Mariana Fresno

Mariana Fresno has established herself as an outstanding instructor in the field of Argentine Tango by performing in numerous shows and motion pictures. A graduate from the National School of Dance in Buenos Aires, she studied ballet, folklore, jazz and modern Dance until she discovered tango – and her calling. Mariana has studied under prominent Tango instructors such as Juan Carlos Copes, Mingo and Esther Pugliese, Graciela Gonzalez, Gustavo Naveira, José Garófalo, Natalia Games y Gabriel Angio, Facundo and Kelly, Julio Balmaceda; and with renowned milongueros Tete and Silvia, Rodolfo and María Cieri, ‘El Pibe’ Palermo, Carlitos Albornoz, and many others. In 1997, she starred in the show Buenos Aires Tango with The Walter Ríos Orchestra in Tokyo, Japan. She toured Chile with Osvaldo Zotto’s group, and in 1999 she took part in Aníbal Pachano’s Tangou musical.

Mariana’s remarkable maturity and depth shone in Alan Parker’s Evita and in El Sueño de los Héroes (The Heroes’ Dream), by Argentine filmmaker Sergio Renán. She partnered with El Indio in 1995, 1996, and from 2000 to 2004 they performed at the Plaza Dorrego’s Tango in San Telmo, Buenos Aires as well as in the following major festivals and seminars: CITA (Congreso Internacional de Tango Argentino) (1999, 2000), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Nora’s Tango Week (1999, 2000), San Francisco; V Encuentro de Tango con los Grandes (2000), Madrid, Spain; Festival de Tango Argentino de Tarbes (2003), France; Encuentro de Tango en San Miguel de Allende (2003), Mexico; and CATS (Connecticut Argentine Tango Society) (2004).

In Buenos Aires, Mariana joined the Escuela Argentina de Tango and the Abasto Plaza Hotel teaching staff. She has also taught workshops in the US, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Denmark. Since 2004, she resides in New York City, teaching and performing in several milongas, festivals and private events around the Tri-State area. She has participated both as a teacher and a performer in the following festivals in the US and Canada: New York City Summer Tango Festival (July 2004 & 2005); Portland Valentango Festival (February 2005); 1st Annual New York meets Boston Tango Weekend (April 2005); Toronto International Tango Festival (May 2005); Baltimore Tango Festival (September 2005); Portland 9th Annual TangoFest (October 2005); Argentine Tango USA Official Championship & USA Festival, San Francisco (March 2013).

Mariana was a guest principal dancer as part of the Cuartetango Music & Dance Company of Leonardo Suárez Paz (2004-2007) and joined the Tango y Mas Dance Company, partnering with Angel Garcia Clemente (2007). She also partnered with the legendary Pedro “Tete” Rusconi on his last visit to NYC, has been a guest choreographer in several plays, and worked as an assistant for tango masters’ workshops. Mariana currently teaches group and private classes in Manhattan.