From Buenos Aires...
HUGO "GATO" VALDEZ & ANDREA MONTI
Workshops on Saturday & Sunday, April 23 & 24
@ the Renaissance Ballroom, 285 Ellis Street
(between Mason & Taylor), SAN FRANCISCO
Gato & Andrea have earned an international
reputation and respect, not only for their
elegance, technique and musicality, but also
their "caminar a tierra" which has made them true
representatives of the typical tango porteño.
Saturday, April 23
2:15 - 3:45 p.m. Vals - intermediate/advanced
Rhythm and musicality, smooth sacadas, double
turns, sequences and specific patterns.
4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Milonga - all levels
Simple and fast playful movements and embellishments.
Sunday, April 24
2:15 - 3:45 p.m. Tango - advanced
Turns with sacadas, and with barridas, follower's
sacadas, combinations and sequences
4:00 - 5:30 p.m. Choreography I
Learn about the choice of music style and
orchestra, the organization of the piece into
musical phrases,
options for "adagios" and variations in the
music, and how to give emphasis to the dance by
taking
advantage of the up beats and silences.
single workshop $30
two workshops $55, three workshops $75, four workshops $90.00
Advance registration is requested: [email protected]
phone: (408) 739 9737
Gato & Andrea have developed, through many years
of experience and work, a teaching method based
on the technique of posture, balance, axes,
weight changes, rhythm and especially on the
tango walk, making emphasis on the interpretation
of the music, and encouraging the students to
express their feelings when dancing.
As well as performing in Show Clubs, Restaurants,
Tango Bars, and Milongas "porteñas" in Buenos
Aires, such as "Bar Sur","El Caballito Blanco",
"Palacio San Miguel", "Sociedad Italiana de
Lanús", "Café Homero Manzi", "El Club del Golf",
"El Club Torcuato Tasso", El Parakultural, La
Pulpería, Tía Lola, Salón Canning, La Nacional",
Gato & Andrea have taught and performed in
Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Central
America, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Spain,
Germany, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. In 2004, they
taught at II Encuentro Internacional de Tango
Valencia (Spain) and at the Portland TangoFest in
Oregon (USA).
Gato Valdez was born in Buenos Aires to a family
of "milongueros". As a small child, he
accompanied his parents to a well-known milonga
in the south area of the city called "Bomberos de
Lanús", where he had the chance to watch the
legendary old "milongueros" dance. He started to
learn tango in the milongas, and he worked the
great maestros: Fino, Antonio Todaro, Raúl Bravo
and Mingo Pugliese. In 1984 he performed
professionally for the first time with the
Osvaldo Pugliese orchestra in the film "Tangos,
el exilio de Gardel", directed by Pino Solanas
(best film award Venecia Festival, 1995). He
has also appearered in other films such as
"Gracias Maestro", (an Argentine film directed by
Luis Segura and dedicated to the life of Osvaldo
Pugliese), "Evita", directed by Alan Parker; and
"The Tango Lesson", directed by Sally Potter. In
1994 he founded the group "La Postango" together
with the singers Pablo Banchero and Cardenal
Dominguez.
Andrea Monti has also been immersed in tango all
her life. She was born in Buenos Aires to
parents who were faithful tango fans and
introduced her to the magical world of the
dance.. She has studied with many teachers in
Buenos Aires, including: Mingo Pugliese, Gustavo
Naveira, Graciela González, Sergio Natario and
Alejandra Arrué Her solid training as a
professional tango dancer is based on almost two
decades in jazz dance, classical technique and
stretching. As a dancer, Andrea is outstanding
in her technique and her way of walking the tango
beat. As a teacher, she is known for her
dedication and methodology, and the close rapport
and communication that she develops with her
students.
