Hi Dancers, Hart Tango Connection is still at the studio of Circle of Life:Arts for All, Inc. Hart Tango Connection began Argentine Tango lessons in 2002. Our first teacher was Sandra Gotti from Buenos Aires, Argentine. She was an exciting teacher who spoke very little English, but was able to introduce the Greater Hartford ballroom dancers the art of the original Argentine Tango. She longed to go back to her own country and open her own dance studio. She went back to her native country in 2003 and eventually opened her own studio with her new husband.
Over the years we have had some of the most talented teachers here at our studio to unravel the mysterious, sexy Argentine Tango moves. In 2004 we had Nadel Drizi who was from Columbia and had some interesting advanced steps to add to our tango.
In late 2004, Ben Bogart a young man from Rhode Island who was primarily a musician who played the bandoneon brought us musicality and improvisation. Ben became so fascinated with the complexity of Argentine Tango music he took residence in Buenos Aries in order to learn from the masters.
After Ben moved to Argentine in 2004 we held seminars with some of the gurus of Argentine Tango such as Judy Phelps, and Daniel Trenner. We were introduced to Jackie Ling Wong, primarily a DJ who also studied and taught Argentine Tango close embrace. She was able to stay with us for a year and introduced us to famous Argentine tango teachers such as El Pulpo. She decided that she could no longer hold Milongas due to family commitments and concentrated her teaching in Massachusetts where she lived.
In 2005 we had guest instructors from New York such as Willie Feure. In 2006 to 2008 we were very fortunate to lure Willie Feur from Dance Manhattan to become our teacher for two years. Willie’s daytime dance commitments became more and more demanding at the University he was teaching at and he no longer could keep up with a weekly class and Milongas in East Hartford. In late 2008 Argentine Tango workshops were taught on Saturday afternoon with advanced instructors such as Kana Kubota and Mary Ellen Fossey.
In 2009 Jacqueline Escobar also from Columbia brought to our studio the flamboyant, passionate feeling of the dance with her performance moves and attitude of both the leader and followers in the social setting of Milonga.
Judy Phelps returned in the summer of 2009 to teach fundamentals to beginners and to reinforce the basics and improve on them for the intermediate dancers. She emphasized lead and follow and connection.
In August of 2009, Diana Lyn Cote became our in house dancer instructor. Diana is a well know area artist who became excited about dance when COL was built in the same building as her painting studio. Her first introduction was with West Coast Swing, then eventually expanded into her life long desire to learn Argentine Tango. She has been pursuing dance passionately for the six years since that first step. Together with her partner, Christopher Kilkenny, she continuously studies better technique and form in the dances they share. In 2009 they traveled to Buenos Aires to learn from renowned teachers. Diana brings to the dance community a natural approach to dance. She is an avid student, social dancer, instructor and performer. She remembers only too well the discipline of learning a new art form such as dance and has a way of bringing her message across to all levels of dancers. She is especially fond of training beginners. Her classes are on Thursday from 7:00pm to 9:00pm with additional practice time until 9:30pm. Diana’s teaching method centers on a personal interest in each student and includes specific suggestions for everyone in her classes. She demonstrates how the basics of center of balance are the building blocks to getting ready for more challenging, intricate steps as they progress.
Our classes are ongoing and any interested newcomer is welcomed into our circle of dancers as we join together sharing our knowledge in our pursuit of the art of dance which enhances our quality of life.