Oliver
Kolker was
born in New York City. By the age of three,
his parents moved back to Argentina where
he grew up.
Oliver
started to dance Tango in 1997, many years
ago simply because of a girlfriend. He
thought he was losing contact, romance
and dialogue. And for him, life is all
about that. Also was very much enspired
by his Grandmother Beatriz, a lovely Tango
Singer and Dancer (at home)
Like
everybody else, Oliver became crazy about
the dance, he spent more time at the milongas
and practicas dancing and dancing, taking
lessons and dancing…
With
Tango I found my expression, my way of
being able to comunicate with another
dancer, female, in a bautiful dialogue
....
He
was trained by Miguel Angel Zotto, Osvaldo
Zotto, Roberto Herrera, Graciela Gonzalez,
Carlos Gavito, Carlos Copello, Horacio
Godoy and Luis Solanas.
Oliver
started in 1998 as a teacher at "La
viruta", famous Tango School and
Milonga in the city of Buenos Aires, also
known as "La Estrella". His
success there enabled him to teach and
perform in the most prestigious tango
houses and schools around the country.
Using
his knowledge of the dance, his business
experience and teaching skills, Oliver
started producing the well-known teaching
videos of Mora Godoy, who hired him as
her Executive Director of her school.
Together with Mora Godoy, Oliver started
Tango Emocion a great Dancing Company
with 6 couples and Lisandro Adrovers quintet
(Forever Tango 1st Bandoneon). Together
they toured all over Europe, visiting
The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway,
Finland and Sweeden.
In 2002 Oliver entered the World Tango
Championship SALON Category with his dancing
partner Andrea Gomez Corbalan, ending
number 6 between 150 couples.
Oliver entered the World Tango Championship
STAGE Category in 2004 with his dancing
partner Veronica Palacios winning a spot
in the finals of the competition.
In
2004 Oliver also was a Teacher at the
Tango Escuela Carlos Copello, teaching
Milonga and Tango for intermediate and
advanced dancers.
Lisandro Adrover, famous bandoneon player
and composer hired Oliver and Veronica
to dance as a sole Couple in several events
that took place at the Prestigeous Centro
Cultural Borges in Buenos Aires
By
the end of 2004 and beginning of 2005,
Oliver co-founded the Tango school in
Mendoza together with Veronica Palacios
at "Aguirre", they were the
masters and starring couple at the show
in the tango house, they directed the
show and the school from scratch.
More recently he has taught in Israel,
were he was special guest of the most
important tango school in Tel Aviv, Lidor
Dance Studio.
TangoExperience, a Tango Trip to Buenos
Aires is the new project that Oliver promoted
all over NY, with a great success, taking
15 people to Dance and Learn Tango and
Milonga for 10 days.
Today Oliver is dancing and teaching with
Luna Palacios in New York City.
His primary goal is to train people to
feel and dance tango in the way that he
was taught -- with passion, knowledge,
care and more than anything, with truth.
Born
in Buenos Aires, Luna
Palacios is an authentic milonguera
who learned tango from some of the most
storied figures in Buenos Aires dance
halls. But she started dancing tango almost
by chance.
Until
2001, Luna was a salsa and swing dancer.
She had won several national salsa competitions
in Buenos Aires and had danced all over
the country. One day, her sister Verónica
took her to a milonga, where, says Luna,
she immediately fell in love: the dance,
the music, the atmospheres were something
she had never experienced, but it was
the embrace that seduced her and won over
her heart.
Though
at first she had thought it would be almost
impossible to accustom her salsa-trained
feet to the demanding tango steps, she
was lucky enough to have the opportunity
to dance with some of the best milongueros
and professional dancers in Buenos Aires.
Daniel
Garcia, the famous Teté, Zotto
Brothers (Miguel and Osvaldo) Oliver Kolker,
Veronica Palacios, were some of her formal
teachers
The
greatest inspiration for her in dance
and in life was her teacher and close
friend, the late Carlos Gavito. Shortly
after they met, Carlos became Luna's mentor.
They performed in several milongas and
other venues in Buenos Aires.
Last
year, Luna returned to the western Argentinean
province of Mendoza - where she grew up
- to open an art space/restaurant/tango
club named "Aguirre". There,
Carlos Gavito was the star of a big tango
show and Luna had the pleasure of performing
with him in the opening gala. She then
continued to perform at Aguirre for several
months, as a dancing partner of the well-known,
talented dancer Lucas Galera.
Luna
travels back and forth from Argentina
to perform and teach in different places.
Her biggest goal is to make contagious
her love for dancing to everybody.
