PRIMAVERA TANGO

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.