NORTHERN TANGO ACADEMY

Dante started Argentine Tango in his home town, Jujuy, a province in the north of Argentina. There he studied ballet with his teacher Fulvia Chagra de Gruber and Andrei Kozlov (ex principle dancer of the Kiev Opera). Dante has been dancing Tango for over 18 years. He performed in many famous Milongas in Buenos Aires, before moving to the UK in 2008 where he started his own Tango School with his first partner Miriam Orcutt. The couple were invited to teach and perform in various countries of Europe, South America; North America, Asia and Africa. Dante and Miriam also participated in International Festivals such as Mallorca Tango Festival, Porto International Tango Festival, Ulverston Music Festival and the International Book Fair in Guadalajara as a cultural ambassador representing the UK with Aurora Orchestra. Dante is the organiser of the very successful Oxford Tango Festival, which is now in its seventh year and attracts dancers from across Europe. He is the director of two important Tango Schools in the UK: The Northern Tango Academy and the Oxford Tango Academy with professional resident maestros from Buenos Aires. Dante has been teaching tango for over fifteen years and has become recognised for his unique and in-depth teaching methods.

Jane and Peter live close to York and have been dancing Argentine tango for fifteen years. Prior to that they were salsa dancers and, when the mood takes them, still dance modern jive. For many years they took over the running of the TangoYork group which operated from the Guppy Community Centre in York, and it was during that period that they developed an enthusiasm for teaching beginners. They themselves were initially taught by Johann Legrand in Leeds and subsequently improves classes with professional Argentine teachers associated to the Northern Tango Academy. This dancers were Pablo and Veronica, Luchino and Celeste, Dante Culcuy and Lillie Festa, Giusy and Diego, Julian Vilardo and Andrea Kuna and finally Barbara Ferreyra, who become World Champion in 2022. Jane and Peter specialise in working with absolute beginners and work to a method of instruction approved by the Northern Tango Academy.

Exequiel is a professional Argentine Tango Dance from Argentina. He has experience in both Tango Salon and Tango Stage. Exequiel has been part of very important shows around the world such us: "Maria de Buenos Aires" by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer, numerous Tango Shows in Buenos Aires such us "Sabor a Tango", "Piazzolla Tango", "Cafe Tortoni" and "Corazon de Tango" among others. He has participated in various competitions where he reached the finals of Tango Stage in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and in Tango Salon in 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018. Exequiel has taught in the UK for the Northern Tango Academy in 2017 and 2018.

Lilie is a teacher at Northern Tango Academy and partner to Dante. They manage the school together - they are the ones on the other side of emails and messages! Lilie studied Tango in Buenos Aires with teachers Andrès 'Tanguito' Cejas, Pablo Giorgini and Veronica Vasquez.

Hannah Johnson began dancing Argentine tango in 2006 while working in Buenos Aires. Back in Newcastle she continued to study tango with Liliana Tolomei and later Dante Culcuy, eventually travelling around Europe and attending classes with visiting teachers such as Noelia Hurtado and Carlitos Espinoza, Vanessa Villalba and Facundo Piñero, Yanina Quiñones and Neri Piliu. Hannah has been teaching tango and organising milongas in the North East since 2017. As a qualified yoga teacher she is passionate about making tango accessible and hopes to develop and begin teaching yoga classes for tango in 2024.

Franco and Julia are of Italian descent but spent most of their lives in the UK. They started dancing in 2010 with teachers Jose Fernández and Martina Waldman. They have since been dedicated students of Northern Tango Academy with teachers Dante Culcuy, Silvana Prieto and Matias Batista, Yanina Quinones and Neri Piliu, among others. They have created a network of new friends, teachers and students with the same passion for tango who have welcomed them in Oxford and Nottingham and places in the UK.

Orlando Faciano first started learning Tango in his hometown in Northern Argentina, San Salvador de Jujuy. He has been teaching for over 10 years, and trained with many teachers in Buenos Aires, including Diego Durán and Mariana Sanchez, Aurora Lubiz, Alberto Gomberg, Graciela Cabrera, Pablo Etcheverry, Laura Murphy and Yuyú Herrera. He is the creator of La Otra Milonga in Buenos Aires, a popular outdoor Milonga in the city centre. Orlando also has a career teaching and performing Argentinian folklore dance, and has choreographed folklore shows for the Buenos Aires Broadway Theatre.