About MonTango

It takes two to tango, as we all know, and that is the basis of our teaching method. A clear, confident leader and a receptive, attentive follower make for an elegant and, above all, enjoyable dance. At MonTango, we focus on the importance of communication between partners as well as that of each essential role.

If you can walk you can dance, and that is especially true when it comes to Argentine tango. Tango is based on walking, so we walk a lot – individually and, of course, with a partner. A dance should feel as easy and pleasurable as a stroll around the dance floor, which in turn should be as easy and pleasurable as a walk in the park. Our goal is to make that happen by giving you the tools and techniques to do it right and, most importantly, together.

Of course, we teach all the basic steps and figures, but our ultimate goal is to teach you how to dance, so along with the figures, we concentrate on improvisation, teaching you how to string the steps together in new ways, developing your particular style and a dance that’s all your own (MonTango).

So come take a walk with us. You just might have the time of your life!

Andrea has been dancing forever. Starting at age 4 she studied acrobatics, jazz, tap and especially classical ballet, which she continued throughout her teenage years, with Mme. Helena Voronova’s Ballets de la Jeunesse.

Later on Andrea discovered Latin dance, beginning with the lambada then salsa, merengue, cumbia etc. These dances quickly became nothing short of an obsession for her, but after a few years she wanted to try something new. In 1997 she took her first tango class at Graffiti Tango. She really enjoyed it, but it was the following year, when she met Santiago Giménez at the just-opened Académie de Tango Argentin, that she truly discovered a passion for tango: She caught the “bug.” She took several levels of classes with Santiago and soon began teaching with him, which she continued until 2004.

Over the years, always striving to delve deeper into the dance and to improve her technique, Andrea has taken workshops with a variety of well-known tangueros and tangueras, including Carlos Gavito, Pablo Verón, Luciana Valle, Hernán Obispo, Suzuki Avellaneda and many others.

In 2003, Andrea met Wolfgang Mercado Alatrista at the Tangueria, and the two quickly became partners … in dance and in life. Since then the couple have taught together at L’Académie, at Tango Rico in Chambly, at the Centre Culturel Henri Lemieux in LaSalle, and, finally, at their own school: MonTango, in N.D.G. After having taught in temporary spaces for a year, in 2008 the couple found the perfect studio on Sherbrooke St. W. and Andrea left a 19-year career in journalism to dedicate herself to their school full time.

Wolf has dance in his blood. Born in Argentina and raised in Peru, he grew up surrounded by dance, especially by his mother, who taugh Spanish dance. It was at age 5 that Wolf performed on stage for the first time, with his school’s dance troupe. In his youth he spent years studying the creole dances of Peru.

He developed his first taste for tango watching his parents dance at social gatherings, but it was his arrival in Montreal that exposed him to the tango “bug.” In 2001 he started going to La Tangueria, where he perfected his technique with Paul Montpetit and Laura Steinmander. At first he attended classes, partnering solo students, but before long he was helping Laura to lead classes, both in Montreal and in Knowlton. In 2002-2003 Wolf also worked as co-ordinator of the Société Culturelle Argentine Québec Canada (SCAQC). His attendance at all sorts of tango events allowed him to observe and participate in several workshops with renowned dancers, notably Julio Méndez, with whom Wolf took private lessons. Since then, Wolf has taken classes with other well-known teachers including Aurora Lubiz & Hugo Daniel and Vilma Vega & Fernando Galera.

It is also at La Tangueria that Wolf met Andrea Shepherd, in 2003. From that time on, the couple’s paths followed the same course, eventually leading to the creation, in 2007, of their own school: MonTango. That same year, Wolf, a YMCA-certified personal trainer, started teaching tango at the Westmount Y, and he now teaches at the downtown Y.

Juliana was born in Moscow, Russia. The daughter of an artist and a dressmaker, she spent her childhood in an artistic environment. Juliana started drawing and dancing at age 2, using music and a pencil as her tools of fun and joy.

In her teens, Juliana became a huge fan of break dance after seeing a movie of the same name, and so she began to break dance on the streets of Moscow to earn pocket money. She also participated in experimental dance in a local dance studio

(contemporary dance was not yet recognized as an official discipline). Unfortunately, there were no professional teachers in contemporary dance to be found, so the group never reached a level suitable for stage performance.

After moving to Montreal, Juliana majored in Film Animation at Concordia University – finally getting her foot in the door to an artistic profession. She continued dancing on the side until 2007, when destiny led her to Andrea and Wolf’s classes. She had wanted to learn tango for five years before she came across an ad for MonTango’s very first session of classes and became part of the school’s tiny first group of students. As it does for many, tango quickly grew into an addiction for her. Meanwhile, Andrea and Wolf immediately saw Juliana’s potential, and in less than two years she began assisting with classes. Dedicated, determined and talented, she has since become an integral part of the MonTango team.

Juliana is not new to teaching. She has taught drawing to young people of all ages, and finds the teaching experience highly rewarding and emotionally fulfilling. She strives to improve herself daily as both a teacher and a dancer.

Annabelle holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in ethics, but it is contemporary dance that finally managed to fulfill her vital force. Throughout her somewhat heterogeneous course, there has remained one constant marking: the call of the living.

As a contemporary dancer, she has danced for choreographers Dana Michel, Andrew Tay and Sasha Kleinplats in works presented in Montreal, Toronto, New York and St. John’s. As a choreographer she has presented pieces at Studio 303, at the Vue sur la Relève festival and at Tangente for the Danses Buissonnières and Zones series. She studied contemporary dance at Concordia University, where she received the James Saya Memorial Bursary in 2003 and the Contemporary Dance Prize in 2004.

Passionate about partner work and improvisation, she later developed an interest in Argentine tango. A grant in 2006 from the Office Québec-Amériques pour la jeunesse allowed her to head to Buenos Aires to perfect her technique with master dancers Pablo Villarraza and Dana Frígoli, with whom she studied for three months. In 2009, she joined the MonTango teaching team, all the while continuing to pursue her quest for movement: As dance renews itself with each step, the voyage is never-ending … so much the better!

Clément has enjoyed dance since his youth, everything from disco to social dance. Ten years ago, he discovered his passion for Argentine tango.

His initial training began in Vancouver with Susana Domingues. After moving back to Montreal, Clément continued his intense training, primarily with Bobby Thompson and Carol Horowitz (Studio Tango Montreal) and with Laura Steinmander and Paul Montpetit (La Tangueria). He later participated in many workshops given by Mylène Pelletier (Air de Tango) and by Bulent Karabagli and Marika Landry (Tango Fabrika), as well as with Argentinian masters such as Pablo Veron and Thomas Howlin, and a variety of other international guest teachers. Clément has also participated in the 2007 Tango Festival in Barcelona, Spain, and he visited the hometown of tango, Buenos Aires, in December 2008.

For five years, Clément has taught Argentine tango in special workshops, in group class settings and privately. He has performed at special occasions and fundraising events in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Knowlton, Val d’Or and Halifax as well as in Burlington and Brandon, Vermont.

Clément's main goal is to transmit his deep passion for tango to the many students he encounters. He has both a flair for dramatic and playful moves and an elegance and simplicity to his style. For Clément, tango is not just a set of steps; it is the ability to transmit to your partner the right energy to perform those sensual and passionate moves, all synchronized with the music – to nourish the body, mind, and soul!

Lydia Martone was a "late bloomer" on the dance scene. In her late 30s, she discovered Latin dance and then ballroom … then she went to her first milonga, and was immediately entranced by Argentine tango. There was no turning back.

Lydia has studied tango at several Montreal schools and has taken a number of specialized workshops given by local and international tango masters. In fall 2002 and again in 2003, Lydia and Dot Luk organized the very successful Tango Passion Centraide fundraisers, which featured performances by many Montreal teachers as well as musical performances by Alexandre Venegas (Intakto). Over the past few years, Lydia has taught tango and tango-vals classes with Clément in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Val d’Or, and Vermont. During her visits to Buenos Aires in 2007 and 2008, Lydia had the opportunity to perfect her tango technique with several masters.

Her passion for tango and her dedication to teaching beginners are evident. Lydia's wish is to continue to promote tango as a regular activity in people's lives, as it is not only a sensual dance to be enjoyed fully, but also a wonderful activity that improves physical and psychological health – while having fun!