PRIMAVERA TANGO
Welcome to Primavera Tango, where Argentine Tango is taught and performed with an emphasis on technique, connection, musicality and professionalism. We provide a comprehensive range of performances, events and lessons designed to support dancers at all levels. Our teaching and performances are grounded in a deep understanding of tango, developed through years of study, professional experience and international competition. See our full tango résumé here.
Primavera Tango was founded by Dean James Beattie and Genevieve (Gigi) Silva, two accomplished, award-winning Argentine Tango professionals with over 20 years of combined experience. Together, we have built a reputation for excellence in Australia and internationally, combining our professional backgrounds in architecture and photography with our shared understanding of tango.
We have brought Argentine Tango to new audiences through film, television and live performance. Our tango has reached a global audience through The Heiress Blacklisted Her Husband, a vertical series on ReelShort, featuring a tango scene choreographed and performed by us alongside the lead actress. The series has received over 100 million views and counting.
Our work has also included a documentary, a short film currently under review for an independent film award, and a feature on 7News Sunrise. We have performed at notable venues and institutions including the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Sydney Opera House precinct, continuing to share Argentine Tango with audiences across Australia and internationally.
DEAN JAMES BEATTIE
My approach to Argentine Tango has been shaped by two long-standing disciplines: architecture and dance.
I began my tango journey in London in 2013, initially through Stage Tango and after moving to Australia in 2015, I discovered Tango Pista, the social dance of the milonga. What began as a passion gradually became a serious pursuit of understanding: not simply learning steps, but exploring the principles that make tango work between two people.
Alongside my tango journey, I built a successful career as an architect, working on major architectural and infrastructure projects across Australia and the United Kingdom. I spent seven years at Hassell in Sydney and previously worked at Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands in London, contributing to projects including the Melbourne Metro, where I was CBD Platform Design Lead, Canberra Light Rail, Rockdale Bicentennial Park, the UK Olympic Park, and a range of high-end architectural projects across London and the UK.
My architectural work was recognised early in my career. In 2015, the practice I was working with, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, was recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as London Architects of the Year, in recognition of the work of the practice and its team. Earlier, my university design project Invisible Cities was awarded by the RIBA as the best student design project. My final-year dissertation on Timber Gridshells was selected as the top entry and presented at the end-of-year exhibition.
Architecture has profoundly influenced the way I understand tango.
An architect learns to look beyond the finished form and understand the structure that creates it. Space, geometry, balance, proportion, rhythm, tension, direction, weight and the relationship between individual elements all matter. I approach tango in much the same way. Rather than seeing tango as a collection of steps, I see it as a constantly changing relationship between two people, their shared axis, the space around them and the music.
This way of thinking has led me to study tango at a deeper level, particularly connection, intention, musicality, structure and freedom of movement. It has also shaped the way I teach. I am interested in helping dancers understand why something works, rather than simply reproducing a sequence or shape.
To deepen my understanding, I travelled to Buenos Aires on three extended occasions: in 2017, for six months in 2019 and for almost two years from 2022, studying both Tango Pista and Stage Tango with leading maestros and experienced milongueros. Together with my wife and dance partner, Genevieve (Gigi), I have competed internationally on ten occasions.
My earlier background in gymnastics also contributed to the discipline, body awareness and physical understanding that I bring to dance.
Today, through Primavera Tango and the Online Tango Academy, I bring these experiences together. For me, tango is another form of design: two people, one space, music, intention and movement, constantly adapting to create something that exists only in that moment.
GENEVIEVE SILVA (Gigi)
My approach to Argentine Tango has been shaped by two lifelong passions: photography and dance.
My first encounter with tango happened at the age of eight during a family holiday in Argentina. I was captivated by its emotion, connection and intensity. Although my own tango journey would develop later, the memory of seeing it in its birthplace has stayed with me ever since.
Over the years, I explored many forms of dance, including ballet, jazz and belly dancing. These experiences shaped my understanding of movement, body awareness and musicality, while encouraging me to appreciate the individuality each person brings to dance.
Photography has also been part of my life since childhood. Growing up with a photographer in the family introduced me to cameras and the creative process from an early age. That interest developed into a lasting passion and eventually led me to pursue a degree in photography.
Photography has profoundly influenced the way I observe and understand tango.
A photographer pays attention to composition, timing, perspective and the relationship between people. I bring that same attention to dance: noticing how a movement develops, how a partner responds and how a small adjustment can change the quality of an embrace. I am drawn to the moments between the steps, where intention, communication and expression become visible.
This way of observing shapes my teaching. I encourage dancers to develop clear foundations, balance and body awareness, alongside sensitivity to their partner and the music. For me, technique and expression develop together. Understanding how your body moves gives you more possibilities for communicating and expressing yourself.
One of the most memorable periods of my tango career was performing weekly in a tango show in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires. I also worked as a professional photographer at the Institute of Betsabet Flores, while my husband and dance partner, Dean, assisted with private lessons. These experiences allowed me to engage with tango through both performance and observation.
Together, Dean and I have travelled to international competitions, performed and studied in Buenos Aires, and continually developed our understanding of tango. Our backgrounds in architecture and photography contribute different perspectives to a shared approach: clear foundations, close observation and space for individual expression.
Today, through Primavera Tango and the Online Tango Academy, my aim is to help you become more aware, confident and connected in your dancing, with the understanding to keep exploring and the freedom to make tango your own.