Tango Summer @MIT

Class Description

Summer Class Series is open to participants of all levels.  No matter what your dance or level of experience, these sessions will hone your balance, stability, posture, groundedness and more! No partner needed.

Message from tango Maestra Fernanda Ghi:

Through many years of experience, I have come to understand that by developing a deeper knowledge of how to move our bodies—with strength, flexibility, and awareness—we can achieve a much more connected dance.

We can access greater expression when we feel free in our body.

And that freedom comes from knowledge.

That is why this session will focus on exercises designed to help us connect with the different parts of the body we use when we dance.

We will work on:
balance
flexibility
stability
and strengthening key areas such as the center of the body, the glutes, the feet, and the back

All of this will support a connected embrace, rather than a rigid one.

The second part of class will focus on applying this awareness through movement, using tango vocabulary.  

This is a direct and deep approach, designed to offer you clear and tangible results.

I invite you to commit to working with us—to deepen your body awareness, to better understand how to use your body, and to become more expressive in your dance.

Registration

Pre-register here to show your interest (this helps us plan the series & place you on the reminder email list)

Please note, preference will be given to MIT students and 8-class series pass participants. 

When ready, scroll down to Payment section below to submit your payment.

All participants must be registered. Please pay when prompted via email, or, space-permitting, right before the start of class. (check Entrance Fee & Payment sections below). 

Dates & Location

WHEN:  Thursdays 7:00 - 9:00 pm    Please arrive at 6:45.

June 4, 11, 18, 25

July 2, 9, 16, 23

WHERE: Dance Studio 407 - Stratton Student Center (W20) - 84 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Entrance Fee

Series Pass for up to 8 classes: valid for Jun 4 - Jul 23

General public: $160 

MIT staff, MIT community (MIT alumni, MIT partners and family) and non-MIT students: $100 

MIT students: $60

Single class:

General public: $25

MIT staff and community (MIT alumni, MIT partners and family), and non-MIT students: $15 

MIT students: $10

Payment

We do NOT take cash, checks or money-transfer apps!
To make a payment for Series Pass or single day use following links for each class day:

• June 4 (8-class series or single day)

• June 11 (7-class series or single day)

• June 18 (6-class series or single day)

• June 25 (5-class series or single day)

• July 2 (single day)

• July 9 (single day)

• July 16 (single day)

• July 23 (single day)
  
  

Instructions following the links: 

• Scroll down and click "Register" 

  • MIT students only: log in using your MIT account

  • Everyone else: sign up as a one-time user (no worries, you will not be prompted to set up an account)

• Write basic contact information

• Select appropriate ticket category

• Confirm your Registration

• Make a payment by card

Refunds are possible, but not straightforward through this system, so please purchase if you are certain you will attend.

Further Notes

Read our Statement of Conduct here.

How to get the most out of class:  Join at the beginning of the series, and attend consistently.
Partners: No partner is needed. Class will include individual exercises and partnered ones.  We will rotate partners often. We think partner rotation is a good idea to help you improve your dance; however, having said that if you are uncomfortable changing partners we will understand if you want to skip partner changes. However, we really prefer that you DO change partners, since we are all trying to work together to get better.

Clothing & footwear:
- Wear comfortable clothing.
- Footwear: wear shoes with leather or suede soles (or skip the shoes and wear fuzzy socks) so you can pivot. Make sure the shoes stay on your feet easily (no mules or slingbacks) so that you can walk backwards. If unable to bring proper shoes, shoe socks will be provided.

About instructor Fernanda Ghi

June 4, 11, 18, 25

Fernanda Ghi is a world-renowned tango Maestra, choreographer, and performer.  Dancing since a very early age, she has traveled internationally for more than three decades, creating, producing and teaching, and stands out as one of the artists of the hinge generation between the tango of the 1980s and the 2000s. Her teaching has been continuously evolving along with her personal growth, adapting the dance to each social moment without losing its essence. Fernanda maintains that tango is based on three fundamental pillars: a clear definition of the partners’ roles; a constant and active embrace; and a common axis of the dancing couple. The starting point is the music, which determines the dynamics of expression, and thus creates a “style”, but the “style” is never the starting point. A clear understanding of the mechanics ensures that no undue stress is placed on the body and each movement is a response to a partner’s movement. The Tango that Fernanda teaches is based on a deep understanding of the essence of the dance, and allows each student to find their own personal manner of expression, without losing the universal language of Tango and the culture from which it originates.

Fernanda has performed in countless shows and exhibitions, and became the World Argentine Tango Champion in 1999. Ghi and and her partner were the first non-Asian dancers ever invited to perform at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo and were the feature dancers on the PBS special 'Tango Magic' with Pablo Ziegler and the Orpheus Orchestra. Fernanda has performed in concert with several Symphony Orchestras (New Mexico, Long Beach, Costa Mesa, Cincinnati) and was commissioned for the creation of a tango ballet for the Tulsa Ballet Dance Company. In 2017 and 2018, Fernanda served as a judge at the ‘Tango Mundial,’ the World Competition for Argentine Tango.  She is the founder of the Fernanda Ghi Dance Company, which creates a fusion between Argentine Tango and other art forms, such as theater, visual arts, opera and other styles of dance. The company houses the Tango Academy of Boston, a school that trains amateur and professional dancers.

About instructor Mia Dalglish

July 2, 9, 16, 23

Mia Dalglish is a professional Argentine tango dancer and co-manages the Tango Academy of Boston.  She teaches private lessons, group classes, and workshops for students of all levels.  Mia sees tango as a way of being and a dance.  Her approach to teaching is to create a clear and consistent understanding of body mechanics.  Since 2010, Mia has trained with her mentor, Fernanda Ghi.  She was also an instructor at Artango Dance School, founded by Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo. 

Mia has 15 years of experience in production and curation for both visual and movement arts.  Since 2010, Mia has been a curator at Pictura, a renowned fine art gallery for contemporary photography.  In 2015, Mia co-founded Hybridmotion, a contemporary dance theatre company.  As a Director and Dramaturg, Mia focused on the story-telling element of the company's work.  She was instrumental in developing and conveying the concepts, emotions, and aesthetics of projects.  These projects included the creation of full-length shows for the stage, as well as working with clients such as HBO, Netflix and the Boston Pops Orchestra.

Mia's unusual combination of movement and visual arts expertise result in a unique offering of skills and perspectives.  Students have told us how much they appreciate Mia's clear articulation of tango technique.