Tango With Colette

This is my first attempt at dance lessons, and I must say that I am in very fine hands when it comes to learning the Argentine Tango. Ms. Colette Herbert is a true professional in every sense of the word. She is has as a soft approach to teaching, yet firm when warranted. Her ability for getting the best effort from her students is beyond reproach, she makes the hard work required seem like child’s play. Even if I did not want to dance the tango I would pay just to see this gorgeous and elegant lady glide along the dance floor. Thank you Colette for helping to turn my mundane life into one of passion, devotion and love for the Tango. your passion for teaching and love of the dance inspires all who are privileged to be under your tutelage.

My Fiancé and I took lessons for our wedding (first dance together as husband and wife), we gave Colette our dance song and she choreographed our song. Everyone at the wedding looked shocked that we danced so well, we really knocked the socks off of everyone. Thank you Colette for making our wedding day that much more memorable.

Colette is an amazing teacher, a kind and generous person with an almost magical ability to relate to everyone around her. She give people her full attention and she remembers you! She knows instantly what will make you a better dancer and she doesn’t need to drown you in information and minutiae to prove she’s knowledgable, she has the patience to help you at the pace you learn. She is one of the classiest ladies in tango and she will absolutely amaze you!
For those of you into tango already, Colette’s is a great place to dance and study for a lot of reasons.
1. All styles are good and she flows from close to open embrace effortlessly. She doesn’t need to lecture or tell you how to dance. She can work with any style and knows how to make them all better.
2. Her students are welcoming and friendly, very quick to offer you a helping hand in learning this wonderful dance.
3. Her studio is a wonderful and professional space where beginners can learn and professionals can continue to grow. There are full mirrors, the room is long and rectangular with a long wall of windows for fresh ocean air to roll in.
4. Tango is best taught by people who can explain it simply and directly with no need to tell you how great they are. Colette is a world champion in tango and yet watching her teach a few privates, I personally saw how humbly, kindly and generously she helps her students understand the simplest to the most complicated steps, always gently nudging them along at just the tempo that will allow them to learn and not overwhelm them.
5. She teaches choreography classes. Social dancing is not for everyone. Colette has something to offer those not yet interested in that aspect of tango. I saw her performance group and the choreography she gave them is just challenging enough to be fun and keep the students learning at an exciting pace.
I have more to say and I’ll add to it later, but for now, I can tell you after seeing and working with hundreds of teachers, Colette is truly among the best.
And by the way, she’s a a great dancer too. Sweet, kind and generous with a load of talent. Study with her while you can, you will cherish the time you have spend with her.
I certainly do.

I have been dancing for over 2 yrs taking lessons from various teachers around Southern California but met Colette after wandering into her Nuevo Class one Friday night. She made me feel at home and welcome. She took the time to introduce me to the others. The atmosphere was warm and nonthreatening. I was so impressed that I took a private with her the following week and wow! like no other teacher I have ever experienced.
Colette actually took the time to break down every move for me so I really understood how to lead the subtle nuances of the dance. I signed up for a package of 5 privates and so looking forward to the more.
If you have a technical mind and love to do things well and you love the dance of Tango, you have to experience instruction from Colette.

I started dancing in Colette’s class when a good friend of mine invited me to participate and spent almost eight months attending two classes per week. I ended up finding these skills useful on several business trips I had to make to Argentina during the following year. I was not an expert by no means, but I had enough knowledge to really enjoy some nights out at San Telmo in Buenos Aires.
She has a very thorough method and, if you focus, you’ll be dancing confidently in a Milonga in two months for sure. Collette also hosts «Social Fridays» every month, so if you are curious, I would recommend to check them out. Maybe you’ll like it too!

She is the best.
Yo fui un dia por curiosidad a tomar una clase de tango y me sorprendio la capacidad de Collete de ensenar. Ella es la mejor maestra de tango que yo he visto. Ya que te ensena a amar el tango y vivir una hermosa experiencia de sentir el placer de bailar.

Phenomenal!
My friend and I have been dancing ballroom for years and we wanted to experience Argentine Tango, not just Ballroom Tango.
My dance partner and I took private lessons with Colette. It was a wonderful and most enjoyable experience. Group classes were fun as well.
Colette knows Argentine Tango inside and out… she can easily demonstrate and instruct for both the follow and the lead.
Invest in a good pair of dance shoes, you won’t want to stop dancing.

I first met Colette a few years ago when she was touring. She and her partner (then Richard Council) came to Pacific Grove and taught some excelent workshops. I later learned that she had been instrumental in teaching her partner and that they competed in the Tango Mundial in Buenos Aires. I found her teaching to be solid and and enjoyable. Tango isn’t easy and its harder when you are new and nervous. She had an encouraging way of correcting. I recently had the chance to reconnect with her in her new location in San Diego. It was great to see a face from the past and enjoy catching up. Tango is more than just a dance. It teaches a person to connect with another. I was so happy to hear that she continues her teaching in San Diego and look foward to supporting her efforts. Oh, as this needs mentioning… she is a delight to dance with!
Charles Carroll
Tango Monterey Bay

A dear friend of mind has encouraged me to try Tango for many years… Finally did it. Great decision.
Being a «white-​boy» true to my roots, my inability to separate my hips from my waist has always kept me off any dance floor. When my friend told me she was performing at the Women’s Club near the airport I went to see her… Wow, she’s good! Go Mary!!! After her short dance an Argentine champion couple lit up the dance floor. Holy smokes — I was really blown away how cool, seductive, enchanting, fun and sexy Tango is live when done well.
I wanna do that!!!
Fast forward 5 months down the road; I am hooked. Lessons are twice a week and there is a Milonga (dance and lesson) every Friday. Sessions last 6 weeks and are $ 120 so that’s $ 10 bucks a lesson/​hour ($ 15 individually I believe). Very reasonable… Friday’s are $ 10 if you go to all of them ($ 15 at the door) and the 2^nd Sunday of every month is a class for one hour, then dancing, then dinner, then a performance, sharing of spirits, then more dancing for $ 10. You can not find a better deal and I don’t understand how she can afford to offer so much for so little.
You do not need to attend with «a partner,» I never have. Even if you come as a married couple you dance with everyone. «Change partners» happens every few minutes which makes life fun, and learning better.
Colette is kind, extremely energetic, and perceptive. She understands what I am doing wrong (which is a lot…) and corrects me wisely. She is also a very accomplished dancer and it shows. Watching her teach by example is the way to learn Tango without «bad habits» — beginner to expert.
Colette also has a wonderful smile that reflects her effervescent positive attitude. I’ve dubbed her the San Diego «Madame» of Tango. Don’t think you can go to a Milonga and not dance. She makes sure all the ladies ‘try’ every man, and every guy puts «mileage on the floor.» While I am not timid, I dance more because of her and know if I am sitting it won’t be for long.
If you are a beginner go Dance with Colette. If you are very experienced embellish with Colette. She is that good! She also organizes weekend work-​shops with award winning dancers and I look forward to being good enough to attend in the future.
Thank you Colette for giving hope to this White boy and bringing together so many fun good people. My classmates are all impressively wonderful, and I have made many new friends. I look forward to taking every class she offers and becoming a Tanguero.

San Diegans are so fortunate to finally have the authentic Argentine Tango teacher! Her approach to teaching is very pleasant and professional. Tango is a difficult art, yet Colette’s technique of teaching is very approachable, easy to understand. She will share with you not only the intricate steps but the culture of the dance, it’s emotion and the character. Within a few months the beginner will be able to dance and enjoy Tango. Being Colette’s student for quite a while I should warn you about «Tango Addiction» or perhaps I should say the passion which definitely brightens my life.
The classes take place in a beautiful and spacious dance studios of the Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Truly recommend wether you are the beginner or advanced dancer, young or old, every class will allow you to learn a lot about Argentine Tango.

If you’ve ever wanted to try Tango, San Diego is blessed with one of the premier dancers and teachers in the world, Colette Hebert. Run, don’t walk, over to Dance Place in Liberty Station, Point Loma and take one of her free introductory classes. You have nothing to lose. That’s how we got started. My daughter and I have now been studying Tango with Colette for a couple of years. It has been truly a pleasure. Colette is a world-​class dancer who is also an amazing, patient and tremendously enthusiastic teacher. She loves Tango, and her attitude is completely infectious! Even if you have two left feet, Colette has the gift of correcting your mistakes in the most encouraging and constructive way. She paces classes to be challenging, but not overwhelming, and her dedication to quality is such that she’ll make sure people truly learn how to dance right, from the very foundations. She also emphasizes real-​world dancing, so you can be prepared to dance at a Milonga, or dance hall anywhere in the world you might travel. You can take it as far and deep as you want – she regularly brings the top dancers in the world for intensive weekend workshops, and coaches people to performance level. But you can also just do it for fun, and meet a lot of interesting people and discover the joy of learning a new language called Tango.
John I
UCSD Institute for Neural Computation