Tango in California
Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, and San Francisco…..
California in general has a lot of tango going on, from San Diego to San Francisco:
In San Diego, contact a tango instructor named Linda Garwood. She is highly experienced, and has a lot going on. Her website is www.TangoEssence.Net , her email address is TangoEssence@Yahoo.Com , and her phone is (619) 583-8178.
In Orange County, contact Miriam Larici (of the show “Forever Tango”) and her partner Leonardo Barrionuevo. They have opened a new dance studio in Tustin called “Celebration.” Their websites are www.MiriamLeonardoTango and www.LaDeTango.Com . Their email addresses are MiriamLarici@CS.Com and MiriamAndLeonardoTango@GMail.Com and their phone is (206) 255-3634.
Alternating between San Diego & Los Angeles are a wonderful couple, Carlos Barrionuevo & Mayte Valdez. Their websites are www.TangoEarth.Com and www.SanDiegoTangoSchool.Com . Their email addresses are TangoEarth@Yahoo.Com and info@TangoEarth.Com . Their phone numbers are (206) 370-9517 and (206) 370-9397.
In Los Angeles you will find a great deal of tango happening everywhere. Every Saturday night the best dancers in Los Angeles go to a “milonga” (tango dance party) called “El Encuentro” at The Tango Room Dance Center, in Sherman Oaks (technically, Los Angeles), in the San Fernando Valley. It is near where the 405 Freeway intersects the 101 Freeway. It is on Woodman Ave. north of Ventura Blvd., but south of the 101 Freeway. The address is 4346 Woodman Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. I taught the first, inaugural class there when they opened. They start at 9:30 pm, but the dancing often goes on past 3 am. The Tango Room is owned and operated by Julie Fridgien and Angel Echeverria. They are very good friends, so please tell them that Paul Palmintere says, “Hello.” Go to their website, www.TheTangoRoom.Com .
One of the biggest milongas takes place every Tuesday night at a nightclub called Candela’s in Los Angeles. It is run by a former partner of mine, Linda Valentino. The music & dancing are superb, and a lot of people go. It is located on La Brea Ave. north of the 10 Freeway, close to Wilshire Blvd. I think they go from 8 pm to 1 am. It is one of the best dance nights in The West. Go to Linda’s website www.APuroTango.Com . Tell her that Paul Palmintere says, “Hello.” Linda has also recently opened her own dance studio Downtown Los Angeles called “Downtown Dance & Movement.” This is a multi-room dance center teaching all forms of dance & performing arts, as well as tango. Go to Linda Valentino’s webste: www.APuroTango.Com .
One of the greatest persons for tango is a special lady from Buenos Aires named Yolanda Rossi. She lives in the nearby city of Glendale, north of Downtown Los Angeles. She is a tango teacher, but also a tango fashion & shoes designer. She was my last partner in Los Angeles before I relocated to Nevada. You will go crazy over her dance shoes and fashion designs that she has made specially in Buenos Aires. She teaches out of her home. This lady is one of the best tango people to meet in Los Angeles. Go to her website www.TangoSplash.Com . If you meet up with her, please tell her that Paul Palmintere says, “Hello.”
If you have time, try to visit the Argentine Association (Argentine-American Cultural Center), also known as “La Asociacion Argentina” located in the city of Burbank. They are a non-profit cultural center run by hundreds of families from Argentina. On Sundays and Thursdays they are open to the public for tango dancing. Their address is 2100 Glen Oaks Blvd, located at the corner of Scott Rd., which is north of the 5 Freeway. They are like a night in Buenos Aires, with wall-to-wall dance floor, professional kitchen, bar, etc. Very friendly people.
San Francisco today has a very big & vibrant tango community. A lot is going on that is very high quality. Try to contact 2 very special tango professionals: Christy Cote and Chelsea Eng. They both have had something like 30 years experience with tango and dance in general, and are both highly respected. Try to attend their tango events. Their contact information is the following:
Christy Cote
ChristyCote@GMail.Com
www.ChristyCote.Com
(415) 519-1333