
Magic happens on the details and beyond the form.
It’s not only what you do but how you do it.
If you are used to standard dance programs, you might be curious what my teaching system is about.
First of all, you (and your classmates) and quality are at the center.
Instead of forcing you to fit in a box, my pedagogy addresses what you need to learn and improve at every stage of your tango path. Making sure that whatever you learn, you learn it good, as quantity is nothing without quality.
“Some common synonyms of fundamental are cardinal, essential, and vital. While all these words mean ‘so important as to be indispensable,’ fundamental applies to something that is a foundation without which an entire system would collapse.”
Translated to Tango, it means that if your base is weak it’ll be noticeable in the quality of your dance even when dancing basic moves after years, and it’ll be an obstacle for you to learn more complex moves and to fully connect with dance partners, music and space on the dance floor.
The contents I group under the Tango Fundamentals umbrella are everything related to individual and partner posture and body organization, which includes balance, embrace and moving together (with all that it implies), plus circulation on the dance floor, musicality and the 5 pillars that support everything else in Tango Argentino.
Is it for you?
The most extended mindset in our culture about learning something is that you see a topic once and never again. That’s how they teach us in school, right?
While that might work for stuff you “learn” in school and never use again in life, it’s a very perjudicial mindset for everything related to the body and movement.
Mastering skills require practice and repetition. Especially if you thrive for excellence.
If I’d expect to get a six pack after doing abdominals once, what would you tell me?
Exactly 😉
It takes consistent training.
Many people relate the Tango Fundamentals to beginner classes because they’re the entry door for new members into Tango Argentino.
What many ignore is that professional pedagogy organizes contents in different levels of detail and complexity, according to the previous knowledge and learning needs of each group or individual when providing personalized education.
The Fundamentals are what supports the entire Tango Argentino system, and the different ways (and depth) of training them are so rich you’d have enough material for a whole life.
Same as a weak base can make a building crash from poor construction or lack of maintenance, your Tango building stands stronger when you learn GOOD basics and keep training to improve them.
Remember that Tango is process?
A quick guide to know if you already mastered the Fundamentals is to ask yourself:
Do I know what they’re about?
Can I execute them fluently and aesthetically?
Would I be able to explain them clearly and confidently in a spontaneous situation?
Is there really nothing else I can learn or improve on them?
Can I keep up the quality of my dance without training them consistently?
Can I learn complex moves with ease and in good control of my body?
Am I able to create something new from these elements?
Believe it or not, the Tango Fundamentals make 80% or more of what people train at advanced classes in Buenos Aires.
The type of focus is the key, and what sets the difference on training them at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level.
Even the greatest names in Tango keep exploring the basics their whole life instead of giving everything for granted and set in stone.
It’s the difference between beginner and expert minds. And you can train yours too to recognize new details on topics you think you already know.
Let’s thrive for excellence!
Ready to shine?
Keep learning & improving
(Open level sessions)
The Tango Immersion in-depth program supports you to learn and improve your dance, regardless of where you are at in your tango path.
It emphasizes the art of Tango Argentino as more than a dance, working on both the technical and personal growth aspects that tango offers. And invites a supportive and engaged community of dance enthusiasts who encourage each other and celebrate collective progress.
Even though the whole program runs on lines of work for all levels, these open level sessions include contents that require you to have done at least the Tango Fundamentals or have previous experience.
They are for participants that have some previous knowledge (including beginners that already attended the Fundamentals course, intermediate, and experienced), with different sets of exercises, from simple to complex, according to the participants level.
Save the dates!
May 9th-11th
June 27th-29th
🗓 May 9th
19:00-21:00 Fundamentals (part 1)
🗓 May 10th
17:30-19:30 Fundamentals (part 2)
🗓 May 11th
15:00-18:30 Open level sessions*
18:30-open end (up to 21:00) Practice gathering for all levels
🔴 Attention! On May we're at a different location than usual 🔴
📍 Karl-Schweighofer-Gasse 12, 1070 Wien (Yass·Me)
*The open level sessions require that you've taken the Tango Fundamentals or have previous experience in Tango Argentino.
If your schedules aren't compatible with the program, you can book a private lesson to catch up as needed.
It's highly recommended for all levels to attend the full program (including the Fundamentals) for a deeper work on quality of movement and to clean elements of your technique that might be limiting your progress now or in the future.
(Yes, each edition of the Fundamentals include different exercises and add-ons to expand your skills from a different perspective every time)
Sign up solo or with a dance partner.
Learning both roles or the one of your choice regardless of gender is welcome.
How can I help you?
Tango Argentino
&
Body-Mind integration
by Jessica Gerdel
contact@jessicagerdel.com
+43 681 10323630
