What You MUST know
Prerequisite
Completed Intermediate Tango Course (all three cycles) or a good understanding of giros and molinete patterns is required. You need to know the “what’s” and “how to” of molinete, giros to left and right, and be able to comfortably change the direction of turn on forward and back crosses. The basic understanding of sacadas, barridas, boleos, ganchos, volcadas, colagadas and alterations is a definite advantage. Don’t know it? – please work on it while waiting for the next edition to start.
Vals vocabulary
Steps are Not important. Steps are Very important. Contradictory. And confusing… Steps are visualization of what you know and what you understand. At some point, you will know so many steps, combinations, and sequences that you forget to think in them, forget that you need them, and you just start talking Milonga / Tango / Vals. Three dialects that you need to know.
Yes. There will be a lot of combinations and variations of those very combinations that make Vals look like Vals.
Vals musicality
We will discuss, re-discuss, and discuss some more structure of Vals, affixed 1-2-3 rhythm, repetitive parts, Vals criollo versus Vals cruzado, double time emphasizing accent on TWO or THREE in patterns and timing, changes in timing based on phrases, cadencia, phrasing of Vals and more. We recommend a great read, ‘Lets dance to the music!’ by Joaquin Amenabar.
What’s the purpose?
To be able to enjoy Vals, as it is probably the most cheerful and sweetly swirling from the three genres.
To join the elite of those who dance all 3 genres, not just tango. To make the Boston Tango Community better as a whole and perceived as well-rounded, well-educated, and simply great dancers. You already speak tango comfortably. Now is the time to venture into Vals.
From zero to hero
We promise people WILL notice that you have taken this course. And once this happens – you are on the way to your transformation. You will leave this course enlighten. ***You are welcome to take Vals Class as many times as you wish. You will find out that each time will bring new insights that you were not ready for the time before. Plus, you also learn a new vocabulary each and every time. Remember – when you are ready, the teacher, the opportunity, the whatever you waiting for - will appear. Work on your readiness.
Drop in at your own risk!
Vals Course is designed as a progressive series of classes. In every class, a new subject is introduced, based on the assumption that everyone already has a good understanding and sufficient practice of what was introduced in previous classes. Frop-ins are, therefore, tricky. If you cannot commit, we recommend – to your own benefit (and courtesy to those who can commit) to work through private lessons where you can work at your own speed and your own schedule.
As you can see from those few clips from the previous year's edition of Vals classes - the sequences are not that complicated yet … getting quite involved. We do spend some time reviewing the structure and lead for specific moves, but in general, we are assuming you already do know and do understand, and so the main focus is on … Vals.