I want to give an unsolicited, and admittedly highly subjective, recommendation for this 90 minute weekly class with Andres Amarilla and Meredith Klein. Anyone interested in the evolution of tango nuevo who wants to retain the essence and connection of traditional tango should not miss the opportunity to work with Andres. After returning from two weeks of study in Boulder with Gustavo Naveira (my tango Buddha) y Giselle Anne, I realize that Andres may be the closest I can get in NYC to Gustavo's pedagogical line of tango inquiry - the same line that flows through the disciples Chicho and Sebastian Arce as well. Like them, he has absorbed the masters lessons and taken it in his own personal direction, which is the holy grail I have been pursuing as well, but , um, more slowly, and with much more limited success, the day job thing. .. The class last week had three men and one woman. It was amazing, like a semi-private. This is terrific for me and the others, so I have mixed feelings about telling you all about it, but I also want to insure for myself the long term availability of Andres and Meredith in NYC, and it has to make economic sense for them to keep coming up from Philly. Andres has shown uncommon patience for my continuous questions as to why a follower will do "this" instead of "that", and how my body should move. So, if you are serious about tango as more than a mere social dance but as an improvisational evolving art form, you now have a valuable resource right here in NYC. Abrazos, Martin Nussbaum
here are the details: Andres Amarilla's weekly seminar in NYC continues tonight. August's topic is improvisation. Tonight the focus will be on soltadas and alternative embrace. Location: Collaborative Arts Project 21, 18 West 18th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues (see http://andresamarilla.com/NYC.htm#map <http://andresamarilla.com/NYC.htm#map> for a map) Time: 8-9:30 pm Cost: $30/class or $125 for 5-class card. Upcoming Topics: July-August: Improvisation September: Fast Thinking & Quick Reaction October: Challenging Traditional Steps November: Flashy Traditional Steps ANDRES AMARILLA: BIO A native of Buenos Aires, Andres began dancing tango over 20 years ago at age 11. While still a child, he studied with and performed in the dance companies of Gustavo Naveira, Juan Carlos Copes, and Rodolfo Dinzel. At the age of 17, he partnered for a year with Geraldine Rojas (click http://andresamarilla.com/video.htm#geraldine <http://andresamarilla.com/video.htm#geraldine> for video), performing together in Buenos Aires milongas over 20 times. Later on, Andres participated in the closed rehearsals organized by Fabian Salas in which the new style of "nuevo tango" was essentially developed. Andres began teaching tango in Buenos Aires in 1997, and spent 2 years developing the tango community in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 2000-2001. In 2006, he began partnering with Meredith Klein (now his wife). Andres & Meredith launched their career together with a 6-month, 20-city tour in the US. In 2007, they returned to the US as well as traveling to Europe to teach in four countries. Although they have only been working together for 2 years, Andres and Meredith have already taught over 2,000 students in more than 30 cities on 4 continents. In February 2008, Andres & Meredith moved to Philadelphia, where they launched the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School http://philadelphiatangoschool.com/ with classes for beginner to advanced level tango dancers. Although widely known as a dancer of nuevo tango, Andres spent 10 years studying and dancing traditional tango before the nuevo style was developed. He strongly believes that a foundation in traditional tango is essential for anyone who wants to explore the movements and methods of anaylsis associated with nuevo tango. Through his teaching, Andres strives to give students a sure grasp of the fundamentals of tango, thus providing a strong foundation that will support students in whatever style they choose to dance. Since Meredith teaches in Philadelphia on Tuesday nights, Andres will be teaching in NYC on his own. For more information about Andres, including videos, please see http://andresamarilla.com. <http://andresamarilla.com./>
