About MonTango

It takes two to tango, as we all know, and that is the basis of our teaching method. A clear, attentive 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 – and not-so-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 etc. Latin dance quickly developed into 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. The following year, she met Santiago Giménez at the just-opened Académie de Tango Argentin, and she truly discovered a passion for tango: She caught the “bug.” Andrea 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 several well-known masters, most notably Carlos Gavito, Pablo Verón, Hernán Obispo and, more recently, Nancy Louzan & Damián Esell and Cristian Cisneros & Virginia Porrino.

In 2003, Andrea met Wolfgang Mercado Alatrista at the Tangueria, and the two quickly became partners … in dance and in life. The couple taught together at L’Académie, Tango Rico in Chambly, the Centre Culturel Henri Lemieux in LaSalle, and, finally, at their own school: MonTango, in N.D.G. After teaching in temporary spaces for a year, in 2008 Andrea and Wolf found the perfect studio on Sherbrooke St. W. and Andrea left a 19-year career in journalism to dedicate herself to tango full time. In 2010 Andrea and Wolf made the first of what they hope will be many trips to Argentina together to further inspire themselves and hone their skills.

Over their years together, Andrea and Wolf have continued to fine-tune their technique, which blends the best elements of traditional and modern styles. The couple are best known for the passion and emotion they convey when they dance, and their school is best known for its warm, welcoming and unintimidating atmosphere.

Wolf has dance in his blood. Born in Argentina and raised in Peru, he grew up surrounded by dance, influenced 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, Vilma Vega & Fernando Galera, Nancy Louzan & Damián Esell and Cristian Cisneros & Virginia Porrino.

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 of their own school: MonTango, in 2007. That same year, Wolf, a YMCA-certified personal trainer, started teaching tango at the Westmount Y, and he now teaches at the downtown Y, where he also works as a trainer.

In 2010 Andrea and Wolf made their first trip to Argentina together to further inspire themselves and hone their skills.

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. In December 2010 she made her first pilgrimage to Buenos Aires, where she studied intensively with various tango masters.

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!

Born into a family of artists – her father is a painter and her mother an illustrator – Méline has been immersed in an artistic environment since childhood, eventually leading her to pursue a DEC in Cinema and Communications at Dawson College. During her childhood and teen years, she was athletic and drawn particularly to capoeira, a Brazilian martial art based on dance, music and combat. Such pursuits eventually steered her toward an interest in dance.

Tango piqued her curiosity, and at age 18 she finally crossed the threshold at MonTango and threw herself into a world that had fascinated her for years but for which she had thought she was too young. From her first trial class Méline fell head over heels in love with tango – and displayed a talent to match. During her first year of dance, she took group and private lessons at MonTango with Wolf and Andrea, as well as with Montreal dancer and teacher Bernard Caron. That same year, she made a short film about tango in Montreal, Traveling Through Tango, featuring three couples: Andrea and Wolf, Marika Landry and Mauro Peralta, Gérard Derminasyan and Adrien Ronceray. After just a year and a half of classes and practice, Méline began to teach at MonTango.

From October to December 2010 she headed to Buenos Aires to perfect her skills with such dancers as Javier Diaz, Tate Di Chiazza, Francisco Forquera, Damián Esell and Nancy Louzan. On her return to Montreal, Méline decided to dedicate herself entirely to her art and to pursue her professional training. She is currently studying classical ballet and Pilates (with a personal trainer) as well as continuing to take various tango workshops given by international teachers.

François fell in love with Argentine tango all over again when MonTango opened in 2008, and is proud to count himself among the school’s first students. Since then he has offered his unwavering support to Andrea and Wolf in the training and perfecting of new tango dancers. This has not stopped him – quite the contrary – from continuing to pursue his own training through classes and workshops with several tango masters, including a first visit to Buenos Aires at the beginning of 2011. For François, teaching and learning are intertwined: They both require, above all, the neverending pursuit of self-improvement.