BUENOS AIRES IN THE VALES Tango Festival
Buenos Aires in the Vales Tango Festival is a unique new tango festival staged in Willunga & McLaren Vale, where romantic tango music, expert dance tuition from Australia and the world’s best, and great social events, combine with regular delights of stunning scenery, great wines, fine regional foods, a Mediterranean climate and the vintage season.
To view & download the Full Festival Program, Registration Form (bookings) & Schedule please go to FORMS
On the eve of the festival: Thursday 19 April 2012
AN INTIMATE SPACE – Tango Exhibition & Mini Milonga
Enjoy a pre-festival viewing of tango inspired paintings by Adrienne Gill & Annie Kidman, sample some tasty tapas by Brian Reader, & dance on the eve of Buenos Aires in the Vales. Proudly supported by Southern Theatre & Arts Supporters Inc. Time: 6.30pm – 8.30pm Gallery: Waverley Homestead, St Peter’s Tce, Willunga. $5 entry. Bookings & Information Ph: 0419 309 439.
(Images: ‘Embrace Me’ (detail), oil & ink on canvas; ‘Tango Ultramarine’ oil & ink on canvas; by Adrienne Gill 2012)
Dinner at Ekhidna Wines & Restaurant
Dinner at Ekhidna Wines & Restaurant If you would like to join the tango group for a late dinner after the exhibition, please indicate on your Festival Registration Form, or late inquiries contact Adrienne Gill ph 0419 309 439 before 12 April. Limited numbers. Ekhidna Wines & Restaurant, Cnr Kangarilla Rd & Foggo Rd, McLaren Vale.
BUENOS AIRES IN THE VALES TANGO FESTIVAL
FRIDAY 20 APRIL 2012
BAREFOOT TANGO
Time: 3.30pm - 5.30pm
Venue: Port Willunga Beach, The Esplanade, Port Willunga
A relaxed welcoming get-together on one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches, Port Willunga. Festival participants & friends will enjoy a complimentary glass of MINKO bubbly, listen to new works by Australian Tango poets, & perhaps a barefoot dance with the sand between your toes & the sunshine caressing your skin. This is a free informal event, proudly supported by MINKO Winery. All welcome.
TANGO AT OUR PLACE
Opening Night Milonga & Supper
An opening night party of tango dancing, delicious regional Italian supper by chef Andrew Clappis & family, & singing recital by Yvonne Williams. Tango the night away & admire the gorgeous sweeping views of Willunga basin to the sea, & enjoy a glass of McLaren Vale vintage on the water tank under the stars.
Dress Code: Elegant. Drinks available for purchase from the bar.
Time: 7pm – Midnight
Venue: ‘Our Place at Willunga Hill’ – corner of Range Rd & Meadows Rd, Willunga.
Bookings Essential. Event Tickets are included in Festival Registration Packages.
Casual Tickets also available: $50pp / $45pp conc
Supported by Our Place at Willunga Hill, Australian Happy Foods & Friends of Buenos Aires at the Beach Inc.
SATURDAY 21 APRIL 2012
MARKET TANGO - FREE INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP
Take a leisurely stroll through the famous Willunga Farmers Market, tasting the fresh regional & seasonal produce of the Fleurieu Peninsula, & spice up your morning in the Free Introductory Tango Workshop with Andrew & Adrienne Gill, over the road in the Willunga Show Hall.
Workshop: 9.30-10.30am
Willunga Show Hall, Main St, Willunga
T: Andrew & Adrienne Gill, Southern Cross Tango
Free community workshop. All welcome.
AN INTIMATE SPACE
Art Exhibition of tango inspired paintings by Adrienne Gill & Annie Kidman. Proudly supported by Southern Theatre Arts Supporters Inc.
Hours: 11am – 3pm.
Gallery: Waverley Homestead, St Peter’s Tce, Willunga.
Free entry. All welcome.
(Image: My Embrace – Adrienne Gill 2012, Acylic & Enamel on Canvas)
TANGO IN THE PIAZZA
Enjoy a relaxed lunchtime break in the Piazza della Valle, McLaren Vale’s new town square right next door to the main festival venue, the McLaren Vale Institute. Featuring an Australian Tango Poetry Reading & casual tango dancing on the paved theatre. You’re invited to bring a picnic lunch or hamper & enjoy this lovely space celebrating McLaren Vale’s rich Italian heritage. Supported by Onkaparinga Council & McLaren Vale Visitor Centre.
Time: 12.30 - 2pm
Venue: The Piazza Della Valle, Main St, McLaren Vale
Free community event.
(Panels within the Piazza Della Valle)
TANGO WORKSHOPS
Festival Workshops will be themed around development of technical skill & new repertoire, plus conceptual topics to inspire new approaches for creativity & evolution of your dancing. Each workshop will utilise Safe Dance Practice principles to keep us dancing effectively & safely, with respect to body & mind.
Time: 9.30am – 5.15pm. Beginner to Advanced Levels.
Venues: McLaren Vale Institute Hall, The Singing Gallery & The Willunga Show Hall.
Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Level Festival Packages are available, with a specially designed streamed workshop program included. Casual Workshop bookings are also available. Bookings essential.
VINTAGE TANGO Show & Milonga
An exciting evening of tango entertainment at McLaren Vale Institute, featuring a show by international guest artists Francisco Forquera & Carolina Bonaventura, Andrew & Adrienne Gill, Bill Jarman & Chandra Lennie, Fabian & Karina Conca, & live music from Caliente Tango Ensemble.
After the show, the dance-floor will be cleared for social dancing. You are invited to dress in finery from a bygone era, or inspired by the colours of Autumn. Minko Wines will be available for purchase from the bar. Proudly supported by MINKO Winery & the Friends of Buenos Aires at the Beach Inc.
Time: Doors open 8.15pm, & the show starts at 8.30pm
Venue: The McLaren Vale Institute, Main Rd, McLaren Vale
Vintage Tango Tickets are included in Festival Packages. Casual Show Only or Show & Milonga tickets are also available.
Casual Show only (Theatre seating 8.30-9.30pm): $35pp/ $30pp conc / Family $70 (2 adults, 2 kids).
Casual Show & Milonga Ticket (Cabaret Seating): $50pp/$45pp conc Bookings Essential.
SUNDAY 22 APRIL 2012
TANGO WORKSHOPS
9.45am – 5.15pm. Beginner to Advanced Levels.
Venues: McLaren Vale Institute Hall, The Singing Gallery & The Willunga Show Hall. Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Level Festival Packages are available, with a specially designed streamed workshop program included. Casual Workshop bookings are also available. Bookings essential.
SEMINAR WORKSHOP - Characters, Stories & Mythologies of Tango
Pam & Richard developed this unique seminar for Buenos Aires in the Vales Tango Festival, for dancers of all levels and anybody interested in the phenomenon and history of Tango. They hope, by developing greater awareness of the complex world that tango reflects, to empower dancers to tell their own tango stories. The presentation includes audio-visual material, and introduces historic stories, locations, and colourful characters. The workshop component takes a whistlestop trip through the different styles of Tango’s major eras, to provide inspiration for dancers to personalise creative interpretations of well-known tangos.
Time: 11am -12.30pm. Open Level
Venue: The Singing Gallery, Main Rd, McLaren Vale.
Seminar Workshop is included in some Festival Packages. Casual Workshop bookings are also available. Bookings essential.
Extended Lunch Break: 12.30-2.30pm: McLaren Vale & Willunga have an excellent range of cafes, restaurants, cellar doors & wineries open for Sunday Lunch.
Coriole Courtyard Lunch
Sunday 22 April, 12.45pm: Group Booking - If you would like to join the tango group for lunch, please indicate on your Festival Registration Form or late inquiries contact Adrienne Gill ph 0419 309 439 before 12 April.
Bookings are essential & limited places. (Lunch Platters cost $28pp.)
Coriole Vineyard, Chaffeys Rd, McLaren Vale
FAREWELL TO THE VALES - Closing Milonga
The Closing Milonga of the festival will feature the final gorgeous performance by international guests Francisco Forquera & Carolina Bonaventura, & a very special performance by Cherie Boogaart, soloist with State Opera SA & star of ‘Maria de Buenos Aires’. The evening will also feature South Australia’s Southern Cross Tango ensemble, Siempre Tango’s Mark Stojani & Kellie Spooner, beautiful social dancing all evening & delicious Alexandrina Cheeses.
Proudly supported by Alexandrina Cheese Company.
Time: 8.30pm – Midnight
Venue: McLaren Vale Institute, Main Rd, McLaren Vale.
Dress to Impress. BYO Drinks.
Farewell to the Vales Tickets are included in Festival Packages. Casual Tickets are also available. Casual Ticket: $40pp / $35pp conc. Bookings essential.
Monday 23 April 2012 - The Morning After...
Breakfast at Bracegirdles
9am: Group Booking - If you would like to join the tango group for breakfast, please indicate on your Festival Registration Form or late inquiries contact Adrienne Gill ph 0419 309 439 before 12 April. Bookings essential & limited places. Bracegirdles at 190 – House of Fine Chocolate, 190 Main Rd, McLaren Vale.
A Special Treat during the festival
Organic Motion Massage for tired tango bodies
Enjoy a free 10 minute seated or table massage with Kristen Durdin, Remedial Massage Therapist (AAMT member). Kristen will be set up at the McLaren Vale Institute, or to book an appointment Ph 0410 766 169.
TANGO WORKSHOP PROGRAM
Saturday 21 – Sunday 22 April 2012
Theme: Festival Workshops will be themed around development of technical skill, style & new repertoire, plus conceptual topics to inspire new approaches for creativity & evolution of your dancing. Each workshop will utilise Safe Dance Practice principles to keep us dancing tango effectively & safely, with respect to body & mind.
Safe Dance Practice: Festival teachers will employ in their workshop design a rigorous approach to warm up, cool down, stretching, awareness of repetition/loading, body alignment & anatomy as relevant for tango dancing, common tango injury prevention & the management of the mental health of participating students. Festival venues will be maintained as safe environments for tango dancing.
Injuries: Prior to participation, please notify your teacher if you are injured or unsure about the level of physical activity required for the workshop.
Clothing & Shoes: We recommend you wear comfortable clothing (that doesn’t present a tripping hazard) & specialty Argentine Tango shoes, leather soled shoes, or appropriate dance sneakers when participating in festival workshops.
Stay Hydrated: Dancing tango is thirsty work – Make sure you drink water regularly to stay hydrated. We recommend that you bring your own personal water bottle with you to workshops. There are water & cups also available in each dance studio.
Swapping Partners: Your teachers may ask you to occasionally swap partners during workshops for beneficial learning purposes & inclusion of all participants. This is also a great way to get to know your fellow festival participants, many of whom will be visitors from elsewhere.
Workshop Levels
A weekend program of graded tango dance workshops is offered at introductory, beginner, open, intermediate, intermediate/advanced and advanced levels. Here is a general guideline about the levels of experience recommended for streamed workshops. If you are unsure about your level of experience, please discuss with your regular tango teacher for a recommendation prior to registering for the festival.
Open Level Warm Up Workshops are designed to keep your body & mind in shape, & prepare you to dance at your best during the weekend.
Introductory: You may have never danced tango before, or have very little experience, but are ready to start your tango journey!
Beginner: Less than 1 year of experience - you are relatively early in your tango journey. You know some basics but need to consolidate your technique. You are open to learning new skills & building your repertoire.
Open: At least 18 months experience - You have a range of skills & experience, but wish to learn a new concept or refine a particular technique that can be applied to your dancing at whatever level of experience you may be.
Intermediate: 2-3 years experience - you have good technique, a solid foundation for basic moves, have basic musicality awareness, social dancing navigation skills, & are ready to expand your tango repertoire.
Intermediate / Advanced: 3 + years experience – you have strong foundation technique, good musicality, a large repertoire, & have good navigation skills for social dancing. Advanced: 3-4 years (or more) experience - you have strong foundation technique, have a large repertoire, feel confident in your dancing, have strong musicality & awareness of regular & irregular rhythms, can negotiate a crowded dance floor without impacting on other dancers, & are ready to tackle complex tango figures & concepts.
