Argentine Tango – Big Island Tango

Vania Rey Big Island Tour

maika_h — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 23:18:48 +0000

Vania is an internationally recognized teacher, performer, and DJ, with work spanning three continents (North America, South America, Europe), including Buenos Aires. Vania has repeatedly taught and DJ-ed at some of the biggest and most popular tango festivals, marathons, and encuentros in the US. Students describe her teaching style as analytical, with a strong emphasis on technique. A versatile instructor who is well-versed in both lead and follow roles, Vania makes sure that both leaders and followers get their fair share of instruction in class, and that people of all levels get something valuable out of every lesson. Vania sees class topics as a general direction in which to develop the lesson, with the specific exercises and steps tailored to the needs of the students. Although Vania is predominantly a solo-instructor, she has performed with over 60 male and female partners. Some of the dancers Vania has worked with include Jorge Torres, Oscar Casas, Murat Erdemsel, Oliver Kolker, Ney Melo, Jay Abling, Jennifer Olson, Catherine Gorsuch, and Junior Cervila.

Learn more here: https://www.vaniatango.com

Vania’s Hawaii Island Schedule

Waimea

Saturday, Feb 21 – M&B Studio
12:00-1:30p | Delicious Pivots
1:45-3:15p | Walking and Body Mechanics

Sunday, Feb 22 – M&B Studio
12:00-1:30p | Dancing the Quicks
1:45-3:15p | Vania’s Favorite Milonga Step

Monday, Feb 23 – M&B Studio
7:00-8:30p | Vals me to the Moon

Saturday, Feb 28 – M&B Studio
7:00-8:00p | Dancing to the Melody
8:00-10:00p | Farewell Milonga – DJ Vania Rey

Hilo

Tuesday, Feb 24 – Hilo Elks Lodge – 150 Kinoole Street, 2nd Floor.
7:00-8:30p | Dancing to Fresedo

Wednesday, Feb 25 – Paradise Warehouse – 34 Wiwoole Street
7:00-8:30p | Fun with Volcadas
8:30-9:30p | Practica (included) – DJ Vania Rey

Kona

Thursday, Feb 26 – BISDC
7-8:30p | Fun Combos w/ Rock-Step-Turns

Available for Private Lessons
Contact Vania: VaniaRey.Tango@gmail.com
For questions: tango@mimiandbrian.com

Pricing
1.5 Hour workshops: $30
Milonga: $25

Analía Centurión Big Island Tour

maika_h — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 02:25:09 +0000

It’s an honor to have Tango maestra, Analía Centurión, direct from Buenos Aires, to share her Tango knowledge with us all. She will be in Hilo, November 18-21 and in Waimea on Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, Nov 23. Each Workshop/Lesson will be practical and functional to help you dance with confidence and elegance on the dance floor.

Visit her website: https://tangocenturion.com/en/analia-centurion/

Private Lessons also available any day. Please contact Maika (Hilo) and Mimi (Waimea) to schedule one on one lessons. Learn more about Analia here.

Her new book will be available for purchase! “Your Tango is Born: Learn to dance from the beginning with Patience, Technique & Emotion”.

Schedule – November 18-24

HILO
Tuesday, November 18
Hilo Elks Lodge – 150 Kinoole Street, Hilo
7-8:30pm Workshop, Practice until 9:00pm, $25
Topic: Walks with circular directions and bounces

Wednesday, November 19
Open for PRIVATE LESSONS

Thursday, November 20
Hilo Elks Lodge
7-8:00pm Lesson – Boleos for both roles
8:00-10pm Milonga w/ DJ Analia
Lesson & Milonga $30, $20 Lesson Only, $15 Milonga Only

Friday, November 21
Paradise Warehouse – 34 Wiwoole Street, Hilo
7-8:30pm Workshop $25 (includes practice time following workshop)
Workshop topic: Calesita options

WAIMEA
Saturday, Nov 22
Mimi and Brian’s Home Studio Directions Here
7:00-8:00pm Lesson: Milonga Rhythm- sequences and musicality
8-10:00pm Milonga with DJ Analia $30

Sunday, November 23
Mimi and Brian’s Home Studio
3-5pm Workshop $30
Topic: Combinations of sweeps and sacadas, turns and planeos

Gaby Mataloni in Hilo

maika_h — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 06:01:35 +0000

Join us December 1 and 3rd for special tango classes with Gaby Mataloni of Buenos Aires!

Sunday Dec 1 – Paradise Warehouse, 34 Wiwoole Street, Hilo
2:00pm – 3:15pm – Finding freedom in every embrace. Let’s work on being 100% engaged in the embrace while 100% responsible and in charge of my body and movement; Keeping the connection through the motion, giving the “let’s go signal”, and switching smoothly from close to open and open to close: engage and disengage.
3:30 – 4:45pm – Use of the upper and lower body in Tango. Let’s study contortions, rotations, and pivots. How to use arms as a communication tool, translating messages/invitations into movements. Choosing where to express the dance in our bodies and moving the embrace through the space versus on the spot. Locking and unlocking spaces in the embrace for doing Ochos and hip Rebounds

$25/workshop and $40/both

Tuesday Dec 3 – Hilo Elks Lodge, 150 Kinoole St, Hilo

7-8:00pm – Sacadas for both roles
8-9:00pm – Practica

Class & Practica $15

Gaby Mataloni is a born and raised Porteña Argentine Tango Dancer and Teacher. She started her career in Buenos Aires, the hometown of Tango, around 2012. Ever since, she has been connected to the local scene by teaching regular classes, organizing milongas and Tango events and being an active member of the community. In 2015 she started combining her local activities with touring around the world and becoming a Tango ambassador. Since then she has taken part in several international festivals and taught workshops and seminars in many cities of the US, Brazil, Europe, Mexico, Uruguay and Peru.

A versatile professional, Gaby teaches and dances both roles. For her the goal in each class is to create a joyful environment in which the learning process is enhanced and in which students can learn better enjoy more and go deeper. The compass that guides her pedagogy is the training and awareness of our bodies as interpretative, expressive and communicative tools to develop a deep connection within the couple, allowing dancing and sharing better together, as a team. Classes are taught with and through the Tango language, including the cultural aspects and the deep connection to the music.

Check out her Insta here: https://www.instagram.com/gabymatalovely/

She will be available for Private Lessons on Dec 1-3rd, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Contact Miriam Hoenig or Gaby Mataloni on
+5491165587000 (WhatsApp)

Learn Argentine Tango from Lisette Perelle

maika_h — Sun, 09 Apr 2023 02:07:31 +0000

Lisette’s Big Island Tour, April 22-29, 2025

Tango with Lisette

Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn from one of the best female instructors and dancers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lisette has trained hundreds of dancers in Argentine Tango over the years. Dancing since the age of 5, Lisette studied gymnastics, Hula, Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Ballroom, Argentine Tango and Theater. She was a member of the Argentine performance company Ballet Pampa Argentina under the direction of Pampa Cortes for two years.

She is an elegant dancer and patient teacher who concentrates on the techniques necessary for smooth, powerful and beautiful dancing. She works with the whole body, focusing on connection, alignment, lines and beautifying steps. Presently, she teaches and dances in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lisette is available for Private Lessons.

The Schedule

Tuesday, April 22, 7-9pm
Class & Practica $15
Hilo Elks Lodge
150 Kinoole St, Hilo, HI 96720
(Parking located at back, enter from Ululani Street).

Wednesday, April 23 – Open for Private Lessons in Hilo (contact Maika at: info @ bigislandtango.com)

Thursday, April 24, 7-8:30pm
Kona Technique Workshop $25
Big Island Social Dance Club
74-5583 Luhia St, Suite A1, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Friday, April 25

Open for private lessons in Kona

Saturday, April 26, 7-10:30pm
Hilo Milonga at Paradise Warehouse $20
7-8pm All Levels Class, 8-10:30pm Milonga
Paradise Warehouse
34 Wiwoole Street, Hilo, HI 96720

Sunday, April 27, 2-4pm
Technique Workshop $25
Mimi & Brian’s Studio
65-1171 Spencer Rd, Waimea, HI 96743

Monday, April 28, 7-8:30pm
Waimea Evening Class $20
65-1171 Spencer Rd, Waimea, HI 96743

Tuesday, April 29, 7-9pm
Hilo Elks Lodge
1 hour Class and 1 hour Practica $15
Farewell gathering to follow
150 Kinoole St, Hilo, HI 96720

Dan Boccia Returns to Big Island

maika_h — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 14:38:00 +0000

Join us December 2 to 6 for a long weekend with Dan Boccia from Alaska!

Friday December 2nd

Location: Paradise Warehouse, 34 Wiwoole Street, Hilo

All Level Class on Milonga: 7-8pm

Milonga: 8-10:30 pm with DJ Dan Boccia

Cost: $15 for Class and Milonga, $10 Milonga only

About Dan: the DJ: The music is what first drew Dan to tango in 2000, and today the music continues to inspire him. He has been dancing and DJing at festivals and marathons throughout North America since 2001 and through these experiences has a deep appreciation for what fuels the dancers. Dan enjoys interacting with the crowd to inform his selections, which are improvised in the moment, sometimes song by song. He creates an atmosphere in which the dancers can rely on the music and focus their energy on dancing.