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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.