MORE ABOUT US
Our Tango Journey
We are John and Cheryl Lowry. We live and work at the Gold Coast, near Brisbane, Australia, It is sub-tropical resort city of something over half a million people. We met at a social dance at the age of 18, when the Saturday dance was the place to go and Rock & Roll was king. We have been dancing and making beautiful music together ever since.
In 1999 Tango discovered us (or is it the other way around) and our lives took a new direction. Our first private class with Daniel Trenner in the depths of a cold Boston winter was a near disaster. After the long flight from Australia we missed the appointed time, but Mr Trenner obliged by re-sheduling the class. So our Tango Quest began.
In 2000 we ventured to the fledgling, but very well organised 2nd CITA Congress where we were exposed to the world of Tango in Buenos Aires, complete with all the best orquestas and popular teachers. We particularly enjoyed classes with Rodolfo & Maria Cieri and Capussi & Mariana. Confused, tired and sore after 10 hours of dancing every day we knew only one thing. Real social Tango was our goal. We studied with the best teachers available to us including workshops with visiting teachers such as Daniel Bissio and others, but always concentrated on our first love, close-embrace social Tango.
As we continued to dance and promote Tango in Australia, we also found ourselves performing demonstrations and we continue to enjoy public and private Tango demonstration.
Both at home and in our travels people admire our dance and asked us to teach what has become our style of dancing Tango, very similar to the dance that people remember from the milongas of Buenos Aires up to 1970, we are told. In late 2002 we started a guided Practica in Brisbane that developed into regular classes. The classes were popular until 2003, when we abandoned them for other business commitments. After that time we have concentrated on private and semi-private classes and workshops when we are available. We have found this way of teaching very satisfying.
Our business travel took us to many destinations and we have been fortunate to enjoy milongas in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Vancouver, Montreal, Ithaca N.Y, Capetown, throughout Australia and of course in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
We continue to dance, teach and perform Tango in Australia and wherever people want our very connected dance.
Our Performance History
2001 – Una Historia del Tango
During 2001 we were among the principal dancers in the first Australian major stage production to tour Australia. The tour commenced in Perth, WA and toured Bunbury and Albany before coming East to Brisbane and Canberra where we performed in front of the Argentine Ambassador to Australia. The tour successfully played to an audience of around 2,500.
2002 – Tango Con Amor
In 2002 we were part of a cast of 6 in what we called a Tango Seminar. It was intended to have an educational element. The successful performance was a tribute to famous Tango bands, singers, dancers combining music dialogue, performance and audio-visual display. It played in Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane.
2002– 2004 – Tango Paradiso Dance Group
In 2002, Tango Paradiso, Brisbane's 5 piece Tango orquesta, performed a concert at City Hall where they invited us to perform. This performance was the genesis of the Tango Paradiso Dance Group. We performed demonstrations at festivals in Brisbane and Noosa until choreographer and band flautist, Carla, developed a successful stage show that performed at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 2003 and 2004 to sold-out audiences. The other major event for the band is the annual Woodford Folk Festival.
2002, 2007 - Woodford Folk Festival
Woodford Folk Festivalis a major annual folk, blues and cultural festival that attracts a 100,000 + audience over a week each year. We performed with Tango Paradiso performed on stage in 2002 and 2003. We returned in 2006/7 with Tango Cuartro, a traditional dance band, headed by Uruguayan pianist, pablo Boccassino. On each occasion we undertook what we now call “the big class” teaching basic Tango to an audience of about 500 people. Apart from being great fun, these classes generated a lot of interest in social Tango.
2014 - Four Nations Rugby
Representing Argentina at the inaugural Four Nations Rugby opening match display 2014.
2015 - Gold Coast Bleach Festival
The Inaugural Annual Dance Affair, an interactive theatre show, presented by Kate McDonald, Ian Pidd & Bec Reid as part of the Gold Coast Bleach Festival.
2015 - Woodford Folk Festival
Tango class / workshop; The Inaugural Annual Dance Affair interactive theatre show, presented by Kate McDonald, Ian Pidd & Bec Reid.
2016 - ArTour Conference, Gold Coast
Tango demonstration/ performance; Mudgeeraba Heritage Festival.
2016 - Woodford Folk Festival
An interactive Tango performance and class with Mendoza Tango Quartet, an SEQ based Tango ensemble.
Other Private Performances and Demonstrations.
Other demonstrations and performances include:-
"World Malbec Day" 2015 Tango demonstration, Sanctuary Cove, Gold Coast.
Fly By Night Club Cabaret, Fremantle WA, 2001
Christmas Party Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance School, 2001
Moulin Rouge Ball, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 2001
Brisbane City Outdoor Concert series, Brisbane 2001
AIQS 30th Anniversary Dinner, National Museum Canberra 2001.
Desiree Posse-Brazada Argentine Dinner, Noosa 2001
Aust Hotels Assn. Excellence Awards, Jupiter's Casino, Gold Coast 2002
Noosa Latin American Festival, Noosa 2002
Milonga Para Los Niños, 2002
Kangaroo Point Multicultural Festival, Brisbane 2002, 2003
The Valley Fiesta, Brisbane 2003
Marion Roberts Charity Lunch, Brisbane 2003
Cooroy Latin-American Festival, Noosa 2003
Sophia Alvarez 15th Birthday, Cooroy 2003
Brisbane Spanish Centre Argentine Folkliric and Tango Concert, 2003
Riorhythmics Milonga demonstration, Brisbane 2004
Treasury Casino performances with Hot Mambo.
Latin Party demonstrations, Brisbane 2005,2006
Qld Symphony Orchestra opening with Riorhythmics 2017.