The Best of the Best

The Toronto Tango Festival

Our tradition of inviting only the best instructors and DJs continues at the this year's Annual Toronto Tango Festival. The following instructors and DJ's are confirmed for the 2010 Toronto Tango Festival.

Instructors & DJs

OLIVER KOLKER & SILVINA VALZ

BUENOS AIRES

Oliver Kolker started dancing Tango in 1997, training with Miguel Angel Zotto, Osvaldo Zotto, Roberto Herrera, Graciela Gonzalez, Carlos Gavito, Carlos Copello, Horacio Godoy and Luis Solanas. By 1998 he started teaching at "La Viruta," (aka "La Estrella") a famous tango school and milonga in Buenos Aires. His success there enabled him to teach and perform in the most prestigious tango houses and schools around the country, and produce the well-known teaching videos of Mora Godoy, who hired him as her Executive Director of her school. Together with Mora Godoy, Olive started Tango Emocion a great Dancing Company with 6 couples and Lisandro Adrovers quintet (Forever Tango 1st Bandoneon), and together they toured all over Europe. As a protege of Copello, Oliver began teaching at the Tango Escuela Carlos Copello in 2004.

Argentinean Silvina Valz teaches and performs tango throughout Europe, Japan, the United States and Buenos Aires. Silvina is one of the young great tango dancers whose dance incorporates elements from all styles of tango. She has studied and practiced tango in Buenos Aires with different teachers, among others, Pepito Avellaneda and Gustavo Naviera. Silvina is also known for her work with the Bs As. milonga master Dany Garcia (El Flaco). In addition to being one of the tango's rising stars, Silvina has worked in Paris as a choreographer and production assistant with the Theatre Antoine Vitoz.

PABLO PUGLIESE & NOEL STRAZZA

BUENOS AIRES, MONTREAL/NEW YORK

Pablo Pugliese and Noel Strazza are from Argentina. They have developed extensive solo careers in Argentine tango and contemporary dance. In 2006 they began dancing together, and started teaching, and creating artistic works. Today they are prominently among the most prestigious tango couples in the world. They have been performing and teaching their distinctive style of dance throughout North America and Europe, and have performed in the major tango festivals worldwide. Their artistic vocabulary fuses contemporary dance with Argentine tango and has evolved into their own unique choreographic style. Noel and Pablo are also regular guest instructors with Studio Tango Montreal and Dance Manhattan Studio in New York City.

NEY MELO & JENNIFER BRATT

MIAMI, BUENOS AIRES

World-renowned tango dancers and teachers Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt started in the New York City and Buenos Aires tango scenes, learning from the old milongueros and dancing every night in the milongas. They went on to teach and guide young dancers in the art of Villa Urquiza style Tango in 2003. In 2007, they relocated to the West Coast and opened their studio "TangoVida San Francisco" on 1120 Pacific Street in San Francisco. After three marvelous years there, they moved to South Beach and opened "TangoVida Miami" in 2010.

Ney and Jennifer are dedicated to inspiring students to dance tango with feeling, musicality, cadencia, and connection - the way it is danced in Buenos Aires. The atmosphere in their classes is relaxed, personable and lively, and they place 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. Their instruction is highly respected and sought out by beginning and advanced dancers, as well as other teachers and choreographers.

In addition to running their school TangoVida Miami, Ney and Jennifer have been busy touring the world. They just returned from Europe where they taught at the Firenze Tango Festival. They regularly teach and perform in Poland, Singapore, Malaysia, Romania, Slovenia, Australia, and New Zealand as well as extensively all over North America.

ADAM HOOPENGARDNER & CIKO TANIK

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

ADAM HOOPENGARDNER
Adam Hoopengardner excels in many styles of tango. His philosophy of tango is centered on the energy one feels from one's partner, and believes this should inspire the style and movement of the dance. He is confident dancing in open or close embrace and is cherished by followers for his comfortable, clear lead, his creativity, and inspiring musicality. When teaching he is able to transmit his mastery of the complex concepts of tango while retaining his innate humor and humility. He bases his classes on the abilities of his students and is able to help them expand their skill and understanding of the dance.

Adam has worked across the US, Canada, Germany, and Poland teaching workshops and at festivals often returning more than once. He is based in New York and Berlin.
He has performed and worked with some of todays leading ladies of tango including, Cigdem Tanik, Brigitta Winkler, Rebecca Shulman, Luiza Paes, Silvina Valz and Mila Vigdorova.

CIKO TANIK
Ciko's motivation to pursue tango has been the connection to another soul & body, as well as her own, through a music that inspires her.

During her visits to Buenos Aires she focused solely in the dance in its original grounds exploring and studying both traditional and nuevo tango roots which developed the Argentine quality in her dance. She embraced both open and close embrace which allowed the ability to move fluidly between the two and be more dynamic and versatile. Her technique gives her a non-restrictive connection with various dancers. Her dance is defined by its sensuality, creative playfulness, musicality and elasticity.

She emphasizes the importance of a good technique with a comfortable, musical walk over complicated moves. Her goal as a teacher is to bring her students’ personality out in their dance by teaching them the music and the concept of countless possibilities the dance offers. She cannot over emphasize the value of being an active follower which makes the dance much more interactive and fun.

SOMER SURGIT

CHICAGO, ISTANBUL

Somer Surgit is an internationally acclaimed dancer who embodies musicality, elegance, and creativity. His education in dance began at the age of five. At 17, he joined a folk dancing group, performing intensively with them and participating in many international festivals including the Schoten Folk Dance Festival (Belgium), Palermo-Caltavuturo International Folk Dance Festival (Italy), and Drummonville Mondial des Cultures (Canada).

Somer’s training in Argentine tango began in college while attaining a degree in Economics. Immediately, his passion for this dance form became the focal point of his life. After graduating, he decided to follow his passion and pursue a career as a tango dancer and Instructor. Recognized as a unique interpreter of New Generation tango, Somer fuses a variety of influences with his own personal emphasis on genuine individual expression and a deep connection with his partners, allowing him to form an aesthetic and emotional bond with each. His extraordinary sensitivity to music and ability to improvise showcase a richly nuanced choreography with fluidity and elegance.

As an instructor, Somer avoids formulas and set combinations, emphasizing instead core techniques and fundamentals in both close and open embrace. His profound understanding of movement -- both technical and interpretive -- allows him to convey the principles of tango succinctly and clearly. Somer's warmth, sensitivity, and well-developed interpersonal skills enable his students to advance quickly and consistently.

AVIK BASU

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

Avik is driven by the belief that a little dance and music can make the world a better place. And so, he dances tango, DJs, plays bandoneon, organizes workshops, learns spanish, and will even drink mate despite the fact he otherwise avoids caffeine. Perhaps most of all, he enjoys sharing the beauty of tango with others. His instruction over the past 5 years has helped to develop the Ann Arbor tango community into one of the largest in North America.

ALERIC SOANS

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

VLAD CHERNENKO

TORONTO, CANADA

Vlad has been DJing since 2005 at milongas in Canada and Europe.
His choice of music is characterized by Rhythm and Melody, working together in harmony in order to create the richest and most rewarding dancing experience. Vlad's DJ repertoire includes tangos that make your heart and body move, valses that make you float and irresistible milongas, all carefully selected from his vast collection of traditional tango music.

BERENICE GONSEN

TORONTO, CANADA

Berenice is a skilled tango dancer who has taken lessons from Toronto based, and visiting tango instructors for many years. Her teachers include Faye Lopez, Bulent Karabagli, Ilona, Andy Kamienski, Fabian Peralta & Virginia Pandolfi, Maria Jose Sosa and others. As a long-time fan of all types of tango music, Berenice enthusiastically shares her profound love of tango melodies, positively affecting dancers with her inspired selections. Since 2007 Berenice has been a guest DJ at the UofT Argentine Tango Club, Club Milonga, Alternatango, Milonga Argentina, Tango Fabrika in Montreal, and finally one of the house D.J.s at Milonga Sentimental until it's closure in July 2009. She is currently D.J. and one of the organizers at "La Cachila Milonga" in Toronto.