As you watch Mariana Dragone dance a tango, you can't help but be captivated by her grace and beauty, the precision and power in her movement and her soft yet striking presence. Starting at a young age, Mariana has now been dancing tango for over 13 years. Her tango training began in the milongas of Buenos Aires, and throughout her career she has remained a true "milonguera," appreciating the intimacy and ritual of the social dance. Over the past number of years, Mariana has devoted herself to working with the evolution of tango movement. She is admired as an excellent teacher and impressive performer both in Buenos Aires and in her travels around the world. Not only does Mariana's extensive knowledge and experience allow her to precisely address key problem spots with students, her enthusiasm to share her tango and her culture make her classes exciting and enriching for all!
Mariana has appeared on stage with Carlos Gavito, Leòn Gieco, Mercedes Sosa and Víctor Heredia, amongst others. She has performed and/or taught worldwide, including Europe (France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain), Japan, China, Canada (Montreal), USA (NY, San Francisco, amongst other cities). This year, Mariana's tango has taken her to workshop destinations with Jaimes Freidgen, important festivals with Chicho Frumboli, performances with Ezequiel Farfaro in Buenos Aires, and allowed her to develop even more innovative workshops on her own to share with tango aficionados! She is known especially for her workshop topics revolving around the intimate tango embrace, musicality, women's adornos, volcadas.
Pablo Garcia
“Am avut un noroc fantastic sa pot lucra cu doi dintre cei mai buni dansatori din lume - Osvaldo Zotto si Miguel Angel Zotto. Imi dau seama foarte bine de asta”, spune Paolo hotarat. “M-au adoptat, si este o onoare pentru mine sa pot imparti aceleasi experiente cu ei, atat in viata profesionala, cat si ca prieteni. Sunt artisti cu o inima mare si foarte buni profesionisti. Sunt recunoscator ca mi-am putut dezvolta dansul sub indrumarea lor, atat la sala cat si in spectacol. Ii admir infinit.”
A durat ceva pana cand Paolo si-a gasit o partenera pentru spectacolul "TangoX2". Dupa cateva schimbari a intalnit-o pe Mariana Dragone, care fusese partenera lui Chicho Frumboli si a lui Demian Garcia. A trebuit sa-l convinga pe Miguel Angel Zotto ca Mariana este partenera potrivita pentru el. “Hotarasem deja de la New York ca vom dansa impreuna, si Miguel ne-a vazut dansand intr-un salon. Apoi ne-a vazut practicand. Asa si-a dat seama ca ne potriveam si ca dansam foarte echilibrat impreuna. Miguel aprecia fantezia si energia noastra. Din acel moment am fost un cuplu fix in spectacol si, intr-un an de zile, am fost cu grupul in Olanda, Italia, Elevetia, Londra, New York si, bineinteles, in Buenos Aires.“
Pablo a observat ca tangoul atrage in ultimii ani multi dansatori tineri. Asta se intampla si datorita unor spectacole cum este TangoX2 sau Campionatului Mondial de Tango, care are doua categorii: tango de salon si tango de scena.
“Miguel Angel Zotto, ca artist si producator, respecta baza traditionala a tangoului, tangoul, asa cum l-a invatat el de la maestrii sai, si de la Milongueros (dansatori in saloanele din Buenos Aires).
Iar tangoul traditional incepe sa-si recastige popularitatea si in Europa. Oamanii isi doresc din nou sa danseze in imbratisare, sa se simta protejati, si sa nu rupa esenta speciala a imbratisarii”, declara Pablo. “Dansatorii isi dau seama foarte bine ca secretul tangolui sta in mers, in ocho-uri s giro-uri executate bine, si in figuri executate frumos, intr-o maniera fluida si curata. Nu-ti poti imagina tangoul fara a cunoaste aceste elemente”.
Asta se datoreaza in primul rand vechilor Milongueros. Pablo este de parere ca ei au avut grija sa transmita dansul asa cum trebuie tinerei generatii. Subliniaza ca denumirea de Milongueros se refera la toti dansatorii care danseaza in fiecare zi.
“Astazi un Milonguero este identificat cu un dansator din saloanele din centru, care inainteaza cu pasi mici pe o pista de dans aglomerata. Dar nu uitati de un milonguero din cartierele marginase, care inainteaza cu pasi mai mari si foloseste mai multe figuri. Stilul se numeste Tango de Salon sau Villa Urquiza, dar de fapt acestea denumesc acelasi cartier, unde se afla cele mai multe saloane de dans. Dansatorii vin insa si din cartierele marginase ale Buenos Airesului, iar stilul este acelasi. Un Milonguero este de fapt un dansator care a invatat sa pastreze tangoul dansand timp de decenii, chiar daca danseaza in centru sau la marginea orasului.”.
"Femeia este adevarata frumusete in tango. Ea este sufletul tangoului. Perceptia ei, care defineste fiecare figura, tradeaza orice emotie. Aceste principii sunt foarte importante in dans. Femeia si barbatul trebuie sa se simta reciproc, sa fie impreuna in mod unic, si sa se predea muzicii si imbratisarii” Pablo Garcia
As you watch Mariana Dragone dance a tango, you can't help but be captivated by her grace and beauty, the precision and power in her movement and her soft yet striking presence. Starting at a young age, Mariana has now been dancing tango for over 13 years. Her tango training began in the milongas of Buenos Aires, and throughout her career she has remained a true "milonguera," appreciating the intimacy and ritual of the social dance. Over the past number of years, Mariana has devoted herself to working with the evolution of tango movement. She is admired as an excellent teacher and impressive performer both in Buenos Aires and in her travels around the world. Not only does Mariana's extensive knowledge and experience allow her to precisely address key problem spots with students, her enthusiasm to share her tango and her culture make her classes exciting and enriching for all! 