February and March 2020: Christopher Nassopoulos

Christopher Nassopoulos is a well-known tango instructor who has taught tango at festivals all over the US and abroad. He favors a close-embrace style and teaches steps that are useful in social dancing. In his classes he asks that everyone take turns leading and following, so that we all practice both roles. Christopher provides extra help during the practica.

Christopher was first introduced to Argentine tango in 1993, and made numerous trips to Buenos Aires to study and learn the social traditions of the milongas there. Christopher has the incisive ability to analyze movement and help improve a student’s technique on even the most subtle levels. In addition, he leads and follows, giving him further insight into the technique of and relationship between the two roles.

January 2020: Felipe and Ayano

Felipe Martinez and Ayano Yoneda came together in the tango scene of the SF Bay Area, and embody the global nature of tango, traveling full-time throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia to teach, DJ, and lecture about the music. They also spend time annually in Buenos Aires studying and enjoying the dance and its history.

Felipe’s background includes a degree in education and 20 years of experience in tango. He is widely recognized for his clear teaching strategy, enthusiastic personality, and ability to make real improvements in your dancing. Ayano has been dancing tango since 2005 and is an accomplished and motivated dancer, with excellent movement technique and musicality. She has been teaching with Felipe for the past few years around the country.

Together, their demonstrations are clear and precise, offering students an excellent model of movement. Both Felipe and Ayano lead and follow interchangeably which is invaluable for teaching. Their series at Stanford University and their classes at The Beat in Berkeley are always in high demand.

For more information, see www.felipetango.com.

December 2019: Christopher Nassopoulos

Christopher was first introduced to Argentine tango in 1993, and made numerous trips to Buenos Aires to study and learn the social traditions of the milongas there. Christopher has the incisive ability to analyze movement and help improve a student’s technique on even the most subtle levels. In addition, he leads and follows, giving him further insight into the technique of and relationship between the two roles. Christopher and his partner Caroline are invited to teach at festivals all over the U.S. and abroad.

Milonga La Bruja with Trio Garufa, February 5th, 2020

Wednesday, February 5th
7:00-10:00 pm
The Berkeley City Club
$15 (free for Club members)

Trio Garufa has long been a favorite of Bay Area dancers, and has traveled the the world playing tango music in Argentina, Colombia, Europe, Canada and the US. It is made up of Sascha Jacobsen, double bass; Guillermo Garcia, guitar; and Adrian Jost, bandoneon. Trio Garufa has two albums, El Rumor de Tus Tangos, and La Segunda Tradicion. For more information, see triogarufa.com!

This is a milonga (social dance). Listeners are welcome, as well as dancers of all levels. The band’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15. All ages. Tickets available though Eventbrite until 6:00 pm, or with cash at the door. Discount of $5 for members of the Berkeley City Club.

A full bar and light refreshments will be offered in the ballroom, provided by Morgan’s Bar & Lounge. For dinner reservations before the milonga, contact Julia’s Restaurant at (510) 280-1547, or use opentable.com.

Milonga La Bruja with Seth and Guillermo, December 4th, 2019

Wednesday, December 4th
7:00-10:00 pm
The Berkeley City Club
$15

Two musicians playing three instruments take you on a whirlwind ride through tango history. Guillermo Garcia (guitar) and Seth Asarnow (bandoneon, piano) are both favorites in the Bay Area tango scene, but they rarely play together as a duo. Hear them in the historic Berkeley City Club ballroom, with DJ Robert playing tunes during the breaks.

This is a milonga (tango dance party). Listeners are welcome, as well as dancers of all levels. The duo’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15. All ages. Tickets available though Eventbrite until 6:00 pm, or with cash at the door. Discount of $5 for members of the Berkeley City Club.

A full bar and light refreshments will be offered in the ballroom, provided by Morgan’s Bar & Lounge. For dinner reservations before the milonga, contact Julia’s Restaurant at (510) 280-1547, or use opentable.com.

Eventbrite tickets

October-December 2019: Guillermo Garcia and Hande Yildiz

A tango guitarist, dancer and engineer from Argentina, Guillermo García has been teaching tango in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2001 and is one of the pioneers of local live tango music. He has been a guest teacher at most of the local dance studios and milongas (tango dance parties) and his San Francisco weekly class has been running since 2007. In 2011 he was part of the dance cast in the show Tango Fatal, directed by Forever Tango lead dancer Jorge Torres. In 2018 Guillermo and his partner Hande Yildiz taught the beginner and intermediate tango program at Stanford University in the Spring Quarter, and two eight-week programs in Berkeley focused on the different rhythmic forms of Argentine Tango.

As a musician Guillermo started playing guitar at age ten, learning from tango guitarists in Argentina and later undergoing classical guitar training at the Conservatory of Bahía Blanca. In 1996 he settled in California and co-founded band Flor de Tango, with whom he performed for four years and recorded one of the first locally-produced tango albums at Stanford University. He then prompted the creation of Trio Garufa in 2001, with whom he has recorded three albums and performed extensively in the USA, Argentina, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Colombia and Canada. He also performs tango music as a solo guitarist and in collaboration with other musicians.

After becoming an electrical engineer in Argentina, Guillermo specialized in signal processing for music technology in France and California. He holds an MSEE from Université d’Orsay and a Ph.D. in EE from Stanford University.

Guillermo believes that everyone can dance tango and that most of us tend to encounter similar challenges along the learning curve. His teaching method is influenced by both his engineering and musical backgrounds, and is based on musicality, partner connection, technique and steps, historical context, and social etiquette at milongas.

Milonga La Bruja with Maxi Larrea Trio and Teresa Tam, October 2nd, 2019

Live on stage, it’s the Maxi Larrea Trio with Teresa Tam on vocals! Join us for a milonga in the historic Berkeley City Club ballroom. DJ Robert plays traditional tunes during the breaks. Price: $15 ($10 for Club members). Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite or with cash at the door.

This is an early milonga: 7:00-10:00 pm. The band’s sets begin at 7:45 and 9:15.

The Maxi Larrea Trio is made up of Maximiliano Larrea, guitar; Charles Gorczynski, bandoneon; and Sumi Lee, piano.

Maximiliano Larrea is an accomplished guitarist, arranger, and composer from Rosario, Argentina. In Argentina, he worked with Cuarteto Revirado, Quinteto Negro La Boca (Sony Argentina), Quinteto Clandestino, and Aires Trio. Since moving to the US in 2015, he has worked with several ensembles, most recently with Mariano Barreiro Quartet, Trio Larrea-O’Day-Durso, and the Maximiliano Larrea Tango Trio.

Charles Gorczynski is a bandoneonist, composer, and leader of the Redwood Tango Ensemble. Charles has been a guest bandoneonist with the California Symphony and the San Jose Chamber Orchestra; has toured with the Argentine ensembles Tango BC Trío, Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio, and Alejandro Ziegler Quartet; and has premiered his own works at the Chamber Music Northwest Summer Festival.

Sumi Lee is a classically trained pianist who studied at La Orquesta Escuela de Tango, Emilio Balcarce. She has performed with many well-known maestros at prestigious venues, most recently with conductor Osvaldo Piro and bandoneonista Victor Lavallen at a sold-out concert at Teatro San Martin, Buenos Aires. She appears on the CD released at the concert, Gobbi Inédito. She also performs with a new tango group in Buenos Aires, Las Malevas.

A full bar and light refreshments will be available in the ballroom. For dinner reservations at Julia’s Restaurant, located inside the Berkeley City Club, visit www.opentable.com/r/julias-restaurant-berkeley. Please, no outside food or drink.

The BCC parking lot is for members only. We are a 10-minute walk from Downtown Berkeley BART. Nearby parking lots are Trinity Parking Log (2362 Bancroft Way), First Congregational Church Parking Log (2345 Channing Way), and 2315 Ellsworth Street Garage @ the Metropolitan.

August and September 2019: Christopher Nassopoulos and Ayano Yoneda

Christopher Nassopoulos has been teaching Argentine tango for over 20 years, teaching the traditions and codes of social dancing that have been passed down through the generations in Buenos Aires.  He brings energy and passion to close-embrace dancing, and has developed proven exercises and techniques to pass on this knowledge.  He emphasizes comfort, accuracy, and strong musicality, both rhythmic and dynamic.  The material he uses in classes is directly and immediately useful on the dance floor.

Ayano Yoneda has been dancing tango since 2005 and is an accomplished and motivated dancer, with excellent movement technique and musicality. She is excellent at both leading and following, and gives clear, precise, personalized help to improve your dancing.  She takes special care to make sure that followers receive as much attention as leaders in her classes.

Milonga with Live Music by Seth Asarnow and Marcelo Puig, July 17th, 2019

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Join us for live tango music in the historic Berkeley City Club ballroom! Virtuoso musicians Seth Asarnow (bandoneon) and Marcelo Puig (guitar, voice) will play a selection of classic tangos. DJ Robert will play traditional tunes during the breaks. Price: $15 (10 for Club members). Tickets are available through Eventbrite or with cash at the door.

This is an early milonga: 7:00-10:00 pm.

A full bar and light refreshments will be available in the ballroom. For dinner reservations at Julia’s Restaurant, located inside the Berkeley City Club, visit www.opentable.com/r/julias-restaurant-berkeley. Please, no outside food or drink.

Seth Asarnow, a native of the Bay Area, plays bandoneon and piano and is a composer, teacher, and ensemble director. His musical influences include Aníbal Troilo, Leopoldo Federico and Astor Piazzolla, whom he met in 1989. Seth has performed with the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestras. He is the leader of the traditional golden-era tango group Seth Asarnow y su Sexteto Típico.

Marcelo Puig was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he studied classical guitar as a child at the Manuel de Falla Music Conservatory. During his teen years he played American and Latin American popular music, folk, rock, and blues. As an adult, he began playing Brazilian music and jazz, and then discovered tango music upon moving to the Bay Area. He has played at all of the top tango venues in the Bay Area as well as at restaurants, theaters, and wineries.

June and July 2019: Felipe and Ayano

Felipe Martinez and Ayano Yoneda came together in the tango scene of the SF Bay Area, and embody the global nature of tango, traveling full-time throughout North America, Europe, South America, and Asia to teach, DJ, and lecture about the music. They also spend time annually in Buenos Aires studying and enjoying the dance and its history.

Felipe’s background includes a degree in education and 20 years of experience in tango. He is widely recognized for his clear teaching strategy, enthusiastic personality, and ability to make real improvements in your dancing. Ayano has been dancing tango since 2005 and is an accomplished and motivated dancer, with excellent movement technique and musicality. She has been teaching with Felipe for the past few years around the country.

Together, their demonstrations are clear and precise, offering students an excellent model of movement. Both Felipe and Ayano lead and follow interchangeably which is invaluable for teaching. Their series at Stanford University and their classes at The Beat in Berkeley are always in high demand.