Our mission is to provide quality classes given by the absolute best teachers, produce performances by artists of the highest caliber and create classy dance evenings all with an inclusive and festive atmosphere.
ORGANISERS
Mathieu Brossard
After taking his first tango class in Buenos Aires in 2005, Mathieu was instantly hooked and knew that tango would become a great passion in his life. From 2009 to 2012 Mathieu lived in Buenos Aires where he opened “La Maleva”, a tango-hotel that he co-owns with Mariana Dragone.
A great music lover, Mathieu has DJ’d in all of the biggest milongas in Buenos Aires, including Salon Canning, Villa Malcolm, El Beso, and Milonga 10 to name a few and DJ’s quite regularly at the Studio Tango milongas. When he is not dancing tango, Mathieu works in management for Parks Canada.
Carol Horowitz
Carol Horowitz is co-founder and director of Studio Tango Montréal, one of the biggest schools of its kind in North America. Tango is taught 7 days a week, all year long! Carol has organised countless workshops and special events, including the Montreal Summer Tango Fling and LaFête (annual New Year’s Celebration)
An experienced dancer, Carol is a much-appreciated tango teacher, performer and DJ. She is one of the 12 permanent teachers at Studio Tango, teaching there every session. When schedule permits she travels to give classes and DJ in other locations. A true tango die-hard, Carol tries to make time to ''just go out and dance'' as often as she can.
TEAM
Kaitlyn Urquhart
An avid social dancer of several styles, including tango, Kaitlyn began working at Studio Tango Montréal in 2018 following an internship in dance studio management in New Orleans. The same year, she started helping with the Bailongo Festival, and now coordinates registrations and communications, and is on hand during the festival to help classes and milongas run smoothly.
Originally from the Yukon Territory, she divides her time between the North and La Belle Province, and works for several festival and dance organizations in both locations.
If you’ve sent an email to Bailongo, you’ve probably interacted with Kaitlyn already! Come and say hi in person at the registration tables!
Burak Özkösem
Now splitting his time between Europe and the U.S, Burak lived formerly in Montreal and is one of the co-founders of Tango Social Club where most of our activities are located. Burak has organised large tango events in Chicago, Miami, and Malta as well as the Tango To Istanbul Marathon in Istanbul, Turkey, and Festivalito Turco in Montreal.
We are excited that Burak will be arriving in Montreal a couple of weeks before this year’s fest and will be helping us out with many of the logistical and technical challenges, most particularly in regards to the different milonga venues.
An accomplished dancer and pedagogue, Burak has also been a tango DJ since 2003, and has guest DJ'd at many festivals and marathons in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He is the author of Tango DJ Handbook, published in 2016. Burak holds a doctorate in philosophy.
Projet Tango
Projet Tango is nonprofit cultural organisation, dedicated exclusively to the development and promotion of the Argentine Tango. For over 15 years, our activities have included workshops with invited guest teachers, lectures, social evenings that highlight local artists, as well as tango practice times for the general public. In addition to Bailongo, we also organize other special events including LaFête and the Montreal Summer Tango Fling.
In collaboration with:
Studio Tango Montréal & Tango Social Club
Studio Tango Montreal, one of the continent’s most well-respected tango institutions, suddenly found itself in October 2015 with their building sold and obliged to leave its charming Old Port location. Tango Social Club, known for their hospitality and buena onda, stepped up and generously invited their friends from ''the Studio'' to become their new roommates and share their gorgeous space in the Villeray district! Et voilà! Now TSC is home to two sister companies who complement each other very well - proving not only that being roommates is a convenient and practical use of studio space but that the close quarters and shared office space allows for the breeding and brewing of fantastic collaborative projects as well!
Tango Social Club
Establishing in 2011, Tango Social Club has quickly become a Montreal Tango institution. Known for it's relaxed, yet super vibrant atmosphere, it truly is a place where friendships form and everyone feels at home. The team at Tango Social Club is recognised for the quality and attention to detail that they propose with every event they organise, be it their weekly milongas, or any of the many successful special events that they have produced
Studio Tango Montréal
Established in 1997 Studio Tango Montreal is one of the largest Tango Schools in North America offering classes of all levels, 7 days a week all year round.
The Studio's success is due to the passionate commitment of its talented teaching staff. Their wealth of experience is impressive: Eleven of the twelve professionals on staff have been teaching tango for more than 12 years. Many of them are sought after guest teachers invited regularly to teach/perform at various festivals in the U.S and in Europe.