Milford will be one of the locations in Connecticut participating in this year’s TangoFest with an intensive Argentine tango afternoon for beginners at the Milford Arts Council on Saturday, March 16.
Dale Ellison will be visiting from Charleston, South Carolina, to join Gem Duras for events throughout the weekend in Milford, Norwalk, Greenwich and Enfield.
The opening dance in Greenwich on Friday, March 15 will start with a class focusing on dancing in tight spaces like those in Buenos Aires. It will continue with social dancing until 11 p.m., with light refreshments included.
The boot camp in Milford on Saturday will be geared towards beginners and less experienced dancers who want to review the fundamentals. During their instruction from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ellison and Duras will present the basic figures, turns and signature patterns of Argentine tango, such as “ochos” and “ganchos.” Singles are welcome, enrollment is limited and pre-registration recommended.
The Milford activities will continue the same night at the Milford Arts Center with a tango social – known in tango circles as “milonga” – with a performance.
Additional workshops in Enfield and Norwalk on March 16 and 17 will be geared towards beginner, intermediate and advanced level dancers covering a diverse range of tango idioms.
Ellison, known in Buenos Aires as Delia, has been dancing Argentine tango for more than 28 years, and teaching for more than 18. Duras has been dancing tango for 28 years and teaching full time since 2003.
Milford Arts Council offers weekly tango classes on Mondays with instructor Duras as part of its dance program.
The price for the Milford event is $60 per person. The Milford Arts Council is located at 40 Railroad Ave. S. For more information, visit CTTangoFest.org.