Tango in Eastbourne - This holiday is no longer available -

• An entertaining Tango dance syllabus with renowned teachers Sandra and Santiago Monticelli including an emphasis on Milonga and Vals (see classes and workshops)
• 2 nights’ accommodation in the comfortable and well-located Hotel Albany Lions
• Dinner each night
• Nightly Milongas 

You will enjoy Tango weekend with stars of Midnight Tango and Strictly Come Dancing, Sandra and Santiago Monticelli, suitable for intermediate and advanced dancers, PLUS a course in Milonga and Vals.

Staying half board in the comfort of the well-located Hotel Albany Lions you will enjoy at least 6 hours of Tango classes, nightly Milongas and the opportunity to explore the lively seaside town of Eastbourne at the height of summer.

'The best holiday I ever had in my life'

'Great atmosphere, my dancing improved!!'

'New friends made' 'Glorious!'

'Soul stirring and inspirational!'

'Interesting, fun, challenging'

This Tango in Eastbourne weekend is suitable for intermediate and advanced dancers and will focus on themes including Milonga and Vals!

You'll enjoy a full weekend syllabus in Tango, with time to explore your destination at the height of summer and nightly Milongas, all with a group of like-minded people. 

The  provisional itinerary below gives you an idea of what the weekend might look like. Some details may change

Day 1
From 1400 – Check in at the hotel
1600 - Welcome meeting
1700 - Introductory Tango class and level decider (1 hour)

Dinner in the hotel
Milonga, with dancing and music until late

Day 2
Breakfast in the hotel
1000 - Tango dance class (2 hours)
Afternoon - Free time
Dinner in the hotel
2000 – Tango dance class (1 hour)
Milonga and dance show, with dancing and music until late

Day 3
Breakfast in the hotel
1000 – Tango dance class (2 hours)
Afternoon - Free time before making your way home

You'll enjoy 6 hours of tango over the weekend and the group will have their tuition as a single class. Our Eastbourne weekend is suitable for intermediate and advanced dancers and will focus on themes including Milonga and Vals.

Sandra and Santiago will bring your tango on to levels that you would not have dared to hope for! How much you learn is down to the commitment you want to make during the weekend.

The first lesson includes a "level decider" to ensure you learn at the correct pace for your ability. Sandra and Santiago tailor their programme to each individual and ensure that everyone is being stretched. They'll observe the group and offer pointers before breaking out into relevant themes, which include- 

Tango
Intermediate
Better connection in giros, ganchos, boleos, sacadas, enrosques

Advanced
Dynamics in motion, difficult sequences, variations

Vals and milonga
Argentine tango dancers usually enjoy two related dances: vals (waltz) and milonga.

Music for the vals is in 3/4 time. Tango dancers dance the vals in a rather relaxed, smooth flowing dancing style in contrast to Viennese Waltz where the dancers often take 3 steps per measure and turn almost constantly. Experienced dancers alternate the smooth one-beat-per-measure walk with some double time steps (often incorrectly called syncopated walks), stepping on one- two- or (rarely) all three beats in a measure. Vals dancing is characterised by absence of pauses; continual turns (giros) in both directions are not done as in ballroom quick waltz, although turns are sometimes introduced for variety.

Milonga, in 2/4 time, has a strongly accented beat, and sometimes an underlying "habanera" rhythm. Dancers avoid pausing, and often introduce double time steps (incorrectly called syncopation and more appropriately called traspies) into their walks and turns. Milonga dancing uses the same basic elements as tango, with a strong emphasis on the rhythm, and figures that tend to be less complex than some danced in other varieties of tango. Some tango instructors say that tango steps should not be used in milonga and that milonga has its own special rhythm and steps, which are quite different from tango.

The teachers will pass through the group on an on-going basis, giving individual help to each couple. Once a couple have mastered the steps a new element is added, ensuring everyone is stretched.

By the end of the week, depending on your commitment, it will be possible for more experienced dancers to have mastered between 5 to 8 beautiful and complicated dance sequences.

Dance Studios: The tango classes will take place within the hotel ballroom with a wood floor.

Having recently completed a UK tour with Midnight Tango, Sandra and Santiago Monticelli judged at the World Tango Championship in Argentina and appeared on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. Originally from Argentina, Santiago has been a part of the Buenos Aires professional tango scene for the past 15 years. With a modern jazz and contemporary dance background, he studied tango with some of the world's finest masters including Pepito Avellaneda, Raul Bravo, Pupi Castello, Jorge Dispari, Norberto Guichandu, Nito and Elba and Carlos Perez.

Santiago toured the world with some of Argentina's most famous shows including Tango Emoción (2004) directed by Mora Godoy, Tango X2 (2005) directed by Miguel Angel Zotto, Francisco Canaro Orchestra (2003) and Los Reyes del Tango Orchestra (2008). He also performed at the VIII International Festival Cultura Paiz in Guatemala (2004) and toured the UK with the ArtLATino company's tango show Romance d'Carnaval (2006). Between 1997 and 2010, he worked in the most significant dinner-show theatres in Buenos Aires, including Señor Tango, La Ventana, Michelangelo, Taconeando, Café Tortoni, Piazzolla, Esquina Homero Manzi and Madero Tango.

Santiago has featured in TV programmes including Canal 26 Los grandes valores del tango (2005), BBC's Strictly Come Dancing (2006) and Por el Tango directed by Nolo Correa (2010).

Sandra is an Italian professional tango dancer with extensive teaching experience in Argentina and in Europe. With an artistic gymnastic and ballet training background, she devoted hersfelf to the practice of conditioning for dance and the study of pedagogy.

Sandra began her professional tango career in Buenos Aires at the beginning of the last decade, after having studied with some of the world’s finest dancers such as Lorena Ermocida, Gachi Fernandez, Alejandra Mantiñan, Milena Plebs, as well as Raul Bravo, Jorge Dispari, Nito and Elba, Carlos & Rosa Perez.

She complemented her tango dance training with courses in contemporary dance and modern jazz at the renowed Dance institute Gurquel-Lederer in Buenos Aires and between 2006 and 2009 ran the SantangoEstudio (Tango school, reharsal space and B&B) in the heart of the tango neighbourhood Almagro, Buenos Aires.

As assistant Director (2008) in the prestigious dinner-show theatre Esquina Homero Manzi, directed by the famous tango dancer and choreographer Gachi Fernandez, Sandra continued to perform in private events around Argentina.

Sandra and Santiago regularly tour Europe (England, France, Italy) to teach and perform the most traditional style of tango salon, milonga traspié and vals, as well as the more acrobatic and spectacular stage tango. Home for Sandra and Santiago is London and they teach regularly in Central London, Windsor and Beckenham as well as at private events and Milongas all over the UK. 

Eastbourne offers a wide variety of restaurant choices, from traditional fish and chips on the promenade to popular pasta and pizza chains and top-end dining experiences so you'll be spoilt for choice!

You will receive a course itinerary with information of classes on arrival.

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Eastbourne has a wide variety of entertainment to suit all ages including a choice of pubs, bars and restaurants on the seafront. For those wishing to dance late into the night, there are some great local nightclubs!

London Gatwick is just an hour by car or rail, Stansted and Heathrow are about 2 hours drive away.

Frequent direct trains run to London Victoria, Gatwick and Ashford International (Eurostar).

Eastbourne is situated just 44 miles south of the M25 on the south coast, key approach road include the M23, A27, A22 and the scenic coastal A259. Why not hire a car during your visit or book a taxi, many firms offer pre-bookable airport transfers if required.

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Health and Fitness: There are no particular health requirements for a dance holiday. However you should be able to dance for at least 2 hours a day in order to be fully able to enjoy the classes. If you have any concerns please feel free to speak to a member of our team on 0207 099 4816.

Eastbourne has a mild British climate and August promises some of the best sunshine hours of the summer.
 

We recommend that you bring shoes with a leather sole for the dance classes and the evenings. Your shoes should be comfortable and supportive. Lightweight cotton socks are advisable to avoid sweaty and blistered feet and comfortable loose clothing for the classes are also recommended.