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Pohang
Tango Festival
Octobedr 26-28, 2007
Friends,
I’d like to invite you to a new tango festival to be held in the city
of Pohang, Korea, from Friday,
October 26th, to Sunday, October 28th.
The theme of the festival is to experience the feelings of tango as
they are experienced in the traditional milongas in Buenos Aires. That
means the focus of the festival will be on learning to enjoy dancing
the milonguero style rather than watching flashy performances of
others.
Program, instructors and DJ were selected to assure this theme. The
program includes 3 milongas and about 12 classes, as well as other
activities from Friday evening to Monday morning. The list of
instructors includes Alicia Pons
(Buenos Aires), Ruben Terbalca
(Buenos
Aires), and Chan Park
(Washington DC) and the DJ at the milongas will
be Carlos (Dong Woo) Lee from
Buenos Airea and Karin Betz
from Frankfurt. Information on these instructors and the
DJ is listed below.
Pohang
is located 210 miles southeast of Seoul, the capital city of
Korea. Pohang is one of the
industrial centers of Korea, with a
population of 350,000. In 1970, the establishment of Pohang Iron and
Steel Company turned Pohang
from a quiet fishing village into one of
the national economic developments to provide the nation with the
much-needed supply of steel. With the foundation of the Pohang
University of Science and Technology in 1986, Pohang presents a new
dimension to its role as a technical center of national and
international significance. For more information on Pohang, please
visit http://eng.ipohang.org.
I’d like to briefly introduce the two instructors, Alicia Pons and Ruben Terbalca from Buenos Aires.
Both of them, since their encounter with tango at an early age, have
established their background and passion for tango through their
milonga experiences. With academic background in psychology and
teaching experience at universities, they have offered numerous classes
and performances in the U.S. and Europe.
Especially in his lectures on Tango History and Tango Music History, Ruben Terbalca will offer you an
invaluable opportunity to learn more about the history of tango and
tango music through his personal collection of teaching materials such
as video clips and other media. Also, you should not miss an
opportunity to learn milonga and canyengue with him.
Among those who have taken classes with her, or had the privilege to
dance with her, Alicia Pons is
known as a person who makes a lasting impression with her feelings of
tango. I was personally impressed by her theory on the follower’s more
proactive yet compromising role while dancing tango. Through dancing
with and learning from her, leaders will have an opportunity to
understand and respond to what followers intend to convey while dancing.
Through numerous conversations with both of these instructors, over a
period of several years, I have learned the simple yet fundamental
truth that tango is a dance of feelings. As I have admired them for
their teaching activities and dancing skill, I feel privileged to
invite them to the Pohang Tango Festival this October.
For more information, visit the following addresses:
http://cafe.daum.net/potangofestival (Korean)
http://www.TangoZen.com/pohangtangofestival.htm (English)
I hope to see you in Pohang in October.
Sincerely,
Chan Park
Tango Zen House
www.TangoZen.com
tangozen@hotmail.com
Instructors
Ruben Terbalca
is a former professor at the TANGO UNIVERSITY of BUENOS AIRES, tango
historian, milonguero, choreographer, and performer. He gives his
students a unique opportunity to learn about TANGO DANCE HISTORY and
MUSIC TANGO HISTORY (video lectures), as well as teaching methodology,
canyengue style, social dance, show dance, professional dance,
etc.
Ruben started
dancing in 1956. He has performed, choreographed, and lectured about
tango for over 30 years. His knowledge and skills have been
internationally acclaimed. Four investigative works on the history and
literature of tango were written by him and published between 1987 and
1990. In 1987 he opened a tango dance school. He was a professor at The
Tango University between 1993 and 1996. Since 1995 he has been invited
to Holland, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Iceland and the US,
as a tango instructor, lecturer, performer, writer, and choreographer.
Ruben Terbalca
wrote the following works on the history and literature of tango:
- 1987: “Enrique Santos
Discépolo: Finally, who cares about life?! (“Enrique Santos
Discépolo: ¡total, la vida qué importe!”
(Co-author: Oscar Conde).
- 1988: “A Subjective, Unfair
and Partial History of Tango” (“Subjetiva, injusta y parcial historia
del tango”).
- 1989: “Things of the Black
in Tango and Milonga” (“Cosas de negros en el Tango y la Milonga”).
- 1990; “Her Majesty the
Milonga” (“Su majestad la Milonga”), Co-author: Oscar del Priore.
Alicia
Pons
is an elegant and accomplished dancer with a refined technique and
distinctive personality. Her ability to imbue the role of the woman
with verve and style has made her one of the most sought after female
partners in the milongas of Buenos Aires. And, she wows her tango
partners here in the US when she visits.
She is most noted for her footwork and sensual seduction, which are
done with humor and decorum. She exemplifies presence in the dance, and
this is a focus in her teaching for both men and women.
As a teacher, Alicia emphasizes the connection with one’s partner, and
in particular the woman’s ability to not just follow, but to be an
equal protagonist in the dance. She is a very warm and caring person
who loves to share her knowledge.
Alicia was trained in classical ballet from an early age and as a young
woman performed in some of Buenos Aires’ most famous theaters such as
the Colón, the Coliseo, and the Alvear. She was later introduced
to tango, and her first teacher was Graciela Gonzalez, whose women’s
technique has shaped her tango footwork. But Alicia gravitated toward
the milonguero style and her first inspiration and male teacher in that
style was Tete Rusconi, one of the most renowned milongueros of his
generation.
She taught a number of years with Cacho Dante, with whom she has
performed at the Teatro San Martin as part of the City of Buenos Aires
Tango Festival. Alicia has been teaching both private and group classes
on her own for the last few years, and has also become a very popular
visiting instructor on the U.S. Argentine tango workshop circuit.
Alicia’s teaching methods are grounded in her academic training. She
holds a degree in Educational Science and Psychology, and is currently
an instructor for university level education students. In addition to
this she teaches tango, raises her two sons, and runs her family real
estate business.
Chan
Park is
an innovative and adventurous tango dance instructor. He has made it
his quest to promote traditional tango for pleasure and inner peace. In
2005 Chan published "Tango Zen: Walking Dance Meditation". For years he
has offered workshops and week-long retreats in Europe, Asia, North and
South America.
DJ
Carlos (Dong Woo) Lee is
a native Korean and
residence of Buenos Aires. He started tango in Korea several
years ago and is pursuing his tango music career in Buenos Aires.
He is DJ of milonga organized by Plaza Bohemia in Buenos Aires.
Karin Betz,
from Frankfurt, Germany, is a well-known DJ. The quality of her music
selection has long been appreciated in tango festival circles in
Europe. She is a PhD candidate in Asian Studies. |
Festival Event
Schedule*
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Date
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Time
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Event
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Faculty
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Title
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26-Oct
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Fri
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21:00-1:00
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Milonga 1
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Carlod/
Karin
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27-Oct
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Sat
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10:00-11:15
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Class 1
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Chan
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all
levels/First Embrace: Introducing basic concepts of posture, tango
walk, and embrace through exercises for establishing mindfulness, and
connection with one's partner and music.
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11:30-12:45
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Class 2
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Alicia
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beginner/Walking
the tango: Using your energy and intention, with emphasis on posture,
embrace, step quality.
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13:00-14:15
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Class 3
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Alicia
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beginner/Crossing:
Going to this signature step in TANGO from A walk or in place with
greater BODY control.
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14:30-15:45
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Class 4
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Alicia
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advanced
beginner: Milonga Milonguero: DANCE Milonga like THE milongueros &
milongueras in BUENOS Aires. Use OF amagues, dancing in crowded spaces.
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16:00-17:30
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Class 5
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Ruben
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all
levels/LECTURE/TANGO APILADO: Introduction to THE feeling
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17:30-19:00
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Class 6
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Ruben
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all
levels/LECTURE/HISTORY OF THE TANGO DANCE AS A POPULAR DANCE in BUENOS
AIRES
(1860Ñ1960)
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21:00-3:00
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Milonga 2
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Carlos/
Karin
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28-Oct
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Sun
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10:00-11:15
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Class 7
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Chan
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all
levels/Tai Chi to Tango Walk: Experience joy of tango movements from
Tai Chi perspectives.
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11:30-12:45
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Class 8
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Alicia
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intermediate/Stop
steps: Creative variations when THE
line OF DANCE halts. Use OF rhythm steps (amague or fakes) that can go
from TANGO to milonga.
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13:00-14:15
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Class 9
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Alicia
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intermediate/Tango
is Connecting: Being light and elegant as a follower, being sure in
your step as a leader.
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14:30-15:45
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Class 10
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Ruben
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FROM THE
TANGO KNOWLWDGE TO THE MILONGA, FOR EVERYBODY. INTRODUCTION step by
stepÑVERY SIMPLE STEPS PLAYING ON THE BEATS
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16:00-17:15
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Class 11
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Ruben
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all
levels/CANYENGUE FUNDAMENTALS: EMBRACE, CONNECTION and SOUL
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17:30-19:00
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Class 12
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Ruben
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all
levels/LECTURE/HISTORY OF THE TANGO MUSIC AS A POPULAR EXPRESION (TILL
1960)
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21:00-2:00
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Milonga 3
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Carlos/
Karin
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*subject to change
without prior notice
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