Javier Rodriguez y Andrea Missé Hong Kong Workshop 5-11 May 2010


REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!!
Request an enrollment form by Email: laschinitas.hk@gmail.com

Las Chinitas is honored to present Javier and Andrea to Hong Kong in May 2010.


Introduction
Javier and Andrea is a celebrated couple both in Buenos Aires and worldwide, and are one of the most sought after teachers in international festivals and workshops. They are known not only for their elegance, precision and musicality in their dance, but also for their pedagogy, which comes as a result of their passion and respect to the traditional Argentine tango. Growing up in the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, their knowledge and understanding of tango come from the old milongueros and milongueras who are married to the milongas, the place where they learnt how to dance. Although the tango has evolved through the years with new elements added, Javier and Andrea remain dedicated to the tango that they have grown up to know - the tango that emphasizes the embrace, the walk, the music, the feeling, and the tradtional codigas of the milongas.
Javier and Andrea not only nurture their students to become better dancers technically and aesthetically, they also inspire them to feel and understand tango not as a dance, but as an attitude and a way of life. We hope that you will join Las Chinitas in welcoming Javier and Andrea on their 4th visit to Hong Kong.

Group Class Format
Enrollment in couples - To ensure equal class participation, we encourage students to enroll in couples. Priority will be given to students enrolling as couples, also, a special couples price have been offered. If you have enrolled as a single, we will put you as waitlisted until another person of the opposite gender enrolls.
Small class size - There will be a limit of 14 couples in each class to allow more individual attention.
Cohesive learning - Classes have been arranged such that students can find cohesiveness in between classes to maximize learning efficiency. Although classes can be taken separately, each class serves as a building block for the next. We highly recommend students to take all 8 classes, and to give our teachers the opportunity to understand the students’ learning progress better. A special price is offered to students enrolling in all 8 classes.
Must-take classes* - Classes 1, 2 and 5 introduces the key elements of tango such as the embrace, the walk, musicality and key techniques. A special price is offered to those who cannot take all 8 classes but will enroll in these must-take classes.
Tango Salon classes - In Tango Salon I, II, III and IV, Javier and Andrea will introduce practical sequences to dance to in a milonga. Through practising these sequences, concepts learnt in classes in classes 1, 2 and 5 will be reinforced and put into practice. These 4 classes are arranged in increasing level of difficulty.They are designed to allow students to put these concepts into practice through the introduction of steps or sequences for practical use in a milonga. However, that is not the end. The essence of these 4 Tango Salon classes is that Javier and Andrea will reveal to their students the secrets of dancing in a milonga, to bring perhaps new understanding to how tango is a dance between man and woman, and to solve the questions many tango learners and social dancers may have had over the years:
How to I make the woman less bored?
How can I dance with so many people around me?
How come he/she never wants to dance with me?
How can I be more desirable?
What is the difference dancing with a foreigner and with a Porteno?
What is a milonguero/milonguera and why do I have to be like them?

The new sequences taught only serve as tools to help students learn and participate in the class, and for Javier and Andrea to guide students to feel the wonderful sensation they themselves feel when dancing. We must not emphasize more on the importance of the “must-take” classes in order to participate in the Tango Salon classes, as the concepts taught there are CRUCIAL to moving on further with any steps with added complexity. However, the “must-take” classes are like the peel of an orange. You can guess by the color and the smell of the surface of the orange the general idea of what the orange may taste like. In order to really taste the sweetness of the orange, you need to peel off its skin completely to go into its flesh and squeeze its juices out. What a pity it would be if you spent all the time and effort peeling that skin off and leaving the orange uneaten?
Class level - ALL classes are suitable for dancers of all levels, but at least 1 year tango experience is recommended.

Class Contents
Class 1. Essence of Tango * - Understand and find your own embrace. Refine and add elegance to your walk. Technique without attitude is an empty glass - learn to develop the right attitude and discover the secrets to dance like a porteno.
Class 2. Technique for men and women* -
Exercises and tips on technique, balance and connection to serve as building blocks for more complex sequences to follow.
Class 3. Tango Salon I -
Simple and practical sequences for dancing in a milonga
Class 4. Tango Salon II -
More sequences for dancing in a milonga
Class 5. Musicality* -
What musicality means to Javier and Andrea. Is it simply dancing to the beats or to the melody? If so, how? And if not, what else is there?
Class 6. Tango Salon III -
More sequences for dancing in a milonga
Class 7. Milonga -
Milonga sequences, technique and musicality
Class 8. Tango Salon IV -
Pausa y cadencia

Class Schedule
Class 1 - 5 May (Wed) 8:30 – 10:00 pm @ DCWC
Class 2 - 6 May (Thu) 8:30 – 10:00 pm @DCWC
Class 3 - 7 May (Fri) 8:00 – 9:30 pm @ DCSW
Class 4 - 8 May (Sat) 4:00 – 5:30 pm @ DCWC
Class 5 - 8 May (Sat) 5:30 – 7:00 pm @ DCWC
Class 6 - 9 May (Sun) 3:00 – 4:30 pm @ DCWC
Class 7 - 9 May (Sun) 4:30 – 6:00 pm @ DCWC
Class 8 - 10 May (Mon) 9:00 – 10:30 pm @ DCWC

Class Fee
*To ensure equal class participation, we encourage students to enroll in couples.*
All 8 Classes - $3,600 (Couple Price)/$2,000 (Single Price)
Must Take Classes 1, 2 & 5 - $1,440 (Couple Price)/$810 (Single Price)
Individual Class - $ 500 (Couple Price)/$280 (Single Price)

Private Class
For private class inquiry and booking, please contact Jessica Ng at +852 9076 1287/laschinitas.hk@gmail.com

Milongas
Las Chinitas on 7 May (Fri)
A milonga with traditional settings where men and women are
seated separately. with demonstration of Javier and Andrea
*Invitation to dance by cabeceo is highly recommended*
Time:10.00 pm - 2 am
DJ: Emily Luk
All seats and tables are pre-assigned according to the order
of payment.
Fee: $120, including snacks, alcohlic and non-alcohlic drinks
Venue: Dance Concept in Sheung Wan


La Milonga on 8 May (Sat)
A milonga with performance of the Masters
All seats and tables are pre-assigned according to the order of payment.
*Invitation to dance by cabeceo is highly recommended*
Time: 10 p.m. - 3 a.m.
- DJ: Emily Luk
Fee: $150, including snacks, alcohlic and non-alcohlic drinks (walk-in $200)
Venue: DanzStage

Venue
DCWC - Dance Concept in Wanchai
7/F, Great Smart Tower, 230 Wanchai Road, Wanchai, HK.
DCSW - Dance Concept in Sheung Wan
13F, The Pemberton, 22-26 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, HK.
DanzStage
Room 2001-2, 20/F, 148 Electric Road, Tin Hou, HK.

Payment Guide
  • by Cheque payable to Las Chinitas Limited; or
  • by Bank Transfer to HSBC account #808 722169 001 (A/C name: Las Chinitas Limited)
  • Please return completed enrollment form with cheque or transfer advice to Las Chinitas:
~ by Post to Emily Luk, Flat G, 3/F, Block 20, Phrase 4, Laguna City, Lamtin, Kowloon
~ by Fax to +852 2337 0696
~ by Hand to Sandra Mok

Terms & Conditions
  • Registration is not completed until the form and payment have been duly received and our confirmation to you has been made via email.
  • Las Chinitas cannot guarantee even gender distribution in each class;
  • Las Chinitas accepts no responsibility for any losses, injuries or damages incurred by any person
  • All events shall continue under any typhoon or rainstorm warning
Refund Policy
  • If a class is cancelled, you will be refunded for the full amount by cheque.
  • If you cancel a booking 7 days before event commencement, we will refund the full amount. No refund after then.
  • No partial refund will be given for unattended sessions.



Welcome to Milonga Las Chinitas

Las Chinitas have a vision to bring the Buenos Aires milonga experience back to Hong Kong. Tango to us is not only a dance, the fancy steps or the alluring embellishments. It is the spirit, the culture, the attitude of the milongueros and milongueras that draw us into Tango. We created Milonga Las Chinitas not to blindly follow the general rules applied to a traditional milonga, but we hope through this event you can understand the meaning behind these rules, and how they serve to make a milonga much more enjoyable.

Why do men, women and couples sit separately?

The moment you enter our milonga, you will notice the chairs are arranged facing the dance floor, with men, women and couples seated separately. Many will think, "We come to a milonga to socialize. Why can't I sit with my friends?" In BA, there are lots of single milongueros and milongueras who go to a milonga purely to dance out of their strong passion for tango. The setting, including the seating arrangement and the lighting, is designed to allow "Cabaceo" - invitation by the eyes, as through the years they have discovered this is the most effective, non-invasive way to invite a person to dance. By using Cabaceo, it is ensured that both the man and the lady want to dance with each other at that particular moment. They dance not because the man reached out his hand and the lady felt obligated to accept. They dance not because the woman asked the man and the man was too polite to reject. They dance because they searched for each other, because their eyes met and a mutual consensus was made. In addition, as seats are assigned, you will know where your favorite dancers are sitting, so that you will know where exactly to look at when you want to dance with that person. The couple, or the mixed area is for couples or groups of friends who come to the milonga to socialize and dance amongst each other. In BA, it is almost an unspoken rule that the single men/women will not invite those sitting at the couples area to dance, for important reasons. However, in Milonga Las Chinitas, we hope that everyone - men, women and couples will be able to have fun dancing, mixing and mingling. The seating plan is arranged such that you will have a taste of what it is like dancing in a traditional milonga in BA.

Enjoy more by making use of the Tanda

You may also notice that the music is played in sets of 4 tangos, forming one "Tanda", with a piece of non-tango music called the "Cortina" in between each set. This rule is there for various reasons. The beginning of a tanda marks the time when you should start inviting people to dance by cabaceo, while the end of the tanda (or the start of the cortina) marks the time when the dance is finished and the leader escorts the lady back to her seat. There should be no dancing during the cortina. This rule is set such that there is no confusion as to when you should say "Thank you", and there shall never be hard feelings when you do say so, as it is simply part of the rule. If you enjoy dancing with that person very much, you can always ask him or her again during another tanda some time later. If you don't enjoy dancing with that person, your "bad experience" will only last until the end of the 4 songs when you can legitimately say "Thank you". Of course you can always ask a person to dance during the 3rd and 4th song, but you should keep in mind that you must stop dancing at the end of the tanda.

Secondly, a milonguero or milonguera will never start inviting people to dance before the first song of the tanda is played. Not only is this because they will only dance when they like the music being played, another reason is that, to them, certain people are nice to dance with to certain types of music. For example, Milonguero A is an energetic, rhythmic dancer. Knowing this, Milonguera B will never cabaceo him when she hears the smooth and romantic sound of Di Sarli playing. She will cabaceo Milonguero C, who is a calm, gentle leader whom she thinks will allow her to enjoy the music of Di Sarli to the fullest. Knowing that she may only get to dance with Milonguero A for one tanda for the whole night, she will save her dance with him until she hears the exciting sound of D'arienzo to cabaceo him. This brings us to the reason why a tanda typically consists of 4 similar pieces of tango / milonga / vals music of the same orchestra and in the same period, such that the mood is consistent throughout the entire tanda. This ensures there are no surprises in the middle of the tanda. By listening to the first song of the tanda, dancers will know what music to expect for the rest of the tanda in order to make the right decision of who to dance with.

Good floor traffic defines a good milonga

Lastly, we strongly encourage leaders to follow the line of dance, which is the outer and inner anti-clockwise circle along the edge of the dancefloor. In BA, the centre of the dancefloor is for beginners who cannot navigate or those who want to do their big tango fantasia steps, so, you don't want to be one of them :) Every leader appreciates a smooth flowing line of dance which will make floor navigation much easier for them. Every lady will appreciate a non-chaotic dancefloor where they don't have to worry about being stepped on or stepping onto someone. This demands the cooperation of everyone on the dancefloor, including ladies keeping their heels close to the ground when the floor gets crowded, and guys trying to lead smaller, simpler steps and following the leader in front of you to ensure the line of dance is moving. Do not be afraid of having no space to move forward, but rather, use the time to enjoy the pause and savour the music with your partner. Also, a good leader is one who can dance with musicality even when he is on the same spot. Overtaking is to be avoided as you will make everyone else around you nervous because they can never expect when the person will shoot out of nowhere. It is the duty of the man to protect his partner, so please don't make this task harder for each other. All in all, good floor navigation is a form of respect for your partner and for the other people sharing the same dancefloor with you. Good floor traffic is the crucial aspect to distinguish a good milonga from a bad milonga, so we count on YOU to make Milonga Las Chinitas a GREAT one!!

See you tonight :)

Tips for dancing in Milonga Las Chinitas

In Milonga Las Chinitas, we would like to replicate the feeling and the environment of dancing in the traditional milongas in Buenos Aires in all aspects such as seating arrangement, lighting, the music and the atmosphere. However, nothing is more important than YOUR participation in order to capture the essence of dancing in a traditional milonga by observation of the milonga codes, which exist for one simple reason - to make a milonga more enjoyable for all!

Tips for dancing in Milonga Las Chinitas:

1. Preparation
Take a shower, dress pretty, put on some perfume/cologne, get your body and mind ready for a night of dancing, mingling and good fun. Guys, better wear a suit or a blazor to keep off your sweat from the ladies. Guys look better in a blazor/suit anyway :)

2. Seating
Men and women will be seated on opposite sides, facing each other. There will be a separate area for couples. When you arrive, you will be escorted by one of our staff to your seat, which will be your "station"for the rest of the night. In this way, the people who want to dance with you will know where to find you.

3. Cabaceo
Cabaceo is a method of inviting others to dance by the eyes. When the music sounds and you wish to dance with a particular person for that tanda, try to look at him/her. Once you make eye contact, GUYS: tilt your held or nod as if asking the question silently, "Would you like to dance?". GIRLS: respond by a nod and REMAIN SEATED to avoid misunderstanding (There may be a chance that the guy you thought was looking at you was looking at another girl sitting really close to you and it would look quite bad if you stood up yourself). Try to keep the eye contact until the guy receives you in front of your seat and lead you to the dance floor. For the guys, just in case more than one girl thought you were looking at her and all of them nodded at you, try to look away and try again. These are just some tips, and no right or wrong way of doing it. In a very cantonese saying..."jub sarng la":P

4. Tandas and Cortinas
Tango music in a milonga is arranged in sets of four (sometimes 3)songs, known as a "Tanda". Each Tanda is separated by a "Cortina", apiece of non-tango music which lasts for around 1 minute. When the Cortina sounds, the floor should be cleared, and guys should escort the girls back to their seats (No exceptions even if you have only dancedfor 1 song). This will only make the tango better when you think you will only be able to dance one tanda for the entire night with that person you so love to dance with. Quality always outbeats quantity!Also, in Buenos Aires, it usually means something (*wink wink*) if a couple dances for more than 2 tandas.

5. Line of dance
In general, following the line of dance means dancing in an anti-clockwise direction across the dance floor. When a milonga gets crowded, there can be 2 lines - one outer and one inner circle. However,following the line of dance also literally means FOLLOWING the couple dancing in front of you such that there is no overtaking and no dancing against the line of dance (such as by taking a back step). If the couple in front of you is not moving forward, wait and enjoy the pause - Why the need to hurry when you are already rushing half day while living the hectic city life of Hong Kong? :P Also, by keeping the floor traffic in an orderly fashion, bumpings will be significantly reduced. This is a form of respect for other fellow dancers, who are trying to enjoy their tango.

6. Milonguear 

Acrobatic movements such as jumps, high boloes, ganchos etc aren't usually found in crowded milongas, for obvious reasons. "Walking is the best weapon" - Kill the lady by your walk, not by breaking her leg in a forced sacada. Ladies simply want to feel beautiful and confident, and not inadequate when being led into figures they cannot follow. So, guys, leave your newly learnt sequences to the practicas~ You will eventually be able to perfect them :) Ladies, keep your "killer heels"as close to the floor as possible. Be nice to other fellow dancers, and to your comme il fauts:)

Please do leave a comment, or questions if any. We would love to exploremore with you on any of the topics above! In the meantime, here are somerelevant links that we highly recommend for your reading,
1. On how to milonguear, taken from fellow Hong Kong milonguera, Royce Chau's blog:
"Saber Milonguear" - The obvious codes of a milonga:
http://www.loksze.com/thoughts/2008/03/26/saber-milonguear-part-1-obvious-rules-of-the-milonga-by-jean-michel-ledeur/
"Saber Milonguear" - The hidden codes of a milonga:
http://www.loksze.com/thoughts/2008/03/27/saber-milonguear-part-2-the-hidden-codes-of-the-milonga-by-jean-michel-ledeur/
Milonguear - para milongueras (How to milonguear for ladies):
http://www.loksze.com/thoughts/2008/04/14/milonguear-para-milongueras/

2. On Cabaceo - guided practica given by Javier y Andrea during theirfirst visit to HK in May 2007:
http://www.tangotang.com/Mambo/content/view/379/520/lang,en/