Our Style of Instruction

Classes begin with a warmup that releases the tensions of the day and incorporate pilates techniques adapted to dance to strengthen and increase flexibility and endurance in the core, legs and feet. The warmup music utilizes Nuevo and Alternative tango music. We then transition to exercises paired to the tango movements being introduced in the class. A review of materiel from previous weeks in the month refines essentials of posture and technique. New materiel is then presented, broken down, walked though as a group and danced to traditional "Golden Age" tango music, most often DiSarli, with Biagi, Canaro, Calo and of course Gardel. Movements are selected for usefulness in the social dance, for highlighting of technique and balance and for enhancing connection once the movement is mastered. 

Victoria Randlett

After many years as a jazz dancer, Victoria began her study of Argentine tango, along with the smooth and rhythm dances, with Gale Robinson and Kate Schonmeyer in 1996. Victoria has studied traditional and modern tango with, among others, Orlando Paiva, Sr, Oscar Mondagaron and Georgina Vargas, Facundo Posadas, Nito and Elba, Chicho Frumboli, Sebastian Arce and Mariana Montes, Moreno and Codega, Homer and Christina Ladas, Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo, Murat and Michelle Erdemsel, and El Pulpo. She has completed teacher training courses under both Roberto Riobo and Christy Cote. 

Victoria has also been teaching yoga and Pilates for more than 10 years.

T.S. “Zak” Brown

T.S. “Zak” Brown has been dancing tango for 9 years. Starting with Ricardo Salazar, Zak soon was studying intensively at Tango By The River in Sacramento. He continued tango studies with Oscar Mandagaran & Georgina Vargas, Claudia Codega & Esteban Moreno, El Gato, El Pulpo, Homer and Christina Ladas, Chicho Frumboli, Sebastian Arce and Mariana Montes, among others. He taught beginning through advanced Tango with Donna Tielsch at Tango By The River for two years. (A photograph of Zak with Donna Tielsch was recently on the cover of Sacramento Magazine.) He received his tango instructor’s certification from Roberto Riobo.

Zak has produced three tango videos: Beginning and Intermediate Tango with Marcos Questas, Donna Tielsch and Emily Trites; the 2007 NeoTango Festival; and Tango! the 2011 show by Ernesto Rassi and the TBTR Tango dancers. 

Zak has been dancing Tango with Victoria since May 2005.