Martin Maldonado and Maurizio Ghella
Dancers, Choreographers and Instructors of Argentine Tango
Martin & Maurizio, both from Argentina, currently live and work in Vienna, Austria. In addition to their academic training in tango dance, they have studied tango in Buenos Aires with the original milongueros. They are representatives and carriers of the tradition and culture of authentic Argentine tango, and are sharing this knowledge and skills with the rest of the world.
In recent years, Martin and Maurizio have been working on many stages of the world, as artists and educators. Some of the festivals that have hosted this outstanding tango couple are the Shanghai International Tango Festival, Tango Element Baltimore and Misterio Tango Festival in Buenos Aires, among many others. In the search for deeper teachings, they have created and developed their Maldonado-Ghella teaching method, which they have been using in social groups in Sweden, France, the USA, Denmark, Poland, Germany, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, etc.
In addition, to demonstrate their commitment to maximum social interaction, they have to participate in the "Tinkers" project that is dedicated to incorporating people with different abilities, for example, those with Down syndrome, in order to use the power of the tango embrace to build a more inclusive society, through greater social understanding and reconciliation. Tinkers events have been included in various festivals, including Tango en Punta (Punta del Este, Uruguay) and Bregenz (Austria) festivals.
Another achievement of this couple is their collaboration with the Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott Foundation, to create a large charity event in 2012. They have performed as part of Erwin Schrott's theater project called "Rojo Tango” on some of the great stages of Europe, including the Musikverein Vienna and the Esterhátzy Palace (Vienna), the Salzburger Festspiele (Salzburg), and the Admiral Theater (Berlin).
In 2012 and 2013, they continued their research on tango as an art form creating an artistic production called "La Evasión", together with their colleagues Ariadna Naveira, Fernando Sanchez, Diego Amorin, Cecilia, Capello and Solo Tango Orchestra, trying to turn the stereotypes of a traditional tango show on their heads. The final product was presented to the public in February 2015 as their "2014 Tour Closing". They have performed parts of the show at tango festivals in Shanghai (China), Arhus (Denmark) and Tarbes (France) in July and August 2014.
In 2015, they created a research center focused on possible interdisciplinary discoveries between tango and other art forms. The project has received the name of "Tango Initiative" and is aimed mainly at tango professionals who will then share the information and research results with their students and followers.
They currently run their own tango art space & studio, “Numenes,” in Vienna, and continue to teach and perform tango worldwide.