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mariana galassi
Mariana Galassi was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where
she started dancing Tango over 8 years ago. She trained intensively
with Chicho Frumboli and Lucia Mazer, Julio Balmaceda and Corina de La
Rosa, and Gustavo Naveira. As a member of ANA KAMIEN DANCE COMPANY, she
performed in Buenos Aires’ most Notable theaters. In 2000, she moved to
New York City where she currently performs and teaches Argentine Tango.
She continues to travel throughout the United States performing at
different venues and giving workshops. She participated as a dancer and
teacher in several Tango festivals including the prestigious CONGRESS
OF ARGENTINE TANGO (CITA, BUENOS AIRES 2004) where she was one of the
invited Tango masters. Currently, she is a member of the NEW GENERATION
DANCE COMPANY, directed by Dardo Galetto, which blends modern dance
with Tango. Visit her website at www.marianagalassi.com. |
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homer & cristina
Homer and Cristina Ladas started their tango obsession long before the met
each other. Each with over 11 years of experience emphasizing a
fusion of social tango ideologies, via the 'one tango' philosophy. As
teachers they are committed to creating a positive class environment
and try to reduce barriers that may inhibit students from really
finding their own dance! Small epiphanies can & do occur in their
students all the time... It has been said, on more than one occasion,
that few dancing couples improvise with such skill, personality, and
fluidity of movement. Married since May 2002 Homer & Cristina
continue to explore deeper facets of their relationship to each other
and to tango.
Homer is also a founding member of the non-profit Project Tango
organization whose biggest local projects include the weekly CELLspace
alternative milonga and the annual Tango Exchange. His newest
obsession is the double bass! He plays with a ‘student’ tango band
called Los Bandacticos and hosts free music jams (locally and on the
road).
Cristina is currently recovering from a life altering kidney disease
and, beyond her regular ‘tango functions’, is a student of Yoga and
Pilates and spends her off-time reading. |
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nick & tara
Nick Jones and Tara Forteir are among the few North Americans to have
taught at a major festival in Argentina. This November Nick and Tara
returned Buenos Aires as a Master Teacher at Pulpo's Tango Week. During
the last four years, they have taught in major cities and at festivals
across the United States including Portland's TangoFest (2005) &
Valentango (2006), Tango de los Muertos (2006, with Nick w/ Florencia
Taccetti), in Washington DC, New York and at Yale University (2006). Nick
and Tara have also been invited to teach in Australia, Morocco, South
Africa and Canada. When in his hometown of Denver, Nick and his partner
Tara Fortier teach at the well-known Tango House and Mercury Cafe.
In 2004 Nick and Tara studied intensively in Buenos Aires with leading
maestros including “El Pulpo” Esbrez, Luiza Paes, Chicho Frumboli, Mingo
Pugliese, Julio Balmaceda & Corina de la Rosa, and Ernesto Balmaceda &
Stella Baez. During that time they also worked as teaching assistants for
two of the master instructors at CITA 2004.
Nick and Tara's dancing is effortless, elegant, sophisticated, and
musical. Nick plays the bandoneon, and leads the Jupiter Tango Quintet in
Denver. In college, Nick majored in poetry, minored in painting, and loved
throwing pottery. It was through throwing pottery that he understood for
the first time what it really meant to be centered and "on axis" - terms
that dance teachers often toss around - and now these concepts are central
to his teaching. As teachers Nick and Tara have an uncanny ability to
explain complex ideas simply and to pinpoint the subtleties of where each
student needs to improve.
www.naturaltango.com
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korey & mila
Korey Ireland is a professional composer turned tango-addict, he brings a lifetime of musical experience and an unquenchable thirst for tango
to his teaching. He has developed his dancing on social dance floors
of the world's tango capitols and with a great deal of guidance from
some spectacular teachers (Winkler, Jeurissen, Valle, Naviera, Krebs.)
Originally from Kansas City, Korey has spent the better part of the
last three years traveling and teaching tango in England, Holland,
Spain, Germany, Russia and Argentina, sharing his passion for tango,
music, expression, and connection. In January 2005 he met Mila in El
Corte and they are continuing this tango adventure as a duo. They are
currently building Kansas City's first tango school while Korey
finishes recording CD of original tango music.
Mila Vigdorova (Moscow),
Danced classic, folk, jazz since she was 5 years old, she discovered
tango in 2000 and has hardly missed a milonga since. A tango junkie,
she first spent all her money and vacation time on tango travels from
Russia to European festivals, El Corte and Buenos Aires. In 2003 she
opened her tango school in Moscow and worked successfully for 3 years,
teaching, organizing workshops with Argentine maestrors, and staging
tango shows. Her tango is influenced by such masters as Julio
Balmaceda and Corina de la Rosa, Pablo Inza, Brigitta Winkler, Erik
Jerissen, Luciana Valle, and also music and feelings. After her first
trip to Buenos Aires in 2002, she found she can not live a year without
this city. In 2005 she danced demos with Dani Flaco and Jorge Firpo in
Buenos Aires, in the same lucky year met Korey Ireland in the tango
mecca- El Corte. Since than Mila and Korey are travelling and teaching
together, trying to balance between their home communities Moscow and
Kansas City and their long European and Argentine tours.
If she could only imagine back in 2000, as she breathlessly watched the
dance sequences of "Tango Lesson", that within in 5 years she would
have danced at milongas with these stars and speak a common language
with dancers from all over the world and find her love on another
continent through the embrace of a tango.
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jennifer
Starting her tango career in Portland (OR), tango has now taken
Jennifer all over the world: to Europe (where she has taught in
England), to Argentina and Uruguay (where she has been invited to
perform at several milongas), and throughout the United States and
Canada (where she has taught and performed extensively).
Arguably without a home, Jennifer continues to travel (and live out of
her suitcase) year-round. She has taught at festivals and given
workshops around the world including Montevideo, Uruguay; London,
England; Toronto, Canada; Montreal, Canada; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA;
Denver, CO; New York, NY; Washington D.C.; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA;
Princeton, NJ (at Princeton University); New Haven, CT (at Yale
University); and St. Louis, MO.
Jennifer's dance is characterized by her desire to strive for
versatility. Since tango is a social dance, she believes it is
integral to master not only close and open embrace, but also
everything in-between. Furthermore, after having a connected and
comfortable embrace, nothing is more important to Jennifer than the
music. This is transmitted in her teaching, as she approaches every
class with a strong command over the music. |
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robin thomas
A well-known and respected dancer and DJ, Robin's enthusiasm for Argentine tango can be seen most clearly in his wholehearted dedication to teaching. He believes that it is very important for students to dance simply and musically from the very beginning. Building that strong base of connection and musicality early, Robin believes, will allow even very new beginners to feel comfortable and confident on a crowded dance floor and will also lead to a more comprehensive and fluid understanding of more complicated techniques later on. Robin's teaching style reflects this philosophy, and his students appreciate the humorous but still down-to-earth way he presents the material.
Robin's travel schedule is a busy one, reflecting his growing popularity as a teacher and tango DJ. Recently, he has taught in Portland, Denver, Ann Arbor, Washington DC, Seattle, Berlin, Edinburgh, San Diego, Providence, Pittsburgh and at the universities, Yale, Princeton, and Cornell.
When he is not traveling, Robin stays busy in his hometown of New York City teaching 3 group classes per week at Empire Dance Studio. On the rare occasion that he is neither teaching or DJing, Robin can always be seen on the dance floor, either working to expand his own understanding of Argentine tango, or simply enjoying the connection he works so hard to share with others.
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nancy lavoie
Musicienne de formation (Bacc. en musique), Nancy Lavoie pratique et enseigne le piano durant plusieurs années avant de s’inscrire, par un heureux hasard, à des cours de tango argentin qui lui feront prendre un virage inattendu...
Elle doit ses premiers pas à Paul Montpetit et Claudine Blain de Montréal, puis se perfectionne auprès de maîtres entres autres: Pepito Avalleneda et Suzuki de Sousa , Jorge Firpo et Aurora Lubiz, Hernan Obispo , Mauricio Castro, Pablo Inza, Cecilia Gonzales et ce, tant au Québec qu'à Buenos Aires. Depuis 2002, elle est "certified master teacher" de Tango Discovery de Buenos Aires. Elle poursuit sa formation en mouvement en danse moderne et en Buto. Nancy Lavoie est également massothérapeute et formatrice en massothérapie.
Pédagogie et Improvisation :
Interpellée par les difficultés que représente l’apprentissage du tango, et riche de son expérience comme musicienne, Nancy Lavoie s’attarde à créer des plans de cours qui facilitent l’apprentissage des étudiants comme danseur et improvisateur. Théoriquement, elle enseigne l’improvisation dès les premiers cours, et abandonne les techniques d’enseignements qui prônent les chorégraphies pour l’apprentissage.
Techniquement, sa pédagogie est basée sur le processus qui génère le mouvement. Elle prône la compréhension par les deux partenaires du vocabulaire et de la mécanique organique du guide et de l’écoute. Cette connaissance aide les étudiants à prendre conscience de leur corps, de leur relation à l'autre, et à développer un langage qui leur est propre, en lien avec la musique.
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bulent karabagli
Bulent Karabagli is a new generation tango dancer and teacher whose
style strongly reflects the traditional roots of tango. He makes his
home in Montreal and for 10 years has participated in its rich and
reputable tango scene. His passion for the dance has also taken him to
Argentina and Europe to study with many inspiring teachers. Bulent has
become well known for his innovative and improvisational approach to
tango as well as his fine sense of musicality and elegance. Bulent also
brings to his dancing an extensive background as a visual artist. His
paintings and drawings express vibrant colour, simplicity and lyricism
of line, humor and the human form. His artistic maturity is now
informing his tango. Drawing from these diverse and creative
explorations he generously shares his knowledge with students of every
level. As a teacher he stresses the importance of investigating the
structural foundation of tango, making good contact and communicating
clearly, moving smoothly between open and close embrace and developing
musical timing. With a keen grasp of these basic elements the dance
partners can then find the ease and freedom to bring complexity to
their floorcraft and develop their improvisational skills. Bulent likes
to encourage in his students, the sensitivity and confidence needed to
experiment with tango. The dance becomes more than its steps. The dance
becomes creative communication. In addition to teaching Bulent enjoys
dj'ing and hosting regular and popular Milongas in Montreal. The music
is a cutting-edge mix of alternative and traditional tango, the
atmosphere is heartfelt and the dancing is first rate. |
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marika landry
Marika Landry Originating from Quebec, Canada, Marika Landry has
resided in Montreal since 2003.
She was drawn to dance at an early age, studying jazz, modern and
classical techniques. In 1997 she turned her full attention to
Argentine Tango. Marika has studied with and been influenced by many
tango masters and has rapidly gained an international professional
reputation. Since 2004 she has toured Europe on 4 occasions, teaching
and performing in Switzerland, France, Germany and Italy.
Recognized for her precision, fluidity and interpretive range, Marika
is often sought to teach technique for women. In class she shares
techniques to help one achieve relaxed postural balance and to develop
controlled articulation and correct placement of the body and feet for
directional accuracy as well as attractive lines, poetic ornamentation
and ease in complexity and rhythm. She is also concerned with
heightening ones sensitivity to connection and the subtle transference
of cues between partners. With a strong belief that through tango a
woman can express her femininity, Marika inspires sensuality and
elegance. In keeping, Marika has also studied fashion design and
construction and now blends her two passions by creating beautiful
tango evening wear under her label Talon Aiguilles.
Partnering with Bulent Karabagli since 2002, they appeared in
performance with the orchestras, Color Tango and Narcotango at the 2005
Montreal International Tango Festival and have taught and continue to
teach workshops together worldwide. Marika has made four television
appearances dancing tango and in 2004 she spent 4 months in Argentina
deepening and perfecting her craft.
A new love and great joy for her is dancing the Argentinian folkloric
dances. She has spent time studying these styles in Santiago del Estero
and with the Montreal dancer Luis Lopez with whom she now performs and
teaches.
he dancing is first rate. |
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avik basu
Avik is driven by the belief that a little dance and music can make the world a better place. And so, he dances tango, DJs, plays bandoneon, organizes workshops, learns spanish, and will even drink mate despite the fact he otherwise avoids caffeine. Perhaps most of all, he enjoys sharing the beauty of tango with others. His instruction over the past 5 years has helped to develop the Ann Arbor tango community into one of the largest in North America.
Avik specializes in teaching social tango emphasizing connection, musicality, and improvisation. He has come to be known for his clear explanations which expose the core of any tango idea whether it be about movement or musicality. In addition to his regular classes in Ann Arbor, he has taught all over North America and beyond. Some of the more interesting tango adventures he's been on include a month-long immersion in Buenos Aires, teaching tango to a Bollywood actress in Mumbai, India, and touring the U.S. with tango band Trio Folias. Despite this experience, he continues to have a vivid memory of what it was like to start learning this challenging dance and this aids his teaching in a profound way.
An eternal tango student, Avik has taken classes from dancers in many tango traditions. The teachers who have left their mark most clearly are Gustavo Naveira, Susana Miller, Alex Krebs, and Robin Thomas. And in great measure, he has been guided by his experiences with his many talented students. |
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shorey myers
Shorey's first exposure to tango, watching a tall, skinny guy in a
beret teach a group of awkward college kids how to walk with grace,
immediately captured her imagination and she has hardly looked away
since. Coming from a background in martial arts and classical music,
she is driven by the desire to make her own movement as clean, fluid
and musical as possible. She counts among her strongest influences
Jaimes Friedgen, Cecilia González and Alex Krebs.
Shorey is an accomplished teacher whose primary goal is to give her
students those tools necessary to make their dancing as enjoyable as
possible in the shortest amount of time. As great as her love of the
dance is her love of the music, a passion which is evident whenever
she steps behind the DJ booth. She DJs all over the country (Portland,
New York City, Washington DC, San Francisco, Seattle, Ann Arbor, etc).
She loves to keep both very traditional and very alternative crowds
dancing all night long.
Shorey is (for the forseeable future) based in the San Francisco Bay
Area, though she still travels as much as is humanly possible. |
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adam hoopengardner
Adam Hoopengardner has grown to become a very well respected Teacher and DJ in North America.
He has taught all over the east coast and has Dj'd in Canada,
Argentina, and the US.
He DJ's both traditional as well as alternative music depending on the
venue.
He has Dj'd at clubs or festivals in: Buenos Aires, Toronto, Montreal,
New York City, Ann Arbor, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, New
Haven, Princeton, Providence... To name a few.
When he is not on the road he is very busy in New York teaching 4
group classes a week, with his partner Cigdem Tanik (Ciko), and also
DJ's every Wednesday at his alternative milonga in New York City. |
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ensemble montreal tango
Ensemble Montréal Tango redefines the tango by exploiting differences and affinities, contrasts and similarities. Under the musical direction of Victor Simon, the music thus created is sometimes romantic, sometimes spirited, but never dull. Since its inception in January of 1998, Ensemble Montréal Tango has been delighting the public with its varied repertoire: traditional tango tunes, waltzes, milongas, pieces by Astor Piazzolla and compositions by Victor Simon himself, transcending style barriers and fashions.
Like the tango, the ensemble is the result of cultural cross breeding and its music draws on many influences. Ensemble Montréal Tango is unique in that it builds on the very diversified contribution of each of its members. The group's arrangements are dynamic, yet full of subtleties, and these are well rendered thanks to the extraordinary abilities of its instrumentalists.
Victor Simon, born in Argentina and settled in Quebec, is the artistic director and founder of the group. A highly skilled pianist trained at Cordoba University in Argentina, he also studied composition and is responsible for all the arrangements and original compositions of the Ensemble Montreal Tango, which he founded. A recipient of numerous awards as a pianist, including the prize for best solo interpretation at the Buenos Aires festival in 1982, Victor also taught music at the National University of Santiago del Estero and has arranged all the songs for the Quebec singer of Venezuelan origin SORAYA' s first two records MUJER and VIVE (nominated at the ADISQ in 2003) as well as her most recents records : ENTRE LINEAS and NAVIDAD.
Whether VICTOR SIMON is playing in a recording studio, giving a public performance or touring, as he did with the National Folklore Ensemble of Argentina or the American company FOREVER TANGO, he is renowned for his passion for the tango and the sensitivity with which he interprets it.
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