GUILLERMO TORRENS & ALEXANDRA WOOD

RICHARD MANUEL & TAMSYN WEBB

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GUILLERMO TORRENS 

Guillermo Torrens is Argentinean dancer & teacher with many years of experience in dancing and teaching. His career includes rich studies in Argentine Tango taught by re-known maestros in Argentina such Orlando Paiva, Claudio Omar, Maria Veronica.  In 2002  he moved to Buenos Aires  to study with teachers such as the “Maestro de Maestros” Raul Bravo along with Angela Ruth Manonellas, Silvio Lavia and Mimi Santapa and Ballet taught by Liliana Belfiore.  Following these important studies his career continued with outstanding work of performing on stage and as a teacher. He has performed at places such as Teatro Colon, Confiteria Ideal, Cafe Tortoni and his performing career expands to many countries around the world.  He has appeared on TV shows such as "This Morning" and the "Classic Brits Awards 2012" at the Royal Albert Hall dancing the music of Miloš Karadagliz.  

 

Maria Maragaki has had a passion for the performing arts since early childhood. Her dancing career started in 1981 when she focused on classical dance and through the years was enriched with the study and performing of Greek dancing and flamenco until she discovered Argentine Tango. Since then she has undergone training by well-known dancers and teachers in Europe and Argentina such as Raul Bravo. Maria holds a degree in classical music which allows her to analyse and help her students to understand how to interpret music through dance. For more than a decade Maria has been successfully performing and teaching Argentine Tango, Flamenco, Greek dancing and music in and outside UK.

 

Maria & Guillermo have won two LUKAS awards for 2 years in a row in the categories: "Tango Performers Of The Year" and "Tango Teachers Of The Year" (2011) and "Tango Performers Of The Year" and "Tango Teachers Of The Year" (2012). Guillermo was dancer at the Midnight Tango show with performances at London East End and at numerous cities in UK for the national tours for all 3 seasons (2011-2013) while Maria joined the show’s national tour in 2011. They both appear in the "Midnight Tango" DVD released in 2011. One of their latest projects includes performances for the national tour of internationally re-known tango singer Martin Alvarado. Maria & Guillermo are well established teachers and performers with more than 15 years of experience and international career in teaching and performing with their work including small groups and individuals as well as Festivals, shows and milongas.

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ALEXANDRA WOOD

From the age of three, Alexandra knew she wanted to dance and asked her parents to allow her to study classical ballet. They agreed, and since then she has not stopped, continuing to study it to date. Dance has always been a passion and a huge part of her life. She is now an internationally renowned Argentinean tango dancer and teacher.

Alexandra has studied most forms of dance, she has a BA (Hons) degree in Dance (specialising in Contemporary) from De Montfort University. A distinction in Recreational Arts for the Community (Dance) Manchester Metropolitan University, and a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts (Higginshaw College, Oldham). After graduating she worked as a contemporary dancer and ran her own dance company for 5 years before becoming a tango dancer. In 2002 she co-founded ‘Tango in Action’, the first Argentine tango school in London.  She left this school in 2011 to create her own Tango School. Alexandra studied tango mainly in Argentina, and with the Tango star, Andrea Misse, who she was honoured to worked with for 5 years. Alexandra is a regular performer at the most well known milongas in Buenos Aires including 3 shows in the prestigious Sunderland Milonga Buenos Aires (the milonga famous for Tango Salon). She has danced alongside some of the most famous tango dancers, including Miguel Angel Zotto (Tango Por Dos), and Osvaldo Zotto. She has toured extensively, dancing and teaching all over the world in shows and festivals, and was recently invited to represent England dancing Tango de Salon in two festivals in Italy and in Spain. She has worked as the principle teacher and performer of Tango Boot Camp.co.uk for 6 years.

In the summer of 2009 she collaborated with Athens based Seresta Dance Company to co-choreograph a Contemporary Dance and Tango show in Hydra/Greece. For over two years she toured with the show Tango Motion with Tango Siempre.

In 2011 Alexandra performed in the theatrical sensation Midnight Tango starring Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace of Strictly Come Dancing fame, She was invited to be in the show for the second successful tour and in the West-End debut in 2012 where she became Dance Captain. She has danced in Deborah Bull’s BBC documentary ‘The Dancers Body’, and appeared dancing Tango on BBC’s Zingzillas in January 2012. This Summer she danced on ITV's 'This Morning' performing with Milos Karadaglic - Libertango and was honoured to perform again with Milos at The Royal Albert Hall for The Classic Brit Awards  which was televised and on ITV and ITV3 October 2012.

Immediately after she finished the first tour with Midnight Tango, Alexandra played Desdemona in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s RND project of Tango Othello.
Alexandra performed on the BBC's 'Strictly Come Dancing' on November 11th 2012 in an excerpt from Midnight Tango.

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Her passion and devotion to traditional Argentine Tango the dance that entered her soul so deeply has fuelled her career. Alexandra runs her own Tango School in London www.AlexandraWoodTango.co.uk

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RICHARD MANUEL

Richard Manuel is an internationally renowned artist, much in demand as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. He has appeared on many shows including : “La Milonga Interna”, “Una noche en Buenos Aires”, both directed by Biljana Lipic, “Romance d’Carnaval” (UK Tour) directed by Myriam Ojeda, “Ferverosa” (UK tour) directed by Wendy Hesketh and “Tangomotion” (UK tour) with the band Tango Siempre.

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He was also part of the creative team and choreographer of the show “Tango ! Tango !”, directed by Justin Pearson, about the life of Astor Piazzolla which toured the U.K in 2008, 2009 & 2012.

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In 2009 he choreographed “Bolero” by Ravel for 4 tango dancers for Conductor Darrell Davison.

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In November 2011 he joined the show “Midnight Tango” (West End, UK Tour & Strictly Come Dancing on BBC 1) directed by Karen Bruce (344 shows in two seasons 2012 & 2013).

 

Since 2014 he is one of the organisers and performers of the International Tango Festival in Harrogate.

Between 2014 and 2018 he has toured UK with the show Tangomotion and has started working with the Santiago Quartet in October 2017.

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Recently he has choreographed and performed on three promotional videos for the Santiago Quartet, the rock band The 5th Element and The Great Masked Ball for The Lost Estate.

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Finally in August 2018, he has choreographed, performed and directed a video clip called “Barreras de Amor”.

Richard has taught and performed in 12 countries and more than 140 cities around the world for workshops, festivals & shows.

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For more information : www.tangografia.com

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TAMSYN WEBB

Tamsyn began her dancing as a child, training in classical ballet from the age of three, progressing through grades and performing in shows as a child for over 10 years. She expanded her repertoire of dance styles as a young teenager into Irish dance, forming part of the team coming 1st in the Great British Championships in 2001 for choreography.

 

Her passion for music has fuelled her dance. Tamsyn is a pianist, guitarist and singer, song-writing and composing solo piano pieces.

 

Over the last 6 years, she has experimented with dance styles such as salsa, bachata and kizomba, as well as tango, quickly discovering tango was the most liberating musically, and allowed for the most creativity and connection with her dance partners, training intensively in tango ever since.

 

Tamsyn also runs a milonga in Kent, and DJ’s in this event and others around the UK.

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