Favorite teachers / workshops

[Zoopsia59]

Since we don't really want to post negative info about specific teachers or classes to avoid, lets do the opposite...

Do you have teachers whose classes, workshops or privates you'd recommend and why?

Let's limit this to instructors who travel rather than classes in a specific locality. We don't want to do "advertising" for an ongoing class or school, but rather recomendations for people who have a limited budget for all the tango instruction that may pass their way. In some areas, there is a constant stream of visiting teachers passing through and students can spend a fortune experimenting with everyone who comes within their "tango travel radius".

Please give a "why" in your evaluation and limit the content and perspective of your comments to your own subjective experience with that instructor, not comments given as absolutes about the instructor.

Hopefully this thread won't be against any rules because I think it would be helpful to hear feedback given the large number of tango teachers out there now and what some of them are charging. If it does cross the line, mods please delete... maybe we should wait until a mod ok's this before anyone responds. (which is why I didn't add my own preferences)

[jennyisdancing]

Excellent thread, I like your idea.:D

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

OK. I guess I will limit myself to the year 2008, since there have been so many of them. For the reference, I have been dancing tango for 2 years. I do not consider myself a beginner, but I am always more than willing to take a class/workshop with a great instructor on very basic concepts (and regularly do so).

All people I am about to mention made a clear, and sometimes immediate difference in my dancing. After taking their classes, it felt like a breakthrough. Many of my questions found answers.
Their classes were well organized. They set the right mood. The material was useful and relevant, delivered effectively. They were attentive to all the students, they cared. It did not feel like they were trying to promote themselves or push more workshops or private lessons. They raised the bar for everyone, but were nice, friendly, and helpful. The cost was not an arm and a leg.
In no particular order:

Esteban Moreno and Claudia Codega
Ruben Tebralca
Jorge Torres
Cecilia Gonzales and Donato Juarez
Tete Rusconi
Gustavo Besencry Saba and Maria Olivera

Now, we have great local teachers who travel extensively, too. The condition of the thread is to speak about the experience with visitors only, otherwise I would give some of them very high recommendations. :)

[dchester]

I'd like to "second" the selection of Maria Olivera & Gustavo Benzecry Saba. I couple weekends back, I was at a Tango Festival in Vermont (very good I might add). They were many people's favorite teachers there. They are super nice people as well. They clearly had taught a lot, as they were very well organized, but also were able to accommodate different skill levels in the classes. We took a private from them, which was good as well.

Here is a video of them dancing to one of my favorite alternative milongas, Morena by Esteban Morgado.

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[Zoopsia59]

Now, we have great local teachers who travel extensively, too. The condition of the thread is to speak about the experience with visitors only, otherwise I would give some of them very high recommendations. :)

Actually I meant that the teacher must travel.. not that the teacher must be a visitor to YOU. If they are local to you but travel, then I see no problem with that. What I didn't want was responses like... "For a great teacher in the DC area, go to so and so...". That's too much like advertising or promotion. For that, I think people should send PM's & email if they are asking about a specific teacher or locality.

Mentioning their home base or whether you had them in their home base isn't nessesary or probably even desired. But just because you took lessons from them in their home base doesn't exclude them.

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

Actually I meant that the teacher must travel.. not that the teacher must be a visitor to YOU. If they are local to you but travel, then I see no problem with that. What I didn't want was responses like... "For a great teacher in the DC area, go to so and so...". That's too much like advertising or promotion. For that, I think people should send PM's & email if they are asking about a specific teacher or locality.

Mentioning their home base or whether you had them in their home base isn't nessesary or probably even desired. But just because you took lessons from them in their home base doesn't exclude them.

Oh! In that case, I would really like to add to the list

Felipe Martinez and Rosa Corisco
Marcelo Solis and Romina Hahn
Ney Melo and Jenifer Bratt

[opendoor]

Oh, this is a good idea for a new thread:

I want to recommend Erna y Santiago (http://www.ernaysantiago.com) Giachello. Though you can finde only modern and showy stuff (http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=RBUtnkDLXG0) on youtube, they are a couple stepping in the footsteps of early Geraldine y Javier and their elegant style between milonguero and salón.

The couple has moved to Montpellier recently and is pretty often on tour in europe. I worked with them twice: they speak enough english to assure the theoretical level of their instructions; they have patience with you if something isn´t going round and they let you take a film of their workshop.

[newbie]

Since we don't really want to post negative info about specific teachers or classes to avoid, lets do the opposite...


Now what if we don't agree with one "positive" post? Say, I took workshops with Tete Rusconi (I did) and wasn't impressed (I wasn't). If I can't post anything negative then only the positive opinion will remain.

As I don't think that DF will change their *cough* coward *cough policy maybe, once the current thread is stable and no new teacher name is coming, one giant poll with all the names of all the teachers can be displayed, and then I will simply note vote for Tete.

[bordertangoman]

Rodolpho & Miho; (Argentina, Japan)the ability to build technique; understand what muscles are doing what and all the while clowning around.

Korey & Mila;(US) for getting beginners into close embrace; for some helpful games to work with musicality and timing.

Jenny & Guy (France) For the best understanding of groundedness and incredible musicality and the ability to show you how to discover the way you move in yourself and to understand it.

All these people are nice, supportive of the people they are teaching and happy to help with problems.

[Zoopsia59]

Now what if we don't agree with one "positive" post? Say, I took workshops with Tete Rusconi (I did) and wasn't impressed (I wasn't). If I can't post anything negative then only the positive opinion will remain.

As I don't think that DF will change their *cough* coward *cough policy maybe, once the current thread is stable and no new teacher name is coming, one giant poll with all the names of all the teachers can be displayed, and then I will simply note vote for Tete.

Well that's partly why I wanted people to be specific about why they liked a teacher or workshop... No teacher is the right teacher for everyone and people are looking to get different things out of their instruction. So its not enough to say "I loved so&so's lesson" because that really doesn't help someone who is unfamiliar with that instructor decide if the instructor would be right for them.

I think when a number of people all rave about the same teacher, that's useful. The fact that one or 2 people might dissagree is less important. On the other hand, if someone posts a name and no one else seconds it, that might mean something too (of course it might just mean that the teacher isn't as well known or doesn't travel as extensively) It would depend on how much the poster raved, I guess.

Yeah... its an imperfect system. But what else can we do?

[Zoopsia59]

Folks, please use last names (and any tango nicknames) when you post your faves. We have some participants who haven't been part of tango long enough to know every dancer/teacher/performer out there to know who you might be talking about. Plus we have posters all over the world, and some teachers are only well known on the first name basis a la "Madonna" in a certain part of the world.

Besides, some names are common in Tango... How many Javiers are there?

[Zoopsia59]

Ruben Tebralca



Wow! Someone else who's had a workshop with Ruben "Milonga" Terbalca! I think the very first workshop I ever took was with him, and I have heard almost nothing of him since.

Unfortunately I was a beginner, and it was awhile ago, so I can't really say much about it because I don't remember it very well. But I do remember that he seemed a very kind, gentle person.

[opendoor]

.. what if we don't agree ....

You know I stepped into this trap before (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=27594) and was chided for my inattention. (Justified) So lets count posity entries and citations.

[Zoopsia59]

one giant poll with all the names of all the teachers can be displayed, and then I will simply note vote for Tete.

Maybe we need 2 polls. One would be a "I took from x" and the other would be "I liked x". When there turns out to be a big discrepancy between how many people report taking from a certain person and how many people report liking that instructor, that will pretty much tell the story.

The problem with polls is that it doesn't allow for an expansion of the thought. When I post my preferences, I am going to be very specific about whether it was a class, a workshop or a private. There are some people whose class I got little from but I enjoyed a private lesson with them (when I first wrote this, I said "Their privates were good" and I thought... hmmm... better rephrase that!)

The other problem with polls is that there are just too many teachers. And some of us have had only one of the partners in a teaching couple, so do you word the poll with them listed as a couple or individually or both? That's going to be alot of names!

[jennyisdancing]

Well that's partly why I wanted people to be specific about why they liked a teacher or workshop... No teacher is the right teacher for everyone and people are looking to get different things out of their instruction. So its not enough to say "I loved so&so's lesson" because that really doesn't help someone who is unfamiliar with that instructor decide if the instructor would be right for them.



Exactly...I took workshops with Gustavo Besencry Saba and Maria Olivera. They were delightful people, by the way.

One of the workshops was Maria teaching embellishments. She had us go through some exercises where we practiced various moves solo. I guess I was hoping she would have us do the embellishments with partners, so we could get a clear idea of when to use them appropriately, i.e. not disturbing the lead, which other steps should we use them with, etc.

I don't mean that as a criticism necessarily because, as said above, her workshop may simply have been better suited for someone more advanced? I presume a more advanced person would already know when to use embellishments and would have benefited just from learning the specifics as provided in the solo exercises.

[mshedgehog]

I guess I was hoping she would have us do the embellishments with partners, so we could get a clear idea of when to use them appropriately, i.e. not disturbing the lead, which other steps should we use them with, etc.

I hope you will start another thread with this question.

I know what I think the answer is - but it's just struck me that my answer (apart from being off-topic for this thread) is too pat. So it must be something I need to hear other people's ideas about. I had never asked myself the question in quite that way, and I have never known it discussed in a class. It might be a really interesting thread.

[Heather2007]

I presume a more advanced person would already know when to use embellishments and would have benefited just from learning the specifics as provided in the solo exercises.

An embellishment can be used by a Follower at any level (beginner to advance) just so long as it doesn't interfere with the lead, sits well and compliments the timing and is confidently executed. Best done on the half beat. Thus: STEP - Embelish - Step - Embellish - Step - Embellish - Step and so on. Another time is when the Leader pauses and invites you to do so. Here you can get as creative as you want (but don't milk it as he (or she) will start to feel redundant :-)

[jennyisdancing]

I hope you will start another thread with this question.

I know what I think the answer is - but it's just struck me that my answer (apart from being off-topic for this thread) is too pat. So it must be something I need to hear other people's ideas about. I had never asked myself the question in quite that way, and I have never known it discussed in a class. It might be a really interesting thread.

I would be happy to start a thread but I am not entirely clear what it should be titled. Do you mean something like - What Do You Hope to Learn At Workshops? Can you be more specific about what you think should be discussed, or can you start up the thread yourself? Thanks. :)

[jennyisdancing]

An embellishment can be used by a Follower at any level (beginner to advance) just so long as it doesn't interfere with the lead, sits well and compliments the timing and is confidently executed.

Well, that's my point. As a beginner, I felt I needed to be taught those things, as I could not figure some of them out for myself. I've experimented with a few things on the dance floor, but if I am paying for a workshop, then I prefer to see examples, explanations or demos of how to use what I am being taught.

Again, I didn't mean it necessarily as a criticism of the instructor. As I said, a more advanced dancer might simply learn the embellishments and find it totally obvious when to use them. As a beginner, I need more spelled out for me. As I get better, I will be able to figure out more things for myself.

Sorry to get off topic but see posts above re: mshedgehog suggestions.

eta:

Thus: STEP - Embelish - Step - Embellish - Step - Embellish - Step and so on. Another time is when the Leader pauses and invites you to do so. Here you can get as creative as you want (but don't milk it as he (or she) will start to feel redundant :smile:

I appreciate the further specifics - but still, I guess I knew that part. I mean that I like to see the teacher do something like: "when you are doing X type of step, here are some different types of embellishments that can work well with it." Then they put on music and demonstrate with partner, then they have the class try it out with partners. Eventually, with more experience, I won't need to specifically do the examples the teacher demonstrated and I'll be able to use my own creativity, but I need a baseline to start with.

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

I appreciate the further specifics - but still, I guess I knew that part. I mean that I like to see the teacher do something like: "when you are doing X type of step, here are some different types of embellishments that can work well with it." Then they put on music and demonstrate with partner, then they have the class try it out with partners. Eventually, with more experience, I won't need to specifically do the examples the teacher demonstrated and I'll be able to use my own creativity, but I need a baseline to start with.

It is not always possible, because it is not like specific embellishments tied to specific steps. Although, I have been to workshops where the patterns were shown, and embellishments inserted into them. One of them was taught by Gustavo B.S. and Maria O, btw :) It was not a followers workshop, it was a milonga workshop. Another couple who is big on that kind of work is Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt. If you feel that kind might be helpful, check them out.) But mostly, what you can do embellishment-wise, heavily depends on how your partner leads you, what the music calls for at the moment, the general mood of the dance... too many variables here.

I would not worry about that much. Practicing alone is great for the footwork, balance, musicality. When you dance with a partner, you will notice the possibilities for embellishments more and more, and they will just come out.

[Zoopsia59]

I would be happy to start a thread but I am not entirely clear what it should be titled. Do you mean something like - What Do You Hope to Learn At Workshops? Can you be more specific about what you think should be discussed, or can you start up the thread yourself? Thanks. :)

I've started a Follower's Embellishments thread. I got the impression that was what was meant. If not, it seems like a good topic anyway.

[Angel HI]

It is not always possible, because it is not like specific embellishments tied to specific steps. Although, I have been to workshops where the patterns were shown, and embellishments inserted into them.

Agreed, but we know what she is looking for. I have done worksops where I began w/ a very basic movement...developed it into a more intermideiate, for lack of a better term, movement...developed into an advanced movement w/ appropriate embellishments for that movement. Certainly, there are no specific embellishments tied to specific movements to be done at specific times, yet there are emebllishments that are better executed than others given the opportunity to do so.

Perhaps, this should be reposted in the new thread. Sorry for the hi-jack. Back to fav coaches.

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

Agreed, but we know what she is looking for. I have done worksops where I began w/ a very basic movement...developed it into a more intermideiate, for lack of a better term, movement...developed into an advanced movement w/ appropriate embellishments for that movement. Certainly, there are no specific embellishments tied to specific movements to be done at specific times, yet there are emebllishments that are better executed than others given the opportunity to do so.

Perhaps, this should be reposted in the new thread. Sorry for the hi-jack. Back to fav coaches.

Sure. Among people I mentioned, Gustavo and Maria, Marcelo and Romina, gave that kind of stuff, and also Natalia Hills with whom Jorge Torres was once teaching. From Ney and Jennifer, I took a workshop that was dedicated to embellishments. Seemed very much like what Jenny is looking for.

[Zoopsia59]

From Ney and Jennifer, I took a workshop that was dedicated to embellishments. Seemed very much like what Jenny is looking for.

Yes... I haven't had time to write my teacher recomendations yet, however, one of the ones I was going to mention was Jennifer Bratt's Followers Bootcamp. That was just about the best workshop I ever took. And there was no partner dancing at all. And it was hard. (what that woman can do on one foot is amazing!) Yes I know.. I'm totally a groupie for Jennifer. Love her dancing, love her teaching, love her focus on followers. I can't recommend the Follower's Bootcamp highly enough.

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

Wow! Someone else who's had a workshop with Ruben "Milonga" Terbalca! I think the very first workshop I ever took was with him, and I have heard almost nothing of him since.

Unfortunately I was a beginner, and it was awhile ago, so I can't really say much about it because I don't remember it very well. But I do remember that he seemed a very kind, gentle person.

Rueben visited here just recently. I was very impressed by his clarity, how logically the material was presented. He gave a very basic lesson on (surprise!) milonga, and I felt like I learned tons, about directions, foot placement, embrace... very detailed. The class was not small in size, yet everybody got individual attention.
Unfortunately, the maestro was in poor state of health, and all the further events got canceled.

[Angel HI]

Wow! Someone else who's had a workshop with Ruben "Milonga" Terbalca!

I had the pleasure of working milonga with Rueben in San Francisco many years ago. Very good; and, a unique exercize of leading the lady around w/ only a head contact. :)

[Heather2007]

Well, that's my point. As a beginner, I felt I needed to be taught those things, as I could not figure some of them out for myself. I've experimented with a few things on the dance floor, but if I am paying for a workshop, then I prefer to see examples, explanations or demos of how to use what I am being taught.

Well, it depends on the workshop. If the workshop is there to cover "everything" and states also embellishments then yes. However, if the workshop was based on other elements of the dance and not embellishments..... Which was the case? Also, here in London there are many schools that run separate evenings for "ladies only" dedicated to working on the embellishments/flourishes etc. Do you have similar in your area? Or you could simply ask your teacher next time, if it would be possible for him/her to hold a class dedicated to this. And of course, there is the better than that option: a one-off 1-2-1 dedicated to such.

As I said, a more advanced dancer might simply learn the embellishments and find it totally obvious when to use them.

No, not what I've seen and so not always the case. (There is a huge difference to my mind between one that is advanced and one that accomplished).:rolleyes:

As a beginner, I need more spelled out for me. As I get better, I will be able to figure out more things for myself.

but I need a baseline to start with.

Again, what might be spelled out verbally is what I've said: the best and least disruptive times when a follower should use an embellishment. Executing them, however, is down to you. The ideas come from watching others and of course only targetting classes/workshops that incorporate or specialise in such.

[opendoor]

I will have a workshop on Sunday with Pablo Inza (http://pabloinza.blogspot.com/) and Eugenia Parilla. Not seen them face to face, yet. Can anyone make my mouth water? Themes: a) complex ganchos and b) off-axis.

Greetings

[bordertangoman]

I will have a workshop on Sunday with Pablo Inza (http://pabloinza.blogspot.com/) and Eugenia Parilla. Not seen them face to face, yet. Can anyone make my mouth water? Themes: a) complex ganchos and b) off-axis.

Greetings


i Could make your mouth water, and your eyes come to that.......:)

but I think you will get alot from Eugenia Parilla, who having being the pretty half of Chicho for a while is possibly overlooked ar a rather skilled dancer in her own right and very rhythmic.

[Angel HI]

I will have a workshop on Sunday with Pablo Inza (http://pabloinza.blogspot.com/) and Eugenia Parilla. Not seen them face to face, yet. Can anyone make my mouth water? Themes: a) complex ganchos and b) off-axis.


Have to agree w/ BTM re Eugenia. Re your post, this might make your mouth/eyes water, also......

Complex ganchos and off-axis concepts are often fun, but definitely upper level movements. Make sure that you are ready for the class and not take it just b/c you can.

[Zoopsia59]

Well, I started this thread but it took me awhile to get around to posting my own recomendations...

I rarely take group classes or workshops anymore and save my tango dollars for privates.

However, I like Luis Bianchi and Daniela Pucci for group stuff (and so has almost everyone I've talked to) The only people I've heard give negative feedback of them are the dancers who believe they are already "too advanced" for the fundamental technique stuff that L&D emphasize. And of course those people are usually the ones who most need to get that fundamental stuff drilled into them!

Omar Vega gave a great workshop for really breaking down rhythmic possibilities in music, but unfortunately he's gone now. I personally have never taken a class or workshop from anyone else who talked as much about the music, dancing to the music and understanding the rhythm. In many classes the music just seems to be playing in the background in the same way the posters are hanging on the wall. Does anyone else have recommendations for teachers who really help people with hearing the rhythm and melody?

I took a very intense 2 day weekend with Daniel Trenner and Rebecca Shulman (group workshop) on exchange of lead and follow that I think would have been fabulous if I hadn't been a little over my head at the time and if it hadn't been so long for both days (at 5+ hours each day it was more than I could take in)

I would love to try it again now, but I would question the value of any very long workshop or intense session of days for beginner dancers. While they can be fun, they just might overwhelm you with more than you can take it and certainly WAY more than you can remember. My personal opinion is that its better to spread your dollars out a little than do a "total immersion" type program or festival as a beginner. Festivals and weekends tend to add up to a lot of money and you'll get more out of that kind of thing after you've got a little experience.

I took Jennifer Bratt's "Follower's Bootcamp" and it was one of the best workshops I ever took. I model my own teaching of followers on it. There's no partner dancing, but it addresses your needs as a follower better than any partner "step oriented" class probably ever will. In fact, I recommend seeking out any follower specific workshops you can find. I actually recommend that leaders take these as well. You'll have a much better understanding of the physical dynamics of what a follower is doing (and needs)

Another couple whose lessons I never miss when they are in my area is Jon Martin and Judy Margolis, Americans who live in BA now. Unfortunately they only go to a few places on their trips to the States and I don't think they travel to Europe, Asia or anywhere else. They also emphasize a lot of fundamantal technique stuff instead of steps or patterns. I take a private with them everytime they come and take whatever classes they give too. They are somewhat obscure, but I can't recommend them highly enough for close embrace social tango. No show moves, but if you want a polished clean salon dance, they are truly fabulous. Also, unlike most couples, I believe they always teach privates together, so one of them is watching you while the other is dancing with you. I wish more couples would do this without charging an arm and a leg.

Remember that as a follower, learning fancy step patterns won't be useful to you unless someone you dance with leads them. Too many classes and workshops get bogged down in a step pattern. So I highly recommend followers take privates with the great female teachers when you can afford it. You might not even do any dancing WITH the teacher, but you will get a lot of technique oriented instruction especially if you ask for that.

The best privates I have had with female teachers were with Mariana Galassi and Angelas Chanaha. Both of them gave me a great deal of help and understanding of things happening in your body to help you stay in control so you can follow. Female teachers also have far more understanding of how your various heeled shoes might affect your dancing because of ways you unconsciouly change your posture (and therefore your balance) as your heel height changes.

As far as what to work on in your expensive precious hour in a private.... I don't think I've EVER taken a private where I didn't work on walking. Five years in, I'm still walking a LOT in private lessons. And its not like my walk is so gosh-darn awful.. there's just always something to refine. (well, to be honest, my forward walking isn't all that great)

So enjoy the fact that in a private you get to really focus on the specifics of refining YOUR problems with simple moves. You won't get much of that in group classes and correcting those very personal quirks on simple things will translate to your fancy moves too. You can learn fancy steps and patterns in a class or workshop.

I hear people complain about spending so much on a private with a master only to work on stuff they learned years before. Clearly some people expect a world famous teacher to show them something only a world famous dancer can do. Actually they ARE showing you something only a world class dancer can do... dance a clean polished dance and walk with perfection.

To me a private is for refining stuff you've already been exposed to and the lesson should be focused on YOU personally and what YOU need to work on in the dancing you are already doing. In my opinion, a private is a very expensive way to learn a NEW move and you are wasting your money hoping to use privates to learn new cool moves to show off.

My measure of a lesson is: If I am excited to have another lesson with that person, that's great. But if I ALSO realize that I need time to digest and work on what I got from the lesson before diving into another, thats the best. In the best lessons I've had, whether private or group, as much as I want to work with the person some more immediately, I know it will take awhile to really implement successfully everything I learned in the last lesson and the info I got will still be teaching me, and I'll still be learning new things from it for quite awhile without any need (or ability) to add to it yet.

[Angel HI]

To me a private is for refining stuff you've already been exposed to and the lesson should be focused on YOU personally and what YOU need to work on in the dancing you are already doing. In my opinion, a private is a very expensive way to learn a NEW move and you are wasting your money hoping to use privates to learn new cool moves to show off.

My measure of a lesson is: If I am excited to have another lesson with that person, that's great. But if I ALSO realize that I need time to digest and work on what I got from the lesson before diving into another, thats the best.

Very nice.....:cheers:

[kieronneedscake]

In the vein of Zoops' post, I'm going to sing the praises of one Ines Moussavi of Berlin for a private lesson I had a couple of weekends ago.

By the end of my 55 minutes, she had me dancing apilado that felt nothing short of magnificent. Never has walking in a straight line felt so good. Now each time I take up the embrace, I have a goal to strive for, and for the moment, a very clear memory of how to get there. Hurrah!

[bordertangoman]

In the vein of Zoops' post, I'm going to sing the praises of one Ines Moussavi of Berlin for a private lesson I had a couple of weekends ago.

By the end of my 55 minutes, she had me dancing apilado that felt nothing short of magnificent. Never has walking in a straight line felt so good. Now each time I take up the embrace, I have a goal to strive for, and for the moment, a very clear memory of how to get there. Hurrah!

lucky you . Ines a very nice dancer.

[dchester]

I like Luis Bianchi and Daniela Pucci for group stuff (and so has almost everyone I've talked to) The only people I've heard give negative feedback of them are the dancers who believe they are already "too advanced" for the fundamental technique stuff that L&D emphasize. And of course those people are usually the ones who most need to get that fundamental stuff drilled into them!

. . .

I took a very intense 2 day weekend with Daniel Trenner and Rebecca Shulman (group workshop) on exchange of lead and follow that I think would have been fabulous if I hadn't been a little over my head at the time and if it hadn't been so long for both days (at 5+ hours each day it was more than I could take in) I would like to second a few of Zoopsia's nominations. Daniela and Luis give very good workshops, and so does Daniel Trenner. Daniel is very good at breaking down complicated patterns into something that is easy to understand.

[opendoor]

So, here´s my report: It´s not that they carry you to the goal: standing and watching they let you do the work. So, only two or three times I got Eugenia into my arms. But, both assist you with a very close look upon your footwork, your balance and your moving-mechanics. And, what I think is
much more important besides the ability to analize, they can put it into words. Though they offered a lot of workshops this weekend, I only booked one called "off-axis". It took one and a half hour, did cost 25 Euro with 8 couples on the floor. They started with a colgada-saltito combination: out of the "false-mirror" position the woman was led into a cuarto, then spinning round left, slipping under her arm pit, lifting slightly both legs into the air while turning the woman around, finishing with a salida. I would prefer to show you a vid, but they wouldn´t allow this. It was the first time I led a saltito and it worked well. Some variations of an ordinary backwards-volcada followed: varying the performance between volcada, colgada, centrifugal, centripetal, circular, and other off-axis movement, a bit like the fotograph on their current poster (http://www.pabloinza.blogspot.com/).
I knew, that would be enough and I will need some time to digest all these inputs. So we watched exhaustedly another workshop with another couple, Yanick and Sigrid, the B-couple of this little event. But it was the great surprise: teaching very patient, decent but with great charisma they always offered their lead. So friends, bookmark this name: Yanick Wyler

[Zoopsia59]

I would prefer to show you a vid, but they wouldn´t allow this.

Well you can always make a vid of YOU doing it and post that!

Go on...give it a try! :o

[Heather2007]

Well, I started this thread but it took me awhile to get around to posting my own recomendations...

Nice one;-)

[opendoor]

.. Go on...

Coming !