More tango schools: La Mariposita and Escuela Argentina de Tango

I was going to go to the Saturday afternoon practica at DNI (now at the new venue in Bulnes), but just couldn’t be bothered with the schleppe across town. So I decided to investigate the Mariposita tango school in Carlos Calvo, which is just two blocks away from where I’m staying. I went over for a shufti after breakfast, that will have been around 14:30, but it looked so inviting, I ended up staying till 20.30, even though I didn’t have my tacones altas with me.

I took three classes, Technique for Men, Technique for Women and Milonga. I also watched a Tango Escenario class in between. The classes are taught by Carolina Bonaventura and Francisco Forquera, both of whom are thrilling dancers and dedicated teachers. They work the body good and hard. Every school has a different way of warming up and I learn something new from each class. A block of classes at the Mariposita are comparable in price to DNI’s and are held in a large, high ceilinged, air-conditioned studio with an impeccable wooden floor, mirrored walls and plenty of natural light, situated in a tastefully converted old San Telmo building, which also houses a small hotel with swimming pool and café. I shall be spending a lot of time there. I asked to see the rooms and they were very clean, inviting and variously priced.

Yesterday, I went to Cristian and Carolina’s class at DNI. They have guru status in my book for the teaching of the ‘porte’ of tango (carriage, deportment.) Then I took a couple of classes at the Escuela Argentina de Tango at Galerías Pacifico. I took Tango Salon and Milonga con Traspié with Jorge Firpo. The classes were very instructive and included a potted history of the dances. Because the school is located in a very smart shopping mall in the heart of tourist territory in the centre of Buenos Aires, the classes are twice the price of many other tango schools. However, finding your way there is a treat in itself, tucked away as it is, on the second floor in the Borges Cultural Centre, which is a museum of art within the mall. If you are only here for a very short time and haven’t got the time to shop around for your tango, the school does offer a huge range of classes all day long, every day of the week, including Sunday. Tango on a plate for you.