Our team of instructors
María Olivera
Director · Master Teacher · Dancer · DJ · International Judge · Researcher
María Olivera was born in Buenos Aires and grew up in the San Telmo neighborhood, within a tango-loving family. Her connection to tango is deeply shaped by the music and poetry that accompanied her childhood.
She began dancing tango in 2003 and since then has developed a solid and diverse training with renowned masters, exploring a wide range of social tango styles. She devoted particular attention to women’s technique, refining her work with highly respected female dancers and with traditional milonguero teachers who transmitted the experience, emotional depth, and codes of the dance floor.
Her teaching method combines a strong passion for dance with an in-depth knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology, acquired through complementary disciplines such as yoga, stretching, Pilates, and the innovative Low Pressure Fitness training system.
Thanks to her excellent command of the English language, María teaches students from all over the world and has built an extensive international career, teaching in leading tango communities and festivals throughout the United States and Europe. In this same international context, she has been invited to serve as a judge in international tango competitions, contributing a perspective grounded in technique, musicality, expression, and social tango tradition.
In 2012, she released the instructional DVD “Technique for Followers”, structured in six chapters covering postural training, walking technique, balance, pivots, and embellishments.
She later published the instructional video series “Tango: Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Dance” designed to deepen dancers’ technical and musical understanding through a clear and accessible approach.
She is also the creator and author of the podcast "Tango Music & Poetry Studies" , a project dedicated to exploring tango through its cultural, musical, and poetic dimensions, combining research, storytelling, and personal experience.
Her musical knowledge has likewise led her to work as a tango DJ at international events.
The distinctive signature of her dancing lies in the speed and expressiveness of her footwork, combined with the elegance of her posture and walk.
Since 2014, María has been a member of the International Dance Council (CID – UNESCO).
Since 2021, she directs Escuela del Abrazo in Buenos Aires, a pedagogical and cultural project devoted to tango as a living practice, offering regular and private classes in tango, milonga, vals, and other complementary disciplines focused on individual well-being and conscious movement development.
Andrés Schia
Instructor · Dancer · Movement Analyst · DJ
Andrés Schia is a Certified Physical Education Teacher with more than 25 years of professional experience in rehabilitation physiotherapy, specializing in body awareness, movement analysis, and injury prevention.
He has been dedicated to tango for over 15 years as a dancer, developing a deep understanding of social tango, musicality, and traditional Buenos Aires milonga culture.
He was the organizer of the milonga “Dos Orillas,” one of the most successful and widely recognized in Buenos Aires, and is a highly experienced tango DJ, having played not only at his own milonga but also at many of the city’s most prestigious dance halls.
Andrés has more than 10 years of experience as a tango teacher, working in both group and private class formats.
Since 2023, he has been part of the Escuela del Abrazo project, where he teaches regular classes—either in co-teaching with María Olivera or independently when she is traveling—and leads special workshops within the school’s Tango Immersion programs.
His extensive knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics distinguishes him as one of the most precise movement analysts working in tango today, allowing him to approach technique with clarity, rigor, and effectiveness.
As a dancer, his distinctive signature is marked by exceptional precision of movement, combined with creativity and dynamic expression, enabling him to develop a tango that is jovial and modern, while remaining deeply rooted in connection and the intimate tradition of Argentine tango.
His constant dedication, keen observational skills, and energetic, engaging teaching style create a learning environment that is both demanding and enjoyable, in private lessons as well as in group classes.
Students who take classes with Andrés consistently describe him—when compared to other professionals—as an exceptionally well-rounded, dynamic, and pedagogically effective teacher, capable of integrating technique, musicality, body awareness, and pleasure in dance into a single learning experience.