Instructors
Jaimes Friedgen &
Virginia Vasconi
Virginia Vasconi captivates with her versatile, powerful, elegant, and deeply personal style of tango. She approaches dance and teaching in a comprehensive way, drawing on a lifetime of training in classical, jazz, and contemporary dances, as well as yoga. She is a former member of Dana Frígoli’s DNI School of Tango. From 2015 to 2020, she danced and taught with the legendary Julio Balmaceda. She is an official juror for the Mundial (World Tango Championships). Learn more about Virgina at www.virginiavasconi.com.
Jaimes Friedgen is one of the most accomplished and influential Tango teachers in the United States. Starting Tango as a teenager in the mid-Nineties, Friedgen studied with many extraordinary dancers and teachers, some of whom are no longer with us. No matter the level, from absolute beginner to professional, Friedgen has a knack for finding the most useful challenges to improve one’s Tango. Read more about his work at www.jaimesfriedgentango.com and www.8thstyletango.com.
Alex Krebs
Alex has been teaching Argentine Tango professionally and performing around the world for the past 26 years. Dedicating himself completely to the dance, music, and culture of tango, Alex is approachable, knowledgeable and his classes are fun while still providing detail and insight into the many layers of the dance. As a tango musician and tango bandleader for the past 23 years, Alex has developed insight into the nuances of Argentine Tango music and shares his experience openly and passionately with his students. More info on Alex can be found here: www.tangoberretin.com/alexkrebs
Jay Abling & Rachael Moon
J Abling has been teaching tango for almost 25 years. Drawing on his knowledge from fields such as martial arts, body mechanics, and music, J has a metaphor that fits every situation and every student. Rachel Moon has been an avid social dancer for over 25 years, and fell in love with tango in 2009. In 2015, she spent 6 months training in Buenos Aires and, soon after her return, began teaching with J in the DC area. Since that time, they have traveled to teach and DJ across the U.S. and in Europe. From 2020-2022, J and Rachel focused primarily on Tango Music Trainer, an online musicality training program. They are now based in Minneapolis.
While J analyzes and breaks down complex movements and concepts through an arsenal of visuals and metaphors, Rachel brings a focus on kinesthetic learning, striving to translate the feeling of tango and help students acquire new muscle memory. Together, J and Rachel provide a holistic, multi-sensory learning experience.