Alaska is home to a dynamic culture of adventurous, passionate and creative people and the organizers of Midnight Sun Tango Camp are some of Alaska’s best.
Dustin Madden
In search of an adventure, Dustin moved to Buenos Aires in 2007 to practice his Spanish and try to learn Tango. Having spent four years dancing lindy hop and a variety of other social dances, he foolishly thought it would be relatively easy to learn this new partner dance. Nine months of intensive, ego-busting classes and milonga experiences later, he returned to the U.S. as “a slave to the music”, in the words of his primary teacher, Cacho Dante. More than a decade later, he is still enjoying the shackles created by the rich, deeply moving tango music.
Dustin is excited to be a part of the team bringing so many wonderful friends and soon-to-be friends to enjoy tango in the place he loves.
Zeynep Kilic
Born and raised in Turkey, she has been shaking her booty for over 40 years. She started with folk-dancing at age 8, continued with any dance class offered at Arizona State University, ranging from ballroom, Latin, swing and hip hop to African drums/dance and contact improv, ending her search after falling in love with Tango (possibly because she sweats a smidgen less in this dance?)
When not in the middle of a tanda, she is most likely in the kitchen, smothering her cat Zeytin (Olive) with hugs or in the classroom testing students’ patience.
Katie Cueva
Katie took her first dance classes as a 5 year-old with a pretty pink tutu. Choosing soccer over dance, her passion for moving to music lay dormant until discovering social dancing (lindy hop, waltz, salsa, etc.) in college. Dancing took a turn for tango when she and Dustin journeyed to Buenos Aires together in 2007. After a crash-course in milongas, tandas, and cabaceo, Katie headed north to Taipei, where she learned the foundations of her style. When she isn’t dancing, Katie can be found spending time playing outdoors, traveling to her next conference, or potlucking with friends. Katie is excited to dance with you, and get to know you all better, during our next tango camp!
Hannah Tashjian
Hannah was immediately captivated by tango when she discovered it was the first dance she could enjoy where she didn’t trip over herself trying to follow along. Spending the next decade grounding into deeper partner connection and somatic listening, tango became an embodiment of the ways Hannah strives to live in harmony as both a “leader” and “follower” in life. Beginning in Ashland, tango extended many hands to her in friendship around the world, shaping her heart and mindset in connection with others.
Hannah is a recent Alaska transplant and is always up for trying something new, chases after her dreams, loves building community, and isn’t afraid to let go and be a total goof.