Who
is coming?
In
previous years we had students from all these schools, and we expect
it will be
similar this year: Yale, MIT, Brandeis, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton,
UPenn, Penn State, Dartmouth, Ohio State, UC San Diego, Emory,
Northeastern, University of Washington (Seattle), Cornell, Lehigh,
SCSU, New England Conservatory, U Mass, Wellesley, Olin, Rutgers, Johns
Hopkins, U of Minnesota, Wayne State, Worcester Polytech, Universite de
Montreal, McGill, George Washington U in DC, USAF Academy, and others.
If your school is not mentioned and you plan to come, let us know!
We'll update it.
I am
not a college student. Can I participate?
Of
course! Come join the
fun.
Which
classes should I take?
We
offer classes at the pre-intermediate, intermediate,
intermediate-advanced and really advanced level. All the classes are
really interesting and challenging. We think it is important that you
take classes at your own level, this way you are more likely to learn
something that you will be able to use at the milonga.
For the pre-intermediate classes,
you need to already know this: walking to the music, fluent
ochos,
cross in parellel and crossed feet, left turns, ocho cortado, pausing
to the music, a comfortable embrace open or close or both, a clear lead
or a smooth follow. If you don't know this, please learn it before you
come.
For the intermediate classes,
you need to know this: everything in the previous list, plus: right
turns, one kind of boleo, a basic sacada, perhaps a gancho. It is possible that you have been taught a gancho or
sacada but don't master everything listed for the
pre-intermediate
level, in this case you belong in the pre-intermediate level.
For the intermediate-advanced classes,
you need to know everything in the previous lists, plus: fluent
ganchos, whipping boleos, fast flowing turns in either direction, and
be passingly familiar with off-axis movements.
In the really advanced level classes,
no actual moves will be taught. Instead, teachers will focus on
concepts that will help you implement what you already know in new
ways. Concepts may include advanced musicality, complex sequences,
analytical tools for creating moves, improvisation, etc.
I
would love to sign up but I can't afford a hotel, can I crash on
somebody's couch?
Probably.
As soon as registration opens, we will have a housing request
form
for students. For more details, click on Lodging.
The least expensive hotel is about $50 per night.
There will be a bulletin board where you can find a hotel roommate.
Look on the Lodging page.
What's
the dress code at the milongas?
The
milongas have themes; look on the schedule. They are not costume milongas;
the themes merely
give you a hint for a color or a flavor. Whatever
you wear, it should be comfortable all night. For the Sunday brunch
milonga, aka the Morning After Milonga, we don't want to make you think
so hard before we serve you strong coffee, so wear whatever is
handy.
I
don't know anybody there, how will I meet people?
We
have thought of everything! Our milongas will be hosted by Yale Tango
Hosts, easily recognized, who know or will make it their business to
know all the participants. Look for one of our hosts and introduce
yourself. We will introduce you to your new friends. Simple, but
brilliant! Also, to meet new people, take classes!
I am
a total beginner. Can I still participate?
If you are a Yale student
or postdoc, please sign up for the Beginners Bootcamp taking place as
part of the fest. It will deal with everything you need to know to get
started dancing socially every week at the Yale Tango Club and out in
the real world. At the same time you can taste the flavor of a real
festival! The regular
festival classes are for people who already know how to dance and can
handle a crowded dance floor and take classes at the levels offered
(see schedule for details).
I am
fairly new to tango and I have not been to many milongas. Can I go to
the milongas?
Yes!
Early in the evening we will play easy music. So by all means, show up
early and you can warm up before it gets crowded. It will get really
really crowded, so it is important that you dance defensively and don't
try whatever space-intensive or boisterous moves you may have learned
earlier that day. Show those off at the milongas in your hometown.
Please
read this manual on tango manners for
details on how to invite or decline, how long to dance with people, and
the traffic rules of the milonga environment.
What
is the Yale Tango Club?
The
Yale Tango Club is a student club at Yale University that was started
in January 2003. Please check our website.
We have a charming old ballroom on campus, where we hold our weekly
practilonga and regular classes with visiting instructors and our own
teachers. In the summer we dance outdoors at several beautiful old
campus locations. All our teachers and DJsare
listed on our website. We have about 100 members. The vast majority of
our people are students and young academics, from Yale and neighboring
institutions, and their friends from the region. Our members are from
dozens of countries across the six continents. We are known in the
region for being a fun young crowd with a super friendly attitude. But
don't take our word for it. Come dance with us and see for yourself!