CHCH Tango Practica

It's been a busy tango month with the Hamner Festival, Marian and Debbie's regular milongas and the Milonga del Barrio last weekend. However, one can never have too many shoes, too much money or too much tango!
I am looking forward to seeing you at our monthly tango practica. The tango practica is free and suitable for all levels of dancers, to practice things you have learned at class.
Please note that the practica is not teacher guided, however peer suport is available. It is best to organise to come with a partner to avoid disappointment.

Hello tangueros, why not approach someone in your next milonga or class to attend next Sunday's free tango practica with? Benefit from the spacious dancefloor to practice and improve on the latest things you are learning. All levels of dancers are welcome. Please note that no teachers are present at this practica, but peer support is available.
See you on the dance floor on Sunday!

The 3rd Sunday of the month has snuck up on us this time. It's only the 16!
Please organise a partner ahead of time to avoid disappointment, as often pairs want to stick togethe for the purpose of practising. Michael McGregor will be providing the music this Sunday

Hello fellow tangueros. The third weekend of the month is rolling around which means a tango practica.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRACTICA IS ON SATURDAYS THIS MONTH!
We are looking forward to seeing you at 14 Stanbury Ave (near Pioneer Stadium).
The practica is free. Donations are welcome to cover the rent for future practicas.
ALL WELCOME. Please pre-arrange a partner to attend with you.

Hello tangueros, a quick reminder that we have a tango practica coming up this Sunday from 4 - 5.30 pm.
I will be promoting this event at Marian's next beginner class this Wednesday 13 March as an opportunity to practice what they have learned so far.
There are some couples in the beginners class but also people by themselves - mainly followers.
Some helpers may be available to pair up with a beginner, but we may well need some extras.
Please make yourselves known to me if you are willing to come to practica with a new follower. You can do this via a message on facebook or talk to me at the next Floorspace milonga. We all know how hard the tango journey is as a beginner and how much effort and work Marian puts in to get people enthused. Buddying up with a beginner could go such a long way to encourage newbies to come to milongas once their course is finished. Thank you for your help!

Hello tangueros, a wee reminder that tango practica is on tomorrow from 4-5.30 at Taic Mhor, 14 Stanbury Ave.
Attending is free as we have fundraised for the rent.
Everyone is welcome. Please come with a practica partner to avoid frustration

A big thank you to all tangueros who already donated towards the rent for the Tango Practica to continue in 2024.
Together we have raised enough money so far for 7.4 tango practicas this year.

This means we are able to commence our practicas again next Sunday 18 February. I am hoping that we can raise the remaining $180 to cover the whole year (10 months), so I can stop pestering people for donations ...
Any amount you can give, no matter how small is helping!
Please make an internet transfer into the above bank account.
Alternatively, you can give me a cash donation and I will put it in the account on your behalf.

A big thank you to all who helped fund last year's monthly tango practicas. Because of the varying attendance of practicas, it is too challenging to pay the rent on a month-by-month basis. This is why, with your generous contributions I raised the rent ahead of time. We managed to have a monthly practica from February to November with an average of 4 to 8 pairs attending each practica.

Unfortunately now the coffers are empty. Please contribute something towards the $420 we need for the first six months of rent.

Provided we can raise the money by 15 February, the first practica will take place at Taic Mhor on Sunday 18 February from 4-5.30 pm and every 3rd Sunday of the month thereafter.

Account number: 02-0704-0423140-002.
All money will be refunded if we don't reach the target.

After a busy weekend of Tango with 2 milongas and Sebastian Arrua’s workshops, we have our monthly tango practica on Sunday 19 November to round it all off!
The practica is held at Taic Mhor, 14 Stanbury Ave. If you are attending Sebastian’s workshops on Sunday, you are already at the right venue!

This could be a great opportunity to stick around and practice some of the new material learnt during the workshops. The practica usually starts at 4 pm for 90 minutes. As some people may stick around after the milonga workshop that finishes at 3 pm, we will commence the practica somewhere between 3.30 and 3.45 pm.

Sarah McGregor will make tea and coffee available between the end of Sebastian’s last workshop and the beginning of the practica. Hopefully the weather will play nice so we can have a rest, as biscuit and cup of tea in Sarah and Michael’s lovely garden. Bring a snack if something sweet is not to your taste.

This practica is FREE for everyone to attend. It has been pre-funded by members of our tango community through fundraising.
This is the last tango practica in 2023. Tango practicas will recommence in February 2024.

Kind regards and best holiday wishes
Verena McGregor
0272-184224, [email protected]

Take this opportunity to practice new material from Quique Miller's recent weekend workshop in our monthly Christchurch Practica.
Everyone is welcome to use the spacious dance floor at Taic Mhor to practice, experiment and explore their tango. The practica is suitable for all levels, from beginners to advanced. Please be aware that this is an unguided practica. No teachers are present but peers are happy to help each other out.
To avoid disappointment, please come with a dance partner. Contact me at [email protected] for a list of dancers that are happy to be contacted for practicas

It's that time again! Join us for our regular monthly tango practica on the beautiful, uncrowded floor at Taic Mhor.
Anyone needing some space and time to work on tango material, this is your perfect monthly opportunity.
Playlist on demand. We can practice tango only or mix in some milonga and valses as well. Practicas are best attended with a partner.
Please email me at verena01.mcgregor if you need help with that.

While visiting the decommissioned Royal Yacht Britannia recently, I spotted the flag cupboard and a sign beside it explaining the meaning of the different flags. Flags are used to signal important messages to other ships while under sail. I thought the "tango" flag translates very well onto the social dance floor😉😂

Hello Christchurch tangueros, a little reminder that we have our free tango practica coming up this Sunday again. Once again, Michael McGregor will provide you with music to dance to. I am returning from my 5 week sojourn that very morning and am not entirely sure I will last the distance till the afternoon after two very long flights. I am currently in Basel visiting one of my nieces. We went for a long and very hot hike. For cooling down we floated down the Rhine river from the first to the last bridge with a dry bag, so you have your clothes with you wherever you get out. Such a great idea and such fabulous fun! It's a "thing" here. One I can recommend!

Hello folks, the THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH is coming up, which means practica time for those of you wanting to work on various tango things!
Grab a partner and come down. There is lots of space and everyone is welcome.
Thank you to Michael McGregor who will provide the music this Sunday.
While you are creasing your brows over sacadas, ochos, sandwiches and the like, I will be in a big metal tube heading towards Europe to visit family and friends.

Hello Christchurch tangueros. Once again it is shaping up to be a perfect tango weekend! Find a partner to attend the free practica this Saturday and improve your all up fabulousness!

Hello tangueros
There is a change of schedule for June's monthly practica, as I am out of town this coming weekend.
In order to not collide with Debbie's Casa Publica Milonga the following weekend the practica is on SATURDAY this time.

Find yourself a dance buddy and come and hone your skills on the spacious dance floor of Taic Mhor. Free entry and no registration necessary. All welcome

Hello tango friends

It's perfect weather for tango dancing! Come and join us at our monthly practica tomorrow.

If you are like me, every milonga brings technical things to our attention that could be improved.

The practica is self-guided (peer help is available) and works best if you bring someone to dance with.

I would like to especially invite and encourage newer dancers to utilise this monthly opportunity. The practica is FREE due to the generous sponsorship of Christchurch dancers who have made it possible to pay the rent until October.

If you haven't been to the ballroom at Taic Mhor before, a sign will guide you to the right driveway.
Please park your car on the road and walk.
Any questions, contact Verena 0272-184224.

Hello Christchurch Tangueros. A reminder that the monthly free practica is coming up on 21 May from 4-5.30 pm. Practicas are best attended with a partner as the purpose of them is to improve and fine tune things that you are working on.

With two weeks notice you should have opportunities to speak with fellow dancers at milongas if you are looking for someone to practice with.

I have also compiled a list of leaders and followers that are happy to be contacted for practicas. Please email me at verena01.mcgregor if you wish to receive this this.

Here is some practica inspiration in the meantime!

Tango Technique At Home: Exercises For Rhythm Argentine tango technique class with effective exercises for rhythm and musicality that you can practice at home without a partner.00:00 Intro02:08 Warm-up13...

Success!
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to cover the rent for our first 7 months of tango practicas in Christchurch.
Because of your contributions, entry is FREE as the rent is covered in advance.

Practicas are designed for leaders and followers to rehearse and become confident with new material they are learning through repetition.
They are completely open level and self-guided, meaning that there is no teacher present.

Because of the lead / follower relationship it is natural that leaders are more diligent in attending.
To avoid the disappointment of not having anyone to practice with you may wish to pre-arrange a dance partner.

I have compiled a list of followers who are willing to be contacted for practica sessions. Please contact me with your email address if you wish to receive this list.

You can email me at [email protected]

Once more, many thanks for your commitment to revive a Tango Practica in Christchurch to increase the skill and confidence of our dancers!

As proposed in my last post I would like to fundraise the rent money for 6 one monthly practica sessions at Taic Mhor. Provided we can raise the funds for the rent, practica session will be every 3rd Sunday of the month from 4 pm to 5.30 pm. The total amount required to pay the rent for 6 month is $360.00

Please help with a donation. Once the money is raised, practica sessions are FREE TO ATTEND FOR ANYONE.

Donations will be gladly received at the following bank account:
Tango Practica 02-0704-0423140-002.

Provided that we have raised sufficient funds, the first practica is on Sun 16 April.
Any moneys received will be refunded should we not reach target.
Than you for your support!

With teaching in Christchurch and Selwyn back in full swing, I feel that Christchurch needs a Tango Practica again, where anyone can go along, and press “repeat” repeatedly to get confident with new material in their own body.

There are commonly two problems with tango practicas:

1) No regular dance partners. This leads to frustration when one goes along and there is nobody to practice with. This is usually a follower problem. Leads are mostly keen to practice new material.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: A list of followers and lead / followers can be collated who are willing to be contacted to attend practicas as a pair.

2) For organisers there is a problem that practicas are variously attended. It can be difficult to cover the rent for a space without hounding people and investing a lot of time and energy. This feels like a thankless task, and nobody should be burdened with it!

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Fundraising for the rent money BEFORE a series of practicas start.
In practical terms, anyone in our community is invited to contribute an elective amount of money into a designated bank account. The rent can then be paid in advance for 6 months and the practicas are FREE to attend for anyone.

Over winter I think that a 90 minutes practica between 4-5.30 pm every 3rd Sunday of the month could be just the thing. It can ward of the “Blah” of late afternoon winter hours, and still has you home for dinner to get ready for Monday!
This time will also not conflict with other regular events that are held during weekends.

Expect to see a fundraising appeal within the next few days. Thank you in advance for helping to make our dance community stronger and more skilled!

29th March 2023 was the last Midweek Milonga at Taic Mhor …… a bittersweet time for the MWM team, but we leave with no regrets and our heads held high because we kept to our MWM motto of keeping the tango pulse steady.
We acknowledge and give many thanks to Sarah & Michael (the mighty Taic Mhor team) for their incredible support and allowing us to enjoy their ballroom week after week, Kieran for his amazing DJ playlists which were always something to look forward to, Fee for her contributions to the earlier MWM team, Mike for his photographs (and took the speeches and gifts ones this evening), Tony for the sweet things he brings, the other DJs who added spice and variety to our milongas and everyone in our tango community who has helped keep tango alive through the darker times. Throughout the evening we had a slideshow of photos from Midweek Milongas over the last two and a quarter years.
Special mentions:-
Today was 20 years to the day that Aki came to CHCH from Turkey, and we are so blessed that she did 😃 Many enjoyed a dance with her tonight.
It was also lovely to see Denise and also nice to see some folk we hadn't seen for a while (Nicholas and Glenda+Ross)
Special thanks to my daughter Bex for the amazing MWM 'flying away' cake which had many going back for seconds. Time for a few memories .....

Good morning Christchurch tangueros! Thank you for coming to our final event. It felt like a true MIDWEEK celebration. We received many personal "thank yous" and gifts which we felt came from the heart and touched us greatly.

As they say "all good things must come to an end" - Well, bad things do too! We just don't miss them!
As explained last night Warren and I feel that our milonga had a lifespan while so many other events were out of commission, especially Marian's Wednesday Floorspace event.

Please stay tuned for Warren's photos of last night which will appear over the next few days.

Our page will remain for a little while as a way to communicate with everyone.

This way we are able to let you know about any updates regarding a monthly practica session at Taic Mhor.

Please remember that Marian revamped the Christchurch tango website and you can also find out about any events and teachers in Christchurch there.

There is a an email list attached to the website which we also use to reach out to dancers. Many of our more recent dancers are probably not on that list.
You can subscribe to it easily by visiting this link:

https://www.tangochristchurchcalendar.org/

It’s been a bit over two years since Warren and I started running the Midweek Milonga at Taic Mhor. This was motivated by the horror we felt at no longer having a regular weekly dance when Marian from Floorspace had to temporarily cease running her regular event for personal reasons.
We wanted to continue dancing ourselves and provide a place where tango dancers can meet on a weekly basis to share the pleasure of dancing the tango.

When Covid came, we continued to provide a place to dance whilst respecting the government regulations.

In the meantime, all our local Christchurch milongas have bounced back and there are once again plenty of regular events to choose from.
Warren and I feel we have done our dash to help keep tango alive in Christchurch.

We wish to return to the simpler pleasures of having fun and nurturing ourselves as dancers without the pressure and responsibilities of running a milonga.
Saying that I would love to still be a DJ when opportunities arise and Warren will gladly continue to capture Christchurch tango moments with his camera and turn them into memories for us all.

But before it’s all over, let’s have one final bash to celebrate the fun we had with Midweek Milonga!

Where and When:

Wed 29, from 7.30 pm at Taic Mhor, Stanbury Ave
FREE ENTRY. Light supper / Bubbly and Juice provided.
DJ: Verena
All welcome!
No booking required, just come and celebrate with us!

Good afternoon, tangueros!
We are looking forward to hosting our regular milonga on 15th before the next weekend event on the Christchurch Tango Calendar which is Marian's 60 Birthday at Floorspace on Saturday 18!
Tango events have been happening hard and fast lately with more coming up, including Selwyn Tango hosting the two Argentine teachers Maximiliano Cristiani and Ayse Gencalp between 22-29 March.

The two scarves on our poster are items left behind at our last milonga, so please remember to take them away.
We are looking forward to seeing you all.
Booking is muchly appreciated at:
midweekmilonga.setmore.com

Midweek Milonga 1st March 2023: It was lovely to see such a great attendance just two days ahead of the Summer Tango festival in Nelson and no doubt the lure of another fabulous Kieran Holland playlist played a big part of that. A few photos from the night and we look forward to seeing our Christchurch tangueros again soon.

Hola Tangueros,
OMG! 2023 and we are looking at March already!!
After the fab MWM 2nd birthday event on 15th Feb we are following up on 1st March with one of our favourite DJs Kieran Holland!
We look forward to seeing you on the dance floor at Taic Mhor.
Please book at midweekmilonga.setmore.com