Tango is the dance of love, and I love Tango Vida! Instructors Ney and Jennifer are marvelous~ they communicate dance steps and nuances clearly and with humor. Their sheer enthusiasm for the dance show in their thoughtfulness in teaching. When they demonstrate the steps, it is truly beautiful. Their charming studio also offers beginning salsa, yoga and a few other classes. http://www.studiotangovida.com/classes.html Also through the month of February they are offering a $25 Recession Special for new students and those unemployed. They also sell Comme Ill Faut tango shoes from Argentina. These shoes are a work of art. They are usually made in batches of 20 and can be worn as street shoes. Check out their website for more details. Carrie Bradshaw would be envious of these shoes. http://www.studiotangovida.com/shoes.html read more

Warning: If you go here, you will be hopelessly hooked, and your credit card will feel it... I had never done tango before but want to learn before I go to Argentina this fall, and someone recommended Ney and Jennifer as excellent teachers. I'm so glad I tried this place. I went last night and enjoyed it so much that I went back tonight. Ney and Jennifer do a great job of breaking everything down; the fancy stuff all builds on the basics. The Fundamentals classes are very beginner-friendly, but there are more advanced dancers taking them too, giving you the chance to work with a range of partners. The class I took last night had about 10 people; tonight there were three of us. There was a lot more individual attention tonight, obviously, but Ney and Jennifer made sure to work with everyone even when there were more people. Plus you'll learn from your partner! The studio itself is small and intimate, with thoughtful amenities like mint water, coffee, wine and cookies. And the shoes -- OMG, the shoes are so beautiful. I'm wondering how long it will be until I give in and buy some. Probably not long... Prices seem reasonable to me -- drop-ins are $20, or you can pay less by buying a pass. The first class is free, so what are you waiting for? Give it a try! P.S. Girls (or guys who want to learn to follow), check out the ladies technique class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was such a tough workout that my entire lower body hurt for days -- in a good way! There's not much action but a lot of balance exercises that are harder than they look. It's like Pilates but standing up. Ow! read more

TangoVida is a lovely studio! This is a great place to learn tango and get a little workout, because: - The teachers are helpful and fun. -The studio space is beautiful and intimate. I highly recommend TangoVida to beginners who are either new to tango or even to dance. Ney and Jennifer are very inviting so, the classes are not intimidating at all. read more

Ney and Jennifer not only are great teachers, they are genuine people, amazing dancers and a lot of fun. My boyfriend and I have been taking classes with them for two years now and went with them on our first trip to Argentina. We couldn't have had better teachers or tour guides. As other people have mentioned, their studio has a way of becoming a social center pretty quickly, with a friendly welcome, a group of regular students and a bottle of red wine in the corner, a class will become a practica and a practica will become a party. As dancers, they are gorgeous to watch. As a woman, I have to say that Jennifer is my absolute favorite teacher to study styling and adornments. Her feet are like no others on youtube and her grace and precision are not only amazing, but she has a wonderful ability to communicate the technique behind the style. They are wonderful teachers, great people and did I mention that Jennifer also is a great help with my rather incurable comme il faut shoe addiction. :) read more

Ney and Jennifer are the best. They are warm, energetic and patient. They are also experts at Tango, having committed years in the States and in Argentina to practice. The group lessons are fun. Both Ney and Jennifer get even first-time beginners to relax and enjoy. If you can afford it, I highly recommend a private lesson to get started. This worked well for my fiancee and me. As Ney said once, they are not just teaching dance, they are teaching love. read more

i love it! perfect for anyone who wants to learn a bit of tango and have a great time doing it! even extremely clumsy and uncoordinated people (i am in that category) will enjoy these classes and probably improve their postures and get a little workout while they're at it :) ney and jennifer are very talented and professional instructors who know how to correct mistakes and provide guidance while maintaining a fun and constructive environment. i enjoyed myself and would recommend tango vida to anyone who has ever considered taking a dance lesson!!! read more

I've Tangoed all over the country, but my favorite place to take class is Tango Vida whenever I'm in San Francisco. Ney and Jennifer teach not just a style or a basic pattern, but how the music works, which really is the key to being able to just pick up the dance. Tango is about the simplicity of the embrace and the body's response to music and similarly Tango Vida provides a warm, inviting place to learn and let yourself relax into the music and enjoy. First timers are always welcome and they'll have you hooked in no time. read more

Jennifer Bratt and Ney Melo are a special couple. They smartly bring together their Argentine Tango teaching style the seriousness of Tango and the fun attitude of learning how to do it right. In every single class class, we learn something. It could be something as simple as mere connection with each other (without even taking one single step). It could be learning a pattern that looks complicated. But they have a way of reading the class dynamics and then proceed to break it down to the level that is just perfect for that particular night. We always have a smile on our face at the end of each class knowing that it time and money well spent. Thank you Ney and Jennifer for creating an unique studio for us in San Francisco. Best wishes to Studio TangoVida wherever it goes ... read more

Ney and Jennifer have a fun clear teaching style. I recommend them to anyone who is starting or diving deep into tango. I don't go often because parking is hard! If you have a Muni pass Tango Vida is a great place to start tangoing. === Update 2009/9/1 Tango Vida closed last week :( Ney and Jennifer will be teaching at La Pista once a week. :) read more

I studied with Ney Melo and Jennifer at TangoVida San Francisco from June 2008 through August 2009. I learned from Ney how to musically and learned lots of fun steps to take followers to tango heaven. I learned from Jen beautiful followers' technique on walking and most importantly, firuletes that engages the eye and is spot on with the music. For prospective students of South Beach, you are gaining two outstanding teachers and performers who are incredibly musical and one of the few tango teachers I've encountered who actually emphasize musicality more in their classes and workshops as well as learning cool sequences to dance to with the music. With Jen and Ney, you will learn dramatic tango, rhythmic tango, vals and milonga...the latter two the most difficult because you have to be on the beat ALL the time...no excuses! Ney and Jen will make you better dancers if you practice what they teach. What I truly LOVE about them is they are very supportive and encouraging. Their style is called Villa Urquiza named after one of the barrios in Buenos Aires where the clubs such as Sin Rumbo and Sunderland are located. It is characterized by measured and smoothly executed moves. It includes all of the basic tango steps and figures plus sacadas, barridas, and boleos. The emphasis is on precision, smoothness, and musicality. The couple embraces closely, but the embrace is flexible, opening slightly to make room for various figures and closing again for support and poise. The walk is the most important element, and dancers usually walk 60%-70% of the time during a tango song. Personally, with the exception of the younger generation, the majority of tango dancers in Buenos Aires prefer this style. It differs from "show tango" meant for the stage OR "tango nuevo" where you take more liberties with the embrace such as breaking it (e.g. soltadas). Ney and Jennifer are perhaps one of the best in the world. The key to this style is "pure musicality" with the movements. When you watch these two dance, you will understand more what I mean. They bring a genuine feeling of what the music means to them and they share this with you so that it touches you, too. It's really an amazing feeling. One great example, is when you watch them dance their version of "Poema" on YouTube, or a song called "Pensalo Bien" by Juan D'Arienzo Tipica Orchestra (this was danced on November 29, 2009, and someone will probably post it to YouTube soon). If you were to ignore their legs and just look at the top half of their bodies when they dance, you will see such a solid connection to the music, love and smiles on their faces that you can't help but be transported to the place where they are dancing at. Miami South Beach, you are gaining some truly masterful teachers of tango. Take advantage because they may just be 'passing through' your area, too, and your opportunity to learn from them may not pass that way again. Smiles, Sly :-) read more

Miami you are so luck to have Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt! Jennifer is one of the best Ladies' Technique teachers in the country. She will teach you how to as beautiful as you can possibly be in your dance by doing ankle and foot strengthening exercises, disassocation exercises to get maximum range of motion in your core, teaching you to be grounded to the floor in your dance, and beautiful, rhythmic embellishements. This is not all taught in one lesson though! You need to go back, week after week, month after month! You will not regret it! Leaders will swoon and beat each other back for the chance to dance with you! Ney is great too. So patient and fun and musically gifted. AWESOME!!! read more

My husband and I started going to Tango Vida a few months ago. Neither of us had danced Tango before, and my husband had never taken dance classes, so were complete beginners. We signed up for the $25 first month promotion. Jennifer and Ney were so friendly that we instantly felt welcomed and comfortable at the studio. The class feels more like a casual fun party than a dance class- they even serve complimentary wine which helps lighten the mood. Ney and Jennifer are fantastic instructors. They are great at communicating and explaining complicated steps and subtle movements. They are patient and very helpful when you have a question or get confused. We got married last week and we wanted to dance Tango at our wedding, so we had a private lesson with Ney and Jennifer to help us create a dance especially for our wedding. In only one hour, they coordinated an entire dance and made it look like we had been dancing Tango for years! It has only been a few months, but we feel like we have learned the fundamentals of Tango and we are so excited to continue taking classes at Tango Vida for a long time. read more

I can't speak highly enough about Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt as great teachers and dancers of Tango. I was fortunate enough to be able to study with them 4 times a week for almost 2 years! They were responsible for taking my dancing to another level. Besides being absolutely wonderful and friendly people as well, their detailed instruction on learning the basics of tango, then the ensuing more complex moves proved invaluable to learning Argentine Tango. They are world renowned and often teach all over the globe. They have spent much time in Argentina learning from some of the greatest Tango teachers in the world, including Javier Rodriguez. A quick check on youtube will show you all you need to see about them! They have many videos that show their performances. Ney and Jen make classes extremely fun and informative, all the while infusing the neccesary points that are so important to know in tango. A 5 star rating is actually not nearly enough. They simply are the greatest. And I considered it a privelege to be able to study with them so often. As they are soon to be relocating in Miami, they are the idea tango couple to learn from. read more

Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt have opened a charming and delightful small studio in the beautiful Nob Hill neighborhood. If you have any knowledge of tango, you will understand that sometimes smaller is better in terms of floor size, and that a high quality floor, which they have, is even more important. However, that being said, I would venture into scary barrios to take a follower's technique class with Jennifer or a group class with both Ney and Jennifer. Ney's charisma and Jennifer's ability to teach followers (instead of just focusing on the leader's perspective), and their combined invested desire to see their students succeed make me want to return again and again. You may already know that they are known for their ability to teach musicality. I don't disagree, but, in my opinion, they do something more important. The essence of what they teach is more than steps; it's the development of the ritual of the tango and milonga. Tango exists in a context, and if this context is lost, it doesn't feel like tango. Tangueros dance because of how it makes them feel, and to continue this tradition, developing tangueros must learn the proper etiquette, understand the history and be open to another culture. In fact, it is this aspect of tango that most often "changes' people, because you can learn the steps to any dance, but you can't always learn the soul of the interaction. Ney and Jennifer understand this and incorporate these teachings into their lessons. read more