[Tango-A] NA-E, NA-C, NA-E: To Workshop Organizers in North America

[Tango Zen: Dance Here Now]

“Tango is a therapy that liberates the soul.” – Ricardo Vidort

Hello,
My name is Chan Park.  I am a tango dancer and instructor.  I am also author 
and publisher of the book, “Tango Zen: Walking Dance Meditation.” (January 
2005)

I have been offering TangoZen workshop around the world for more than six 
years.  Last year, for example, I offered the workshop in a number of cities 
in Europe including Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona (Spain), Riga (Latvia), La 
Fraysinette (France), Market Harborough (UK), Rome, Naples, Venice (Italy), 
Helkovice (Czech Republic), Kuopio (Finland), Split (Croatia), Lausanne 
(Switzerland), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Nürnberg (Germany).   This year the 
workshop is offered in Korea, China, India, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Latvia, 
and the U.S.A.  Details of the workshops offered this year can be found at: 
http://tangozen.com/workshopsUpcoming_new_en.htm

TangoZen is about learning to appreciate traditional tango through 
disciplines of Zen, which is synonymous to simplicity and clarity of body 
and mind. For decades dancers have discovered that learning to enjoy dancing 
requires not only physical but also mental disciplines.  TangoZen is to 
advocate and promote the traditional tango with aid of the Zen, which 
teaches us to devote 100% of our physical and mental attention to what we 
are doing Here Now.

Many tango dancers, for example, struggle to deal with an issue of 
follower’s anticipation of leader’s next movements while dancing tango.  
This issue can be easily addressed and resolved with the Zen principles such 
as awareness of presence.

Goal of the TangoZen courses is to help the students appreciate the 
tradition tango by experiencing total concentration on dancing while dancing 
Tango. To accomplish the goal, the students in the TangoZen courses are 
guided to practice a number of exercises, which are fundamental and closely 
linked to tango dance movements.  The exercises are adopted from martial 
arts such as Tai Chi and Chi Kung, and meditation techniques such as yoga.

Practicing the exercises can lead the students to be attentive of one’s body 
and mind, to recognize importance of connection with partner, to be 
sensitive to music, and to appreciate the surroundings including other 
dancers while dancing. Through the exercises repeated over time dancers can 
acquire and increase sensitivity to balance, connection, centering, and 
groundedness, and weight shifting, all of which are known critical for tango 
dancing.

I’d like to propose offering the TangoZen workshop in your area.  I believe 
the workshop will benefit the dancers in your area as indicated above. 
Listed below are some of the class subjects, which can be offered during the 
workshop.

For your consideration, I’d like to send some reference materials including 
a copy of the book, and an excerpted chapter titled “Tango Zen” from a book 
“A Passion for Tango” by David Turner in UK, and video clips of the workshop 
and dance performance. Please let me know if you're inerested in receiving 
them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincere regards,

Chan Park
Tango Zen House
http://www.TangoZen.com

===============TangoZen Workshop======================
Class 1- Warm up, “How can you dance tango without tango songs?”
Tune your ears to lively songs that will challenge you mind and body.

Class 2- First embrace, “Two Bodies, Four Legs, and One Heart”
Introducing basic concepts of posture, tango walk, and embrace through 
exercises for establishing mindfulness, and connection with one's partner 
and music.

Class 3 – First Step, “How can you dance tango without legs?”
Focus on centering, weight-shifting, walking in various patterns, and tuning 
your mind/body to different rhythms including tango, milonga, and vals.

Class 4 To be a beginner AGAIN, “In the beginner’s mind there are many 
possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. —Shunryu Suzuki”

Learn to appreciate basic tango movements by adding simple yet challenging 
variations to them.

Class 5 - Tango Walk, “Tai Chi to Tango”
Experience joy of tango movements from Tai Chi perspectives.

Friday
Class 6 –  Milonguero Style, “Releasing The Ego”
Close embrace is simple if approached properly.  This class will cover 
embrace, connection, communication, and walk to enjoy the milonguero style 
tango.

Class 7 – Ocho Cortado, “Practice, Practice, Practice”
This is THE pattern to know if you wish to dance in milongas in Buenos 
Aires. Will cover various ocho-cortados.

Class 8 - Milonga / Milonga Traspie, “Letting Go”
Milonga is not about knowing new patterns but letting go of mind and 
following flow of the music being played.

Class 9 - Tango Turns, " Turn, turn, turn like a merry-go-around "
Approach to technique of tango turn with a fun and simple way of walking

Class 10 – Tango Musicality, “Even your ears must dance.”
With brief tango music history, this class will introduce different tango 
orchestras and demonstrate how to dance to each of them.

Class 11 – Floorcraft, “Dance Here Now”
Work on techniques to navigate and dance on a crowded floor.

NOTE: TangoZen and Tango Made Simple are trademarks of Tango Zen House.


=======================================
"TangoZen is about learning to appreciate traditional tango through 
disciplines of Zen, which is synonymous to simplicity and clarity of body 
and mind. "
http://www.TangoZen.com

“Walk Here Now: Walk to Meditate, Anytime, Anywhere”
For more information, visit http://www.WalkHereNow.com