Tango Friends International and The Berkeley Tango Studio We bring the world of Argentine tango a little closer.  "Learn to tango in a serene, friendly garden environment."   Stella and Paulo, May, 2003 photo by J Regan I have been dancing Argentine tango since 1998.  It is really the only dance that I do now.  You could say I am a bit obsessed.   Because I wanted to help a friend and teacher who was visiting, I also started helping other visiting maestros.  Now I spend almost as much time helping to organize and assist with demonstrations and translations at their classes as I do at my regular job.  If you are interested in learning tango,  practicing your dancing, in sharing in your love of the music and your tango experiences, or in travelling on a trip with me for a tango adventure I would love to hear from you.  To see the teachers that I have hosted or helped organize  please look at page 5. Stella at Berkeley Tango Studio photo by H. Ma NEW BEGINNERS SERIES AND INTERMEDIATE SERIES STARTING at the beautiful historic  Claremont Hotel and Spa in February, 2012 Stella Ling and Alberto Catala (visiting maestro from Buenos Aires ) will be giving a series of 5 beginning classes on Argentine Tango at the Claremont Hotel, 41 Tunnel Rd. , Berkeley in the Fitness Center starting February 1st at 7:30 p.m.  Students should come in socks for the first class, and thereafter in smooth leather soled dance shoes. They will also teach a series of 4  intermediate classes on Wednesdays at 8:35 p.m. starting February 8th.  All basic intermediate steps will be covered including sacadas, boleos, sweeps and ganchos.  Students should have had at least 6 months dancing experience before starting this class. Each series will include a free tango CD and entrance to the special milonga held at the Claremont Hotel on Sunday March 4th. No partners required. Free parking passes for the classes and milonga. Cost for each series is $90 member/$100 non-member.  Discount $15 per series for students or teens. Drop in rates also available. Members should contact Katy Yong at 510-549-8512 to register.  Non-members should contact Stella at stellamialing@gmail.com to register. Full schedule for Alberto Catala now on page 2. Two new classes have been added to Alberto Catala's schedule. Please see page two. painting by H Ma The teacher:  Stella has been dancing since she could walk, including many years of ballet, modern and jazz.  She has studied tango intensively for the past 6 years and brings many of the techniques to teaching that she has learned from contemporary masters of tango including Gustavo Naveira, Fabian Salas, Jorge Firpo and Graciela Gonzalez.  Her most intensive studies have been with  Oscar Mandagaran, Paulo Araujo, Hernan Obispo, Mariana Dragone, and Angel Garcia-Clemente.  She teaches tango with the use of guided imagery, uses both traditional tango music as well as non-traditional tango music, and uses ingenious exercises to help break down complex patterns into understandable relationships.  She has assisted many visiting maestros with classes and exhibitions.  She has led multiple groups to Buenos Aires to study tango and visits there twice a year to study intensively herself.