Instructors

Alex is one of the foremost dancers and teachers of Argentine tango in this country. He's taught tango across the US and all over Europe for the last 10 years. He's one of the few non-Argentine teachers to have performed in Buenos Aires and to have partnered some of the top Argentine teachers (like Luciana Valle and Florencia Taccetti). He also plays the bandoneon and has released two tango CDs with his group "Conjunto Berretin."

In his teaching, Alex focuses on fundamental technique in close and open embrace, and emphasizes connection, musicality, and improvisation. He's known for his clarity, patience, and friendliness as a teacher. His insights into the mechanics of the dance make his classes valuable for dancers of any level and background.

More information on Alex can be found at http://www.tangoberretin.com/alex/bio.html

From the blog "Tango Teacher and DJ Reviews"

"Alex has it all -- skill, wit, musicality, genuine teaching skills and the lankiest frame you have ever seen. A great all-around teacher, but especially good with men. He's fun at festivals, but his real strength is in building dancers over time. Guys, take his men's technique class -- you will never be turned down again."

Check out Alex's just released album "Berretineando". To purchase it. 

Known for their musicality and dynamic movement, Christopher and Caroline are two of the best-known close-embrace instructors of Argentine tango in the United States. They are specialists in teaching pure lead and follow and clear and uncomplicated walking.

Christopher was first introduced to Argentine tango in 1993, and made numerous trips to Buenos Aires to study and learn the social traditions of the milongas there.

Caroline taught many forms of movement and danced salsa for almost a decade before being lured to the tango in 1997, and joined Christopher as his teaching partner two years later.

They have been invited to teach in more than 20 cities across the country. With strong backgrounds in yoga, pilates, and martial arts, and a multitude of athletic skills between them, these energetic instructors fill their classes with contagious humor and a relaxed atmosphere to create positive and upbeat class experiences.

Skilled yet unpretentious, Christopher and Caroline have the incisive ability to analyze movement and help improve a student’s technique on even the most subtle levels. In addition, both Christopher and Caroline lead and follow, giving them further insight into the technique of and relationship between the two roles. They give their students the building blocks they need to create their own improvisational dance, using the beauty of the music and the embrace of their partner as their ultimate guide.

Daniela and Luis met during her first trip to Buenos Aires. What was supposed to be Luis's last tanda for the night turned into two hours of dancing together. The magical connection they experienced that night led them to share their tango paths. Daniela left her career as an MIT engineering professor to join Luis as his tango partner. Luis left Buenos Aires to join her in New York City, where they currently reside.

Daniela and Luis' performances have been described as sensational, passionate, musical, and technically impeccable. Their dance is based on deep knowledge of the different styles of tango: milonguero, salon, nuevo and stage, which they blend with ease and fluidity to create very personal interpretations. Expressive and dedicated performers, they bring the excitement level of any crowd to new heights, combining mastery of their art with a sincere humanity that often moves the public to tears or makes them burst into laughter.

Equally passionate about teaching and performing, they have quickly gained renown for their deep grasp on body mechanics as well as analytical, logical and detail-oriented teaching style. Their classes lead students to broaden their horizons through discovery of all styles of social tango dance: milonguero, salon and nuevo. They believe that all of these techniques and vocabularies offer tools to achieve what they consider fundamental in tango: a personal, joyful and passionate conversation with the partner through movement, leading to full expression and inspired by the music.

Daniela and Luis have an uncanny ability to detect and immediately resolve issues for leaders and followers alike, netting the most incredible results for their students. Their ultimate goal is to help students achieve better quality of movement, develop a comfortable, subtle and sensitive connection with the partner, increase their body awareness and find their own unique, authentic and free voice in the dance. Students in their classes can expect a wealth of information on tango technique, encouragement to push boundaries, lots of hands-on instruction and personalized feedback, and a healthy dose of humor to complement the mix.

Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Luis started dancing tango in 1994 and became a professional dancer in 1997. He taught and performed for several years in Buenos Aires, including performances with leading tango bands Bajofondo and Tanguetto, before tango took him to Brazil, Europe and North America. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Daniela quit her academic career as an MIT engineering professor to fully dedicate herself to professional tango dancing. She started dancing tango in 1999 and brings lifelong training in classical piano to the partnership. Daniela and Luis have a full travel schedule that keeps them on the road for most of each year to teach and perform regularly throughout the U.S., in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Norway as well as in Buenos Aires, including several major festivals both in North America and in Europe. In New York City, they are co-founders of "The Tango Zone Dance Company", which produces shows combining tango, theater, video and comedy.

Robert is a nationally renowned tango teacher and DJ, who has been dancing tango for more than eleven years, and teaching tango for over nine years.. His specialty is milonguero style, in which he has achieved an extraordinary level of skill – sufficient even to win the praise of Buenos Aires toughest judges – the milongueros themselves. His ability to communicate the music and the emotion has made him a highly sought after dance partner at milongas across the United States.

Robert has also spent many years learning about the music, and is a highly regarded DJ for Milongas. He has been a teacher and a DJ at many festivals around the U.S. His popularity as an instructor at tango festivals is a result of his practical insight and straight-forward teaching that makes milonguero style tango readily accessible students. His skillful techniques quickly empower students with the “feel” of connected social dancing. As a result, his teaching has been influential and has engendered tango community growth in Portland and other cities across the U.S.

J. Abling started dancing tango in 2001 in Seattle. A year later, he began learning to dance and teach under Jaimes Friedgen. In 2003, he moved to Portland to teach. For the past year, he has been traveling and teaching at different cities in the United States. He is currently based out of San Diego.

The focus of his teaching is on the relationship between movement and the music, with an emphasis on technique. His teaching is influenced by his study in music, his training in sports, and experience in performance arts and teaching other social dances.

Some of his influential teachers include Jaimes Friedgen (SEATTLE), Luciana Valle (BUENOS AIRES), Cecilia Gonzales (BUENOS AIRES), Cristina & Homer Ladas (SAN FRANCISCO), Rosa Corisco & Felipe Martinez (SF / SPAIN), Damian Lobato (BUENOS AIRES) and Tete Rusconi (BUENOS AIRES) to name a few.

J. has taught in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, New York, Ashland, San Diego, Los Angeles, Maui and Reno. He has performed with Carrie Whipple, Silvina Vals, Jennifer Olson, Tara Fortier, Mitra Martin, and Luiza Paes. He has also dj’d at festivals and regular milongas in Portland, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Ashland, OR.