Simply put, we have one of the finest teaching staff available for you at ValenTango 2022. 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] email: danielayhernantango@gmail.com
“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.
Liz & Yannick Vanhove (Belgium) [video] email: lizyyannick@gmail.com
Liz and Yannick 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
Marcos and Florencia [video] are from Argentina. They started to dance together in 2013, but with more than 15 years of previous experience dancing each one, developing and researching in Tango since they were teenagers., learning from the biggest Maestros from Buenos Aires, where they live, getting an elegant style of dance combining the roots of the traditional tango, adding the new tools from the Scenic Tango, prevailing the intimate embrace and connection. In Buenos Aires, they have been part of some of the best well known tango shows, such as La Ventana, El Viejo Almacen, El Querandi. Cafe Tortoni. As a teachers, they are focus on the technique to get a comfortable dance for both roles.
Carlos and Maureen have been dancing together since 2016. They have traveled around the US, Colombia and Argentina teaching, competing and performing while continuing to study with many different tango masters. They have produced tango shows in the city of New Orleans and have also been part of the Thalia Spanish Theater in New York. Some of the award winning couple’s biggest accomplishments have been special guest performers in the mythical Salon Canning and Maldita Milonga in Buenos Aires, Argentina and also created the first Medellin Tango Marathon in Medellin, Colombia. Their teaching style brings positive energy and clear instruction to the classroom for those looking to improve their dance for the social dance floor as well for those looking to teach, perform or compete.
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)
Maxi Copello & Raquel Makow (Buenos Aires) [video] Tango became part of Maxi’s life from the very start as his grandparents were Argentine folkloric musicians and his father, Carlos Copello, is one of the most well-know and prominent tango dancers who participated in a number of notorious tango shows and movies. Maxi has been the director of a tango movie, producer of tango stage shows and dancer in international tango shows.
Natalia and Agustin [video] are an up and coming new Argentine couple who in the last three years have participated in more than 100 tango events, in ten countries from America to Europe. During their first-year European tour they were called to dance at a Dutch Royalty Award, the “Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Prijs 2016”, in the presence of Queen Maxima of The Netherlands.
They have synthesized their unique style from over 10 years of intensive research into the history, dance and culture of tango; including testimonials from remaining living milongueros. Rather than relying on rote figures, their style instead focuses on expressing musicality, authenticity, and emotional and historical connections.
They teach in a fresh and playful way, and their technique uses vivid analogies, exciting technology and emphasizes partner equality and body awareness.
Jennifer Bratt started dancing tango in 2000, in New York City, captivated by the old music, the beautiful movements, the intense connection, and the dimly-lit ambience of the milonga. She soon quit her job and and began making frequent trips to Buenos Aires, to devote herself full-time to her obsession. She began teaching and performing, making tango t-shirts by hand, distributing a free tango ‘zine in NYC, importing tango shoes, and she created the website Close-Embrace.com full of articles, tutorials, and photographs she took of dancers at milongas. She became well known for her technique and embellishment bootcamps, whipping ladies into tango shape all over the country. She believes every step should be beautiful, graceful, and elegant and embellishments should be precise and express a lady’s musicality. Jennifer has partnered with Robin Thomas and Ney Melo, and has lived in New York, Austin, San Francisco (where she owned a tango studio), Miami, and currently New England. She has been invited to teach in Italy, England, Poland, Singapore, Malaysia, Romania, Turkey, Slovenia, Australia, and New Zealand as well as extensively all over North America..
Ney Melo is an internationally renowned Argentine Tango teacher known for his innovative teaching methods and passion for teaching. His tango instruction is sought out by beginning and advanced dancers, as well as other teachers and choreographers from all over the world.The atmosphere in his classes is relaxed, personable and lively, and he places equal emphasis on the lady’s role as the man’s. Technique and the essence of tango, both fundamental to dancing well, are stressed in whatever step is being shown. Ney is dedicated to inspiring students to dance tango with feeling, musicality, cadencia, and connection – the way it is danced in Buenos Aires.
Oscar Casas (Buenos Aires) & Jesica Arfenoni (BA/Chicago) [video]
Besides his tango dance skills, Oscar Casas is a true artist – energetic, explosive, perceptive, sensitive and full of fun. All these qualities are reflected in his paintings, which leap off the canvas, inviting the viewer to get involved. Check out oscarcasas.art
Oscar is a highly respected milonguero of the old guard Argentine style. He is extremely popular with his students and teaches with energy and humor–emphasizing concepts, specializing in improvisation, music interpretation and respecting the character of the different orchestras. Everything he teaches is applicable to crowded milongas. Jesica is a great salon tango dancer–a natural milonguera! She’s the 2103 Tango Salon World Champion and has toured throughout Europe and Latin America since 2010 giving seminars, and performing. Jesica was a member of the dance companies “Tango Viaje Al Sentimiento” and “Tango Mas Tango”. She was also a member of the “Ballet Folclórico Nehuen Auquen” for three consecutive years. Jesica has also served as a judge for several championships in different countries.
Rod & Jenny (Chicago) [video]
Dancing together since 2009, they believe that the connection, musicality, and technique are the keys to fully appreciate the beauty of Tango. In their classes they concentrate on how to be comfortable inside the embrace, based on the logic and naturalness of the movement. They travel all around the U.S. as well as abroad (Vancouver, Victoria, Mexico City, Cancun, Poland, India, Italy, etc…) to perform and share their tango knowledge at festivals and weekend workshops. Their infectious energy and love of the dance has created a large following of students in Chicago and the surrounding area