Our team
Simona Faro
Simona Faro has been in love with Argentine tango since 2015 when she began studying with Svetlana Petkovic in Albuquerque, NM. Her interest soon grew into a full-blown passion for the tango experience, which led her to travel extensively in the U.S. and Europe for tango classes, milongas, workshops, marathons, and festivals. She co-founded Amilonga in Albuquerque in 2018 with Kipp Chynoweth and Gail Womack, and, recently joined Jaimes Friedgen and Christa Rodriguez at the 8th Style School of Tango, as an assistant teacher. Simona has been a tango DJ since 2019 and has become a mainstay in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe tango communities within just a few years. She is also highly regarded for her tango photography. She has co-founded Albuquerque OpenTango in 2022 to create a collaborative space for tango dancers of all levels and to expand the New Mexico tango community. Simona is the Albuquerque OpenTango primary instructor.
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Allison Shewmake
Allison first became enchanted with Argentine tango in 2015 while exploring various Latin dances. Through tango she found a new connection with herself and the world around her. Her passion and drive to find deeper understanding for the dance lead her to travel around the US for tango marathons, festivals, workshops and milongas. She now studies with Jaimes Friedgen and Christa Rodriguez at the 8th Style School of Tango. Recently she has had the privilege of joining Simona Faro at OpenTango, excited to add her enthusiasm and experience to the team. Her goal is not only to help grow the tango community, but to help create a positive, safe environment for people to explore Argentine tango and have fun.