| MIKE AND ANGIE |
| SHARON |
| Angie and Mike come from very interesting but different backgrounds. Angie was born in Cuba where she was exposed to Latin music from her childhood to her late teens. At that time she moved to New York and lived in Spanish Harlem where she not only continued the music exposure, but was very active in the Latin community where dancing is a very important part of the culture. Mike was born in Cincinnati, Ohio of Russian parents. His mother and father were professional ball room dancers, and everyone in the dance world knows how important dancing is to the Russian culture. Mike’s two sisters were also marvelous amateur dancers and his younger sister was director and choreographer for a troupe of folk dancers. In 1991 Angie and Mike were introduced to Diana Rogers who later married Gary MacDonald. This dance team became US Latin Champions and held that title for many years and also earned the title World’s Ten Dance Champions. After fourteen lessons with Diana, Mike began competing in Ball Room and Latin with Diana in the Bronze pro-am division and he was never defeated in that division. Of course, he moved up the ladder and continued competing with Diana until 1996. Soon after beginning with Diana, Angie was not to be outdone, so she began competing with Gary MacDonald, and continued until 1995. Her success equaled and perhaps surpassed Mike’s since the women’s division has many more competitors than the men’s. Late in 1996 Mike and Angie began competing as an amateur couple in ball room and Latin and enjoyed this activity until the year 2000. Of course, all this time they continued studying with Gary and Diana. Also during this period of time they did many exhibitions at colleges, universities, high schools, churches, and at many other venues. In 1998 the Rogers Dance Studio presented a show case. At that time, Argentine tango was gaining in popularity, so Diana and Gary decided to include such a presentation. The only problem was that no one at the studio knew how to dance Argentine tango and no one there besides Gary and Diana was very interested. Mike was one of Diana’s favorite students and completely under her control, so he was pressed into service. An Argentine tango teacher was brought in and since Mike encouraged Angie to get involved also, they learned Argentine tango for the show case. The choreographed number was a huge success and Mike and Angie were “Ganchoed” (hooked). This was the beginning of the tango journey that has taken Angie and Mike to many places for tango workshops and classes. They have traveled all over the United States, taken many trips to Argentina, and also to Scandinavia, Italy and Canada. Only a few of the many Argentine Master teachers that Mike and Angie have studied with are listed below: Fabian and Carolina, Gustavo and Giselle, Nito and Elba, Mora and junior, Pablo Veron and Noel, Julio and Corina, Carolina and Diego, Fernanda and Guillermo, Miriam and Hugo, Cecilia Gonzales, Osvaldo and Lorena, Kelly and Facundo and locally,Nicole Gagnon and Victor Chrichton. As a result of this broad and intensive training Mike and Angie have developed a style of their own that combines both open and close embrace styles. Angie and Mike come from the academic world where they both had many years of teaching experience at the University level where they were referred to as the “Dancing Doctors”. Mike taught Mathematics and Angie taught Spanish Literature. This teaching background has been a valuable asset in their teaching of Argentine tango. “A rose is a rose is a rose…” and “a teacher is a teacher is a teacher…”. Happy Tango to all of you out there and please, come down and see us some time! |
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