ABOUT US
The event
Welcome to the Abrazos Tango Festival! My name is Mariela Franganillo and I’m the artistic director of the Festival.
With the help of master teachers, dancers, and musicians, I hope to bring to life the picture of rich possibilities offered by Argentine culture, dance, and music.
Simply performing steps is not enough. Connecting with your partner and the music is where the art of tango truly lies. I have found that technique is a way to get there, but not the end result in itself, and in this festival you will have the opportunity to experience all three of these critical elements.
Tradition looks not only back, but also forward in the hope of continuation. Sharing the tradition of tango means, in part, sharing its timelessness.
During the Festival we will glance back at the tango and witness—workshops, milongas, and performances—its evolution into our modern moment.
Tango’s timelessness manifests itself not only through the music that is as alive today as it was over a hundred years ago, but also through aspects of the dance.
The embrace, the connection created by way of the embrace, and the improvisation made possible after a connection has been established, all render the dance truly timeless—a forever living artform that cuts not only through time, but also through social structures.
Tango’s capacity to connect two people in a moment of total engagement transcends both historical and cultural boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Role Balance
You do not need a partner to sign up. We will role-balance the classes so that everybody always has a partner to dance with.
We will rotate partners, but you may stay with your own partner if you prefer.
In the event more leaders or more followers sign up for a particular level/day, we may have to temporarily suspend or close registration for the overrepresented role for that class.
We recommend partners to sign up at the same time while the class is still open for both roles, in order to avoid one of them being locked out of a class.
Once a class is full for your role, it really is full: you can no longer sign up for it regardless of whether or not you have a partner.
There is a 24 hour grace period in the following situation: as long as one partner signs up before the class is closed to the other role and puts the other partner’s name in their form, and the other partner signs up and pays less than 24 hours after the first partner, you will both be assured of a spot.
Cancellation Policy
If you test positive with COVID or have cold symptoms, please be responsible and stay home. Send in a PCR test and we will be happy to roll over your credit fully to a future event. If a friend wants to take over your spot, please write to Mariela and we will adjust the registration. You must write from the email you used for registration.
Covid-19 Protocols
Health:
Please stay home if you have a positive test or cold symptoms (see cancellation policy for details).
We thank each and every one of you for helping Abrazos Tango Festival to be a healthy, safe, and memorable experience. Masks are optional but not required, however we recommend that those traveling take extra precautions with masks and tests to avoid getting sick.
Vaccination
We require participants to be fully vaccinated. Official vaccination document to be submitted on the registration form. Your registration is not valid without vaccine documentation in your name. Thank you.
Testing
For everyone’s safety and peace of mind, we will require testing in one of 2 ways:
– A PCR test within 48 hours from the initial check-in.
OR
– A RAPID TEST within 24 hours of check-in. If the rapid test is done at home, a selfie of yourself next to the negative result and a proper photo time stamp (eg against screen with today’s newspaper with date) will need to be submitted. BRING your TEST RESULT and ID when you come to check in at the door.
What to Bring
Your warm embraces and bright smiles! Beyond that we just ask that you please bring a reusable water bottle to help cut down on plastic cups! There will be a full bar on premise, so please no BYOB.
Safety
Please exercise reasonable caution during your stay in NYC. As with other large cities, there has been an uptick in crime. There is no cause for undue alarm, but we want to remind those from out of town to pay attention to your surroundings while out and about in the city. Late at night we recommend walking with others to the train if possible.
Milonga Etiquette
The Invitation
The invitation to dance comes by way of eye contact. It is a polite, subtle and secret question between the potential partners.
The leader makes eye contact to gauge the follower´s interest; the follower responds in one of two ways: either with her eyes and a slight nod of the head to indicate she accepts, or with a polite look away that says “no” while it also keeps open the possibility of a future invitation; if the invitation is accepted from a distance, the leader should walk around the dance floor, make a more formal invitation, and introduce himself.
A tanda is a full set of dances, usually 4; it is broken by a cortina, which is then followed by another tanda, and so on. As a leader, if you are a stranger to a potential dance partner whom you would nonetheless like to ask for a dance, you might eait for the third tango in the tanda, so that you will be obliged only to two dances before the cortina. Similary, as a follower, if you don´t wish to dance full set, avoid eye contact until the third tango of a tanda.
The Dance
During the dance, allow your partner to determine the distance of the embrace, and you will look find a mutually comfortable one.
Never “teach” your partner anything during a milonga!
When you don´t want another dance, say “thank you” politely.
If you intend to dance another tanda, it´s a good idea to create conversation during the cortina, while you wait on the dance floor for the next set.
Remember you´re dancing for both you partner and you, for your mutual pleasure.
Communicate through the dance, never with verbal language. Speak tango!
Artist Cancellation Policy
Given the uncertain nature of these times, we reserve the right to replace artists as needed. Any cancellations will be announced as soon as possible, and great care will be taken to bring another amazing artist to work with us in their place.
