Thursday July 4th
2pm – 4pm Mixer DJ – Jim Baker
Thursday July 4th
8pm – 3am +
DJ – Jay Abling
Friday July 5th
1pm – 6pm
DJ – Grisha Nisnevich
Friday July 5th
8pm – 3am +
DJ – Michelle McRuiz
Saturday July 6th
1pm – 6pm
DJ – Brick Robbins (Alt)
Saturday July 6th
8pm – 3am +
DJ – Avik Basu
Sunday July 7th
Noon – 6pm
DJ – Rebecca Rorick Smith
Sunday July 7th
Evening
DJ – TBD
About the tango marathon
The Phoenix Tango Marathon is a gender balanced event being held on the Arizona State University campus during the July 4th weekend. Yes it is hot in Phoenix in July but also cheap and after-all the dancing is in-side and the air-conditioning is great. The Mission Palms Hotel is at the north end of the Tempe district jamb packed with restaurants, bars, boutique shops and just south of Tempe Town Lake where the City of Tempe holds their phenomenal 4th celebration. The roof of the Mission Palms is the best view in town for the fireworks display on the lake.
Tango marathon DJs
DJ - Michelle McRuiz
Michelle McRuiz, Albuquerque, NM, has been a DJ for nine years, a tanguera for 13, and a dancer for almost her entire life. In addition to tango, she has studied ballet, tap, jazz, African dance, belly dance, and flamenco. Her innate musicality and sensitivity to what the dancers need to hear have made her a popular, reliable DJ within New Mexico and at regional tango events. Michelle believes all tango DJs are in the business of customer service, with the “customer” being the dancer. She eschews cleverness and focuses on keeping people on the floor for tanda after tanda with beautiful, danceable music. Michelle has DJ’d at milongas, encuentros, and festivals in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, California, Utah, and Cambridge (UK).
DJ - Jay Abling
Jay Abling, Annapolis, Maryland, has been dancer/performer since the age of 10, J. Abling fell in love with Argentine tango in 2001 and immediately committed to it exclusively. Since, he has dedicated himself to continuously refining his dance as well as his teaching method, actively learning from some of the most renowned teachers in tango, including Jaimes Friedgen, Luciana Valle, Graciela Gonzales, Sebastian Arce & Mariana Montes, Carlitos Espinoza & Noelia Hurtado, Chicho Frumboli & Juana Sepulveda, and Tete Rusconi. Through these influences, he melds elements from various tango styles into a dance that is both natural and socially conscious. Beyond his teaching, J. is also a nationally sought-after DJ, who is known to keep a good party going with an astute awareness of a dance floor’s changing energies and hand-picked choices of music to inspire dancers all night long. He is a regular DJ at major tango festivals and has DJed at local milongas all over the country, including Portland, Seattle, Maui, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Denver, Austin, Houston, Washington, DC, and New York City.
DJ - Avik Basu
Avik Basu, Ann Arbor, Michigan, began his tango journey in 2002 and since then has danced, DJ'd, and performed all over North America. He sees tango not only as an accessible art form but also as a way to discover and improve upon oneself. He is devoted to sharing it and his instruction over the better part of the last decade has been instrumental in developing the Ann Arbor tango community. Avik specializes in teaching social tango emphasizing connection, musicality, and improvisation. He has come to be known for his clear explanations which expose the core of any tango idea whether it be about movement or musicality. In addition to his regular classes in Ann Arbor, he has taught all over North America and beyond. Some of the more interesting tango adventures he's been on include two month-long immersions in Buenos Aires, DJing Monday night at Salon Canning, teaching tango to a Bollywood actress in Mumbai, India, and touring the U.S. with tango band Trio Folias. Through it all, he continues to have a vivid memory of what it was like to start learning this challenging dance and this aids his teaching in a profound way.
DJ - Brick Robbins
From San Diego, Brick has been DJing for dancers over a decade for both Tango and other genres. He DJs at festivals around the USA, and has DJed in Buenos Aires. With a a love and deep knowledge of golden era tango for traditional milongas he uses the music to maintain a perfect energy level in the ballroom. Brick also brings his extensive library of dance music from outside of traditional tango to the Alternative room to create a fun and energetic dance experience for those inclined to push boundaries.
DJ - Rebecca Rorick Smith
Rebecca, Berlin, Germany, began her Tango journey in 1999 while pursuing her BFA at the University of Oregon. 20 years later and her feet have never stopped dancing!! From 2000 Rebecca has lived and taught within numerous communities in the USA, and around the world. Now, after 5 years teaching in Berlin, she is back in the USA. As a teacher Rebecca has always believed in the transformative process of learning Tango and is fueled by the metamorphosis of her students. She offers accessible compassionate guidance combined with a deep understanding of both following and leading, music, and ever-evolving technique. As a DJ she strives to bring a warm atmosphere to the Milonga, encouraging seamless Tandas and easy dancing.
DJ - Grisha Nisnevich
Grisha from St Petersburg, Russia now resides in Denver, Colorado, has over 12 years of DJ experience for Tango Colorado events in Denver and for a wide variety of tango festivals, events, milongas and marathons throughout the world, as previously mentioned. Some recent DJing events include the Seattle Tango Magic Festival, the Toronto Tango Experience, the BOSthón Marathon, the Utah Mountain Tango Retreat, and the International Vail Dance Festival. Considered romantic in style, Grisha’s DJing focuses on the "Golden Age" with some delicious flavors added from 1930. Grisha combines well-established, traditional tandas with an occasional “surprise” one. He enjoys educating dancers with his playlists and frequently adds at least one live guitar tanda for dancers to enjoy while he DJs. It is not unusual for events to ask Grisha to DJ at "Alternative" milongas because his taste and musical expertise can create an exciting and unique playlist with "real and danceable” tandas. Some examples might be from milongas campera, European tangos, electronic tangos and milongas, music by Piazzolla and tango orchestras rarely played during traditional milongas.
The Mission Palms Hotel in Tempe is in the Mill Avenue District on the campus of Arizona State University. The Mill Avenue District is an awesome University strip with restaurants, shops and cafes.
Hotel rate is $99 per night for up to 4 people plus taxes. Resort fees have been waived. All parking fees are waived for all attendees whether they are staying at the hotel or not.
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