Jose Garofalo arrives in Portland on March 11th: get ready! As I have said before, Jose has been my teacher since the 1990s, when I wandered into his milonga class in Buenos Aires on a hot tip from a friend. I learn so much from him every time I take a lesson or workshop! A friend of his in Buenos Aires told me she thinks he is a national treasure, and I agree: he has studied with so many masters and can transform his movement into the style of those dancers. He is a wizard of physical memory, able to bring back to life talented dancers who no longer dance with us in person.
On top of that, Jose was part of the group in the 1990s who explored and created “Nuevo Tango” and has performed for decades. On top of that, he is one of the only men I know who can dance credibly in heels and has performed in Buenos Aires as a lead and a follow; in traditional, Nuevo and performance art styles. If that’s not enough, he is also a talented painter.
He will not be performing this year unfortunately, but you can see him dancing last year here. He is a madcap performer, always tuning in to the music and interacting with his partner playfully. When I dance with him, I never know what is going to happen. There is no plan—it’s all improvised. Instead of practicing for hours together, he sent me off with three songs (of which two were completely new to me) and had me listen to them all week before getting on the dance floor. After our three dances, as I walked off the floor, someone told me that what they liked best about the performances was that they gave the dancer permission to play and experiment, not to try to be perfect, but to really dance. That’s Jose for you!
Workshops
Jose’s workshops will focus on the style and sequences of three tango masters: Tete Rusconi, Pupi Castello and Omar Vega. They are no longer with us, but I had the honor to study with all three of them in the 1990s. Come explore their dance, how it fits into the fabric of tango, and how you can develop your moves and style and incorporate this information into YOUR dance.
Jose is a relaxed, gentle, fun teacher who offers danceable, useful moves for the social dance floor. We will review the workshops in the month after the workshops, so it won’t be a “one time and now I forget” kind of weekend. You can count on Jose to take your dance up to the next level. Come join us for some fun!
Workshop schedule:
March 13th (Thursday) 7-9 PM, $35, Shabu Studios. Part I of the three-part series.
March 14th (Friday) 5:30-6:30, $15, Norse Hall upstairs. Stand-alone class.
March 15th (Saturday) Noon-2 PM, $35, Shabu Studios, Part II of the three-part series.
March 15th (Saturday) 2 PM-4 PM, $35, Shabu Studios, Part II of the three-part series.
March 15th (Saturday) 7:30-8:30 PM, Tango Berretin, drop-in beginners lesson before the milonga.
March 16th (Sunday) 6-8 PM, $50, Shabu Studios, ADVANCED COUPLES class building on the three-part series from Thursday and Saturday. Bring a partner.
Workshop pass (excluding Berretin): $140 for everything! You can register here, or pay at the door to Elizabeth.
Private lessons
Private lessons will be at 4315 NE Garfield Ave. Contact Elizabeth to schedule at ewartluf@gmail.com or on the contact form. Prices are as follows:
$150/hour or 4 hours/$500.
If you are taking the workshops with Jose, the price is $140/hr.
If you are taking the workshops AND you studied privately with Jose last year, the price is $130/hr.
You can pay Jose directly for private lessons. If you sign up for a lesson time, you are responsible for paying for that slot. The price is the same for one person or for a couple.
DJ
Jose will DJ at Las Naifas on March 14th. He plays a mix of traditional bands, as well as new bands playing traditional music. There may be a set or two of more experimental music towards the end of the night—it’s up to Jose!