Festivals, Festivalitos or Fests? Vacations or Holidays? Encuentros, Tango Weeks, Tango Meets, Workshops, Seminars, Tango Retreats, Tango Experiences… Are you getting confused about all these tango event labels? First, it´s good to understand the main categories: Tango Festival or Marathon – and then we deal with vacation, the hybrids, crossovers, and fusions.
Table of Contents
Tango Festival or Marathon (or Vacations): The Basics
Tango Festival: A Tango Festival is usually a larger-scale event. It generally includes various activities such as workshops, seminars, live music, performances, and social dances (milongas). The festival is typically a multi-day event, often attracting dancers and teachers from different regions or even from around the world.
This provides an excellent opportunity for you to learn new techniques, meet new people, and enjoy the experience of tango in a festive atmosphere.
Tango Marathon: A Tango Marathon, on the other hand, primarily focuses on social dancing. The aim is to provide an opportunity for continuous dancing, often over several days. While a marathon might have some workshops or classes, the primary focus is on the dancing itself.
Tango Marathons often aim to maintain a good balance of leaders and followers, and dancers usually need to register in advance. There is less emphasis on performances or live music, and more on providing a great environment for social dancing.
Tango Vacation: A Tango Vacation usually refers to a pre-planned trip or package that combines the joys of Tango with vacationing. This could include travel to a specific destination known for its tango culture (like Buenos Aires, for example), to a tango festival or marathon in a different city or country.
There are also tango vacations on cruises or remote holiday resorts. Sometimes the focus is to go out together and mingle with a larger tango crowd, and sometimes it is in remote locations which can make for more intense time spent dancing with a small group of people.
The package may include accommodation, tickets to tango events, sightseeing, and maybe even tango lessons. The primary difference between a Tango Vacation and the other two options is that the vacation is not necessarily an event itself, but rather a personally tailored experience combining travel and tango.
What are the best events for beginners, and intermediate dancers?
Sure, I can provide a general comparison, but please keep in mind that the suitability of each type of event can largely depend on the specific event and the individual’s preferences and goals. Here is a rough estimation:
| Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tango Festival | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Tango Marathon | Moderate | Good | Excellent |
| Tango Vacation | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
- Tango Festival: Festivals typically have a wide variety of workshops, classes, and seminars, some of which are likely to be suited to beginners, while others will cater to intermediate and advanced dancers. They offer a great chance to learn from different teachers and styles, which can be very beneficial at all levels.
- Tango Marathon: Marathons are focused on social dancing. This might be a bit intimidating for complete beginners who aren’t yet comfortable with the basics. However, for intermediate and advanced dancers, it can be a great chance to practice their skills for extended periods, get to know a variety of partners, and improve their improvisational skills.
- Tango Vacation: A Tango Vacation is likely to be the best option for beginners because it can be tailored to their individual needs and pace, and they can combine learning tango with other relaxing activities. It’s also great for intermediates who want a blend of learning and leisure. For advanced dancers, a Tango Vacation can also be enjoyable, but they might prefer the high-intensity learning and dancing opportunities offered by festivals and marathons.
Note that some events will also be quite straightforward about their selection criteria. Upon trying to sign-up you will be asked to estimate your dancing level and the booking interface will tell you whether spots are available for your level of dancing.
Which event is best for Introverts – Marathon, Festival or Vacation?
Deciding which type of event is best for an introvert depends on individual preferences, comfort zones, and specific goals for dancing tango. However, here’s a general overview:
- Tango Festival: These events can be large and socially intense, with many people, loud music, and a lot of interaction required. This might be overwhelming for some introverts. However, there are also opportunities to learn in workshops and seminars, which might be more comfortable environments.
- Tango Marathon: This event primarily focuses on dancing for extended periods. While there is less emphasis on social activities outside of dancing, the nature of a marathon still involves interacting with a variety of partners. This could be a good fit for introverts who are comfortable with social dancing but prefer to limit other social interactions.
- Tango Vacation: This might be the best option for introverts. Since a Tango Vacation can be tailored to individual needs, introverted individuals can choose to learn the tango in private or small group lessons, have the flexibility to decide when and where they would like to dance and balance their time with other solitary or less socially intense activities.
Overall, an introverted individual can enjoy any of these event types, but might prefer the flexibility and control offered by a Tango Vacation. Remember, Tango is an expressive art form and many dancers, including introverts, find joy in the non-verbal communication and connection with their dance partners, regardless of the setting.
The most suitable event for different groups, such as seniors or single women, can depend on various factors, including their comfort level, dance experience, physical stamina, and the specific goals they have for the event.
Best tango event types for senior citizens
- Tango Festival: This could be a good choice if the senior individual is relatively active and interested in learning from a variety of teachers and styles. Many festivals have classes suitable for different levels, including beginners. The social aspect of these events can also be a plus.
- Tango Marathon: These can be physically demanding due to the focus on continuous social dancing. However, for seniors who are fit and enjoy long periods of dancing, this could be an exciting option.
- Tango Vacation: Likely the best option for seniors, especially those new to tango or who prefer a more relaxed pace. The ability to tailor the experience to individual needs, including the level of physical activity and the balance between dancing and other vacation activities, makes this a flexible option.
Best event type for Single Women
- Tango Festival: These are great for single women as they provide many opportunities to meet new people, take classes, and participate in social dances. However, the follower/leader balance can sometimes be skewed, which might result in less dance time. Some festivals manage this balance by using a role-balanced registration system.
- Tango Marathon: Marathons also offer plenty of opportunities to dance with different partners. However, they are often more balanced in terms of followers and leaders compared to festivals. This means that single women would have more chances to dance.
- Tango Vacation: If a single woman prefers a more relaxed and flexible schedule, or if she is new to tango and would like to combine learning with vacation activities, this could be a great option.
Remember that the suitability of these events can vary greatly depending on individual preferences and specific event characteristics. It’s always a good idea to research the events in detail and maybe get in touch with the organizers for more information.
What if an event claims to be both a festival and a marathon?
We list around large 500 international tango events every year: Mainly it is festivals, marathons, and vacations, but also Encuentros, Tango Weeks, Tango Meets, Tango Fests, Tango Festivalitos, Workshops, Seminars, …. Language also makes things confusing, you may be looking for a Marathon, but the Turkish organizer decides to spell it “Maraton”. Other organizers like the Boston Marathon organizers hint towards the nature of their event linguistically by calling it the “Bosthon”. So you see – finding the right event might become a Marathon itself.