TEACHERS
Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne
Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne, "los maestros de los maestros", have captivated tangueros for decades with their artistry and unique insights into Tango. While their spectacular performances continue to leave audiences around the world in awe, it is their groundbreaking work in analyzing the structure of tango that has cemented their influence in the global tango community. In their highly sought-after masterclasses, Gustavo and Giselle share their expertise and deep understanding of tango, helping dancers refine their skills and cultivate a more profound connection to the dance. They hold weekly classes online and run the famed La Papelera in Buenos Aires.
Rod Relucio and Jenny Renee
Rod has been dancing all his life. He and Jenny have performed in various venues around the world. Although his background has been mostly in hip hop and street dancing, he has fully committed himself to Argentine Tango. One can still see the lasting influence of his street dancing in his innovative and original tango style.
It is also easy to see the coexistence of traditional tango movements and philosophy working in symmetry with a newer nontraditional influence, the end result of which is an eye-catching and entertaining performance. Rod has spent some time studying with the masters in Buenos Aires and spends much of his time teaching in his native Chicago. His popular group classes are taught with an eye on encouraging and nurturing individual artistic styles while at the same time stressing the core movements and strong values of traditional tango. His infectious energy and love of the dance have created a large following of students in Chicago and the surrounding area.
As an artist, musician, and Latin dance instructor for many years, Jenny found her true calling in dancing and sharing her understanding of tango. With athleticism and grace, she flows effortlessly through complex movements, always with a strong connection to the music and her partner. Her athletic background and focus on tango’s core movements combine to create a visually poetic expression of the music and her partner’s lead. Her years as a salsa dancer also contribute a distinctive flavor that is both engaging and entertaining. Jenny has worked with many of the traditional masters of tango in an effort to refine and develop her tango style.
By fusing their other background dance styles in their tango, it makes their dance quite unique. They believe that the connection, musicality, and technique are the keys to fully appreciate the beauty of tango. In their classes they want to concentrate on how to be comfortable inside the embrace, based on the logic and naturalness of the movement.
John Miller and Jesica Cutler
Jesica is a master of anatomy, John is a whiz at structure, and together their classes present a clear and integrated understanding of Tango, both in movement and in composition. They have been teaching together for eight years, and work extensively with college students to bring Tango to the younger generation. They have also taught at numerous festivals in the US and abroad, including the Boulder Tango Festival, Tree City Tango, Wasatch Tango Festival, the Mountain Milonga Retreat, the La Paz Eco-Tango festival in Mexico, and of course, at Tango on the Rocks. Not to mention, they are the organziers of the festival, so if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!
Celina Rotundo and Hugo Patyn
Celina Rotundo and Hugo Patyn are Argentine Tango dancers, masters, and choreographers who dazzle the world, both on stage and in every class or workshop they teach. They possess an especially particular connection and style, making them first class dancers with an extensive dance background. They have danced in diverse places of the world, presenting challenging, intense and sensual choreographies with history. As instructors, they have initiated and inspired hundreds of students around the world.
Rebecca Shulman and Jaimes Friedgen
Rebecca entered tango in 1991, Jaimes in 1996, on opposite coasts. Each of them had the opportunity to study from extraordinary dancers who are no longer with us, both in Argentina and in the U.S. Over the subsequent decades they each built effective and popular tango schools in different cities – Rebecca in New York, Jaimes in Seattle and New Mexico. Jaimes also consulted for several other important tango schools. Rebecca cofounded and danced in TangoMujer Dance Company (1996-2006). They each have an encyclopedic knowledge of the dance and a knack for finding useful challenges for their students. They've always loved dancing with each other and have been happy to find a few opportunities to do so over the years.