Learn Argentine Tango as it's
really danced in the clubs of
Buenos Aires
with LINDA VALENTINO
Teaching both 1950s-style rhythmic tango (estilo confiteria) and
1940s-style smooth, salon tango, as they are danced in the milongas of
Buenos Aires. No tricks, no lifts, no
drops, no show steps, NO NONSENSE! Just good social tango.
CLASS SCHEDULE (As of July, 2010) Thursdays in LOS ANGELES 7:15 - 8:45 pm: Tango Level 2, "Advanced Beginners" This class is for students with approximately three months of tango experience. Class will focus on more complex walking figures and on combining elements to produce different kinds of turns and figures. This class will prepare the you for intermediate level. $15 per person, or buy ten classes for $135
8:45 - 10:15 pm: BEGINNING MILONGA CLASS! (Through July 29th) Come learn this fun, "funkier" dance which was the predecessor to tango. Understand the differences between milonga and tango music and how the rhythm is used. $15 per person, or buy ten classes for $135
Thursday Classes located at : Hollywood Dance Center, 817 North Highland Ave. in Hollywood (1-1/2 blocks north of Melrose; plenty of free street parking)
Fridays in HOLLYWOOD 8:30 - 10 pm: Tango Technique Classes Plus Practica (10 to midnight) (Rotating series of classes addressing various aspects of tango technique, such as leading and following, connection, dancing on a crowded floor, improv-isation, musicality, milonga, tango waltz etc.) July 9 - July 30th: Advanced Milonga Steps Take your milonga to a new level with these fun, challenging steps! $15 per person (includes practica), or buy ten classes for $135
PRACTICA from 10 pm to midnight: FREE for those taking the class; $5 for practica only
Friday Classes located at : Hollywood Dance Center, 817 North Highland Ave. in Hollywood (1-1/2 blocks north of Melrose; plenty of free street parking)
Saturdays in HOLLYWOOD 2 - 3:30 pm: Tango Level 1, "Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners" This class is for beginners, or anyone who wants to work on the basic elements of the dance. $15 per person, or buy ten classes for $135
Saturday Classes located at : Hollywood Dance Center, 817 North Highland Ave. in Hollywood (1-1/2 blocks north of Melrose; plenty of free street parking)
Sundays in HOLLYWOOD 1 - 3 pm: Tango Level 3, "Intermediate/ Advanced Tango" $15 per person, or buy ten classes for $135 (PLEASE NOTE: There will be NO SUNDAY CLASS in Hollywood on the following Sundays: August 15, September 10 & October 12)
Class located at : Hollywood Dance Center, 817 North Highland Ave. in Hollywood (1-1/2 blocks north of Melrose; plenty of free street parking)
Sundays in PASADENA 5 - 6:15 pm: Tango Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners AND Turns and Figures for Advanced Beginners 6:15 - 6:30 pm: Practice for All Levels 6:30 - 7:30 pm: Intermediate/Advanced Tango All Classes $15 per person, or buy six classes for $69
Classes located at: The Dance Family Studio, 25 North Allen Ave, Pasadena (at the corner of Colorado Blvd; lots of free parking in the lots behind the studio; enter the studio through the double doors off the parking lot)
Linda Valentino has been dancing tango for 20 years and teaching for 14 years. She began studying tango in the U.S. with Michael Walker and Luren Bellucci and Danel and Maria Bastone. She has made 10 trips to Buenos Aires to study with many of the most renowned master teachers in the dance.
In 1995, when Michael and Luren relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Linda was invited by the studio owner to take over their classes in Los Angeles. She trained to teach tango in Buenos Aires, observing and studying with the best teachers of social tango. Her first and most influential teachers in Buenos Aires were Carlos Copello and his then-partner Alicia Monti. Carlos is one of the biggest stars of stage tango, but also a great social dancer who learned tango in the practicas and milongas of Buenos Aires. He continues to be a major influence on Linda's teaching.
One of Linda's particular mentors was the late Nestor Ray, one of the legendary, great milongueros of Buenos Aires. Linda taught with Nestor for two years in Los Angeles, up until his death in 2003. She now teaches his rhythmic style of close embrace tango.
Equally proficient in leading and following, Linda emphasizes good technique for social dancing, including posture, position, effective leading and following, improvisation, floorcraft, and understanding and dancing to the music. Linda was the first resident teacher in Los Angeles with a solid background of training over several years in Buenos Aires. She was the first Los Angeles teacher to regularly take groups of students to Argentina so that they could observe and dance tango in its "natural habitat" --the milongas of Buenos Aires.
REGULARLY SCHEDULED CLASSES WITH LINDA VALENTINO
SPECIAL WORKSHOPS/ VISITING TEACHERS
PLACES TO DANCE / SPECIAL EVENTS
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE
SAYING ABOUT
LINDA VALENTINO'S CLASSES:
"Anyone can teach you a step. Linda teaches you how
to dance."
--Avi Waingarten
"We have studied Argen-tine
Tango with almost every teacher in the L.A. area. They are all
terrific dancers, but teaching is a special art. Linda got us
"milonga-ready" in a relatively short period of time. With an emphasis
on a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the importance of
musicality, she has made the creative experience of learning Argentine Tango
a true joy." --Mark Todd & Anita Merzell
"Linda's teaching really inspires me. When I started
studying with her, I was almost ready to give up on tango. She helped me
understand what tango is really all about, and how to dance to the music."
--Yoko Nakajima
"Linda, we had a great
time in Buenos Aries thanks in part to your excellent teaching. The
“Walking in Close Embrace” and other classes prepared us for the crowded
milongas and opened up our Tango -- now we're dancing, not just repeating
steps. We appreciate the individual attention we received in your
classes, and your ability to articulate technical aspects of the dance.
Hopefully you can continue to help us toward our next trip to Buenos Aries!"
--Nancy and Rob Norman
In addition to the group classes listed here, Linda is available for private classes, wedding dance preparation and "Buenos Aires Prep" if you are planning a trip to the tango "Mecca." Her Buenos Aires Prep classes teach you how to dance on the crowded floors of the Buenos Aires milongas, the codes and etiquette of the milongas, what to expect and how to make the most of your trip.
For more information on classes, call Linda at (323) 653-5883.
