Her pedagogical approach

I have now been teaching tango for 22 years, alone and with various partners. As I have never ceased to deepen my knowledge, not hesitating to question my knowledge, I continue to evolve in my way of perceiving movement and in the means I use to explain it.

I have always been passionate about movement in space : the inner space of one’s own body and the exterior space in movement as well as in interaction with others. I have always appealed to the imagination to allow students to integrate the proposals taught.

Today, thanks to the DANSER L’ESPACE® training that I am currently following (and which I will finish in August 2022), making me discover the BODY MIND CENTERING® and the somatic experience in the contemporary dance and yoga, I more readily use for my explanations, notions of anatomy and physiology of the human body. This has the advantage of being based on the concrete and common to all : we all have a body made up more or less in the same way.

The somatic relationship to the body and movement by which I now direct my teaching, allows everyone to develop their body awareness to rectify imbalances, increase the ease, efficiency and pleasure of the body and movement. To bring the students into the somatic, I use anatomical images, biological explanations and, of course, different body exercises, some quite common, others related to cellular memory to allow everyone to reclaim their body by movement and develop awareness. Their tango becomes softer, more fluid, more efficient and more sensitive.

However, it is important to say that I also continue to give tango lessons without resorting to the somatic as a teaching aid. Especially when I feel that the somatic is not a useful pedagogical vein for some students or when it does not bring more relevance to the explanation of the theme of the tango lesson. These are then more "classic" classes, always in connection with the body technique of tango seen in the individual and in the relationship to the partner.

My second passion in teaching tango is musicality. I like to help dancers to hear the music, to differentiate the melodic lines, to understand the different states of the music to be able to adapt its muscle tone accordingly, etc. There are so many things to say about music, so many things to know (without having to be a musician) to better immerse yourself in it and form a harmonious trio (the leader, the follower and the music). Thus each dance can then be unique.

The study of musicality also makes it possible to open up many questions essential to tango : the role of the leader and the one of the follower, the justification of embellishments, the emotion in the embrace, etc.

I am therefore delighted to meet you during a group or private lesson and to exchange with you on the many subjects of tango.

To the next hug

A few words about BODY MIND CENTERING® :

When we dance or more broadly when we move, we generally associate movement with 3 systems : the skeletal system, the muscular system and the nervous system.

BODY MIND CENTERING® will take into account all the systems of the body to seek a movement beyond habits in order to change its expression. Thus, in the courses, depending on the needs of the course and/or the student, I can also use :

• the ligament system
• the organ system
• the endocrine system
• the liquid system
• the fascia system
• the fat
• the skin

Far from any esoteric comparison, the BODY MIND CENTERING® wants to be firmly rooted in human anatomy and offers a cellular experience that everyone can explore in their own way.

Women’s technique workshop

In her women’s technique workshops, Sigrid wants her students to acquire a better conscience of the body’s movements and to develop musicality in the dance. Thus, basic elements and ornaments are broken down and investigated. This kind of workshops has become her principle speciality of her teaching.

The classes are composed of exercises done individually as well as in couples. They are generally preceded by some warming-up. A specific way of working and searching is proposed not only in order to get better in the technique of tango, but also to give the possibility to women to be more active and responsible in the dance. The work is dedicated to the movements of our own body revising basic elements, such as posture, walking, dissociation, and the pivot.

But it also has a look at technically more advanced elements, such as turns, boléos, as well as out-of-axis positions and movements. In particular, time will be spends on learning some of the vast variety of embellishments possible for women in a rhythmic way and, by that, developing the speed of the feet.

These workshops are meant be understood as addressed to women as well as to men. This is because the technique to move in tango is basically the same, whether you lead or follow. The reason why the workshop is, however, called “women’s technique” is because the exercises are mostly composed of movements more specific to the follower’s part.

Maria Filali & Sigrid

Maria Filali

Openness and connection. If you had to pick two words to summarize Maria Filali’s personal and professional career, these would fit.

A connection between dance and other body-centered disciplines.
A connection between Argentine tango and other arts, including theater, opera, film, video, and contemporary dance.
And a connection with internationally renowned partners.

Maria is a classically trained dancer who chose to make tango the focus of her career twenty years ago. During this time, she regularly performed at international tango events and festivals, where she proved herself to be a skilled artist and teacher.

On stage, she took part in productions that blended tango and other forms of performing art alongside a wide variety of partners, including Jorge Rodriguez, who collaborated with her for fifteen years.
From 2014 to 2018, she toured the world with another tango partner, Gianpiero Galdi.

In the fall of 2018, she will be starting several new and exciting tango projects.
In Paris, as part of the Elles du Tango (Ladies of Tango) initiative, she will invite several carefully selected colleagues to her classes as a way to showcase and compare different approaches and viewpoints.

As a solo artist, Maria will continue to offer workshops on tango technique in France and abroad.
She is also completing a training course in Gyrotonic, a body-centered discipline that will serve to further enrich her tango teaching.

Lastly, with respect to her creative productions, Maria is currently working on a new dance video entitled “Sweet – Pain Murmuration” and on the choreography for a new theater piece for Compagnie de la Porte au Trèfle.

Through her personal life and professional career, Maria continues to pursue her priorities, namely being open-minded, striving to be an excellent artist and teacher, and cultivating.

Sigrid & Maria

What connects us and make our pedagogy so special, is a somatic approach to movement and the body in space. By doing so, we focus on connecting the structure of tango with emotion and musicality.
This very personal point of view makes the study of tango with us a fascinating insight into a very coherent and specific, yet completely universal and contemporary dance.

« ... The essential is invisible to the eye... » The little prince, Saint-Exupéry

Over the years, and thanks to our solid background as academically trained dancers, we individually specialized in transmitting the « invisible that changes everything ». Our Tango teaching is enriched by the study of BODY MIND CENTERING® (Sigrid), GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC® (Maria).

We provide tango dancers with a deep and joyful experience of the body in space, from a cellular and biomechanical approach to an energetic and poetic perspective. The purpose is to help dancers grow by questioning, discovering concepts, or changing their perspective, to give sense and deepness to their dancing.

We always relate the concepts studied in class back to the idea of connection by focusing on what the two roles have in common, rather than breaking them down separately. We also address more personal and psychological issues on the different dimensions of both roles.

Join us for an unforgettable time together !