Simply put, we have one of the finest teaching staff available for you at ValenTango™ 2018. All 12 instructors are exceptional teachers and dancers of traditional Argentine tango and have vast international experience in performing and teaching tango. And on top of that, they’re just great people. I think you’re gonna enjoy and learn a lot from them!
Daniela Roig & Hernan Prieto
(Buenos Aires) [video] “Since our childhood we realized that dancing was the play we loved the most; and today we make that play in our way of living. Embraced by tango many years ago, we try to pass on what our teachers have told us and that what we really love.” Consistently Daniela & Hernan rank at the top in the evaluations and so we are pleased that they will be returning again this year.
Gustavo & Maria’s (Buenos Aires) [video] teaching method is both precise and gradual. Because of this, they’re among the most popular teachers. They regularly teach workshops in their home town and in international festival and events. Their kindness and good sense of humor make the learning very effective for the students. Gustavo is patient and reflective, María brings dynamism and clarity in the concepts. Both as teachers and dancers they’ve been touring Europe and America since 2006, taking part in many international events. Gustavo stands out for his elegance, creativity and musicality, and María for her quick adornments and her musical precision.
(Belgium) [video], are one of Europe’s leading “Tango Salon”- dancers and teachers. They love everything about Tango and teach it with openness, humility, patience and a touch of humor to dancers of all levels, always with a strong emphasis on technique and moving naturally.In their dancing they are able to express the strong connection between them as they strive for simplicity, elegance and musicality in every dance. When they dance Tango Salon in a performance it is 100% improvised.
Maxi & Paloma
(Chile) [video#1, video#2] Tango dancers with over 15 years of national and international experience, with thorough preparation in the styles of Salon and Stage (show). Our academic training includes ballet, Jazz and ballroom dance. Our work and style focus on keeping the traditional tango while emphasizing the technical work to ensure clean movement. We have won several national and international awards, which include 6 finals in worldwide championships, second place in 2007 (Argentina) and first place in 2008 (South Korea)
Ney Melo
(Brooklyn) & Marika Landry (Montreal) [video]
Quote from Ney: To dance tango, you have to embrace. A real embrace, with your arms, hands, chest, and heart. An embrace with feeling and emotion. I see many dancers embrace lightly, or off to one side. They make excuses about the asymmetry of the embrace, or how it hinders their movement, or how it’s too heavy, etc. etc. The embrace is the “card that we are dealt” when it comes to tango. You work with it not against it. You find yourself in it, you lose yourself in it. It liberates you just as much as it “hinders” you. To truly embrace someone is similar to loving them, and just as you cannot give someone “half love” you cannot give someone “half embrace.
Quote from Marika: Dance is the hidden language of the soul.
Yaisuri Salamanca & John Hernan Raigoza (Colombia/New York) [video 1] [video 2] are a professional Tango acouple with more than 15 years of experience. Their style is based on traditional tango, enriched by modern dancing techniques. Awards include: Third Place World Tango Championship, Buenos Aires, 2008, Fifth Place World Tango Championship, Buenos Aires, 2007 and First Place World Tango Championship, Colombia, 2007. They have performed in theaters from the West End, in London to Tango Houses and Milongas in the heart of Buenos Aires. In addition, Yaisuri owns a line of tango shoes for men and women which you can see at New York Tango Shoes, and John Hernan has a delightful taste for DJing.