2016 Missoula Tango Marathon - Info

Submitted by patrick on

A regional tango gathering. With six milongas, three technique classes, live tango music, a mixer, and men's and women's socials!

Join the Event on Facebook and get regular updates.

This weekend will be lots of dancing, some great connecting with tango friends and community, and four classes taught by regional instructors. Classes will build on each other and will be focused on aspects of connection and will be appropriate for all levels.

Guest DJ's from around the region will be crafting the music for the milongas.

All events (almost) are at the Downtown Dance Collective - 121 W. Main  -  See Map.

Interested in offering housing to out of town guests - or needing housing while you're here? Contact Patrick!

Interested in volunteering during the weekend? Add your name to the sign-up sheet here.

Note: This is also graduation weekend for the University of Montana. So, if you are wanting to get a hotel room Contact Patrick! for some hotel rooms we have reserved. You will need to get these rooms early!

Also, we will be having our socials again this year. These provide an opportunity to talk and connect with other dancers of the same gender/role about whatever it is you want!

Schedule:

Friday

6:00 - 7:15 - Class 1 of 3 - Three Aspects of Connection  • Taught by Joni Roco - Arizona

7:30 - 8:30 - Mixer - Fun dancing and games to get to know the other dancers. - Facilitated by Patrick Marsolek & Lori Mitchell, Missoula
                    There will be door prizes for attendes!

9:00 - 1:00 - Welcoming Milonga • Theme: Bright Colors • DJ - Tommy Smith, Boise, ID

Saturday

12:30 - 1:45 - Class 2 of 3 - Improving your connection with your partner through music  • Taught by David and Lucia  - Idaho Falls, ID

2:00 - 3:15 - Separate Women's and Men's Socials - This separate workshops will focus on the women's/men's role in tango, with some technique, some Q & A on etiquette and social codes in tango, personal experiences and challenges and will include some snacks and drinks. This is a great opportunity to connect with others of your gender, socialize and share your experiences.
Women's social is above the DDC studio in "The Loft". Men's social is next door to the East in the Engineering building.

2:00 - 3:15 - Practica - In the DDC studio.

3:30 - 6:30 - Alternative Milonga • DJ, Rebekah Mitchell - Portland

8:00 - 9:00 - Introductory tango class. - taught by Lisa Ronald and Rob Gallimore - Missoula

9:00 - 1:00 - Grand Milonga • Theme: Black and White • DJ, Joni Roco, Arizona
      Special Event! We have 7 tandas of live music by Tango Sensación.

1:15 - 4:00 (?) - Late, Late Milonga • Extra food and snacks will be available! • DJ, Buell Whitehead - Missoula

Sunday

Noon - 1:30 - Music Jam - Cancelled! Ok, we will get to sleep in Sunday morning!

1:45 - 3:00 - Class 3 of 3 - The First Connection in Tango.  Exploring Center of Mass in Relation to Unusual Connection Points • Taught by Katherine Miller -  Bozeman, MT

3:15 - 6:00 - Afternoon Milonga - (A 50/50 mix of traditional and alternative.) DJ - Lauren Coleman, Bozeman, MT

6:00 - 8:00 - Potluck BBQ - At Krys and Vince's house: 615. N. Davis St.

8:00 - 11:00 or ???- Closing Milonga - (Mostly Traditional) - DJ - Lloyd Hausam, Spokane, WA

All Weekend

There will be a clothing exchange running through the weekend. So, bring your tango clothes and shoes to sell! If you have questions, contact Lori Mitchell.

Interested in participating in the Tango Jam? Contact Contact Patrick.

Other questions? Contact Patrick.

 

 

Registration - Pay at the door!

  

Whole weekend, all events -  $120

  

Whole weekend, all events - Student rate - $90
Must show current I.D. at registration

  

Milonga Pass - $75

Includes all six milongas, socials, mixer and music jam.

  

Milonga Pass - Student Rate - $45

Includes all six milongas, socials, mixer and music jam.

  

Class Pass - $45

Includes all three connection classes, and Grand milonga, socials, mixer and music jam.

  
Individual Class - $15  

Individual Class -  Student rate - $8

Must show current I.D. at registration

  
Grand Milonga with Live Music - $15  
Grand Milonga with Live Music - Student Rate - $10  

Individual Milonga, Social, and music Jam. - $12

  

Individual Milonga, Social, and music Jam - Student rate - $8
Must show current I.D. at registration

  
   

 

About the DJ's, Teachers and Musicians:
  • Tango Sensación. Tango quartet from Helena, Mt. They will be coming from just playing for the TangoHelena Uprising in April. We're So excited to have live tango music in Montana! They are:  Phil Robison bandoneon and vocals, Ellie Parker violin, Ruth Stuart-Anderson piano, and Chuck Porte, bass.
     
  • Lauren Coleman - Bozeman, MT. Lauren, the owner of Have Fun Dancing studio in Bozeman has been offering Tango classes since 1995. She has studied extensively in Buenos Aires and from over a hundred Argentine masters at workshops in major US cities and in Europe at festivals such as the Chicago Int’l Tango Congress, Stanford Tango,  CITA , Tango Fireworks, Denver Tango Fest, Portland Tango Fest, Mantova Tango Fest and specialized workshops such as Tango Learning and Joaquin Amenabar's Musicality for Dancers. Over years of teaching the tango and frequent trips to Argentina, she has developed a unique organic and musical approach to this complex dance. 
     
  • Katherine Miller - Bozeman, MT. Katherine discovered Argentine Tango in 1998.  Her background includes various martial arts and competitive fencing and she draws from these art forms to create a holistic, both analytical and intuitive approach to tango.  While attending college in 2000 she founded various dance troupes and clubs including the first MSU Argentine Tango Club.  She taught the first tango steps to some well known dancers on the scene today.  Currently, her passion is filling the role of professor at MSU teaching Argentine Tango since 2012.  Katherine's approach to tango is a focus on the Four Connections of tango in relation to the centers of gravity at play with the geometry underlying it's movement.  Co-founder of Bozeman Tango and partner to Chris Heroux since 2010, she hopes to continue to grow and inspire new dancers in Bozeman and elsewhere so they can experience and expound on the creativity and human-mind-body-sound connection that Argentine Tango uniquely offers.
     
  • Rebekah Mitchell - Portland, OR. Rebekah's first venture into Argentine Tango came in 2007 when she discovered the Tango Club at her high school in Portland, OR,  under the guidance of Robert Hauk. After graduating and pursuing her first degree, she returned to Portland in 2012 and has been a consistent part of the Portland community ever since. For the last two years, she has regularly hosted and DJed the Wednesday Tango alternative event. For Rebekah, the most important factor in what makes good alternative music good is that it creates a relatable dance experience for dancers of all experience levels, whether the music is familiar or not. Good alternative tracks are similar in structure to traditional Tango music and should also be similar in their ability to evoke an emotional response which we, as dancers, translate into movement. Rebekah’s goal over the course of an event is to stay connected to the dancers and play only the music they need to have a great time.
     
  • Patrick Marsolek - Missoula, MT.  Since Patrick first tasted tango in 2005, he’s attended seminars, festivals and has studied with many of the modern ‘masters’ of tango from the United States, Europe and Argentina. He's been twice to Argentina to experience the rich culture of tango and study from the Porteños. He’s one of the founding members of TangoHelena, and is dedicated to promoting the tango and the culture of the dance in Central Montana and has taught tango since 2007. He’s shared tango in schools, retirement communities, workplace Christmas parties, private groups and individual lessons. Currently Patrick is working on building the tango community in Missoula and Western Montana with his wife Lori Mitchell, and the tango dance team - a group of the tango 'regulars'. 
     
  • Lucia Petkovic and David Caputto - David and Lucia discovered their passion for tango after moving from Argentina to Idaho in 2003. They have promoted the diffusion of this dance in southeastern Idaho and western Wyoming since 2008 and are currently teaching tango workshops once a month in Jackson, WY. Lucia's formal education in music and David's practical approach are successfully combined in their classes to help dancers to develop their individual styles through integration of embrace, posture, and musicality.
     
  • Joni Roco - Joni teaches, DJs, and performs Argentine Tango and Blues/Fusion. She's worked in Sacramento, Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City, Tucson, University of Arizona, Portland State University and other locations. Her focus on connection and intention to create fluidity in the dance follows from studying with Lizelot de Stigter. She brings this focus into her selection of music.
     
  • Tommy Smith - Boise, ID. Tommy discovered tango with his dance partner/girlfriend Christian in early 2012. Since then his love for Argentine tango has grown into an obsession as he seeks ever increasing depths of knowledge. Tommy brings his analytic and organized teaching style into the tango classroom, striving to present concepts that both reinforce each other organically and are accessible to students of all levels. He teaches comfortable and connected social tango, emphasizing versatility, thoughtfulness, and musicality. With over 2 years of tango teaching experience, Tommy has taught in multiple locations around Boise, including weekly beginner lessons, group progressive series, and student club classes at Boise State University. Tommy also has a passion for DJing, as he believes great music with varying energy is key to great social dancing. To educate and motivate beginning DJs, progressing DJs, and those interested in tango music, he offers semi-regular DJ workshops.