Background to Tango del Alma...
The Tango del Alma dance school was established in 2001 by Mr Neville Waisbrod.
- Neville taught regular classes over the subsequent 17 years and established a very strong reputation in his home town of Wellington, as well as throughout New Zealand, Australia, and in many overseas cities where he has been a popular teacher.
- His focus on respect for the dance, for your partner, and for the dance floor, through his personal dance style, and his legendary etiquette lessons, has made him a very special and respected teacher, friend and mentor.
At the end of 2018 Neville retired from active teaching.
He passes the ownership and management of the dance school to Craig and Regine Barkwith,
who he started to teach in 2008.
Craig and Regine have been teaching tango at Tango del Alma since 2013, under Neville's guidance and support.
The 2019 teaching team has 6 teachers.
We have all had a different tango journey, and we all teach slightly differently.
These differences are what make us stronger as a team.
All of us have been influenced by the guidance and teaching style of Tango del Alma, and all have travelled to Buenos Aires for further tango experiences and tango masterclasses.
We all subscribe to the mantra….
* Be generous
* Be humble
* Be respectful
The Team of teachers from Tango del Alma will continue to teach the traditional style of tango that has been danced socially in the crowded dance halls of Buenos Aires for more than 80 years.
The single biggest influence on the teaching style of the team has been the well-renowned international dancer and teacher, Alicia Pons from Buenos Aires. Alicia has travelled to NZ multiple times to teach at the NZ Tango Festival, and Tango del Alma also bought her independently to NZ in October 2016.
There are several different styles of tango. Our preferred style of tango is called 'milonguero style', a phrase coined by another Argentine teacher and tango historian Susana Miller.
The dance is small, simple and sensual, with the emphasis on the embrace, connection with your partner, connection with the whole dance floor, and connection with the music.
It's a close embrace dance.
What we do:
* Group classes to teach the art of social dancing, at St Marks School Hall on Tuesday evenings.
* Private classes, or small group classes, in our private studio, if you want to kick start your tango journey.
* Regular social dances, (milongas) instead of our regular Tuesday night classes, (see the calendar)
* Weekly free Thursday lunchtime milongas
Famous Quote from a follower:
JSallyCat:
Please, just for me, forget the steps... Hold me, feel the music, and give me your soul. Then I can give you mine.
Please, just for me, forget the steps... Hold me, feel the music, and give me your soul. Then I can give you mine.