|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Local Washington DC Artists, Djs, Musicians and Teachers
For a convenient and current listing of where to find all of the above, please refer to the Capital Tangueros Calendar.
Noora-Lisa Aberman and Dima Berk have gained a reputation as an innovative and insightful teachers in the DC Tango community. Dima has began dancing tango in 2000 and Noora-Lisa have had an on and off infatuation with tango for many years. Noora-Lisa and Dima's style is light and fun, and they are known for their excellent nuevo-style open embrace dancing. Noora-Lisa's dance experience includes ballet, modern, jazz, tap, salsa and flamenco. Dima also dances swing. As teachers, they have an instinct for sensing the individual needs of each student.
They can be reached at dimatango@gmail.org or call 202-290-1910. Their website is www.tango-red.com
Celine Allard started tangoing five years ago in Paris. She incorporates her strong ballet background and love of the music in her close-embrace tango. Her main tango inspiration is Susanna Miller, and she does not hesitate to travel to meet new milongueros, in North America (Denver, Portland, Montreal, Anchorage) and in Europe (Paris, Niejmegen), if not to Buenos Aires. She recently started teaching with Sridhar Hannenhalli in Washington DC and Philadelphia. Her DJing skills are highly appreciated by the DC tango community.
Celine can be reached at CAllard@imf.org or call 202-441-9873.
He started performing tango about 9 years ago during one of his first dance gigs leading a ballroom dance group aboard Costa Crucciere Ship Cruise. That gave him the chance to experience Buenos Aires for six months, and find his dance passion through the tango.
Fabio has been feeding his passion by learning and teaching argentine tango for 10 years now and he goes to Buenos Aires every year to dance and study with different masters. Besides 10 years of experience Fabio has a great method of teaching and an enormous understanding of the Tango universe and its nuances. He breaks down this complex art into easy and fun to learn components according to the Tango perspective his pupils want to have (Tango Salon, Fantasia, Show, Milonga, Waltz, Canyengue, Milongueiro, Close, Open Embrace, Tango Nuevo, etc). He is considered one of the most versatile argentine Tango coaches because his unique knowledge and experience.
Fabio is always recognized as one of the top dancers and instructors and became known for promoting Argentine Tango in many different cities of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, England and USA. Fabio nowadays is living in Virginia where he teaches regularly. He works for Quintango (Tango Quinted) as the main male dancer performing all over USA. Fabio teaches group classes at the Elan DanceSport Center and various locations. Fabio travel frequently to coach different growing Tango Communities in USA.
Fabio can be reached at fabonini@hotmail.com or 703-200-4520. His website is www.foreverdancing.com
Liz, being a Russian native, grew up listening to Russian tango. A few years ago, she re-discovered tango through dance, and has been deeply immersed in it ever since. Following her passion, she has traveled the world to tango and studied it with numerous teachers, thus gaining a broad perspective on various styles and philosophies of this dance. At the center of her teaching is naturality, ability to adapt, and acute listening to both the partner and the music - all tools to be eventually transcended in a deeply-connected, alive, and creative dance experience. She likes to fuse tango with concepts from many other movement modalities which she had studies, such as yoga, Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, contact improvisation, floore barre, pilates, and many others. You might see her in milongas enjoying both leading and following...
Liz can be reached at liz_borodkin@yahoo.com or call 301-537-6649. Her website is www.geocities.com/liz_borodkin
Peter Bulka has been dancing milonguero style Argentine Tango for seven years. Like life it has been a continuing journey of learning, experiencing and evolving. Traveling far and wide in search of knowledge to become aware of what makes a great Tango dancer, one step at a time, learning how to stand, how to walk, how to feel, how to give, to take what life has given you and with the music transform it into magical moments of movement. To melt with your partner and flow like water cascading across a stream, Enjoying the embrace, to be in trance, waking up when the music stops. To experience Argentine Tango.
Peter can be reached at pbulka1@comcast.net
Capital Tangueros started many years ago, covering the local Washington DC tango scene. Originally it was offline on a local dance telephone answering line. Dan Fish, Sherry Selevan, Marc Shepanek, and Bette Runge were a few members of the original "8" tango dancers who started practicing at the Martin Luther King Library on Sunday afternoons in NW DC in 1992. As the community grew and locations changed over time, this non partisan clearinghouse was created to help inform everyone of tango events. All volunteer, it has served over a decade for promoting all tango related events in the Washington Baltimore Greater Area. Photograph shows the current editors, going left to right: Joanne Hammond, Diana Jensen (no longer an editor), Suzy Daley, Rudy D'Alessandro, Sherry Selevan, and Nancy Hirschhorn. If you see any of these people at Milongas, please thank them profusely for getting out the newsletter every week!
People who have been editors and helpers over the years include Rudy D'Alessandro, Suzi Daley, Nancy Hirschhorn, Joanne Hammond, Nina Prytula, Lilly, Diane Jensen, Pat Wood, Joe Petrisko, Michael Ditkoff, Chan Park, Eugenia Park, Sherry Selevan, Dianne Dulicai, and Melinda Bates.
The Capital Tangueros welcomes capable new volunteer editors, so if your would like to contribute to the DC tango community and are not currently an instructor or organizer, please send an email to the address below.
Capital Tangueros can be reached at Capital_Tangueros-owner@yahoogroups.com . Their website and calender are Capital Tangueros and Calendar.
Irina is a carrot-juice addict from the capital of Siberia, who evidently didn't heed the bumper stickers that say, "Dancers: Don't quit your day-job". It wouldn't have made a difference if they said, "Dancers: Don't travel the tango festival circuit" because the only thing Irina does read (as far as anyone can tell) is the first half of French novels (in Russian). But she also has a serious side, and has accumulated years of professional experience as an environmental engineer, specializing in work with biosolids (also known as sludge). She currently divides her time between dancing, and working on a patent for a secret decoder ring with a matching set of bracelets.
Inventive, balanced, and playful, Irina is among the most unique tango dancers to set foot in a milonga, with an assertive style unlike anyone else's. Possibilities multiply in her presence, and spectacles abound. She's so apt to find room for creativity in the dance, one Argentine master dubbed her "the gancho thief" a title she's kept with pride, and earned in spades. In 2000, Irina partnered with Murat Erdemsel for teaching and performances, and has dazzled audiences in Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, New York City and Pennsylvania with her energetic, one-of-a-kind dancing.
Irina can be reached at bernini6@aol.com and her website is tangorina.com
Chris Cox is a Renaissance Man. Born in NY, he grew up in Manhatten and Great Neck, Long Island. Chris attended Cornell University and has taught high school students in the Bronx. He is very well received painter and has exhibited in the NYC and DC areas. An example of his work is on the front of this website. Chris attended Life University and currently is a Chiropracter.
However, most importantly, he co-founded of Milonga de Suenos.
Chris can be reached at chris0361@comcast.net or call 703-599-4950.
Popular local area dance instructors since 1989, Ellen and Marc teach weekly at Glen Echo Park on Monday evenings and at the Northwest Sport n Health Club on Thursdays. They also teach at Glen Echo Park on the second Sunday of every month and when they sponsor the Friday or Saturday night dances at the Park. In addition, they can be found teaching and performing at other venues & special events throughout the Washington DC area. Their classes will have the beginning dancer up & dancing in no time, while having fun and feeling no pressure. Marc and Ellen will tell you that the best dance move in the world is a smile and that as long as you take care of your partner & those around you, there are no wrong moves, there are only new moves.
Marc and Ellen also perform at formal balls, dinner dances, fundraisers, local area hospitals, schools, senior centers and various charitable events to promote dance appreciation, education and support the arts in Washington. Their audience has included Queen Noor of Jordan and numerous members of Washington's Diplomatic and Congressional Communities. Since 1996, Ellen and Marc have starred in and co-produced a half-hour television show that focuses on dance instruction. Dance du Jour, runs multiple times per week on Montgomery Community Television and is among the station's most-watched and most-requested from swing to balloom, latin and Argentine Tango. They are committed to bringing the world's finest Lindy Hoppers to the Washington DC area. In 1997, they produced/hosted Flying Home!, a Lindy Hop weekend commemorating the 70th Anniversary of Lindbergh's flight and Frankie Manning's 83rd birthday. This is still the largest Lindy Hop event in the area, drawing people from 18 states and 11 foreign countries.
Marc and Ellen are strong supporters of charity and often donate their performance/teaching fees to local charities, including: Luther Place, a women's shelter in DC, The Children's Inn at NIH, Local humane societies/rescue organizations, Glen Echo Park Foundation / the restoration of Glen Echo Park's Spanish Ballroom and The World War II Veterans Committee.
15 years ago, Marc Shepanek was one of the 8 original area dancers who started making Argentine Tango popular and accessible in the Washington area. Taking lessons from Bette Runge, a generous, community minded and very successful dancer and dance instructor of many years, the original 8 tango dancers set up free practice sessions for any and all who might be interested in Argentine Tango at local libraries, civic centers, etc. Marc eventually established the Milongas at the Old Stone House, again for free, but requesting a donation to charity for those who could afford it. These Milongas became the longest running and most popular Milongas in the Washington area for almost a decade. After a variety of instructors, Joe Petrisko became the featured instructor and DJ at these dances, providing a strong foundation in tango technique and style. The Milongas moved in the past year to Glen Echo Park, on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. Argentine Tango, Milonga and Vals are beautifully at home in the fully restored, 1933 Art Deco Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo park!
Ellen and Marc can be reached at ellen@flyingfeet.org or 301-299-8728. Their website is www.flyingfeet.org
Linda & Mehmet (Marc) enjoy sharing their tango experience and helping others gain insight into this elegant and colorful dance. They emphasize the basic elements of tango, such as posture, musicality, and connection, which prepare students to begin their own tango journey.
Linda discovered Argentine Tango in 1995 while living in France and was immediately charmed by its beauty. She brought her love of Tango back to the United States, where she continued exploring the many intricacies of the dance. Soon after, she began teaching and promoting the close-embrace style of tango in her hometown of Atlanta.
Mehmets passion for dance started with West Coast Swing in 1998. When he was introduced to Tango two years later, he found himself captivated by the music and dance. Since then Mehmet studied tango intensively with various instructors and focused on the close-embrace style.
Linda & Mehmet can be reached at mail@tangocolor.com. Their website is www.tangocolor.com
Murat Erdemsel has quickly become one of the foremost performers and teachers of Tango worldwide. His training around the globe in dance, music and fine arts (his art continues to be both a critical and commercial success, and is displayed in galleries in many countries) suffuses his style with the perfect blend of senses for the movement of bodies through both time and space. Murat has performed in a wide variety of prestigious settings and with the world's top dancers, including a recent performance at the Metropolitan Club NYC for the president of Argentina. He is now partnering with Valeria Solomonoff..
Murat's argentine tango instruction is technically skillful and personable, successfully combining the technical analysis of movement and the sensory interpretation of music. Having recently relocated to NYC from Washington DC, he is now an instructor at Dance Manhattan offering workshops, group classes and private lessons.
Murat can be reached at murat@muraterdemsel.com or call 202-294-1200. His website is muraterdemsel.com
Sharna Fabiano has over twenty years of dance experience, the last decade of which has been devoted to the cultural study of Argentine tango. She has been educated in several traditional social dance styles by some of the greatest names in the modern Tango Renaissance, and is regarded as an innovator who has remained connected to the tango's roots while exploring its ever-changing modern aesthetics and vocabulary. Sharna is recognized around the globe for her elegant, powerful dancing and for her expertise in both leading and following roles.
Between 1999-2004, Sharna made five journeys to Buenos Aires to study and absorb the deep culture of tango. She also appears on instructional videos partnering two of today's most well-known Argentine dancers, Mariano "Chicho" Frumboli and Jose Garofalo. Based in Washington, DC, she travels frequently as a guest instructor around North America and Europe, and visited Cuba twice as part of a US-licensed cultural exchangein 2002. Among her most influential teachers she counts Rebecca Shulman, Daniel Trenner, Brigitta Winkler, Pablo Veron, Chicho Frumboli, Gustavo Naveira, and Pedro 'Tete' Rusconi. Her own teaching is characterized by a clear, articulate knowledge of body movement, and by a great depth of understanding of tango improvisation.
In 2003, Sharna joined the internationally acclaimed TangoMujer Dance Company, a group of all-women tango dancers based in NYC, and in 2006 she established Sharna Fabiano Tango Company in Washington, DC. She has performed at the prestigious Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and in NYC, San Francisco, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg, Germany, as well as in DC at such prestigious venues as the Kennedy Center, Lisner Auditorium, and Argentine Embassy. Sharna has been interviewed for publications in the Netherlands, Germany, and Czech Republic, and was named to Dance Magazine's "25 To Watch List" for 2008. Her written articles on the depth and mystique of social tango have been widely read and translated into several languages.
Sharna can be reached at sharnafabiano@gmail.com or call 202-277-4073. Her website is www.sharnafabiano.com
Pablo Fontana is a dancer, performer, choreographer, and teacher of the Argentine Tango. Pablo has trained extensively with professionals such as Juan Carlos Copes and Gustavo Naveira. He has received many awards including the "Golden Obelisco" by Carlos Mattera Producciones in 1997 and the "Hugo del Carril" award in 1997. His television and film credits include an appearance on the Cristina Show, and a performance in the film Tango Lesson by Sally Potter. He also has performed live for such prestigious events as the "Latino Diamante Awards" in 1999, at the Kennedy Center with QuinTango in March 2000, and at the Inauguration for President Bush in January 2001.
Pablo can be reached at fontanatango@yahoo.com or call 301-251-8585. His website is www.fontanatango.com
Bill also known as Tango Buddha Productions host the Eastern Market Milonga on Thursday nights at the historic landmark building behind the US Capital. Bill has been dancing for several years, however as he will tell you himself is a hustler. He 'hustled' for many years in the market, so for Bill it's a return home. Bill couldn't think of a better way to come back to the venue which now has become a beautiful gallery then hosting a weekly milonga.
Bill can be reached at GriffithsWF@aol.com or call 240-372-5134.
Carlos Gutierrez is a member of the National Dance Council of America and has been teaching internationally and in the US for over 26 years. During that time he has taught American Social and International Latin dances, in addition to Hustle, Salsa-Mambo, Argentine Tango, Brazilian Samba, Flamenco, Marinera, West Coast swing, and line dances.
Gutierrez and his partners have taught and performed in twenty five countries around the world. Carlos and his partner were Argentine tango finalists in 2001 in Miami. He has also placed first, second, and third places in Latin Ballroom dance competitions in Los Angeles California and Washington DC metro area at the Virginia State Championship and the Yutileball, and first place Champion of the Professional Classic Hustle in 1993 at the Virginia State Open Swing Dance Championships in Fairfax, VA. He has choreographed and performed at Embassies, school (all grades), and universities around the country. He and his partners have also performed at institutions such as the CIA, the Smithsonian Museum, Wolf Trap the International Monetary Fund, and World Bank, the American Heart Association, and at the home of actor Robert Duvall. As a result of his professional success and popularity, articles about Carlos Gutierrez have appeared in many local newspapers and magazines, including The Entertainment Express, The Fairfax Journal, Americas, and Washingtonian Magazine.
He is the choreographer of his troop of tangueros, 'Sabor a Tango', from Falls Church, VA. They have toured in New York, Delaware, and other areas of the Eastern seaboard. In the Washington area, they performed at the Gunston Theater in Arlington, VA, The World Bank at the IFC Building Auditorium in Washington DC, and many private social events.
He is the director of the Joy of Dance Studio in Falls Church, VA, and the author of "The Body Language of Dance". Gutierrez has performed and been interviewed about his dancing and his book on several cable television programs, including 'Smithsonian World', WETA live fundraising 'Burn the Floor', and other local cable television programs.
Carlos can be reached at wearall.1@comcast.net or call 301-452-3787. His website is www.joyofdancestudio.com
Leon Harris has been dancing tango since 1992 and has studied with some of the most renown Argentine Tango Instructors: the Puglieses, Daniel Trenner, Rebecca Shulman, Fabian Salas and others. Leon doesn't only dance and organize Argentine Tango events, but also all sorts of latin dances parties (Salsa, merengue, ChaCha, Afro-Cuban dances). Leon Harris is Washington DC premier organizer of dance parties. Leon teaches small and large groups of students in his studio and other locations throughout the Washington DC metro area. His teaching technique will focus on not only to learn a particular dance but to use the dance as a medium for team building, social interaction, stress reduction and confidence building.
Leon can be reached at tangowdc@erols.com or 202-638-3589.
Lucy Hood started dancing tango in Washington, DC, in 1992 or 1993, somewhere thereabouts, and she quickly became a dedicated member of a burgeoning tango community. Then she went to Texas, where she traded in three inch heels for a lariat and spurs and fell off the tango map. After a nine-year hiatus, she recently returned to the DC tango community, and she's back at it, drawn once again to the elusive and addictive nature of the tango. Hence the Practica del Beso, which she co-hosts with Shashin at the West End Library. Lucy finds the tango to be a constant learning experience and a constant challenge. But the dance has its rewards, she says, and when pieces of it fall into place, it's as sweet as a good tequila buzz on a moonlit beach.
Lucy can be reached at LAHOOD5@aol.com or call 202-386-1315.
In the span of three years Yulia has become a popular DJ on the national festival circuit. Her playlists offer a mixture of Old Guard and Golden Age tango. Yulia also plays alternative music, when appropriate to the venue and the mood of the crowd on the floor, and has DJed numerous alternative milongas. Yulia is a regular DJ at such weekly DC venues as Divino, Eastern Market, and Bethesda Dance Studio. She DJed in Washington DC Tangosutra and Tango Marathon Festivals, Ann Arbor Festivals, Tango Joven Festivals in Chicago, Providence festivals and the Tango at Sea Cruise.
Yulia can be reached at kriskovets@yahoo.com
Anthony Lara has been active in the DC tango scene since late 2003, when he first summoned the nerve to attend milongas as a shy uncertain beginner. Addiction to tango gradually took hold, spurring Anthony to learn and dance as often as humanly possible without losing his day job in academia. Anthony has found that the tango is not only a beautiful means of self-expression and communication between two dancers in an embrace, but also a splendidly creative way to meet women and procrastinate his dissertation.
Anthony listens to tango music almost every day, and is known to talk unceasingly about musicians and songs of the Golden Age when prompted by the unwary. His burgeoning stash of tango CDs had recently elicited concerned alarm from his mother when last visiting his condo in Washington. Anthony can be found DJ-ing at the West End practica and Freedom Plaza milonga, and hopes someday to gain tenure as tango DJ if such a thing is possible. He is co-organizer of the GW Tango Club at George Washington University. He requests unabashedly your smile or hug next time you see him.
Anthony can be reached at aslara@gwu.edu or call 202-387-8718.
Viviana and Isidoro Levinson were both born in Buenos Aires, where they lived for more than 30 years until moving to the United States. Although they didn't begin dancing tango until later, they were avid social dancers throughout there life. They are partners in live and on the dance floor.
They began dancing tango seriously in 1995. Since then they have made tango a central passion of their lives, returning to Buenos Aires to study with the masters, attending tango events around the world, performing and teaching, organizing the first milonga in the Washington DC Area who took place in Georgetown, "Spiral Fight", later they added the very well known monthly milongas at Chevy Chase Ballroom and DC Dance Collective.
Some of the many masters that they have studied are: Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas from The Tango Lesson, Lorena Ermocida and Osvaldo Zotto from TangoX2 , Daniela and Armando Arcuri from Tango Passion, Claudio Villagra from Forever Tango, Leandro Palou and Andrea Misse, Nestor and Patricia Ray and Carina Losano and Pablo Fontana.
Although inspired by many if their figures, Viviana and Isidoro's style is distinct from these dancers. Their flamboyant style is tinged by a certain wicked humor that perfectly expresses her positive zest for life. It manifests itself in impeccable timing, craft, and wit.
Viviana and Isidoro can be reached at vivitango@verizon.net or call 301-664-9690 or cell 301-775-6014. Their website is www.vivianatango.com
Carina Losano is a native of Buenos Aires and has studied many forms of dance, including ballet, contemporary, modern-jazz, flamenco, and salsa, but she is internationally recognized for her mastery of tango. Carina trained with many of the great Argentine tango masters such as Juan Carlos Copes, Eduardo Arquimbau, Pepito Avellaneda, Gloria and Rodolfo Dinzels, Carlos Rivarola, Gustavo Naveria, Fabian Salas, and Graciela Gonzales and taught students from all over the world at the revered Confiteria Ideal in Buenos Aires before moving to the US.
To deepen her understanding of the history and structure of tango, Carina took classes at the Tango University of Buenos Aires on the theory and interpretation of tango music, tango style and technique, and tango poetry. She was appointed a Cultural Ambassador by the Secretary of Culture of Buenos Aires in 2000 and now serves as the official tango instructor of the Argentine Embassy in Washington, DC. Carina is an accomplished choreographer as well as performer and instructor, and her credits include teaching Madonna tango technique for her role in Evita, and co-choreographing the PEPSI commercial starring Shakira that was aired nationally throughout the U.S during the 2003 Academy Awards.
Carina's skill as a dancer and teacher has been acknowledged with numerous awards and accolades, including the 'Golden Obelisk', 'Teacher of Milongueros', 'Young Generation of Milongueros', and 'Dedication to Tango', which was awarded by Juan Carlos Copes. She also was awarded First Prize in the 'Championship Hugo del Carril' in 1997 and for three consecutive years represented 'Solo Tango TV' in the International Exposition of the Cable Industry.
As an instructor, Carina teaches a style of tango, which is elegant and dynamic, while at the same time relaxed, comfortable, enjoyable, and accessible to everyone. Her natural ability and her training with some of the greatest masters from Argentina give her a unique capacity to instill her students with a deep feeling for the subtle nuances of tango. She emphasizes contact and communication between dancers so that they move together in rhythm and harmony. Under her guidance, students realize a new feeling for music and movement, and they come to enjoy the sensations, which have made tango a seductive art for generations.
Carina can be reached at caritango@yahoo.com or call 240-601-6106. Her website is www.caritango.net
Arnaud has a background in music and ballroom dancing, but for the past 6 years he has focused exclusively on the Argentine tango. Arnaud has studied tango in Europe and in the US and regularly partners some of the best female dancers in Washington DC for classes and performances. Arnaud's natural musicality and sensitivity to his partner make him a sought out lead on stage and in social dancing. Arnaud teaches a well-established series of classes all around Washington DC and runs a regular milonga at MezeTango Lounge in Adams Morgan.
Arnaud can be reached at aylucas@yahoo.com or call 703-626-6786. His website is www.sietetango.com
Isaac Oboka is a gifted young dancer from Denver, Colorado. With the smooth, effortless quality attributed to the most sophisticated social dancers, his tango is full of surprises, originality, and humor! From 2002-2005, Isaac's passionate quest for the heart of the tango took him to hundreds of dance floors across the US, and to Buenos Aires for an intensive study of three months. In 2006, he began his professional career traveling as a guest instructor to over a dozen cities in North America. In 2007 he formed his partnership with Sharna with a 4-month tour in Europe, and is now teaching regularly in Washington, DC. Isaac is particularly skilled in addressing the details of body positioning to achieve ease and comfort in the tango embrace.
Isaac is greatly inspired by the innovative dancing of Argentine artists Chicho Frumboli/Eugenia Parrilla and Gustavo Naveira/Giselle Anne. His tango path has been influenced by many people including Nick Jones, Alex Krebs, Jaimes Friedgen and Homer Ladas.
Isaac can be reached at isaacoboka@gmail.com or call 720-252-6701. His website is www.isaacsharna.com
Heifa was born and raised in Lebanon where she learned to love that country's traditional folk dance, the Dabkeh. Eventually, she joined a Dabkeh troupe where she taught, choreographed and performed at numerous venues. Her dance history also includes performing Eastern European folk dances as well as some Appalachian clogging. A few years later, her interest in the social styles of dance turned into a fascination with the Lindy Hop. Along the way, she also enjoyed other types of dances such as the Waltz and the One-step, Contra and Zydeco. Heifa came to tango in 2001 and has been immersed in it ever since. She found in tango a unique demand for connection that engenders a passionate dynamic unequaled in other dances. For her, tango represents the ultimate in dance creativity because of its endless opportunities for improvisation. Heifa has hosted Susana Miller for the past three years and more recently Maria Plazaola, with the help of Tuan Tran.
Heifa can be reached at email.
Jeremy's dance career spans nineteen years and several dance styles starting with Break Dancing in 1983 and leading to his current passion for social dances including Argentine Tango, Lindy Hop Swing, and Salsa. Jeremy has over 6 years experience in teaching and performing these forms. He has taught both group lessons and privates in San Francisco, and was a guest instructor at the International Swing Camp in Northern California. He currently organizes events and instructs in the Washington D.C. area.
Jeremy has studied in Argentina with Tango masters including Gustavo Naveira, Graciela Gonzalez, Fabian Salas, Osvaldo Zotto, Omar Vega, Esther and Mingo Pugliese. He has studied Swing with the world's top swing dancers including Steven Mitchell, Frankie Manning, Eddie Jansson, Ryan Francois, and Paul Overton.
Jeremy brings a wealth of experience to his teaching. In 1993 he joined the Oxford University Ballroom Dance Team, and trained and performed in the Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Cha Cha Cha. Following his training in Ballroom styles, Jeremy gravitated to the social dances, particularly the Argentine Tango, Lindy Hop Swing, and Salsa. He discovered that these dances, as dances that have all evolved from local cultural settings, provide unique opportunities for self-understanding. They do this because they embody the principles of both lead and follow and lyrical improvisation.
In addition to social dance, Jeremy's interests are in exploring how dance and movement can lead to a greater understanding and awareness of self. His current training for certification in the Feldenkrais Method, a body-awareness practice, lends great depth to his ability to train dancers to use awareness to improve all aspects of their movement and dance technique.
Jeremy can be reached at jeremynurse@mac.com or call 301-442-7482.
As innovative and adventurous tango dancers and teachers, Eugenia and Chan made it their quest to promote tango danced socially, for pleasure. As milonguero dancers they simply move together to the rhythm of tango, pausing only to convey their physical and emotional expressions. In their dance, there is no choreography involved, but joy, movement, connection, and creativity.
Their dedication to tango has contributed to establishment of an enthusiastic and ever-growing tango community in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area. To teach and learn tango dancing and share its pleasure, they have offered workshops in Europe, Asia and North and South America.
Chan and Eugenia can be reached at tangozen@hotmail.com. Their website is www.tangozen.com
In 1997, Suzanne stumbled upon a series of tango workshops, met a great group of people, and convinced Yale Law School to lend her a classroom for an occasional practica. For the next several years, she collected music, but other things got in the way of dancing. She finally dove headfirst back into tango in 2004.
Since then, Suzanne has absorbed every class and social dance she's been able to squeeze into her schedule whether here in DC or on several trips to Buenos Aires. She enjoys discovering something new with each dance and tries to share her enthusiasm and sense of community with others. Among other projects, she coordinates events with NeoTango Productions, organizes classes for women who wish to study the leading role, and helps DJ at the West End practica.
Suzanne can be reached at perrrysu@comcast.net or call 202-365-8581.
After a decade of teaching and hosting Milongas in the Washington DC Area, Joe retired to Buenos Aires in December 2006.
Joe Petrisko, has been dancing Tango and other American social ballroom dances since 1992, and performing and teaching since 1994. He has been hosting milongas since 1995. He has been visiting Buenos Aires annually since 1998 to study Argentine history and to immerse himself in the tango culture. In his teaching Joe emphasizes technique & the social aspect of dancing.
Joe has studied in the US and in Argentina with Carlos Copello & Alicia, Copes & Nieves, Daniel and Maria, Lorena Ermocida, Jorge & Aurora Firpo, Mora Godoy, Pepito Avallaneda & Suzuki, Milena Plebs, Pablo & Esther Pugliese, Fabian Salas, Daniel Trenner, Michael Walker, Miguel Zotto, Osvaldo Zotto, Miriella Franganilla.
He taught Argentine Tango at Almas Temple, Washington D.C. and at the Glen Echo Spanish Ballroom on Saturdays; and he held bi-monthly milongas at the Sports & Health Club in Tysons Corner, VA. Also he taught ballroom for Banneker Dance Club in Takoma Park from 1997 to 2006. Most importantly Joe was the host and DJ of the Old Stone House Milonga for over 8 years during the height of its popularity in Silver Spring, MD.
Ramu Pyreddy is the founder of the Michigan Argentine Tango Club at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - a community well known for its excellent social dancing skills - where he is actively involved in teaching, organizing, DJing and dancing. He is one of the most knowledgeable and sought after tango DJ's in North America and is a featured DJ at most tango festivals in the US. He teaches tango for the social dance floor with an emphasis on musicality and connection. His teaching and dancing are characterized by a keen musical interpretation, an infectious enthusiasm and a deep love of the music and the dance that is fanatic.
Ramu can be reached at rpyreddy@umich.edu
Bette Runge passed away in the middle of November 2005. To remember and honor her contribution to the DC Tango scene, read her tango biography below. Also, Capital Tangueros has posted some tributes here .
No showcase of Washington area Argentine Tango instructors could be complete without mentioning Betty Runge. Betty is in her 80s and does not dance or teach as often as she did before but it is worth taking a moment to mention some of the wonderful gifts she has brought to Washington over the past 15 years. Betty Runge began dancing as a teenager, now in her 80s, she was, in fact, teaching before almost anyone in on this page was even born.
More than 15 years ago Betty set out to spread the word about Argentine Tango in this area. She sponsored trips, to Washington, for the finest instructors in the world. She had a sunny dance studio, complete with the highest quality wood, sprung floor, mirrors and barre built in her house explicitly for Argentine Tango instruction and practice. She selflessly promotes local dance instructors, performers and venues.
There are many wonderful instructors in DC today. They teach a range of styles, techniques and methods. But Argentine Tango was only available in one or two small studios 15 years ago before Betty Runge reached out to the overall dance community to spread the word about Argentine Tango, made world class instructors available to all of us (without having to join a specific dance studio), and built one of the nicest dance studios in Washington for this Argentine Tango. More than any other single person in this area, Betty Runge is responsible for the bringing this dance that we love, to Washington. Thank you Bette!
Although relatively new to the tango scene, around two years, Mark brings over 10 years experience spinning tunes for dancers across the country and is fortunate to have worked the largest swing and hustle competitions in the nation.
Some of these include: the Grand National Swing Championships in Atlanta, GA; Swing Fling in Washington, DC; Virginia State Open Swing Championships; Boston Tea Party; Dallas DANCE in Texas; International Hustle and Salsa Competition in Miami, Phoenix 4th of July Swing Convention in Arizona; World Disco Classic Fort Lauderdale, FL ; Jitterbug Jam, Thousands Oaks, CA and he runs the "Swing/Hustle Room" four times a year for Stardust Dance Productions in New York State for over 800 dancers a weekend! Mark is also a graduate of the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland, one of the top rated broadcasting schools in the country and has worked "on air" many times. He was also a music consultant for the Emmy nominated PBS program "A Rock and Roll Tribute to Buddy Dean."
Mark has a very busy schedule, DJ'ing tango three or four times per week. He is the regular DJ at Coco Cabana Grill, Divino Lounge and Eastern Market as well as hosting his own milonga at the Potomac Swing Dance Club. Away from the dance scene Mark has a broad range of interests such as fishing, travel, gardening, spirituality and loves to ride his Harley Road King Classic. Mark would like to thank Joe Petrisko and Jim Bennett for their assistance and insights when he first became involved in tango.
Mark can be reached atat tangodaddy1@aol.com
Natalia was born and raised in Argentina. Her parents migrated from Paraguay and Italy. She started dancing with ballet lessons when she was five years old, dance has been a part of her life since then. As a teenager, she had a chance to travel through the Caribbean where she discovered a deep passion for Latin Dances, more than anything Salsa. She first learned with Cuba's famous Eddie Aponte (Cuban Style Salsa, Mambo and Salsa Rueda Casino). Then she also studied with Quico Cespedes (renowned Salsa, Merengue & Cha Cha Cha instructor from Dominican Republic) in Buenos Aires.
In 2000 she connected with her roots and immersed herself in Argentina's most famous and sensual dance, the Argentine Tango. During her last trips to Argentina, she received intensive group and private Argentine Tango lessons with Gonzalo Robinson, Graciela Gonzalez, Alejandra Arrue, Angel Coria from La Escuela de Tango, Mauricio Castro, and Gavito . She also toured the best Milongas of Buenos Aires, such as Nien, La National, La Catedral, etc. She's also worked with Keith Givens -choreographer and performer for High Energy Productions and Latin Vibes DC. At Glen Echo, they taught Washington DC area's largest Salsa lesson ever, over 200 people!
Natalia can be reached at nataliaschifini@gmail.com or call 202-246-1027. Her website is nataliaschifini.com
Julia didn't begin dancing until after she moved to DC from Latvia. She started with salsa and gradually merged into tango. Ever since she was a small kid she's been fascinated with tango dancing and competitions she saw on TV, hoping that one day she would be dancing 'like them'. Her parents chose for her to play the piano instead, so although learning the dance already as an adult, she's been associating herself with music her whole life. Her passion for tango brought her to Argentina. While visiting Buenos Aires in February 2006 she instantly fell in love with the ultra-chic, highly sought-after Comme il Faut shoes and committed to importing these incredibly beautiful and sexy tango heels to indulge the feet of many tangueras and inspire their dancing. Julia says it feels extremely motivating and fulfilling to hear back from the ladies who swear that Comme il Faut shoes tremendously improved their dancing and simply watching a stunning variety of this flattering footwear floating across the dance floor.
Julia can be reached at julia@julia-bella.com. Her website is www.julia-bella.com
In the year 2000, Argentine Tango dancing in Washington D.C. brought together the American musician and conductor Charles Kelly, and the Argentinian bandoneon player Eduardo Fernandez. They were determined to provide live tango music to the local tango community and gathered a group of musicians around them, forming a group that later became known as Siempre Tango Orchestra.
Siempre Tango Orchestra seeks to recreate the sentiments of the classic tango 'orquesta tipica,' a style of popular ensemble music that came of age in the golden years of Tango in Argentina. Many arrangements that are performed by Siempre Tango have been prepared by Charles Kelly and are inspired by traditional and modern Argentinian tango recordings. In addition, Charles Kelly has undertaken many visits to Argentina for encounters with the music and musicians from Buenos Aires, and Siempre Tango Orchestra had the opportunity to work with reknowned Argentine Tango musicians, such as Daniel Diaz and Raul Jaurena. Today, the unique sound of Siempre Tango Orchestra is carried by piano, string bass, violin, two bandoneons, Charles Kelly on the clarinet, and the amazing voice of award-winning Argentinian singer Claudia Gargiulo.
Siempre Tango can be reached via Charles Kelly at carlitokel@usa.net or call 240-355-3153. Their website is www.siempretango.com
After teaching and hosting Milongas many years in the Washington DC Area, Sanem and Alkan had a baby, finished their Phd(s) and moved back to Turkey.
Sanem and Alkan are a young couple with a lot of energy. They started studying Tango in Turkey with the exceptional instructors of BailaTango Ankara. Upon moving to the United States, they have joined the BailaTango family. They have extensively studied with Metin Yazir, who is the founder of BailaTango and is one of the Argentine Tango masters in the world.
Sanem and Alkan consider themselves very lucky to perform and teach Tango in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area. Tango is their passion, it is a way of enjoying the zest of life, and also a way of meditation. In their teaching they focus on leader and follower technique while introducing the easy, natural and comfortable side of Argentine Tango to their students.
Since his debut as a performer and teacher in 2005, Jake Spatz has become one of the most recognizable faces in the DC tango community.
As a lifelong self-educator and a multi-talented artist, Jake brings a passion for exploration, creativity, and critical thinking to the dance. Besides earning a reputation for both passionate social dancing and attractive performance, he has also achieved recognition as a prominent young voice in the North American tango community for his skilled translation of tango lyrics and his critical writing on tango aesthetics. Dancers who study under his guidance accelerate their progress and benefit from his unique combination of erudition and humor, know-how, enthusiasm, and wit.
A dedicated teacher, insatiable learner, and tireless challenger of ideas new and old (including his own), Jake is fast becoming a central force in the thriving tango underground of the nation's capital.
Jake can be reached at spatz@tangodc.com. His website is www.tangodc.com
Bella has been dancing since childhood and studied a variety of dance forms from ballet and modern dance to ballroom and flamenco before discovering Argentine tango. After watching a tango performance by a group from Buenos Aires one spring some years ago Bella enrolled in Argentine tango classes in Washington DC and followed the path of so many whose lives changed abruptly once the tango obsession took over. Through many workshops, lessons, and late night milongas Bella started emerging as a musical and attentive follower, a dancer of recognizable style and grace. While many stars of Argentine tango - Jean-Sebastien Rampazzi, Cecilia Gonzalez, Fabian Salas & Carolina del Rivero among the few - were important influences, it was Sharna Fabiano of Washington DC who became a steady mentor as well as a personal friend. After working with Sharna for several years Bella began teaching classes in the DC area partnering with Arnaud Lucas and Jake Spatz.
Bella has performed at the DC Improv 2005 Festival, the "Moods of Love" show with 'Siempre Tango' group, the Dance DC 2006 Festival at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, and in the "Tangos from Here" production by Sharna Fabiano Tango Company, as well as at numerous private events. Bella continues to be fascinated by Argentine tango for its never ending complexity and the range of self-expression and creativity it allows. She brings her passion and understanding of this challenging and beautiful dance into her teaching.
Bella can be reached via her website at www.danceyourheart.com
Moussa has been a long time champion of tango in the DC Metropolitan area. He ran Diversite nightclub for many years at 14th and P streets in DC. On Monday nights, people would walk by the large window stare inside and see the regulars dancing tango still in work clothes, having just left their jobs! All styles and kinds of tango dancers in DC attended the Milonga on Monday night. Unfortunately Diversite closed down, however Moussa started a new club, Cococabana Grill in College Park, MD. Monday night is still tango night and on other nights, Moussa hosts salsa and other Latin dances.
Moussa can be reached at tmoussa@earthlink.net or call 301-431-1882. His website is www.cococabanagrill.com
After a decade of teaching and hosting Milongas in the Washington DC Area, Anso decided to become a Tango Gypsy in March 2007. Currently, she is traveling around the world and will continue to host the Washington DC Tango Marathon.
Anne-Sophie Ville, a Belgian native, started dancing Argentine Tango in Washington DC and in very short time became one of the main tango organizers in this community as well as a highly sought after dancer and instructor.
She has studied with many of the great dancers of our day: Fabian Salas, Gustavo Naveira, Pablo Veron, Chicho Frumboli, Julio and Corina, Jean-Sebastien Rampazzi, Mauricio Castro, and the late Carlos Gavito, to name a few.
Anne-Sophie continues to sharpen her dancing skills assisting these and the other great tango instructors she invites each year to instruct and visit with the DC-Baltimore tango community. Anne-Sophie is recognized for her skills as both a follower and leader. She is also known as a dancer of all styles: a true milonguera when she dances close-embrace and a fluid and innovative tanguera when she dances the "Nuevo Tango" style in open embrace.
Anne-Sophie is the founder and organizer of the Washington DC Tango Marathon, one of the best and most highly attended tango festivals in the United States, attracting over 300 dancers from the US and Europe each year for 4 days of non-stop dancing. Anne-Sophie and her partner Pablo, have been invited to teach and perform in different festivals, and also to perform.
Anne-Sophie can be reached at annesophie@le-tango.com. Her website is le-tango.com