Tango Beginners, join an cohort to support you in your first year of tango learning

Argentine Tango is a transformative dance that can propel you to new depths of connection, heights of joy, and a deeply potent community experience anywhere in the world. 

But, it can be difficult to learn anything new, and tango is no exception. The truth is that without a supportive structure, most people quit tango within the first few weeks. 

Tango Challenges are here to give beginners the context, structure and support they need to get past the awkward phase and start having fun. They are gentle, illuminating, fun, and facilitated with great love. Join a cohort now! Upcoming Challenges:

Oxygen Tango in Los Angeles - Facilitated by David Lampson and Magan Wiles

Tango & I in Minneapolis - Facilitated by Sabine Ibes

Join a local Tango Challenge

This vision of the Tango Challenge is that absolute beginners experience harmony with themselves, with others, and with the larger community as they learn to tango.

Through the course we cultivate the relationships that enable each participant to become fully absorbed in the tango learning process. 

The program provides a container that supports local exploration of classes, lessons, and tango events, adding a supportive, complementary dimension. 

We work in collaboration with local tango teachers, organizers, and peer-mentor dancers all over the country. 

What You Will Learn

Tango Movement

Able to connect with another dancer, with the music, and the space, to improvise a Tango in a public setting. Understanding of the basic techniques. Able to distinguish between kinds and styles of Tango.

Tango Music

Able to synchronize movement to music, identify basic properties of Tango music, and distinguish between important orchestras and among the sub-genres of tango, milonga, and vals music by ear. Able to articulate what kind of Tango music you resonate most with personally.

Tango Culture

Track awareness of your inner state and evaluate its usefulness in supporting your Tango. Purposefully cultivate the personal qualities that support Tango dancing and practice, grounded in the traditional culture of Tango. Learn how to connect with yourself and with a partner.

What You Get

A cohort. You will be part of a cohort of people who are also learning tango and are here to support one another's individual journeys.

A facilitator: Your cohort will be matched to an seasoned facilitator to provide context and share a wider, deeper perspective on tango and learning. 

A buddy: You will be paired with an experienced tango dancer from your local community who will practice with you a little each week and support your explorations. 

A teacher, and a 15-minute mini-lesson: You will be matched to an expert, professional teacher in your community, who will give you a brief lesson every week

A curriculum: You will receive detailed, substantive content every week relating to subtle and very important dimensions of the tango experience, along with explorations so you can deepen your understanding. These include: 

• Practices on how to work with music and video

• Curated playlists of great tango music to explore

• Curated video lists of dancing to watch

• Personal practices to support connecting with self and others

• Material on history and culture that affects our tango

• Details on etiquette along with context for why we use it

A recital: You will have the opportunity to perform with a partner from the community in a public recital. We will support you in the process of finding a partner comfortably. 

Tuition and Materials

Tuition varies. Connect with your local Tango Challenge facilitator.

In addition to tuition, you’ll also need: 

• A pair of appropriate shoes for Tango dancing that you get before the course begins

• An internet-enabled computer and an ability to listen to digital music

• Required course materials including music and books we recommend, up to $55

In the words of past participants...

Here are words from those who took this course!

"Taking the challenge helped me overcome my doubts because I have a great supported system, and I have a team of newbies to be by my side. The discovery of the deep connectedness and deep self love through the dance became such a powerful experience." - Kim

"I had no idea what this challenge actually involved when I decided to take this.  I just wanted a safe place to learn Argentine Tango. What I got was so very much more. It’s so difficult to describe because the experience had both a feeling of fear (excitement) AND a feeling of being supported, like in the warm shelter of the Tango embrace. Such a growth experience of personal courage, risk taking, and surrendering to the Tango. Mitra Martin, our leader, embodied the experience she (and her partner Stefan) purposefully created of community and the Tango experience of connection. Do not hesitate to have this experience. You’ll be so glad you did it." - Cindy, Marriage Counsellor

"I had a very incredible growth in my tango abilities, I learned how to help someone begin dancing tango and how to immerse myself in the ideas behind the dance...A quick launch into a beautiful dance. Many new friends. A way to move forward with tango." - Andre, mechanical engineer

"The recital was awesome!" - Jack, entrepreneur

"I feel much more confident in my tango, from a technique but more importantly from a mental standpoint. The experience was invaluable in my understanding of the tango community and gaining perspective into both tango as a dance but also as a philosophy." - Terry, scientist

"I absolutely needed the cumulative structure, the immersion, the camaraderie, the commitment, the focused, ongoing attention from a patient and sensitive teacher."  - Sarah, V/O actor

"The Tango Challenge gave me a sound tango foundation in the mechanics of tango movement, mind/body awareness, and, most importantly, set me on a path of continual learning of this dance." - Shane, writer 

"The Oxygen Tango Challenge is the best program to learn Tango for beginners and intermediates. I learned essential fundamentals of tango, made new friends, performed an unforgettable performance at the challenge graduation in 3 months. I highly recommend to experience this wonderful program." - Dong Sung, Immunologist

“The Tango Challenge helped bring to me a social confidence and recognition of the connections we share with each other. The Challenge also forged great friendships with my challenge-mates as well as the community in general. ” — Kris, Software Engineer

"The small group enabled us to develop a close, trusting bond in which we can share our challenges and how we were able to effectively deal with them as well as to celebrate each other's 'wins.' We were able to grow and evolve together and we became very close. The pairing with a more experienced tango 'buddy; and a graduation dance partner were also very beneficial. It made me realize that I can learn from every person I dance with and that there are many experienced dancers who are generous enough to coach and mentor others." —Dorothy D. 

“I made life-long friends with whom I shared the challenges and rewards of learning tango. The challenge helped me to focus better on the connection, get over my fears and anxieties and boosted my confidence because I could see that I was really making progress.” — Sergio, Film Editor

“The Tango Challenge is one of the best things I’ve ever been given the opportunity to do. I’ve thought that from the first meeting to the last, and I still think so a few days after the challenge has ended. I am so grateful to you for creating this program and conducting it with such love, wit, skill, dedication, and grace.” — Vin, Professor

“The Tango challenge was life-changing for me. Learning Tango parallels living life in so many ways. I experienced deep personal growth, overcame fears, excelled at a skill rapidly because of a deep commitment to it, and made a new family of friends.” — Annette, Entrepreneur

"This is a seriously amazing program!" - Richa

"Argentine Tango was completely new to me and Tango Challenge taught me many aspects of Tango from footwork to identifying and feeling the music to learning the history of tango and meeting new friends. It is a commitment, and worth it." - Carol, Minneapolis

"The Tango Challenge [led by Sabine Ibes in Minneapolis] is the perfect combination of push to learn the music, the culture, and the dance, and handholding and hints as one prepares to attend their first milonga and beyond." - Tom, Minneapolis

Dear community member,

Life today can be disconnecting. Media can drive us deeper into separateness. Many of us are yearning for something. Join us as we work to rekindle the enchantment of the commons that once existed in the Golden Age of Tango.

It's 1940, Buenos Aires. While world wars wage on the other side of the earth, neighbors gather to embrace one another.  An epic intergenerational, interracial, interclass social movement emerged of unprecedented power and purity.

Built on self-care and deep care of our partners, it enlivened of micro-local communities in ways that are still felt. And the music is unforgettable!

Since 2010, we have been working with tango communities to recreate the joy of gathering to share this dance. The Tango Challenge is a beloved gateway into the joyful world of social, improvised Argentine Tango.

It provides a rigorous curriculum, layers of expert and peer support, and milestones to guide your journey. Please explore this program and join the journey!

Warm regards,

Mitra Martin
Creator

Yes! I am ready for my challenge! 

Join Now:

Oxygen Tango in Los Angeles - Facilitated by David Lampson and Magan Wiles - NEXT CHALLENGE

Tango & I in Minneapolis - Facilitated by Sabine Ibes - NEXT CHALLENGE