Magic, fun and life transformation, through tango.
Not that long after starting to dance tango, I found myself in Rome, in company of loud and cheerful Italians, sitting in a small restaurant in the centre, eating so much (and so cheap) that my body was about to explode, trying to keep up with a conversation without understanding a word of what they were all saying, all at the same time, all 10 of them. No matter what topic was suggested, within three minutes it magically transformed itself into debates about best pasta, pizz
Let's Make it Personal - Interview with Maja and Marko
Why do Maja and Marko pay special attention to their clothing? How did Marko start dancing tango (and it wasn't the usual way!), what's the most incredible thing they've tried in their travels, and what is the difference between tango in Europe and tango in Asia?
Surprise! When they were in London in May '18, we arranged a nice relaxed interview with them to get to know them a bit better, and to introduce their less known sides to all of you! Interview was really interestin
On mentors and inspiration
I had a chat with a friend the other day. Random tango stuff, milongas, styles, what to teach and where to learn, etc. And then my friend mentioned one thing that got me thinking: that he doesn't like to take regular classes, only privates or workshops and pre-milonga classes with visiting teachers. His reason was clear: he doesn't like “cliques” that form by being associated with a particular school. I told him that I agree and disagree with him at the same time, but didn't
My latest A-HA moment
I would like to share with you a personal insight of TangoBETTER founder and teacher Olga Metzner, based on her recent discoveries in tango and inspiration is has brought. Keep searching, keep improving! I am trying to work and improve my tango every day. I study a lot with different people, with partners and by myself. It is my goal to continuously grow and get better, because I can see the results of good work and it inspires me. For the last 2 years, I feel I've been havin
Is technique boring?
The absolute key to becoming a good dancer is practicing technique. A LOT OF TECHNIQUE!
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Small tip: When you take classes, especially from visiting teachers, and they show you a sequence, do not focus on this sequence. The sequences or figures are there to show you what technical aspects you need to work on. Use these sequences to see for yourself what doesn't work in your dance, and focus on that. That's the real point of any class (except musicality, that's di
What is a GOOD TEACHER?
WHAT IS A VITAL QUALITY OF A GOOD TEACHER? Yesterday in a private lesson, my student was surprised when I told her I still actively study and take classes, even though I teach. I thought about it, and said: "DO NOT TRUST A TEACHER WHO DOESN'T STUDY ANY MORE. If your teacher only practices with and teaches people who are less advanced than him/her, their skills inevitably go down. If a teacher doesn't challenge themselves and doesn't continue to improve, with time there will b
What are the KEY features of TangoBETTER?
TangoBETTER is not a dance school, a couple of teachers or an organiser. TangoBETTER is an evolving PROJECT aimed at improving tango in London, inspiring people and breathing a new dance life into experienced local and foreign dancers. Here is what those different things mean: 1) TangoBETTER Intense Practicas -
Whole intense weekend of interactive work with best invited maestros. For advanced and professional dancers only (international) so they can work well together and l
How to improve your tango FAST
WHAT is the MOST PRODUCTIVE WAY to STUDY and GET BETTER? ******
You want to improve and become a great dancer. You have options: continue taking group classes with various teachers, taking privates, dancing socially. What is the best? We highly recommend the following formula for the best result: 1) DO TAKE REGULAR GROUP CLASSES. Most important! No matter what your level is, regular group classes is where you get your "checkpoints", as I call them. It's a weekly portion of s
Looking for a PERFECT partner #2
PARTNER QUESTION #2 If you have no partner, but you want to improve anyway, what do you do? To continue with the first article on the topic of partners, we have some more useful tips! OK, you might need a partner for most workshops and classes. At least, it is MUCH more beneficial if you make all the effort possible to come with a partner. But then you need to PRACTICE all the learned material, and nobody is available. I know the problem, I've been there many times. Here is w
How do we invite Maestros?
TangoBETTER invites amazing, very well-known teachers and dancers over to London to teach and make us BETTER. How do we decide which dancers we invite?
_____________________ Here is how we pick: 1) INSPIRATION.
All our guests are, firstly, a huge inspiration to thousands of other dancers all over the world. The main idea of TangoBETTER is to breathe new life into our tango, so we always look for truly inspiring couples. 2) OUTSTANDING TEACHERS.
The organiser personally
