Judges

An Argentine tango dancer for over 30 years and a maestro since 1996. She has created her own teaching method and trains future professional dancers and instructors in Argentina and around the world (Europe, North America, Latin America, etc.). She has been also a judge in many national and international competitions. She organizes milonga and has her own studio in Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Professional Experience

Argentine Tango Teacher in Argentina and Abroad

• Private lessons

• Group lessons, including at the renowned milonga Parakultural, since its inception at Salon Canning, Buenos Aires

• 2008: founding of the tango school Academia Monica Parra, Lobos, Buenos Aire Province

Argentine Tango Dancer in Argentina and Abroad

• Performances with famous orchestras, such as El Sexteto Mayor, La Orquesta Color Tango, Los Reyes del Tango, among other

• 2011: Tita, una vida en tiempo de tango, show with Nacha Guevara at Teatro Metropolitano, Buenos Aires

• 2005: Si Sos Brujo, movie with Orquesta Escuela de Tango Emilio Balcarce

• 2003: Exiliado en el Cielo, movie with the famous maestro Carlos Gavito, who was also her show partner at Salón Canning

• Argentine RV program Graduados

Judge in Argentine and International Tango Competitions

• Buenos Aires City Championship

• World Championship in the Tango de Pista category

• International competitions in Moscow, Russia and Montreal, Canada

Milonga and Festival Organizer

• Si Sos Brujo, one of the most renowned milongas in Buenos Aires, known for its dance level, located in Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires

• 2020: first international live festival Tango Fest during the pandemic, featuring tango lessons, milongas, concerts and discussions

• Nuestra Milonga in the town of Lobos, Buenos Aires Province

Recognition

2014: tribute to her career during the Poker de Reinas event

Dancing career

Fernanda Ghi is a tango dancer world renowned for her unparalleled elegance, for her interpretation, her choreographic creativity and for her powerful command of the stage. Together with Guillermo Merlo, who was her partner for over 20 years, Ghi is the 1999 World Argentine Tango Champion (Miami, FL).  Ghi and her partner were the first non-Asians ever invited to perform at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo and were the feature dancers on the PBS special ‘Tango Magic’ with Pablo Ziegler and the Orpheus Orchestra.

 Ms. Ghi has performed in concert with several Symphony Orchestras (New Mexico, Long Beach, Costa Mesa, Cincinnati) and was commissioned the creation of a tango ballet for the Tulsa Ballet Dance Company In 2017 and 2018 and Fernanda Ghi was an official judge at the ‘Tango Mundial,’ the Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup in 2018 and 2019. 

Fernanda Ghi performed in countless shows and exhibitions. For isntance, this year’s include (in reverse chronological order):  

• Stowe Tango Music Festival, August 18-20, 2022 in Stowe, VT. With Silvio Grand, Ghi performed at the Festival opening Milonga and at the “A Night of Tango”

• “Tales of two Countries”, August 7, 2022, at the Summermusik 2022, Cincinnati, OH with Silvio Grand, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Eckart Preu, conductor.

• “Tango Amor”, August 6, 2022, with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Eckart Preu, conductor, and Sivio Grand.

• “2 hot 2 tango”, May 22, 2022, with Silvio Grand, Ben Bogart (bandeneon) and Winnie Cheung (piano”, Asolo Theater, Sarasota, FL,

• “Carnivale de Tango”, February 26, 2022, Boston, MA. With Silvio Grand, Boston Tango Orchestra and Alfredo Minetti (piano) and Richard Scofano (bandeneon).

Future engagememts include Tango Queer Festival, NYC, NY in October 2022, and others.

Productions

Ghi’s creative work revolves around the concept of identity and search for authenticity, in productions that pushed the boundaries of tango music and dance as a genre. Among the most notable productions are:

• “Tango Varon”, in progress. Premiere scheduled for February, 2023, in Medellin, Colombia. Breaking with one of the most “sacred” tango traditions, Ghi created and produced a tango show with male dancers only, demonstrating that the “woman’s” and “man’s” roles can be performed independently on one’s gender.

• “Black and White”, October 11, 12, 13, 2019. Boston Center for the Arts’ Virginia Wimberly Theatre, Boston, MA. A haunting fusion of tango and still b&w photography.  In 4 acts, a cast of 8 dancers translated into dance stories told in projected photographs by Cuban-American artist Andres Mario de Varona. .

• ”Carmen de Buenos Aires”, November 2015. World Music/CRASHarts and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA. In a concept based on the fusion of tango and flamenco, Bizet’s Carmen choice is made between the individual flamboyance of the Matador’s flamenco and the committed intimacy of Jose’s tango.

• Maria de Buenos Aires” May, 7, 2018, Portland, OR, with Eugene Opera and David Lefkowich, director. Ghi choreographed and performed in the modern rendition of the classic tango opera by Astor Piazzola.

• “Maria de Buenos Aires” July, 2017, with Mill City Opera, Minneapolis, MN and David Lefkowich, director.

• “Identitad”. In collaboration with Guillermo Merlo and Alfredo Minetti. Presented during tours in USA and China, in over 50 performances between 2012-2014. A puppeteer’s marionette comes to life and searches for her true identity.

• “Ballet meets Tango”, Tulsa Ballet Dance Company, 2008. Ghi choreographed a tango ballet act, part of a 3 act show.

• “Tango Dreams”, Tokyo, Japan, 2000-2007. Together with Guillermo Merlo, Ghi created one of the longest lived tango shows ever to be performed in an Asian country. For 7 years the show ran a full theater in Tokyo, Japan. Fernanda and Guillermo were the first non-Japanese artists invited to perform at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo.

Fernanda Ghi Dance Company is based in Brighton, MA.

Teaching

For over 30 years, Ghi has trained amateur and professional tango dancers and teachers. With a solid base anchored in the fundamental principles and the essence of the genre, Ghi’s teaching involves carefully designed curriculums and a clear and effective methodology.

Most of Ghi’s teaching takes place at Fernanda Ghi Dance Academy, Boston, MA, which continues the activity of Artango (2010-2018), a first school that Ghi started with Merlo.

In addition, Ghi teaches often in specialized workshops in the US. Some of the most recent workshop include (in reverse chronological order):

• Stowe Tango Music Festival, August 18-20, 2022 in Stowe, VT: “Musicality in pivots”, “Creating a group choreography”, “Saccadas”

• Weekend with Fernanda Ghi”, Charlotte, NC, June 17, 2022: “Connection in the embrace”

• Hudson Valley Tango Festival, Kingston, NY, April 22-24, 2022: “Circular ganchos”, “Musicality”, “Saccadas”.

• Special Series for Boston Queer Tango, The Armory Center for the Arts. A special monthly workshop on dissociating tango roles from gender.

Together with Merlo, Ghi released several tango instructional DVDs (2000, 2007, 2010).

Currently based in Orlando, Florida, Jorge is a Professor of Native Dances, Tango and Folklore for higher Education, graduated from the Argentinian National School of Dance. For more than 20 years, he has worked as Tango teacher, dancer and choreographer. In addition, he was trained as part of Roberto Herrera’s tango academy and company. Mendoza has also performed internationally at Festivals in Europe, Asia, Latin America and US. He directed three Tango shows with his own company Open Tango.

He is considered as an academic of tango, a student of rhythmic-musical interpretation, emphasizing on the closed embrace as the key of the milonguero style, but he also specialized on stage tango performances. He has been coaching several couples for Tango de Pista and Stage competitions around the world. Currently he is a member of AMBCTA, Association of Argentine Tango Teachers, Dancers, Choreographers and has been working as an Overseer at the Official Tango World Cup in Buenos Aires, since 2017

HIGHLIGHTS

• 20+ years experienced tango dancer and choreographer

• Tango dancing and culture instructor at universities and dance studios

• Director and producer of three tango shows presented in Argentina and abroad

• Member of the Argentinian Tango Association of Teachers, Dancers, and Choreographers (AMBCTA)

• Observer and Jury Supervisor at the Official Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2016 - Present)

EDUCATION

PROFESSOR OF NATIVE DANCES AND FOLKLORE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION U.N.A. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF

ARTS, Argentina 2003 - 2007

BACHELOR OF ARTS, TANGO AND FOLKLORE MENTION

ARGENTINIAN NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DANCE, Argentina 1995 - 2003

EXPERIENCE

OPEN TANGO COMPANY

FOUNDER, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER 2011 - present

• Led tango instruction of all size of groups

• Delivered programs aimed to teach tango and its culture

• Developed choreography for tango performances and shows

• Performed and produced tango tours in Italy, South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Latvia, Armenia, Russia, USA, and Latin America

• Directed and produced three tango shows presented in Argentina and abroad

Open Tango Show

Argentina (2011 - 2012). South Korea (2012)

Che Bandoneón Show

Argentina (2014 - 2015)

Tiempos de Tango Show

Argentina (2015), Finland (2011), Latvia (2011), Mexico (2016)

LANGUAGES

Spanish

English

Italian