TEACHERS
Yanina Quiñones and Neri Piliu
Yanina Valeria Quiñones and Neri Luciano Piliu dance together since 2006. They were professionally trained at the Academia de Estilos de Tango Argentino (ACETA) by famous milongueros and teachers such as Carlos Perez and Rosa, Pupi Castello, Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau, Gerardo Portalea, Toto Faraldo and Milena Plebs, amongst many others.
They took part in tango competitions in Buenos Aires where they won the first place in both Tango Salon and Escenario: Pre-World Champions-North Zone Tango Salón in 2006/2007, Pre-World Champions West-South Area Tango Show in 2006, Baradero Festival Champions Tango Escenario in 2006 and they gained the second place in the Tango Salon World Championship in 2008, which is held annually in Buenos Aires.Since then, they have performed at some of Buenos Aires most well-known Milongas, such as Sunderland, La Baldosa, Salon Canning, Griciel, Porteno Bailarin, often accompanied by top level orchestras such as Color Tango, La Orchestra de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires and La Orchestra Sans Souci.
They have also worked in some of the most important Buenos Aires theatres including Piazzolla Tango Show, Boca Tango and Cafe Tortoni.
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 since 2013, 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, Tango Maya in Cancun, Windy City Tango Festival, Albuquerque Tango Festival, 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!
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.
Graziella Pulvirenti & Rino Fraina
Rino and Graziella met in 2010 and they started dancing together at theend of the year with the clear aim to create astable couple to consolidatetheir qualitative and personal growth in Tango. After dancing otherdances like ballroom at a Professional level , they decided to dance Tangoto enjoy of a greater ( superior ) interpretative freedom of music andmovement. The discipline and training learned from other dances haveconstantly led them to deepen the basic technical elements and toresearch a defined and recognizable teaching method. After a two yearspreparatory course of ballet , at the age of five , Graziella dedicatedherself to synchronized swimming , winning numerous championships.From the age of nine she started couple dances ( ballroom and LatinAmerican ) while she was still acting as a synchro trainer. She definitivelyabandoned it when she was 15 to follow her passion….dancing. She discovered Tango when she was 17 and she started an appassionatepath that brought her to the Italian Argentine Dance Championship inonly a year. She has been studying with Argentinian teachers since 2003and she went for the very first time to Buenos Aires in 2007 ( and sheusually goes once a year ) to improve her knowledge and ability. This ledher to the prestigious final of World Championship of Tango Salon in Buenos Aires in 2008.
Rino began dancing when he was 10 , specializing mainly in ballroomdances. He won his first Italian Championship in 1998 ,and from thatmoment on, his national and international carreer went on. He competedin England , Austria , Belgium , Poland , Russia , Lithuania and Spainwinning numerous competitions. He became a professional and also aFids specialist , leaving contests to become a judge.Exactly during a competition he met Graziella , creating a couple in lifeand then in Tango. His previous experiences allowed him , quickly , torefine his technique and to personalize it. TOGETHER. Rino and Graziella have been teaching in several Italian Tango schools and they preside over Tango Studio Catania association in Catania and Eboli (Salerno). Their goal is to deepen the technical evolution ofTango through lessons and practices giving the fundamentale tools tomanage and create everyone’s Tango. They are organizers of events such as Catania Summer Tango Week and they have participated as teachers and performers at various national and international Tango Events touring in EUROPE , USA and CHINA. Ideators and choreographers of the theatral Tango show “Which Tango are you?” on stage in Italian theatres. In 2019 they have been nominated in Premios Tango in the
category "Best international couples".
Facundo Agüero Maisano & Laura Freeman
Facundo is a DJ, Dancer, Performer, Choreographer and Tango Teacher. He studied Tango at the National University of Arts in Buenos Aires, where he trained in Tango Dance techniques, styles and pedagogies, as well as Stage, Choreography and Performance Tango. Facundo’s teaching focuses on self-awareness and reflection, as he challenges students to explore the details of the dance and master their own techniques.
Assisted in direction and choreography in dance, Tango dance and acting productions. Participated as a dancer in Tango Ballets as well as Tango dance productions.
Laura and Facundo offer 19 combined years of experience in Tango, teaching, learning and performing this seductive dance. They bring their knowledge from across the country and directly from the Alma Mater: Buenos Aires, Argentina. We focus on sharing Tango with a fun and dynamic experience.