Teachers

Argentine Tango Teachers in Portland

most of Portland's teachers
from Carrie Whipple's calendar
(photo by Claude Laviano)
[click to enlarge]

Alex Krebs

Alex with Luciana Valle

        Alex's reputation extends way beyond the Northwest - into Europe, where he has taught in four countries (at last count) - and to Buenos Aires, where he lived for over six months during three visits.
          Alex has taught in Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Anchorage, Klamath Falls, and Austin in the US; Munich and Augsburg, Germany; Bologna and Modigliana, Italy; Lund, Sweden; and London, Leeds, and Cambridge, UK. He has also co-taught with Argentine master Florencia Taccetti in Minneapolis, and performed with Luciana Valle and Florencia at the milonga "Torquato Tasso" in Buenos Aires.
        Alex's web page is at www.tangoberretin.com. He hosts Portland's most popular milongas on the first and third Saturdays of the month. He can be contacted at arkrebs@yahoo.com or at 503-771-7470.
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Allene Friedman

        For Allene, Argentine Tango is a reflection of a culture that celebrates friendship, compassion, and passion. Tango is e-motion: energy in motion.
Tango is the Spirit of "aliveness" breathed between two people and expressed in a creative burst of delightful communion. Tango is communication of one soul to another in a language unique to each couple.

        Allene's dancing reflects the elegance and grace of many years of training and practice - not only in tango, but also in Yoga, Tantra, and Ken Wilber's Integral Life practice. Allene's dance experience includes training in salsa, samba, belly dance, and modern dance. Allene is a registered yoga teacher and has been given permission to teach the gold star physical practice designed by the Integral Institute.

        Allene's tango influences and teachers include: Susana Miller, Richard Council & Colette Hebert, Gustavo Naveira & Giselle Anne, and Portland's Alex Krebs and Steven Payne. Allene has drawn from her various trainings and influences to create a class called "Grace in Motion" which includes elements that prepare one's body, spirit, emotions, and mind for this most fulfilling dance.

        For information about private lessons, please call: 503-788-7780 or email: violinMelika@gmail.com
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Amy PK

        Amy (fondly known to many in the community as APK) has been dancing Tango since 1995. She has been influenced by a variety of teachers and has danced in Argentina, Europe, and numerous cities in the United States. Her solid understanding of Tango fundamentals, a rich background of music and varied dance forms, combined with her ability to infuse playfulness and creativity into her dance make Amy a really delightful tanguera.
        Amy hosts the Wednesday Alternative Practica at Norse Hall. By offering both traditional and non-traditional music, people from all walks of life can explore this wonderful improvised dance in a comfortable and fun environment. In addition, Amy has created an excellent arena for many Tango DJs to perfect their work. She teaches an introductory class at 7:30pm and dancing starts at 8:30pm.
        For more information please contact Amy at ajpk007@yahoo.com.
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Bill Alsup

        Bill started obsessively pursuing tango in 1997, and has studied with dozens of Argentine tango masters, some of them several times.
        Bill's dancing is reknowned for its creative and playful musicality, due in no small part to his two decades as a professional French hornist. He hosts the weekly Sunday Afternoon Practica at the Viscount Dance Studios, started in 2000, and co-teaches with Megan Pingree on Monday evenings, also at The Viscount Dance Studios.
        Bill is also active as a tango DJ, having played music at events in Eugene, Bend, Ashland, Seattle, and in Mexico, and regularly DJ's in Portland and throughout the Northwest.
        Bill facilitated the local workshops of Argentine tango masters Graciela Gonzalez, Mariano "Chicho" Frúmboli, Cecilia Gonzalez (4 visits), Jean-Sèbastien Rampazzi, Brigitta Winkler, Rebecca Shulman, Brooke Burdett and Hsueh-tze Lee.
        Along with Gillian Leichtling, Bill performed in Jenny Levison's Yiddish tango show "Shtil, Mayn Corazon" in December, 2000, and also with Megan Pingree in Alex Krebs' show "Tango al Tiempo" at the Miracle Theatre in April 2003.
        Bill created this PortlandTango.com website in 1998 and maintained it for 9 years. He has recently stepped away from that role, however, and now spends his time integrating his passion for tango with bicycling. He keeps a photo journal of his activities at flickr.com/photos/tangobiker. Contact Bill directly at 971-207-1508 or email billalsup@yahoo.com.
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Carrie Whipple

        In February, 2002 Carrie began looking for more connection. For the previous 20 years she had explored all kinds of different dance forms, including ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, modern, character, African, and tribal bellydance, as well as the partnered ballroom, latin, and swing dances. But, where was the true connection?
        At the suggestion of one of her dance students, Carrie went to her first milonga to just check out Argentine tango. All of the followers must have been out of town that evening, because, despite missing the drop-in lesson before the dance, she danced all night, had a great time and was hooked. She has since led an arguably charmed tango life, assisting and performing for several years with Alex Krebs in Portland and around the world, and more recently teaching and performing with Nuevo Tango legend Homer Ladas.
        As an instructor, Carrie focuses on creating a comfortable and positive learning environment so students can discover the joys of Argentine tango. Carrie's web page is at www.carriechelsea.com/tango.shtml. Her email address is carriechelsea@yahoo.com.
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Naomi Chungin Chung

       

"CC" has been dancing tango since 2000. For her the dance is above all an incredible aesthetic experience, in the moment when two partners meet with their full strength. And then all that they are is orchestrated through the dance.
        Naomi studied with Alex Krebs, Daniel Trenner, Luciana Valle, Fernanda Ghi, Guillermo Merlo, and Susana Miller. She offers private lessons for lead and follow. For more about lessons Contact her at chungin@comcast.net, or call her at 503-901-0031.
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Clay Nelson

Clay with Maria
        Clay has been a key player in the development of Argentine tango in Portland. Many of this city's tango dancers got their start with Clay. In addition to the classes he taught at his Garden Home studio when he lived here, Clay was the first person to bring Argentine masters to Portland on a regular basis.
        This practice evolved into what are now reputed to be the largest and second largest tango festivals in the United States - Portland's ValenTango festival in February, and the TangoFest in October. Even though Clay now lives in Ashland, he still organizes and presides over these festivals. And he visits Portland often enough that you can still schedule private lessons with him here.
        You can contact Clay by phone at 541-488-7108 or email: tango@claysDanceStudio.com or visit his website at http://www.claysdancestudio.com.
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Dan Timmins

Dan & Judy Timmins
       
Dan Timmins is one of Portland's veteran tangueros. He came to the dance with many years of ballroom experience, but once he saw Argentine tango, that was it - he's been tangoing ever since.
        He has taken extensive workshops and private lessons from many great tango teachers including Daniel Trenner, Fabian Salas, Luciana Valle, Chicho, Nito and Elba, Pampa Cortes, and Christy Cote.
        Dan performs locally and teaches private lessons in his home studio. He can be reached at tangodantimmins@juno.com or 503-257-2051.
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Dominic Bridge

        A dancer of immense talent, Dominic has, in an incredibly short amount of time, risen to be one of the most sought-after dancers in the country. Since 2005 he has been dancing almost every day and every night. In 2007 he spent several months in Buenos Aires, studying the finesse of old milongueros on the crowded dance floors, as well as embracing the contemporary styles of today's ground-breaking innovators. In the US, Dominic has studied with the highly-acclaimed Jaimes Friedgen.

        Dominic now teaches full-time in Portland. In his teaching, Dominic is dedicated to nurturing the creativity of the student and providing a supportive environment so that creativity can develop and bloom into the student's own individual style.

        For booking and further information regarding private lessons, group classes, and performances, contact Dominic at 503-869-0474 or dominic.bridge@gmail.com.
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        Dominic is currently living and teaching full-time in Florence, Italy at L'Associazione Pablo (www.associazionepablo.com). He will return to Portland in late December for the holidays for approximately one month to visit family and friends, then in late January he will fly back to Europe to continue his work there until May or until further notice.
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Ellen Saunders & David Whitman

        Ellen and David had spent many years dancing ballroom and swing before they were introduced to tango. After they had attended classes with many of the teachers who traveled to Portland in the 1990´s, they took several trips to Buenos Aries to immerse themselves in the Milonga experience. They have been influenced by the dancing of "Pupi" Castillo, "El Pulpo" Estevez, Jorge Nel, Paulo Arujo, Hugo & Miriam, Nito & Elba, Patricio & Eva, Susana Miller, Komala Voss, Graciela Gonzales, Alicia Pons and many others.
        Ellen and David focus their teaching on the simple things: A good "on balance" frame, a comfortable connection to the partner, astute floor navigation, and good musical timing. Simple steps with delicious embellishments are the cornerstones of their teaching. Ellen has been a flamenco guitar accompanist for many years, and she believes that passionate expression is an important element of tango. "At its best tango is like a divine communion... dancing the candombe is a joyous spiritual possession."

        Abrazos,
               Ellen

Contact Ellen at Ellen_L_Saunders@gotsky.com or 503-324-9320.
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Eric Lindgren

        Eric began studying tango intensively in October 2005. Within weeks of his first class, he had moved to Buenos Aires to pursue the dance full time. After a year of study, he returned to the US and continued dancing full time socially. This fall he returned to Buenos Aires to take advantage of the high level of dance and exceptional instruction available there.
        Eric spent the winter of 07-08 teaching at Dance Manhattan in New York, as well as at Providence Tango in Rhode Island. After a brief visit to Buenos Aires in the spring, Eric traveled to Toronto to teach in June and July. In September Eric moved to Portland, where he enjoys the community's strong focus on close embrace and emotional expression.
        Eric has had many influences. Among those who have had the greatest impact are Daniel Trenner, Claudia Bozzo, Carlos Lobos, Rebecca Shulman, Adriana Dure, and Pablo Rodriguez.

        Eric believes that the beauty of the tango arises from the connection that forms between the couple, and from their shared enjoyment of the music and each other. His experience in the milongas of Buenos Aires has given him a deep appreciation for the joy of dancing tango in a small and shifting space and for the focus and creativity that the exercise often inspires. This has led him to pursue movements that allow for the fullest expression of the music and the dynamic within the couple while being well suited to a crowded dance floor.

        Eric can be reached at: nephilim.eric@gmail.com
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Elizabeth Wartluft

        Elizabeth started studying folk, swing, ballroom, African, ballet, modern and jazz dance in college. After a M.A. in dance from the University of Oregon, she got hooked on Argentine tango in 1995. A former dance student, Greg Estes, dragged her (protesting) to a Daniel Trenner workshop in Portland, and then she dragged him (unprotesting) into starting a tango community in Eugene in 1996. For her second M.A. (in cultural anthropology), she visited Buenos Aires several times, interviewed dancers and teachers, and explored gender roles in tango, as well as dancers' views towards the lead and follow roles. She moved to Portland in 2008.

        Elizabeth teaches tango with an emphasis on breath, energy and posture to create connection in the dance. She brings her experience studying many forms of dance, as well as her training in yoga and human anatomy, to her teaching. Her main teachers in Buenos Aires have been: Luciana Valle and Chicho Frumboli for leader technique; Omar Vega for milonga; Tete for vals, and Oscar Mandagaran for breath, posture and energy work; her dancing was also strongly influenced by the dancers of the Dinzel school. Her main teachers in the United States have been Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas, Luciana Valle and Daniel Trenner. She enjoys and teaches both close and open embrace styles, as well as dancing both as a leader and a follower.

        Elizabeth teaches tango in NE Portland and in Salem. She can be reached at ewartluft@gmail.com or call 503-284-1411 or 541-914-4812 (preferred). Also check out her blog here.                        
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Gabriel Sus

        After listening to Argentine Tango music since his childhood in Montevideo, Gabriel Sus spent 11 years studying Argentine Tango dance with Ludmila and Ive Simard at El Mundo del Tango in San Diego, CA. He has also taken hundreds of workshops and attended dozens of Tango festivals all over the U.S.
        He has DJ'd at El Mundo and at other milonga venues in the San Diego area since 1998. He managed the school starting in 2001, organizing events and workshops with visiting masters, and has been teaching since 2002.
        In addition to the Simards, his most important influences have been Julio Balmaceda & Corina de la Rosa, Gloria & Rodolfo Dinzel, Gustavo Naveira, Osvaldo Zotto & Lorena Ermocida, Facundo & Kely Posadas, Jorge Nel, and lately Michelle Lamb & Murat Erdemsel.
        Gabriel dances and teaches traditional salon style Argentine Tango with some elements of "nuevo". He believes that constant switching between close and open embrace leads to discovery and development of the endless possibilities Argentine Tango has to offer as a social, improvisational and personal dance.

        Early in 2008, Gabriel moved to Portland to join in efforts to build an even larger and better Argentine Tango community.
        He is available for private lessons and can be reached at Gabriel@TangodeVerdad.com, or GabrielPLFF@Aol.com, or call him at 858-349-6015 or 503-430-0685.
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Gillian Leichtling

        Gillian is a divine tango dancer who studied ballet and contemporary dance as a youngster, and danced with the David Taylor Dance Theater in Denver, Colorado. She later studied Javanese and Balinese dance and music in Indonesia, and trained in capoeira while living in Brazil. She has taken classes in trapeze, flamenco, African dance, and other movement and dance forms.
        Gillian has danced tango since 1998, and has been particularly influenced by the teaching of Luciana Valle. She has made two trips to Buenos Aires. On the second one, she served as a translator at the 1999 C.I.T.A congress for such major-league teachers as Graciela Gonzalez and Omar Vega. Gillian also translated for Graciela Gonzalez during Graciela's first series of workshops in the Northwest at Clay's Dance Studio in April 1999.
        In May 2000 Gillian performed with Alex Krebs at the Portland Community College Art Beat festival. Seven months later she danced in Jenny Levison's highly acclaimed Yiddish tango show Shtil, Mayn Corazon.
        Gillian may be reached at 503-284-3210 or at gillianjl@speakeasy.net.
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Hannah Berkowitz

        As a teacher, Hannah knows that students learn best in a supportive, gentle, and encouraging environment with clear direction and lots of fun. Philosophically, she believes dance is good for people. It is good for mind, body and spirit. Dance often opens up other personal challenges in people having to do with ego. It's all good, albeit sometimes a bit painful! With dance, as basically in life, the journey should be enjoyed!

        Hannah was introduced to Argentine Tango in 1986 with a wedding present ticket to the stage show TANGO ARGENTINO from her now ex-grandmother-in-law. Impressed and dance-deprived, she was finally in the right place at the right time (that being Portland in 1999) to start studying it. Being generally a dance maniac (one who loves to dance any dance as much and as often as possible) Argentine Tango soon became her favorite dance. It focuses on the most lovely parts of dancing ... connection, musicality, expression, and spontaneity. She has had the opportunity to learn from Alex Krebs, Clay Nelson, Mark Beaudry, and many other teachers, both local and visiting.

        Hannah grew up dancing and started co-teaching for her dance teachers while in high school. That puts 50 years of dancing and 30 years of teaching various forms of dance (ballet, modern and creative dance, belly dance, and salsa) in her background. Being a massage therapist as well as having a formative ballet background, she is able to analyze posture and motion to pinpoint corrections and make specific suggestions.

        Hannah teaches in West Linn through West Linn Parks and Recreation, 503-557-4700. She is also available for private classes by contacting her at 503-655-0689 and hannahleah@Yahoo.com.
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J Abling

        J was introduced to social dancing at the early age of 10 and began performing folk dances at the age of 11. When he turned 14, J's aunt decided to teach him the basics of ballroom dancing. Argentine tango unexpectedly came into J's life in 2000 when he stumbled upon a beginner's class held next door to the venue where he used to swing dance.
        In 2003, after withdrawing from musical theater and salsa, J plunged deeply into the world of tango, observing and learning everything he could. He was a sponge for ideas and was happily influenced by dancers such as Jaimes Friedgen, Mario Consiglieri, Luciana Valle, Komala Vos, and Stephan Wimmer. A year later, J began to teach, and started perfoming at several tango cabarets in Seattle.
        For information about private lessons, workshops and his teaching philosophy, contact J at jabling@gmail.com or see his website at www.jartango.com.
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Jake Stevens & Danarae Marston

        Jake and Danarae met in 2005. They have danced tango together almost every day since, including 6 months of milonguero madness in Buenos Aires.
        When Danarae was 5 years old, she started dancing under the watchful eye of her grandmother, a professional dancer. Danarae went on to spend 15 years dancing with and training National Champion teams ranging from ballet to modern before giving it all up for tango.
        Following a tennis career as player and coach with the NCAA National Champion UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs, Jake took his first tango lesson while attending law school in Eugene. He brings a history of athletic success and collaboration to his dancing and teaching.
        While training in Buenos Aires, New York, Los Angeles and Portland, Jake and Danarae have studied with many wonderful dancers including Los Hermanos Macana, Viviana Parra & Mariano Pedernera, Jose Garofalo, Guillermina Quiroga & Roberto Reis, Anton Gazenbeek, Raul Masciocchi & Karina Colmeiro, and Alex Krebs.

        To find out about their private and group lessons, check their website at www.djtangoargentina.blogspot.com
        or email us at djtangoargentina@gmail.com
        or call 503.277.8516.
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Jay Rabe

        Jay Rabe started learning Tango in 1998 after an introductory lesson with Clay Nelson at the Crystal Ballroom. He has been addicted to Tango since then, studying with Clay
Jay with Deidre Cooke
and with the dozens of masters who've passed through Portland in that time. He has also made three trips to Buenos Aires to practice and study.
        He has been most strongly influenced by Chicho Frumboli, Norberto "el Pulpo" Estevez, and Portland's own Alex Krebs and Dan Timmins.

        Jay teaches an on-going, drop-in, beginner's group lesson every Thursday from 7:00 - 8:15pm. Come to his lesson, then afterwards you can walk 10 blocks to Jerry Wallach's Milonga Paradisio that starts at 8:30.

        Jay has a beginner's lesson at his monthly milonga, the "Last Tango in Portland" and also teaches private lessons.
        His dancing and teaching focus on developing a deep connection between the partners by emphasizing fundamentals of posture, balance, axis, and intention.
        Principles of centering and grounding, influenced by his years of study in Qi Gong energy practices, create a holistic approach that is not only effective, but can also be transforming and healing for individuals and couples.

        For more information, contact Jay at JayRabePDX@gmail.com or call 503-752-3664, or see his website at TangoMoments.com.
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Jenna Rohrbacher


        To Jenna, dancing tango is an ongoing search for the complete. Balanced by complexity in movement and purity of sensation, her elegant dance embodies the traditional roles of Argentine tango and beyond. Whether leading or following, Jenna maintains musical conversations that linger in the memory of her partner's skin.

        In the last three years, Jenna has taught and performed around the U.S. with Joe Leonardo, Alex Krebs, Felipe Martinez, and Dominic Bridge. In the summer of 2008, Jenna taught at the Tango Mango Festival in Devonshire, England with Portland's own Rebecca Smith. In February 2009, she performed with Alex Krebs at the Maui TangoFest, and in July 2009, she performed with Dominic Bridge at Chicago Tango Week.

        Jenna is available for private lessons, group classes, and performances. You can email her at jennarohrbacher@hotmail.com or phone her at 503.957.2554.
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Jennifer Olson

        Having started her tango career in Portland, OR, tango has now taken Jennifer all over the world - to Europe (where she taught in England), to Argentina and Uruguay (where she DJ'd, taught, and was invited to perform at several milongas), and throughout the United States and Canada (where she has performed, taught, and DJ'd extensively).
        Arguably without a home, Jennifer continues to travel year-round, living out of her suitcase, teaching at festivals and giving workshops in cities around the world. She has shared her passion for tango in Montevideo, Uruguay; London, England; Toronto and Montreal, Canada; Berlin, Germany; and in the US in Portland, Seattle, Denver, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Princeton (at Princeton Univ.); New Haven (at Yale), and St. Louis.
        Jennifer has taught with tango masters Alex Krebs and Robin Thomas and currently partners with Damian Lobato of Buenos Aires. She most recently has been seen tearing up the floors of Buenos Aires (where she has lived for four months).
        Please check out www.myspace.com/tangojennifer for more information or contact Jennifer at tangojennifer@gmail.com or call her at 971-219-7075.
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Joe Leonardo

photo by Carmela Hill-Burke


        If there is an underground to the Portland Tango Scene, Joe Leonardo is definitively a part of it. Though unambitious to a fault, he is still a persistent force adding much into the tango community. An accomplished dancer, passionate teacher, and popular DJ, you are almost certain to find Joe either throwing his passion into the dance at the local milongas or lurking quietly around Studio Berretin, where he works.

        Joe hosts and DJs both the unique Milonga Pa' la Gente and the lovely "aime comme moi" milonga, does some traveling for work, and enjoys teaching small classes and private lessons, but sometimes prefers just sitting alone, sipping yerba mate and smoking.

        For more information, contact: joeleonardo13@gmail.com or see his website at hardroadtango.com.
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Judy Maxon

        "Creative! Fun! Musical! Conversational!" These are some of the words used to describe Judy's dancing and teaching. Throughout her life, she's been doing one dance or another - ballet, the Tahitian tamure, salsa, ballroom, west/east coast swing. And then she discovered tango! Real Tango! Judy's been dancing tango since 1996, having started her studies with Clay Nelson and continuing with all the wonderful teachers coming through Portland. She has been especially influenced by Luciana Valle, Alicia Pons, Paulo Arujo, Nito and Elba, Komala and Stephan, and, of course, Portland's Alex Krebs. When she's in Argentina, she studies with Susana Miller, Maria Blanco (footwork), and Aurora Lubitz (technique).
        Besides performing locally, Judy has taken up leading, teaches classes and privates from both lead and follow points of view, and encourages her students to learn both. She considers tango a "sensuous serious/fun meditation for two who become one." She dances milonguero, salon, and nuevo style tango and helps her students to develop their own tango personalities to release their "joie de vivre" through relaxation, creation and connection.
        Judy can be reached at 503-650-8877 or merahistar@gmail.com
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Laurie Ann Greenberg

        Laurie Ann has been dancing both leading and following roles socially since 1997. She began her tango studies with Clay Nelson, taking all his beginning classes several times, first as a follower and then as a leader. She continued to study with many visiting Argentine teachers and traveled to Buenos Aires. She is influenced mostly by Lucianna Valle, Cecilia Gonzales and Florencia Tacetti.

        From 2003 to 2006 Laurie Ann created and hosted the Women´s Milonga here in Portland. She now hosts the women´s tango practica with Jennifer Olsen at the Movement Arts Studio on tuesday nights!

        She says, "Tango for me is the perfect blend of masculine and feminine. It is about balance, energy and connecting to your core. It's intimacy with boundaries."

        For more info contact Laurie Ann at lova58@hotmail.com or visit her website at www.whitelotusprojects.com
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Megan Pingree

        Megan Pingree is one of Portland's most experienced, responsive, and enabling tango dancers. She teaches at the Viscount Dance Studios (503-226-3262) on Monday evenings.
        Megan has studied Argentine tango since 1993, having been among the initial wave of Portlanders to take an interest in the dance. She was Clay Nelson's principal teaching and dance partner for two years and performed with him in Michelle Badion's show "Tango Nights" at the Aladdin Theater in November 1999. She is often asked to partner many visiting Argentine instructors, and frequently assists other local teachers as well.
        Megan hosts Corazón de Tango, a Friday night milonga held on the 2nd, 4th, & 5th Fridays of the month.
        Megan has an instructional video for sale: "Argentine Tango for Absolute Beginners", made with Clay Nelson in Dec 2003. It covers basic vocabulary, basic patterns, syncopated steps and cross-foot patterns, totaling 21 different components. Cost: $20.
        Particularly adept with multiple styles of tango, Megan has been influenced by a broad range of Argentines, including Luciana Valle, Lucia Mazer, Fabián Salas, Gustavo Naveira, Lorena Ermocida, Daniela Arcuri, Marcelo Solis, Fernanda Ghi, and Susana Miller.
        For more information about lessons, classes, videotapes, or Corazón de Tango, contact Megan at 503-222-4691 or meganpingree@comcast.net. For the latest in her organizing and teaching activities, check out her new blog/website at patootietango.blogspot.com.
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Nola Gray

        Nola has danced tango all around the world, teaching along the way. She says, "I dance, study and explore all facets. I study with different teachers who often give contradictory and opposing views. This is the beauty of Tango: paradox, magic, and emotion."
        A lifetime of dancing, and dancing Tango since 1995, both lead and follow, in different styles, and in different places, has made Nola one of the most versatile teachers in Portland. She teaches a fundamental framework as a jumping off space to the infinite dances that are tango.
        Nola teaches group classes at Dishman Community Center and Tango Berretin. Her new studio is called "La Casita Ojita Negra", which translates to "The Little Black Sheep Dance Studio.". To be included on her mailing list, email her at nola@nolatango.net or call her at 503-238-3939. Her website is at http://nolatango.net/.
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Patricia Thompson

       


Patricia moved to the Portland area from Anchorage, AK, and has been dancing since 1999. She is now based in Ridgefield, Washington and is offering private lessons. Contact her by phone at 360-695-5859 or e-mail tangobutterfly@netscape.net.
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Peter Zych

Peter with Julie Frederickson
        Peter started tango in 2000 with Clay Nelson and Megan Pingree. Since then, he has been most influenced by Robert Hauk, Susana Miller, and Cacho Dante. His tango has also been informed by Jorge Nel, Norberto ("el Pulpo") and Luisa, Florencia Tacceti, Hsueh-Tse Lee and most recently Mariana Fresno and Ney Melo. Notably, Peter's time studying and dancing in Buenos Aires cemented the connection he feels to tango.
        Peter is enchanted by tango's refinement and by it's mystical dimensions. He believes that those who study and practice its history, culture, music, connection, mechanics and ethics can discover something beautiful in themselves and others.
        Peter is currently teaching classes in the Sellwood neighborhood of SE Portland, both at the Sellwood Community Center and in the 'Ballroom' behind the Sellwood Public House at 8132 SE 13th Avenue. Call 503-232-5250 for details. Peter is available for private and semi-private instruction, workshops, DJing, demonstrations, and practice sessions. He enjoys working with men who are shy of or awkward about dancing. His email is peterz53@comcast.net.
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Polly McBride

Polly with Joel Smith
        Polly and tango discovered each other in 1991 when she became a founding member of the Portland Tango Community. Her dancing has been influenced by many of the masters she has studied with at Stanford Tango Week, Columbus Tango Week, Nora's Tango Week, and those who have visited Seattle and Portland. She is a member of Nora's Tango Week Public Relations Staff, and she partnered Maestro Jorge Firpo at the 2006 NTW. She has been a member of the Executive Team for Portland's TangoFest and ValenTango festivals since their beginning and is currently teaching at PCC/Sylvania and at Paradise Ballroom where she has been director since 2005. Polly specializes in teaching foundational skills for beginners.
        The book, "Tango Festival Operations Manual" co-authored with Clay Nelson, and her latest book, "Tango Quest" are both available by contacting her. See TangoQuest.net/ for more information.
        She is pictured here with Joel Smith, her favorite tango partner, teaching assistant, and grandson. Polly is available for group or private lessons: 971-207-5674 or atango2@aol.com.

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Rachel Lidskog

        Rachel Lidskog is the owner of "Dance With Joy," which perfectly describes her warm and genuine teaching style that encourages people of all ages and abilities to experience the joy of dance.
        A professional dancer, singer, and choreographer, Rachel has been teaching dance since 1989 and is known for her versatility and knowledge of a broad repertoire of styles. A medalist in both National and World Championship events, Rachel has traveled the globe for training, teaching, and competing in destinations such as Argentina, Cuba, Canada, France, Holland, Spain, and Sweden, as well as many cities throughout the US. Teaching all the Ballroom dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Bolero, & Paso Doble), as well as the social dances of East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop Swing, West Coast Swing, Nightclub 2-step, Hustle, Polka, Country 2-step, Salsa, Cuban Casino Rueda, and Argentine Tango, Rachel also enjoys choreographing wedding dances and performing professional shows.
        Rachel teaches at Portland State University, Ankeny Dance Studio, Metro Family YMCA, Viscount Dance Studio, Sesame Club, and the Laurelhurst Club. In addition to her weekly group classes, she offers private lessons at Ankeny Street Studio and is the hostess of her own dance, the "Dance for Joy" Party, held the 4th Saturday of each month.
        Her website is at: www.2dancewithjoy.com.
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Rebecca Rorick Smith

        Rebecca Rorick Smith started dancing in 1999 at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Traveling everywhere that she has been able to learn more about tango, she nonetheless owes her greatest lessons and her treasured roots to the Northwest's fine tango communities.
        She has taught since 2001 in countries all over the world, including India, Canada, the United States, and England. In 2007/08 she taught two terms at Southern Oregon University in Ashland.
        Rebecca has worked with many people and spent much time in Argentina, resulting in a breadth and depth of understanding that is widely respected by her peers.

        You can contact her at: beltane10819@yahoo.com
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Robert Hauk

Robert with Susana Miller
        Robert is one of the most highly-regarded "milonguero" or close-embrace style dancers in the Northwest. His tango muse has been Susana Miller of Buenos Aires, with whom he has studied for many years. He has also spent signifcant time in Buenos Aires, dancing and studying with the old-style milongueros. Robert's other important influences have been Cacho Dante, Nestor Ray, and more recently, Julio Balmaceda and Corina de la Rosa.
        During many Labor Day weekends, Robert can be found teaching at the highly acclaimed "Colorado Milonguero Tango Weekend" in Denver. He has also taught workshops in Anchorage, Atlanta, Memphis, Pittsburgh, and Phoenix. He has danced exhibitions with Susana Miller in Seattle, Portland, and New York City, with Alicia Pons in Portland & Seattle, and with Lily Godoy at El Beso in Buenos Aires.
        Robert teaches sets of group classes at Tango Berretín, and DJ's and teaches the drop-in lesson Monday evenings at the PPAA. Few tangueros can match Robert's passion for Argentine tango. He describes himself as being "so crazy about dancing tango that I can't leave a milonga until the music stops and they kick me out the door."
        To reach Robert, call 503-231-7826, or e-mail him at robhauk@teleport.com. His web page is http://home.teleport.com/~robhauk
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Stephen K. Lang

Stephen with Treva
        Stephen first got hooked on Argentine Tango by watching a National Geographic documentary on Tango narrated by Robert Duvall. He went on to study Tango with many masters in the United States and, during several extended stays in Buenos Aires, with Miguel Zotto, Milena Plebs, Ezequiel Farfaro, Gustavo Naveira, Lorena Ermocida, Leandro Palou, Andrea Misse, Gabriel Misse, Pepito Avellaneda, Natalia Games, Gabriel Angio, Mora Godoy, and Pablo Veron.
        Stephen feels that the many facets of Tango and its dynamic nature offer endless opportunity for creativity, expression and connection. He has acquired a thorough appreciation of various styles of Tango from milongeuro to salon to fantasia. He has taught and performed Tango in Washington, D.C.
        Stephen teaches classes and workshops at Paradise Studio. His contact information can be found at www.kinlab.com/tango/.
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Steven Payne

        Steven's tango roots stretch back to Salt Lake City, where he learned, taught, and organized tango for several years before moving to Portland. His unique style and passionate musicality have been inspired by Christopher Nassopolous, Susana Miller, Luciana Valle, Tomas Howlin, and many others. Each of them has convinced Steven of the outrageous possibilities that Argentine tango holds for an addicted dancer. A six-week sojourn in Buenos Aires further impressed him with the richness of tango culture and the seemingly endless variety of movement that this "street music" of the City can engender.
        Steven likes to stress an organic tango technique where students, having learned some fundamental principles, can build movement as it is inspired by the music and by the vibrant flow of the dance floor.
        Steven has recently returned to Portland from a year in Toronto, and has resumed a full class and private lesson schedule. For more information, contact him at tangopayne@yahoo.com.
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Ward Stevens

        As a dancer, a DJ, and a milonga organizer, Ward has studied Argentine Tango since 1998. He has specialized in the milonguero style since 2000. Ward's main inspiration has been Susana Miller with whom he has studied for most of his Argentine Tango career and during four visits to Buenos Aires.
        Ward is convinced that due to the improvisational nature of the dance, the most successful and fastest route to mastery is through concentration on technique and the essence of connection to the partner, the music and the space. Ward's understanding of Argentine music springs most importantly from listening to and studying the performances of Argentine DJ's including Feliz Picherna and Mário Orlando. Ward's understanding of technique and how to teach it comes from watching Argentine Tango being taught by such successful teachers as Daniel Trenner, Graciela Gonzales and of course Susana Miller and also from watching Yoga being taught by Sarahjoy Marsh and her teaching staff.
        To reach Ward, call 503-806-2502, or e-mail him at wcstevens@comcast.net.
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