The Tango Room UK
Argentine Tango
in Bristol UK
Who are we?
Sarah Vonthron-Laver & Jenny Harmer
contact us info@thetangoroom.co.uk
We are an Argentine Tango group who meet for classes and practica every Monday evening in Bedminster, Bristol UK.
We are a not for profit community group, and all proceeds get reinvested into the group to enable us to bring amazing teachers
from all over the world.
We have visiting teachers on a monthly basis and in-between times Sarah and Jenny teach the classes
Our New schedule offers a beginners class from 7pm - 8pm
an intermediates class from 7.30pm - 9pm
+ a practica from 9pm - late suitable for all levels.
Sarah and Jenny have a combined experience dancing tango of over 34 years.
Sarah takes the lead role in the class, and Jenny focuses on the follower role, and both love dancing in socially in milongas around the world.
They both regularly take lessons with their maestros/as, and hope in turn to share their knowledge and love of this amazing dance with other members of the group. We prefer traditional tango and the way in which it was danced during the Golden age in Buenos Aires, and this influences our choice of music that we use in class, the teachers we invite and the way in which we move in tango.
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Jenny and Sarah host many visiting teachers including Diomar 'Giraldo' Escobar, Mina Ojeda Patino, Graciela Gamba & Diego Converti, Tanguito Cejas, Marcelo Almiron, Alberto Ortiz, Janet Offer, Gustavo Benzacry-Saba & Luciana Guido, Marek Szotkowski, Daniela Barria & Julian Villardo
Luciano Millaqueao y Celeste Cimino La Piba de los Jazmines, Olivia Teixeira & Fernando Lima, Letitia Simone & Andrés Alberto Sosa, and German Landeira.
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Sarah & Jenny are both dedicated to teaching Argentine Tango in the same way in which they were taught,
continuing to bring in visiting teachers whenever possible, and helping develop each individual's dance in a friendly environment.
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Visiting Teachers
Diomar 'Giraldo' Escobar
Diomar "Giraldo" Escobar
graduated from the IPC Drama School in Colombia & then was a member of Danza Experimental de Cali for 4 years.
In 1993 Diomar came to London where studied dance and choreography at Lewisham College until 1996. In 1994 he co-founded artLat and went on to become a lead-performer of the company. He has been dancing Argentine Tango since 1990 & travels frequently to Buenos Aires to further his training with recognised Masters like Roberto Herrera and Osvaldo Zotto and Andres 'Tanguito' Cejas.
Since 2001 he has been touring the UK with the acclaimed shows Subitango and Tiempo de Tango.
Giraldo teaches Argentine Tango throughout the UK & is regularly invited to teach abroad. He has appeared dancing in the films Evita and Dance, a Channel 4-commissioned film, and collaborated with Deborah Bull’s BBC dance season Travels with my Tutu.
He collaborates with BBC Strictly Come Dancing as resident tango trainer for the competing celebrities.
Graciela Gamba
Was born in Quilmes neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She began her Tango career in 1997 with Maestro Tangueros such as Osvaldo “Valdi” Guevara, Francisco Forquera y Carolina Bonaventura.
Diego Converti
Was born in Parque Patricios neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his Tango career in 1997 with Maestro Tangueros such as Osvaldo “Valdi” Guevara, Francisco Forquera y Carolina Bonaventura.
Diego and Graciela have been dance partners since 2001; they are passionate about Tango Salon, its elegance and musicality, without losing sight of the ‘hood’ dance style. They have been teaching since 2005 and formed part of the Mariposita de San Telmo Ballet Ensemble, and have taught at Jorge Dispari and Marial del Carmen’s Studio – Villa Urquiza Tango Escuela. Diego and Graciela perform routinely at the most prominent milongas of Buenos Aires, including Sunderand, Salón Caning, La Baldosa, Porteño y Bailarin, Club Grisel, El Taso, among others. In 2011, Diego and Graciela toured Europe and Asia, and were participants in the Sixth London Tango Festival and the Winter Carnival Festival in Hong Kong.
Myriam Ojeda Patino
Myriam Ojeda-Patiño, "Mina" studied Latin American folklore and urban dance at the Instituto Popular de Cultural, Colombia. She co-founded Danza Experimental de Cali and studied Philosophy at Universidad del Valle gaining her degree in 1992.
In 1993 she left Colombia and came to Britain to pursue a 3-year Dance and Choreography diploma. She then established the Latin American Dance Project in London now known as artLAT.
2002 Myriam gained her MA in Choreography from Middlesex University. She directs Tiempo de Tango, a national touring production funded by the Arts Council of England since 2004 with several national tours. In 2009 She performed in the film Evita with Madonna, created choreography for Dance, a Channel 4-commissioned film, and collaborated with Deborah Bull’s BBC dance season Travels with my Tutu. She collaborates with BBC Strictly Come Dancing as resident tango trainer for the competing celebrities. In 2015 Mina was chosen to play Lucille in the UK film Crowhurst.
Andres 'Tanguito' Cejas
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Direct from Argentina 'Tanguito' represents the purest style of Argentine Tango.
Highly respected milonguero, together with his wife and partner Genoveva, has worked with the some of the best known orchestras, among which that of master Mariano Mores, Sexteto Mayor, Berlinghieri-Baffa, Raúl Garello, José Colangelo, Sexteto sur and others.
He has appeared on numerous stages in theatres and shows in Argentina and all over the world with some of the world’s best known tango dancers such as Vanina Bilous & Roberto Herrera, Osvaldo Zotto & Lorena Ermocida, Los Dinzel, Nélida & Nelson, Gloria & Eduardo,
and others.
Tanguito has performed and taught extensively throughout the world, his self critical and exhaustive technical training make him amongst the most accomplished and grounded teachers.
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Janet Offer
Janet Offer discovered Argentine Tango over 20 years ago.
In the first years Janet studied with Christine Denniston. Also Paul Lange from the long established and highly respected El Once in London. She travels every year to Buenos Aires to study with Jorge Firpo, Augusto Balizano, Stella Barba her favourite maestros, and visits Europe regularly to study and develop as a teacher.
Her love for this dance helped put Bristol on the Tango map as she established Tango West over 16 years ago with her co-directors. With her endless enthusiam she has introduced countless people to Argentine Tango and continues to do so in Cyprus and now as a visiting teacher, in Bristol.
Marcelo Almiron
Dancer with more than 25 years of experience in tango. He dances from the age of 15. He studied intensively contemporary dance, jazz and break dance. He’s been dancing tango since 1991 – when he started his tango education with the authentic milongueros de la Guardia Vieja Rodolfo and Maria Cieri.
During 1994 and 1999 he continued his search of his tango with the most renowned maestros of different styles, such as: Juan Carlos Copes (stage tango), Nito y Elba (Tango Salón), Pepito Avellaneda (milonga), Gustavo Naveira (nuevo tango) and many others
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In Buenos Aires Marcelo has been teaching in the most important tango schools: Escuela Argentina de Tango, Tango Brujo, Made in Tango, Viejo Correo and Milonguera. He was also presenting Argentina with his dance at the EXPO Zaragoza in 2008.
His rich experience of more than 20 years in tango combined with the passionate expression and great professionalism reflects in his art-creating way of dancing tango.
In his classes he offers his sharp and deep vision of all dimensions of this dance. His unique teaching method is a result of many years of teaching and performing experience and a quintessence of his knowledge in tango. The core objective of his teaching method is to give his students the understanding of tango and the ability to create their own dance.
Now Based in Warsaw Poland, he runs and teaches at his own school with his wife and dance partner Luiza Almiron.
Marek Szotkowski
Originally from the Czech Republic, Marek has been teaching tango since 2001, including five years in USA, and four years in Paris, France.
In addition, Marek has taught workshops in Germany, Italy, France, Spain and the Czech Republic. In November 2009 he moved to the London UK, where he taught classes and workshops, and hosted a regular milonga.
In 2018 Marek moved to Cardiff and has set up a class there.
Alberto 'Beto' Ortiz
Beto was born in Buenos Aires and has more than 10 years experience of teaching tango and milonga in Buenos Aires tango schools. Beto has been teaching Tango and DJ' ing in London for the past 5 years,
Beto developed his profound knowledge for Tango de Salon by living & breathing it on the dance floors of BA, and by spending many nights with the great dancers of the current & previous generations.This has resulted in a deep understanding of the subtleties & history of this multi-layered dance as culture & expression as it is lived & danced- aspects of which Beto shares with his students in a clear & fun way.