FAQ — michelle + joachim

Registration is only possible with a partner, unless otherwise specified (i.e. for some technique and bodywork seminars, etc.). Please visit our Find a Partner page if you need a partner.

In what language do you teach? What countries do the other students come from?

We choose two languages based on the majority of students - most often this has been German and English. We also speak Spanish, French, Swiss German and Italian, and are happy to translate for you or find someone in the class who can do simultaneous translation.

We have had participants from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

I cannot come for one day or part of one day, can I still participate?

Priority is given to students who can participate in the full seminar. We understand it is not always possible to come for all days, so please contact us to see if there is space available if you’d like to join for part of a seminar.

Help! How do I register and pay for a seminar? How do I know if my registration is confirmed?

A step-by-step guide is available on our help page. During the registration process you will fill out a form with your contact information and pay with a credit card. At the end of the process you should receive a confirmation email with the details of your registration and payment.

How are credit card payments processed? What is your privacy policy regarding data and credit card information?

We use a company called Stripe for our payment process. Stripe has many big clients and businesses especially in the USA that trust their services (see a partial list of well-known companies on Stripe Gallery), and they are expanding and establishing themselves well in the European market. You can read more about Stripe's Privacy Policy and read our Privacy Policy during the checkout process (link under Billing next to Terms of Service link). We never have access to any of your credit card details (credit card data is never sent to our servers), and everything is encrypted and high-security protected to industry standards. For technical details, see Stripe's Security page. We respect your privacy, and we do not sell or give your data to third-parties or use it in any other way except to contact you in relation to our events.

What happens if I have to cancel my registration?

You can cancel your registration at any time by contacting us.

In case of cancellation, you have a few options:

You find a couple to take your place. All financial arrangements for reimbursement must be managed directly between you and the new couple. You must email us the names and contact information of the new couple.
If you cannot find a couple to replace you, you may ask us to find a replacement from the waiting list. If there is a couple on the waiting list who can take your place, 20% of the seminar fee will be retained as an administrative fee and you will be reimbursed the remaining 80% of the seminar fee.
If no replacement couple is found, the cancellation cost is as follows: up to 30 days in advance: 50% of the seminar fee, less than 30 days in advance: 100% of the seminar fee.

Special Cancellation Policy during COVID-19 Pandemic: If you are registered for a seminar and are sick with symptoms associated with COVID-19 (fever, dry cough, loss of taste/smell, diarrhoea, sore throat, etc.) or test positive for the coronavirus, please stay at home. You can transfer your seminar fee for the missed days towards a future seminar.

For more information about seminars cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions, please visit our Terms of Service page.

For what level are the seminars?

Most of our Immersion and Focus Seminars are for "Good Intermediate to Advanced Level" dancers. Some technique and bodywork seminars are open for “All Levels,” whereas other more challenging topics like colgadas are for “Only Advanced Dancers”. We have also had semi-professional and professional teachers participate. We usually begin with technique, exercises and more simple sequences, and then work towards more complex elements, integration with the music, combinations with other figures, etc.

How much does a seminar cost?

The price per person for one Focus Seminar is 200 Swiss Francs (CHF).

The price per person for one Immersion Seminar is 390 Swiss Francs (CHF).

Is there a student discount?

Yes, we give a discount for students with a valid student identification card. If you are a student and are interested to participate, please contact us directly.

How many couples can participate in each seminar?

The Immersion Seminars are limited to 20 couples unless otherwise specified in the seminar description.

The Focus Seminars are limited to 17 couples unless otherwise specified in the seminar description.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Immersion Seminars and Focus Seminars are limited to 15 couples.

Can I register for only one seminar?

Yes. All of our seminars may be taken independently.

How can I register for more than one seminar at a time?

If you click on the "REGISTER NOW" red button for one seminar, you will see a page with a red button that says "REGISTER BOTH DANCERS". Clicking on this button adds the seminar to the shopping cart, which you will see in the black button that appears on the top right corner of the screen with the price. If you scroll down on this page, you will see the other Immersion Seminars for which you can also register. Click on the "REGISTER BOTH DANCERS" button for the next seminar to automatically add it to the cart. You can repeat this for as many seminars as you like. When finished, click on the black button to continue to the shopping cart and to complete the registration and payment process.

How early do I have to register for a seminar?

Registration is on a first-come first-serve basis. No advance reservations are accepted. A waiting list will be available once the seminar is full. We do not know when this will happen, as it depends when people register for the seminar. To be sure to have a place in the seminar, we recommend you register as early as possible.

How do I know if there is still place available in a seminar?

When the limit of couples is reached, it will not be possible to register and pay. You will be able to submit your email address to be added to the waiting list. Otherwise, there are still places available. You do not have to contact us to ask if there is still space available.

If a seminar is full, can I be put on the waiting list? How does the waiting list work?

When a seminar is full, you will be able to submit your contact information to be added to the waiting list. We will only contact you if a place becomes available.

What things should I bring for the seminar? Do I need to bring food?

We suggest bringing the following things: two pairs of dance shoes, enough clean and comfortable clothing for each day of dancing, other clothes suitable for milongas if you want to go out dancing, deodorant, a video camera or mobile phone and/or notebook to record the figures, suitable outer clothing/gear for the weather in Basel (see http://www.weather.com), a blanket or mat if you would like to rest on the floor during the breaks.

A light snack buffet is provided and participants are welcome to bring something to share with the group. Fresh coffee and tea will be available during the breaks and water will always be available. Should you need special snacks or drinks, we invite you to bring your own. There are many supermarkets in Basel, but on Sundays the only ones that are open are the supermarkets at the main train station (SBB) and the German train station (Badischer Bahnhof).

During the COVID-19 pandemic there will be no snack buffet, water, coffee or tea provided. Please bring your own food, thermos, water bottle, cutlery, etc.

I saw you offer a seminar with the same subject as a seminar I took last year. Will it be the same?

Often we give seminars that have similar titles (for example, Technique or Vals, etc.). We are constantly exploring and evolving our own dancing and teaching, and therefore are committed to finding new explanations, sequences, exercises and ideas to share with our students. Sometimes we repeat exercises we have taught before, though most often we create new figures and exercises, so no two seminars are exactly alike.

Is it possible to take private classes or Rolfing sessions during the seminars?

Because of family and work priorities, we have decided not to offer private classes or single Rolfing sessions to participants.

What is the address of the studio where the seminars take place?

Unless otherwise specified, the Immersion and Focus Seminars in Basel are held in the downstairs studio at H95 Raum für Kultur, located at Horburgstrasse 95, 4057 Basel. Please use the side entrance on Eimeldingerweg (corrugated metal door). For information about H95 and their events, please visit the H95 Facebook Page or website.

What hotels or B&Bs do you recommend in the area?

There are many hotels in Basel and just across the border in Germany and France. We have created a list of recommendations. You can also find many reasonable apartments, rooms or bed and breakfast on websites like AirBnB.

Where can I find Basel tourist information?

Basel Tourismus is a great resource with information about Basel highlights, events and things to do, places to stay, restaurants and nightlife, art and culture.

Where can I find Basel restaurant information?

The Basel Restaurant website is http://www.basel-restaurants.ch. Zone 11 (Kleinhünigen & Kleinbasel-West) is the area of the studio and there are many nearby restaurants in Zones 6 (Bei der Messe) and 5 (Kleinbasler Innenstadt), or across the Rhein river in Zone 1 (Grossbasler Innenstadt - the old part of the city). There are many restaurants on Klybeckstrasse, about 600m from the studio. Some restaurants in Basel are closed on Sundays. We usually organize an optional group dinner on the first evening of our Immersion Seminars. Details will be sent in an email about a week before the seminar.

Is there parking near the studio? How does parking work in Basel?

There is only street parking at the studio. Plan to arrive with enough time to look for parking in a blue spot in the neighborhood. On Sundays and in the evenings from 7 pm to 8 am there is no time restriction on parking in the blue zone, and you do not need to purchase a visitor parking permit.

For information about local parking regulations, how to buy half-day parking passes, etc. please see this info site: http://www.helloswitzerland.ch/-/getting-around-basel.

The visitor parking permits are available for half a day or a full day. The half-day permit costs 12 CHF and is valid on the day of issue either in the morning from 8 am to 1 pm or in the afternoon from 12 noon to 7 pm. A full-day parking permit costs 20 CHF. For each car (identified by its license plate) up to 12 visitor permits per year can be purchased online at half the normal price – 6 or 10 Swiss Francs. Please go to the BVB website for more information.

You can buy the Visitor Parking Card (Besucherparkkarte) online here: Visitor Parking Card / Besucherparkkarte (use Google Translate if you do not speak German). You can also buy it at tram stops in one of the green ticket machines. The nearest tram stop is at Brombacherstrasse (Tram 14) at the intersection of Brombacherstrasse, Hammerstrasse and Horburgstrasse.

For car parks (parking garages), please see http://www.mybasel.ch/verkehr_parkleitsystem.cfm. There is not one in walking distance of the studio.

Basel is a small city and it is usually easier to walk or take public transportation (tram/bus) in the city except during late-night hours. If you are staying at a hotel or in some B&Bs in Basel, you will usually receive a Mobility Ticket which allows free access to public transportation in the city.

When and where are there milongas in Basel?

All milongas in Basel can be found here http://www.tangoinfo.ch/calendar/cal.shtml, along with other events in other cities in Switzerland.

Is there a good tango shoe store in Basel?

Yes! Munay Tango Shoes is 400m from the studio at Oetlingerstrasse 183. Please contact Irma Gross to make an appointment by phone or via the website. She has a vast selection of women's shoes with different heel heights, men's shoes including 2x4 and flat or low-heeled training shoes.

What is the typical daily schedule for a seminar?

Unless otherwise noted, the 16 hours of class during Immersion Seminars are organized like this:

Day 1
16:30-18:30 Part 1
18:30-20:30 Dinner Break
20:30-22:30 Part 2

Day 2 & 3
14:00-16:00 Part 1
16:00-17:00 Break
17:00-19:00 Part 2

Day 4
11:00-13:00 Part 1
13:00-14:00 Break
14:00-16:00 Part 2

During the 2-hour dinner break of Immersion Seminars, we usually organize an optional group dinner at a nearby restaurant. You will receive an e-mail with details, prices, etc. a few days before the seminar. During the COVID-19 pandemic we will not organise a group dinner.

For Focus Seminars, the hours are usually like Day 3 and Day 4 unless otherwise noted.

What are the Terms of Service for the seminars?

Please visit our Terms of Service page and read our COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan for Tango Seminars.