Merran has been dancing tango since 2012, and has been with Tango del Alma since 2013.
She is a very popular dancer, whether it is in NZ or Argentina.
Her personality means that she brings wit, cheerfulness and a lovely personality to the team.
Victor started as a new student with Tango del Alma in 2014.
His tango travels both in NZ and Buenos Aires, give him a deep sense of the tango style he loves to dance.
During 2018, he enjoyed assisting the team each week in the beginners class.
His calm, quiet, and encouraging personality make him an excellent teacher.
Both Merran and Victor are keen and well travelled tango dancers, always taking every opportunity to attend masterclasses in NZ and Buenos Aires, and continue to add their excellent teaching skills to the 2022 Tango del Alma team.
Tess has always loved dancing, starting jazz ballet as a teenager progressing to salsa and tango in the salon style in 1998. Neville inspired her to start close embrace tango in 2014 and after a 10 year break has found her passion. "Tango is a such a beautiful graceful expression and way to communicate with another person in an extraordinary way."
Mike started dancing tango in 2013 and has a very smooth style with great musicality and a real feel for the music and the connection with his partner. He has a great understanding of what this style of tango is about.
Mike and Tess have been teaching with Tango del Alma since 2017.
Their tango travels and tango experiences, mean that they bring a great range of additional skills to the team.
They are both looking forward to their 6th year of teaching tango.
Craig & Regine Barkwith's hearts were captured by Argentine Tango in 2006.
At that time they were living in Palmerston North, and had been studying ballroom and latin dancing. After a basic tango course, fell in love with the dance and music of tango.
They moved to Wellington in 2007 and began with classes taught by Neville Waisbrod, the founder of Tango del Alma, and then joined the Tango del Alma teaching team in 2013.
They have travelled to Buenos Aires multiple times, and their dancing style is very indicative of their time spent studying under Alicia Pons, whether she is in Buenos Aires, USA, or NZ.
Their love of travel has been combined with their deep passion for tango and this has meant they have danced tango in Italy, Germany, USA, Australia, and Argentina.
During their travels, they have taught classes in the USA, in Charleston and Augusta.
In 2022, Craig and Regine will begin their 10th year of teaching tango, (as the primary teachers and directors of Tango del Alma), and are supported by a great team.
At that time they were living in Palmerston North, and had been studying ballroom and latin dancing. After a basic tango course, fell in love with the dance and music of tango.
They moved to Wellington in 2007 and began with classes taught by Neville Waisbrod, the founder of Tango del Alma, and then joined the Tango del Alma teaching team in 2013.
They have travelled to Buenos Aires multiple times, and their dancing style is very indicative of their time spent studying under Alicia Pons, whether she is in Buenos Aires, USA, or NZ.
Their love of travel has been combined with their deep passion for tango and this has meant they have danced tango in Italy, Germany, USA, Australia, and Argentina.
During their travels, they have taught classes in the USA, in Charleston and Augusta.
In 2022, Craig and Regine will begin their 10th year of teaching tango, (as the primary teachers and directors of Tango del Alma), and are supported by a great team.
Background to Tango del Alma...
The Tango del Alma dance school was established in 2001 by Mr Neville Waisbrod.
- Neville taught regular classes over the subsequent 17 years and established a very strong reputation in his home town of Wellington, as well as throughout New Zealand, Australia, and in many overseas cities where he has been a popular teacher.
- His focus on respect for the dance, for your partner, and for the dance floor, through his personal dance style, and his legendary etiquette lessons, has made him a very special and respected teacher, friend and mentor.
At the end of 2018 Neville retired from active teaching.
He passes the ownership and management of the dance school to Craig and Regine Barkwith,
who he started to teach in 2008.
Craig and Regine have been teaching tango at Tango del Alma since 2013, under Neville's guidance and support.
The 2022 teaching team has 6 teachers.
We have all had a different tango journey, and we all teach slightly differently.
These differences are what make us stronger as a team.
All of us have been influenced by the guidance and teaching style of Tango del Alma, and all have travelled to Buenos Aires for further tango experiences and tango masterclasses.
We all subscribe to the mantra….
* Be generous
* Be humble
* Be respectful
The Team of teachers from Tango del Alma will continue to teach the traditional style of tango that has been danced socially in the crowded dance halls of Buenos Aires for more than 80 years.
The single biggest influence on the teaching style of the team has been the well-renowned international dancer and teacher, Alicia Pons from Buenos Aires. Alicia has travelled to NZ multiple times to teach at the NZ Tango Festival, where she is hosted and supported by Craig and Regine.
Tango del Alma also bought her independently to teach in 3 cities in NZ in October 2016.
The dance is small, simple and sensual, with the emphasis on the embrace, connection with your partner, connection with the whole dance floor, and connection with the music.
It's a close embrace dance.
What we do:
* Group classes to teach the art of social dancing, at St Marks School Hall on Tuesday evenings.
* Private classes, or small group classes, in our private studio, if you want to kick start your tango journey.
* Regular social dances, (milongas) instead of our regular Tuesday night classes, (see the calendar)
* Weekly free Thursday lunchtime milongas
Famous Quote from a follower:
JSallyCat:
Please, just for me, forget the steps... Hold me, feel the music, and give me your soul. Then I can give you mine.
Please, just for me, forget the steps... Hold me, feel the music, and give me your soul. Then I can give you mine.