TangoClub

Free Waitangi Day tango music performance (03-02-2010)

Flavio Romanelli, guitar player and singer from Buenos Aires, will be playing on Saturday 6 February from 10:30am at the Ellerslie War Memorial (138 Main Highway). Free entry. This is part of the cultural activities in the NZ Tamil Senior Citizens Association Waitangi Day celebration.

Tango + Salsa Masquerade Ball and Carnival in Wellington (01-02-2010)

Stephen and Sharon from Wellington have organised a wondrous evening of dancing at the St James Theatre, 6pm-1am on Saturday 13 February. There will be live music and performances (including a performance by our very own Stephan and Era), and each ticket to the Masquerade Ball and Carnival gives you access to free tango classes.

Summer open air milonga (22-01-2010)

Join us for a beautiful summer evening of tango dancing by the fountain in St Patricks Square, 6 - 10pm on Friday 29 January (Maida is not holding her usual milonga on this date). Wear shoes suitable for dancing on stone, and feel free to bring along a picnic dinner. No alcohol please, as this is in the Liquor Ban Area. Suggested donation: $10.

Workshops with Cecelia Trini at Pasión Por Tango (18-01-2010)

We are lucky to have yet another visiting Argentinian tango dancer in Auckland—Cecilia Trini will be teaching at Pasión Por Tango from Saturday 23 to Thursday 28 Janaury. Workshops (1.5 hours) $20, classes (1 hour) $15, private lessons $85. Check out their website for details, or contact Marion Henton (445 9544 / 027 2020501) or Bev Goodwin (bgoodwin@woosh.co.nz).

Happy holidays from the TangoClub team! (23-12-2009)

TangoClub's last event for the year has now taken place. We will back in full swing again next year, beginning with our TangoBar milonga on Tuesday 12 January. For those with itchy feet, there is still the New Year milonga at the Pasión Por Tango studio. Happy holidays, everyone!

Pre-registrations open for New Zealand Tango Festival immersion courses (28-11-2009)

You can now register for the immersion courses at the New Zealand Tango Festival in Wellington in June. These courses sell out quickly, so book early to avoid disappointment.

• Miguel Zotto and Daiana Guspero—Advanced Tango: 28th, 29th, 30th June (Course including full Festival Pass $545)
• Alicia Pons—Int/Adv Milonguero Style Tango: 22nd, 23rd, 24th, June (Course including full Festival Pass $525)
• Fabrizio Forti and Celi Arias—Advanced Tango: 22nd, 23rd, 24th, June (Course including full Festival Pass $545)
• Fabio Robles and Ana Andre—Intermediate Tango: 28th, 29th, 30th June (Course including full Festival Pass $525)

All enquiries and bookings to festival@nztangofestival.co.nz.

Summer TangoCamp details announced (26-11-2009)

Check out the workshops and milongas focussed around internationally renowned dancers and teachers Demián García and Alejandra Mantiñan at the Summer TangoCamp in Auckland in January. Both are also available for private lesosns. All enquiries and bookings to info@tangoenz.co.nz or call Cecile on 021 482 339.

Live music at tango events (11-11-2009)

We are very lucky to have live performances by talented musicians this month. Get out dancing and support the artists as well as the event organisers!

• Tango55 Duo is performing at Cecile and Nigel's milonga on Friday 13 November, 9pm - 12:30am, Viva Latino Studio, 10 Newton Road. $15 entry, free for non-dancers.
• Flavio Romanelli, guitar player and singer visiting from Buenos Aires, is performing at the Pasión Por Tango practica on Sunday 22 November, 3 - 6pm, Pasión Por Tango studio, level 2 in the Barrington Building, 10-12 Customs Street East (next to Mercure hotel close to Britomart). $10 entry.

TangoClub Labour Weekend Milonga (14-10-2009)

Just because everyone else is going on holiday doesn't mean you have to give up your tango! Join us for a wonderful evening of dancing on Friday 23 October. Bring your friends along, even if they don't know how to dance, as there will be a free introductory class with visiting Argentinian teacher Martín Bratina before the milonga, as well as a guitar performance by Flavio Romanelli, another young talent from Buenos Aires.

Free beginners tango classes (11-10-2009)

There are a bunch of free tango classes this month. Let your friends know!

• Pasión Por Tango is having a studio open day on Saturday 3 October, with a free beginners class taught by Maida Zanaboni Doleman from 4 - 5:30pm on level 2 in the Barrington Building, 10-12 Customs Street East (beside the Mercure Hotel close to Britomart).
• Cecile and Nigel are offering free tango classes for absolute beginners for 5 weeks, from 15 October to 12 November, at Saint Kevin's Arcade on K'Rd, on Thursday nights, 6-7pm. Contact Cecile and Nigel Bale on 021 482 339 for further details.
• TangoClub is also offering a couple of free introductory tango classes over the Labour Weekend. Hope to see you there!

UNESCO declares tango part of world's "intangible cultural heritage" (01-10-2009)

We all know how special tango is, but now it's official—as of 30 September 2009, tango is on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity! Other traditions to be safeguarded include the whistled language of the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands), and Lefkara lacemaking from southeastern Cyprus dating back to the fourteenth century.

Argentinian tango teacher at Pasión Por Tango (18-09-2009)

A big welcome to Martín Bratina, who will be teaching tango classes on Monday nights at the Pasión Por Tango studio, beginning 21 September. No doubt he will be able to give great advice not just on dancing, but also on the highlights of his home town, the tango mecca of Buenos Aires.

Last chance to purchase Entertainment Books (30-08-2009)

We are returning our unsold Entertainment Books at the end of this week, so contact us now if you would still like a copy! Priced at $65, the books contain hundreds of vouchers (valid till June 2010) for 25% off to 2-for-1 offers from restaurants, arts and sporting attractions, and more. Make use of the book two or three times and it will have paid for itself already!

TangoClub weekend milonga (15-08-2009)

TangoClub invites you to another special milonga this month. Dance with us amongst candles and balloons on Friday 28 August. Before the milonga, there will be a free beginners tango lesson, so bring all your friends along for a great evening out. Special thanks to Sarah L and Jo W for offering to bring along empanadas and alfajores to add some extra Argentine flavour to the evening!

New TangoBar milonga venue (30-07-2009)

Yay, we have found a new venue for our Tuesday night TangoBar milongas. Join us for a drink and a dance upstairs at Grand Central, just a stone's throw away from our previous venue Bar de Baz. The same beautiful decor, the same cozy feel, and of course, your same friendly hosts: the TangoClub team!

Last TangoBar milonga at Bar de Baz (16-07-2009)

Bar de Baz, the venue for our TangoBar milonga has been sold, and we will hold our last milonga there on Tuesday 21 July. Please join us for a final dance in this beautiful bar. We will let you know about any future milonga plans once we have details confirmed.

Tango guitar performances by Flavio Romanelli (06-07-2009)

Argentinian musician Flavio Romanelli will be playing the guitar and singing a selection of tango music (Troilo, Goyeneche, Gardel, Laurenz, M.Mores and others) at the Pasión Por Tango studio this Saturday 11 July at 5pm; $10 entry. In addition, he will be performing at a number of milongas this month (both $15 entry, free for non-dancers):

• Friday 10 July—Casatango milonga
• Friday 31 July—TangoClub milonga

Experience the sounds and spirit of Argentina!

Workshops with Eva Garlez and Pablo Rodriguez (28-06-2009)

Argentinian tango milonguero dancers Eva Garlez and Pablo Rodriguez will be teaching beginner and intermediate level workshops and performing at the Pasión Por Tango studio from 13 - 19 July. All workshops $20, or $110 for 6 workshops. Private lessons $100. Contact Bev (021 258 5453 / 09 528 5591 / bgoodwin@woosh.co.nz) to register.

TangoClub weekend milonga (22-06-2009)

Our first weekend milonga of the year will take place on Friday 31 July and feature a performance by Argentinian guitar player Flavio Romanelli. Before the milonga, there will be a free beginners tango lesson, so bring all your friends along for a great evening out.

New Zealand Tango Festival open for registration (06-03-2009)

The teachers and workshops for the Tango Festival in Wellington have now been announced, and they look fantastic! Register now to ensure your place.

Workshops with Karina and Fabian Conca (05-03-2009)

Pasión Por Tango is once again bringing tango milonguero teachers Karina and Fabian Conca to Auckland, 28 - 30 March. Check out their workshop timetable.

Last lesson with Diego and Liza (05-03-2009)

Diego and Liza teach for the last time at Pasión Por Tango on Tuesday 10 March, before heading off overseas. Catch them before they go... classes are $20 (beginners 6:30 - 8pm, intermediates 8 - 9:30pm).

Entertainment Books for sale (20-02-2009)

To help fund the teachers of our free classes, venue hire, website hosting, and other expenses, TangoClub is again selling Entertainment Books this year for $65. Entertainment Books contain hundreds of vouchers (valid until June 2010) for 25% off and two-for-one offers from popular restaurants, cinemas, hotel accommodation, the arts, and sporting events, including places like Vinnies, Kermadec, Sale Street, Bracu, White, Pearl Garden, Bees Online, Tapiano, Nosh, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Auckland Zoo, Rainbow's End, Butterfly Creek, Spookers and Snow Planet. Contact us to purchase a copy.

Workshops with Hugo Fernandez (30-01-2009)

Pasión Por Tango is bringing over Hugo Fernandez, an instructor from Buenos Aires and now teaching at Alma de Tango in Brisbane, from 20 - 23 February. Dancers of all levels are welcome to the workshops, which are $35 each. Hugo and Janelle will be performing on Saturday 21 February and private lessons are available.

Tango Congress DVDs now available (29-01-2009)

The 2008 NZ Tango Congress DVDs are now available for $30 (including NZ Post). Footage from the 2008 NZ Tango Championship and prizegiving, plus international and local tango performances from the Gala Dinner & Dance at the Heritage Hotel and the "Golden Age of Tango" ball at Hopetoun Alpha. Orders and enquiries to John and Felicity at Tango Tiempo (shop@dancepasion.co.nz).

Summer Tango Camp (02-01-2009)

What a great start to the year: the "Summer Tango Camp" is here on 9 - 12 January! Featuring workshops with Milena Plebs and Demián García, this will no longer be in a camp setting on Motutapu Island, but at locations around Auckland (Takapuna and Newton). Private lessons are available. For further details, check the Tango Enz website or contact Cecile Bale (tangoenz@xtra.co.nz / +64 21 482 339).

Happy holidays from the TangoClub team! (09-12-2008)

TangoClub's last activities for the year took place at the end of November. We begin afresh in 2009 with our TangoBar milonga starting up again on Tuesday 13 January 2009, and our Práctica in the Park on Sunday 25 January 2009. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to seeing you again next year!

Visiting milonguero teacher—Walter Gonzalez (01-12-2008)

Toca Tango is offering private classes with visiting tango milonguero teacher Walter Gonzalez this weekend (from 10am on Saturday 6 December and from 11am on Sunday 7 December). Walter is an instructor in La Academia, run from El Beso in Buenos Aires, and he will be teaching for the second year at Milongueando 2009, an international festival held in Buenos Aires to promote Tango Milonguero. Contact Toca Tango (+64 9 444 5647), Martyn Atack (+64 21 280 6585) or Vikki Brannagan (+64 27 482 3756). Classes are $100 per hour.

TangoClub end of year news (13-11-2008)

The year is coming to an end, and TangoClub activities are winding down, not least because three of our members are about to head overseas. There are two more TangoBar milonga sessions until they are discontinued until further notice; however, our monthly Práctica in the Park will continue as normal (with a break in December). Farewell those that are leaving and celebrate what we have achieved this year at our farewell dinnner and milonga.

Workshops with Karina and Fabian Conca (27-10-2008)

Pasión Por Tango is once again bringing tango milonguero teachers Karina and Fabian Conca to Auckland, 7 - 11 November. Check out their website for the workshop timetable and further details.

International Tango Congress of New Zealand comes to an end (27-10-2008)

(sigh)... Wasn't it a lovely weekend, with guest teachers Damian and Nancy from Argentina, Jairo and Amy from Australia, and others from around New Zealand. Congratulations to all the participants in the New Zealand Tango Championship hosted by TangoClub, and thanks to all involved in this and other congress events for making it happen. Special thanks to our helpers Grant, Karyn, Erica and Shaz, and to the organiser Cecile for giving the Congress the green light despite initial doubts about whether it would be possible. The evening venues were all truly spectacular and there was even a visitor from Madagascar—how exotic!

"12 Tangos" documentary now available in English (03-10-2008)

The music documentary feature "12 Tangos: Adios Buenos Aires" is now available in English. Follow the lives of dancers across different generations, as their stories of crisis and immigration come together on the dance floor of the tango hall "La Catedral". You can watch the trailers and excerpts before purchasing the film online. If enough people are interested, we could try to get a group order together!

Workshops with Murat and Michelle Erdemsel (15-08-2008)

More good news: Maida is bringing in visiting teachers and performers Murat and Michelle Erdemsel (watch them on YouTube). Prepare for their workshops September 18 - 24, which are geared towards geared for intermediate, advanced and teachers in the weekend, and with beginners and pre-intermediate workshops on the Monday.