LEARNING FROM THE SOURCE
JOAQUIN AMENABAR
Author of
TANGO
LET’S DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
In Eugene, Oregon
A FULL WEEKEND OF MUSICALITY:
6 WORKSHOPS PLUS PRACTICAS ON APRIL 4TH & 5TH, 2026
Private Lessons available April 6th & 7th (see schedule below)
This is a unique opportunity to delve into the foundation of the Tango, Milonga and
Argentine Waltz.
• Maestro Amenabar will guide a comprehensive study of tango music. You
will connect with areas of tango you may not have noticed before.
• You’ll get a clear picture of the foundational principles for tango, waltz and
milonga which will facilitate your interpretation when you dance.
• To learn from one who is a professor of tango music, a bandoneon player, a
dancer, an orchestra director, and a scholar with an original methodology to
teach music to tango dancers with no musical training is a rare gift.
• Guided by his unique approach, we will improve not only our ability to
decipher what we hear in tango, but also in our roles as leads and follows.
•
We will explore not just the rhythm, but also what makes tango unique…the
melody.
Locations For Saturday, April 4th For Sunday, April 5th
River Road Parks and Recreation River Road Annex
1400 Lake Drive 1055 River Road
Eugene, OR 97404 Eugene, OR 97404
Overflow parking for River Rd Annex is just north at the church parking lot, 1105 River Road (before Arbor Dr).
JOAQUIN AMENABAR WORKSHOP AND PRACTICA SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, APRIL 4TH
Workshop #1) 11:30 am – 12:45 pm Dancing to the Basic Rhythm in Tango – The three basic rhythmic units:
simple-; double-; and half-time step.
15-minute break
Workshop #2) 1:00 – 2:15 pm Dancing to the Melody in Tango – Melodic Rhythm: What is it? How do we
dance to it?
15-minute break
Workshop #3) 2:30 – 3:45 pm Elements of the Tango Style – Fraseos, Cadencias, Arrastres, different types of
accents: How do we move according to the era and orchestra style?
PRACTICA: 3:45 – 4:30 pm
SUNDAY APRIL 5TH
Workshop #4) 11:30 am – 12:45 pm Roles Within the Dancing Couple – Dancing to the basic rhythm or
melody: Different functions of embrace; predictability of the movements of the leader from the part of the
follower; and relevance of the era and orchestra style.
15-minute break
Workshop #5) 1:00 – 2:15 pm “Tango-Vals” - Rhythmic Units of the “Tango-Vals”: Different types of double-
time in the waltz and recognizing them in the melody.
15-minute break
Workshop #6) 2:30 – 3:45 pm “La Milonga” Level 1: Rhythmic Difference Between Tango and Milonga -
Rhythmic units of milonga: Simple-time; double-time; “traspie”; and “corrida.
”
PRACTICA: 3:45 – 4:30 pm
[No regular beginning and intermediate class on April 5th. But our usual Milonguita will be held 5 – 7 pm.
$10]
WORKSHOPS, PRACTICA, & PRIVATE LESSON PRICES
$150/person if you pre-pay for all 6 workshops and the 2 practicas by or before February 28th; or
$30/person/workshop if you pre-pay for single workshops; or
$35/person/workshop at the door.
The Practica is free if 3 workshops are taken on the same day. Otherwise it’s $10.
$100/hr for each private lesson. Private lesson dates are April 6th & 7th
.
For questions and reservations contact Marisela at tangobohemio@gmail.com
Pay with cash or check (to Marisela Rizik). Payment may be mailed to P.O. Box 374, Eugene, OR 97440.
FROM THE MAESTRO
These classes are the basic set of six classes that Joaquin always teaches when
meeting a tango community for the first time. The concept of “basic” here is not
related to the level of the dancer. It is in the sense of the “basic” information on
musicality that every tango dancer must have to progress in the following ways:
forms and structures, different types of syncopation, Milonga Level II, and all the
particular tango classes on different eras and orchestra styles.
More than often than not, dancers who have danced for decades have not had
access to lots of the information given in these workshops. That is why it is SO
IMPORTANT to understand the meaning of the word “basic” here.
All the workshops are thought for tango dancers that do not have any musical
education, so you don’t need to know music or be able to read music to take these
workshops.
YOU DO NOT NEED A PARTNER FOR THESE WORKSHOPS.
The classes do have some explanations, but in each case we will dance and do the
things that are being explained in a practical way.
Questions? Write to Marisela at Tangobohemio@gmail.com
Want to prepare for the maestro? Check his website for his two books Tango,
Let’s Dance to the Music! Volumes 1 & 2
[Joaquin Amenabar website: https://joaquinamenabar.com]