Dance History

I began tango and salsa in 2005 and began focusing exclusively on tango starting in 2009.  In 2013, I began learning fusion dance–a sort of smorgasbord of movement that draws inspiration from blues. Instructors who have influenced my dance are Sebastian y Joanna Jimenez, Gabriel el Huracán, Michelle Marsidi and Joachim Dietiker, and Carlos y Maureen Urrego. I took three months to study dance in Argentina and have taught tango at the Seattle Fusion Festival, at weekly events in Bellingham, WA and Vancouver, BC, all in addition to running occasional workshops in Spokane, WA.

Dance Philosophy

Dance is an opportunity to share connection with another human being. Respect for the agency other, the stranger, and the new dancer must come before entering into a dance embrace with anyone. Here in Bellingham, we deal with the clash of US culture with Argentine culture, where we balance the codigos (guidelines for dancing at a milonga) with our own desire to give others what they want and never say no. Dance allows us to rewrite this narrative in a way that foregrounds consent in terms of the invitation to dance, the closeness of the dance, and the steps we take together, while still honoring and understanding the Argentine roots of tango.