Tango in the Spring: 5-8 October 2012 Canberra Australia

2008: Are you wondering where to stay in Canberra?

We’re putting together some information on accommodation options. … more

2008: Canberra

Canberra is a delight in Spring. There are some lovely places to visit and some good places to eat. Here are some suggestions for you.

Also, if you use Facebook, we have set up a group on Facebook where you can post info about Canberra for other attendees, organise tandom social events and of course invite more people. See TISP on Facebook. If you’re not a Facebook member it’s easy to join, so join up!

Places to eat

Dinner

Too many to mention! There are plenty of options if you can find your way to the city centre (Civic), Kingston, Manuka or Dickson. Some of our Tango Social Club of Canberra members recommend:

• Alanya – the family restaurant of local tango teacher Serkan of TengoTango, serves yummy Turkish food if you want an indulgence.
• Kingsland Vegetarian Restaurant – for vegos interested in trying mock meat…
• Courgette – pretty speccy food with a price tag to match but some of the best food in Canberra, you could also try out its sister restaurants of Aubergine or Sabayon.
• Dickson Asian Noodle House does cheap yummy noodles and great laksas for a bite to eat before dancing.
• L’unico – beautiful Italian food by a two-star Michelin chef

Brekky

• Silo Bakery for great bread, pastries and cheese.
• Tilleys Devine – a Canberra icon, nice spacious but cosy atmosphere and food all day.
• Smokehouse Café at Poacher’s Pantry – indulge yourself with lovely setting and wonderful smoked food (25 minutes from Canberra’s CBD, but well worth the drive!).

Other indulgences

• Kokoblack – imported from Melbourne but now a Canberra favourite for chocolate lovers.
• Bruno’s Truffels – a local chocolate haunt, bit out of the way, but worth it if you like truffels and while you’re there you can try their breads and pastries too.
• Afternoon Tea in the Tea Lounge at the Hyatt Hotel – check out the gorgeous and historic building that houses the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra and stay for a decadent high tea.

Food with a view

• Alto – revolving restaurant atop Black Mountain with great views across Canberra.
• The Boat House by the Lake – expensive but lovely restaurant right on Lake Burley Griffin.
• The Yacht Club – for a cheaper option on the other side of the Lake try the Canberra Southern Corss Club’s lakeside location.
• Australian National Botanic Gardens – eat at the cafe or wander the gardens and find any number of beautiful spots to enjoy a picnic.

Places to visit

For wine lovers

Canberra has a range of wineries within easy driving distance of the city, here’s some to consider:

• Hall region, 20 minutes from the city centre. Brindabella Hills Winery, Surveyors Hill Winery, and Pankhurst Wines all offer breathtaking views of the Brindabella Mountains.
• Try Yarrh Wines on the first Sunday of every month for food, matching wine and live music set in the bush.
• Explore the Urban Wine Trail, a self-guided touring route that includes Pialligo Estate Wines and Mount Majura Vineyard which also has a cellar showcase exhibition by artist including painting, sculpture, photography, and installation.
• Check out local wine festivals including the Murrumbateman Moving Feast and the Canberra International Riesling Challenge, both on in October.

Big attractions

• Australian War Memorial
• National Museum of Australia
• Parliament House
• National Gallery of Australia
• Old Parliament House
• Questacon

October events

• Floriade (13 Sep – 12 Oct): Australia’s celebration of spring, transforms Canberra’s Commonwealth Park into a tapestry of colour every year. Over a million colourful bulbs and annuals bloom on cue, creating a vibrant display unrivalled by any other event of its kind. Enjoy lively entertainment, food and crafts.
• Conflux: a speculative fiction convention.

2008 Tango in the Spring website launched

Welcome to Tango in the Spring! At last, the website is up!

… more

2008: Contact us…

Tango in the Spring is a project of the Tango Social Club of Canberra, a non-profit association.

A group of us from the Club — Yuko, Tim (Chanop), Gary, Sophie and Josh  – thought it would be a good idea to have a festival where the focus is on just getting together with people from other places, and dancing tango.

We’ve got volunteer DJs from other cities, and a whole bunch of people from Canberra will be helping during the festival.

Maybe Tango in the Spring could be in your city next year?

—

Tango Social Club of Canberra Incorporated
Registered Association Number: A04223
Australian Business Number (ABN):  34 778 985 483
GPO Box 2740
Canberra ACT 2601

Tango in the Spring
info@tangointhespring.org.au
phone 0400 591 092

2008: DJs

Good quality music is at the heart of tango. Tango in the Spring will have excellent tango music at all our milongas and the practica. We have invited tango DJs from around the country, who will create their individual mixes of the tango music you love, to make each event unique. We’re looking forward to seeing where Tim, Jarny, Lisa and Tony will take us! From the sparse rhythms of early Canaro, the odd syncopations of Biagi, the smooth but powerful di Sarli tangos, the driving valses of Laurenz, though to the dramatic orchestrations of Pugliese – everything from the “Golden Age” of tango music – plus some added spice selected from more recent recordings, neo-tango, tango electronica, and non-tango music, they will craft nights to remember.

And at the practica, Josh will select tango music in a good mix of styles to make your practice fun and musical.

Many thanks to all our DJs for being part of Tango in the Spring!

Tony Armocida

Tony is a Melbourne tango DJ.

And some questions:

What first made you interested in Tango DJing? Selfishness. I just wanted to dance to the music I like.

What do you like best about DJing? I get to listen to the music I like, very loudly.

What do you consider when selecting music to play? I try to give all the major orchestras a tanda during the night.

What music won’t you play at a milonga? Chacarera and salsa.

What’s your worst DJing experience? Playing the chacarera and salsa.

How much do you dance when you DJ? It depends, but I’d like to keep it to a minimum.

And finally, do you have a favourite tango? Anything by Troilo with Marino.

Chanop Silpa-Anan (Tim)

Tim started DJing in Canberra six years ago and has significantly contributed to the musical knowledge and appreciation of the Canberra tango community during that time. As one of Canberra’s most popular DJs, Tim regularly DJs for the Tango Social Club of Canberra and is an occasional guest DJ at Club de Tango’s Friday night milonga in Glebe, Sydney. He was also both host and DJ for Canberra’s weekly milonga ‘Tango Tostado’ for five years.

Tim estimates he has 400-500 tango CDs dominated by classic tango including D’Arienzo, Pugliese, Di Sarli, Troilo, D’Agostino, Tanturi and Biagi. He also has some more unusual tango like later Golden Age tango from the 50s, 60s and 70s, Piazolla and music from the modern orchestras. He has a soft spot for Pedro Laurenz, D’Agostino/Vargas even though they are a less frequent visitor to his turntable.

We reckon Tim is also the best dressed tanguero in Australia renown for his impeccable suits, polished shoes and swanky hats. He’s easy to spot!

And some questions:

What first made you interested in tango DJing? Out of necessity (Tim was the first person who started proper DJing in Canberra).

What do you like best about DJing? I like many things about it, but firstly being able to dance to the music I like. Also I enjoy playing with people’s mood and keeping people on the floor despite their fatigue by playing irresistible music.

What do you consider when selecting music to play? To make my friends and people I know get up and dance.

What music won’t you play at a milonga? I don’t play the music I don’t like. Other than that, it all depends on the occasion.

What’s your worst DJing experience? One time at a milonga I was DJing, someone came and asked me “Could you play D’Arienzo for me next?” My answer… “??? I’ve just played D’Arienzo!”. Well, I don’t know it qualifies as the ‘worst’, it was certainly a fairly annoying moment for a DJ!

How much do you dance when you DJ? Depends on the night, I dance from a couple of tandas to half the night.

And finally, do you have a favourite tango? Isla de Capri by Osvaldo Fresedo and Roberto Ray.

Jarny Choi

Jarny started dancing tango a decade ago, and started DJing when he began organising tango events in Melbourne from 2002. Since then his DJ experiences include weekly practicas that he ran for six years, and special events such as the outdoor milongas at the Botanic Garden and the Gala night milonga of 2005 Australian Tango Festival.

As a DJ, his main aim is to build up the energy on the dancefloor so that dancers can experience the emotional connection that tango offers. To this end he focuses a lot on the dynamics and the sequences of the tandas. He mostly uses well known pieces in his tandas.

Jarny has also recently had an addition to his family with a new baby having recently arrived. Yet he still has time for tango!

And some questions:

What first made you interested in tango DJing? By lamenting a lack of properly DJed local milongas years ago and wanting to make a difference.

What do you like best about DJing? Seeing dancers ‘force’ themselves back on the floor despite tiredness.

What do you consider when selecting music to play? The dynamic of the tanda and how it fits into the current mood.

What music won’t you play at a milonga? Poor, difficult-to-dance-to versions of famous pieces.

What’s your worst DJing experience? Perhaps when I accidentally pressed the wrong button during a tanda at a recent milonga so that 50 people dancing had to start again to the same song.

How much do you dance when you DJ? Not very much, as I’m too concerned about the DJing to fully enjoy my dancing.

And finally, do you have a favourite tango? It changes. Currently it may be Biagi’s El Recodo.

Joshua Blackman

Josh has been DJing for two years. He has Dj’d for TengoTango, the Tango Social Club of Canberra and at Tango Tostado. He was DJ for the Tango Synergy/TSCC joint event at Bundanoon in 2007 and for their forthcoming 2008 event.

His CD collection is broad with a focus on the core of Golden Age tango. Josh’s taste in music is diverse, ranging from lyrical Di Sarli, playful Canaro milongas to, occasionally, challenging Piazzolla.

And some questions:

What first made you interested in tango DJing? A desire to learn more about the music I was dancing to, and a frustration at the lack of variety in music that was often played.

What do you like best about DJing? When you get it right, seeing dancers’ experience the emotional rush at the end of the tanda at the peak of the night.

What do you consider when selecting music to play? I try and maintain the connection between the DJ (ie. the music) and the energy of the dancers while upping the ante to a climax. It’s a constant feedback mechanism and involves many factors such as “is the music danceable by most?”, “are the dancers receptive to this music?”, “is the music good?” and “is there enough variety between this tanda and the next?”.

What music won’t you play at a milonga? Anything which is extremely difficult to dance to and/or does not fix with the energy of the room. Other than that, there are no rules. If people are having a good time, then you’ve got them hooked and from there you are free to experiment.

What’s your worst DJing experience? Sometimes you put together a tanda at home and you think it will be just fine, but at the milnoga it doesn’t work and you realise everyone in the room feels the same way. Live and learn!

How much do you dance when you DJ? Here and there, but it depends on how the night is going. If the audience and the DJ are on the same wavelength there is less thought required and you can more often follow your gut instinct. When the audience is not with you, more thought is required and I would probably not dance as much

And finally, do you have a favourite tango? It of course depends which moment you are asking. But ‘Nada’ by Di Sarli and ‘Milonga Tres’ by Piazzolla always work for me.

Lisa de Lazzari

Lisa is a teacher and DJ with Club de Tango from Sydney.

And some questions:

What first made you interested in Tango DJing? When we started tango in 1998, I loved the music as much as dancing, and wanted to learn more about the music which of course helps improve your dancing. And vice-versa.

What do you like best about DJing? Listening to the tango, and watching the dancers enjoy the music I’ve selected. It’s great when you see that the floor is full, and no-one is sitting down, it means that you are choosing the playlist well. I’ve DJ’d about 500 milongas so far, including fango festivals and guest DJ spots, and I’m enjoying it more as time goes on.

What do you consider when selecting music to play? 1. Whether the tango is great for dancing, and the sound quality of the tango recordings. 2. The dynamics of the tanda, the first song has to draw the dancers onto the floor, and the next songs need to keep them there. 3. Who the dancers are going to be. Are they mostly beginner or experienced dancers etc. 4. How many hours the milonga is going for. My playlist for a 2 hour milonga would be different to 3 or 4 hour milonga etc. 5. The acoustics of the milonga venue. 6. During the milonga, I watch for the behaviour and energy of the dancers on the floor, and will play calmer stuff if dancers are getting a bit boistrous for example.

What music won’t you play at a milonga? Anything that I wouldn’t dance to myself. It has to be a great dancable tango, that makes you want to get up on the floor. I avoid playing the style of music from any of the tango shows, and a lot of the electronica tango isn’t for dancing either. I think that we all should know the difference between tango for dancing and tango for listening.

What’s your worst DJing experience? The worst experience was the milonga I DJ’d at a tango festival in 2006 for a few reasons. I wasn’t allowed to use the equipment or adjust the sound, I had to ask the sound tech (sitting closely beside me) to make the adjustments, which they kept refusing to do. The organiser didn’t give me a run sheet (the times/order of events) for the live band, performances and speeches which made it very difficult to keep the music flowing. Then to cap it off, the security staff cut the music off a few minutes before midnight, and ordered me not to touch any of the equipment. They wouldn’t even let me use the microphone to let everyone know what was happening. They were very rude. Some people were complaining and blaming me, but it was out of my control.

How much do you dance when you DJ? Hardly ever. It is my job to keep the energy and flow of the night going, and I prefer to be ready to respond to whatever happens immediately. Also I constantly adjust the equaliser/sound according to the music.

And finally, do you have a favorite tango? That’s not easy because I love so many different tangos. It depends on my mood at the time and changes frequently. It would be more fair to ask me for a favourite song from each orchestra for today. Ask me tomorrow and I might answer differently. But I would say that at the moment, I love the tangos of Carlos Di Sarli with Alberto Podesta.

Federico Mattiuzzi

Unfortunately, Federico Mattiuzzi is no longer able to DJ at Tango in the Spring.

FAQ old

How much are tickets?

A weekend pass which includes entry to all events is $50.
Entry to each individual milonga is $15.

Who’s running it?

Tango in the Spring is an event of the Tango Social Club of Canberra, a non-profit association in Canberra, run by volunteers. There’s five of us doing the admin, but there will be a bunch of other people from the Club helping out on the week, in all kinds of ways. 

What kind of music will be played?

Each DJ will play their selections of the best ‘Golden Age’ Argentine Tango music, plus some spice.

Who’s performing at the milongas?

We are not having any performances at the milongas. Just dancing!

What happens to the profits (and who pays for it if there’s a loss)?

The Tango Social Club of Canberra is taking the financial risk on this event. If there is a surplus, it will go towards other non-profit tango events and activities. And if there’s a loss to cover, the Club will be paying it from its members’ funds.

How do I organise to do a performance at the festival?

We are not having any performances at the festival. We would love people who normally do tango performances to come, but to take a break from performing and enjoy dancing socially with everyone else.

How do I organise to teach a workshop at the festival?

We are not having any workshops or classes at the festival. We would love tango teachers to come, but we want you here to enjoy dancing socially with everyone else. Please don’t organise workshops while you are here – we really want everyone to be able to have all their energy available for dancing socially, not working on the latest move or worrying about technical corrections.

What about an alternative music milonga?

We are focussing on the best of ‘Golden Age’ tango music, with a few excursions earlier and later. Every DJ will have their own style of course, but there will be only the occasional tanda outside of traditional Argentine tango music.

What is the difference between a practica and a milonga?

The Canberra tango community is very proud of our weekly practicas.

Our practicas have a distinctly different focus from a milonga: they are just for improving our tango dancing. How you work on it is up to you.  You might spend time on discussing a problem with your fellow dancers, trying out new ideas, working on your technique, polishing your tango walk by walking around by yourself, watching what others are doing, or just by dancing.  

The weekly practicas in Canberra offer a good selection of quality danceable Argentine tango music, and comfortable venues for this purpose. You can have a taste of our practica during the festival on Saturday afternoon. Please come along!

Milongas, on the other hand, are the place for you to just dance tango. Unlike practicas, no teaching and practising happens on the dance floor. It is the place for you to just immerse yourself in the gorgeous tango music that the DJs bring us, and enjoy the connection with the music, your partner, and the fellow dancers sharing the floor with you. Yes, milonga is the place where we experience the beauty of social Argentine tango.

If this is a Tango Social Club of Canberra event why is there a separate website?

Tango in the Spring is an event of the Tango Social Club of Canberra – you can also access this website by going to www.tangocanberra.asn.au/tangointhespring and we have links to this site from the TSCC site. The TSCC website is currently being redeveloped so we thought we’d set up a separate site so as not to overlap with the redevelopment plus we have in the back of our minds that perhaps another like-minded group from another city may like to adopt Tango in the Spring next year…. so they could then take over management of this website. Any volunteers?

2008: Tix at door

Online bookings have now closed, but you can buy your tickets at the door!

See you there!

2008 Program

Archived 2008 program

Tango in the Spring present a full program of social dancing – for when you just want to dance! Our tango program features four milongas, and a practica, and now a milonguita – all with quality music DJ’d by some of the best tango DJs from across Australia in a friendly and warm social setting. Dance with new partners, and catch up with old tango friends.

There’s a bunch of other social activities as well, including a lecture about tango lyrics, an asado, and a movie!.

We’d love it if you can join us for all four days of course, so hopefully this program will tempt you. Check out our lineup of events on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

venue map)
FREE

As part of “Argentine Month in Canberra”, Tango in the Spring in association with University of Canberra and the Embassy of Argentina present the tango documentary film “Si Sos Brujo: Una Historia de Tango”. more…

Welcome to Tango in the Spring: Friday milonga

8.00pm –midnight
Refectory, University of Canberra (venue map)
$15
DJ: Jarny

Our welcoming milonga will give everyone a warm welcome to spring in Canberra (and if the weather doesn’t co-operate, we’ll just dance!). There is also a café next door where can buy drinks and coffee and snacks(apparently no snacks at night – sorry!); there will also be some free Argentine wine and snacks provided by the Argentine Embassy from 8-8.30; and we’ll provide some sugary la-la’s later in the evening to keep you going.

venue map)

Local Argentine charity Puente Austral is running an Asado – an authentic Argentine BBQ – in association with Tango in the Spring. If you are a red-meat lover, this is an opportunity not to be missed. They love their meat, and they sure know how to cook meat! Only $35! Book by 19 September (they have to order in the ribs…). More details here. There is also a vegetarian option – just let us know.

Playtime at two: Tango Social Club of Canberra practica

2.00 – 4.00pm
St John’s Church Hall, Constitution Ave, Reid (Tango in the Spring venue map)
Free
DJ: Josh

Every Saturday the Tango Social Club of Canberra holds a practica: a get-together to practice tango in an informal setting. There is no formal lesson, but the emphasis is on learning and practising.

The music tends to be grouped into tandas so you get similar music for 3-5 songs then a change into something different.

At practíca, dancers are welcome to stop and talk on the floor, practice a step on the spot, practice by themselves, dance with the same person the whole time or switch partners every dance. It’s an informal learning environment — use it how you like!

Tango til two: Saturday milonga

9.00pm – 2.00am
Italo Australia Club, Cnr National Cct and Franklin St, Forrest (venue map)
$15
DJ: tbc

The Saturday night milonga is close to both Kingston and Manuka where there are plenty of restaurants. And it runs through till 2am – no pumpkins!

venue map)
Free after admission to Old Parliament House, $2.

The popular image of tango is of a sensual dance, the epitome of romantic passion. In tango lyrics, however, there is only tragedy, hopelessness and unrequited love. This talk will look at this perceived lack of correspondence, especially in songs between 1914 and 1930, when tango-canción was born in the outskirts of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The social context of the tragic characters depicted, and the demographics of Buenos Aires, can help us understand the music and the dance.

Daniel Martín is a Senior Lecture in Spanish and the convener of the Spanish program at The Australian National University. more…
Presented by the Tango Social Club of Canberra in association with Old Parliament House.

King’s Hall Tango Café: afternoon milongita

2.30 – 4.00pm
King’s Hall, Old Parliament House, King George Terrace, Parkes (venue map)
Free after admission to Old Parliament House, $2.

After Dr Martín’s talk, we will have a milonguita: a ‘little milonga’, in beautiful King’s Hall at Old Parliament House. We’ll have a small dance floor installed, and tables and chairs so you can soak up the ambience. more…
Presented by the Tango Social Club of Canberra in association with Old Parliament House.

Tango til two –the sequel: Sunday milonga

9.00pm – 2.00am
German – Harmonie Club, 49 Jerrabomberra Avenue, Narrabundah (venue map)
$15
DJ: Lisa

Our Sunday will be our last big night time milonga so stay the extra night and don’t miss this opportunity to dance with people from all over Australia.

Monday, 6 October

Tango at two: Monday afternoon milonga

2.00 – 6.00pm
Bogong Theatre, Gorman House Arts Centre, Ainslie Ave, Braddon (venue map)
$15
DJ: Tim (Chanop)

If you’re still in Canberra then come and join us for our Monday milonga to chill out, relax and squeeze in a few more tandas. Plenty of time for you to catch flights home later in the evening.

2008: What is Tango in the Spring?

3-6 October 2008
Canberra, Australia

The dancing starts in 138 days!

Argentine tango dancers from around Australia are coming to Canberra for four days of social tango dancing. Four milongas and a practica: interruption-free tango dancing. Local and interstate DJs will provide great tango music.

$50 for all the dancing! ()