VALENTINA MASSARI & LEONARDO PANKOW
Argentine Tango Dancers & Teachers
They began sharing their professional journey in 2022. Their love for tango, teaching, and dancing brought them together deeply. Since then, they have frequently taught seminars in Buenos Aires and performed at milongas in Buenos Aires.
Recently, at the 2025 Tango World Championship they got the 6th place; in 2024, they were crowned Tango Vals champions at the Buenos Aires City Championships and placed 8th in the World Championships. In 2023, they were runners-up in the Buenos Aires Tango Championships and finalists in the 2023 Tango Pista World Cup. They have successfully toured cities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Tokyo, giving seminars, performing shows, and participating in international festivals.
About our proposal
We both work daily to build an authentic product, close to social dance and the essence of Tango. As well as ensuring that our classes have quality content, are dynamic and well connected with the student.
We aim to generate a warm and relaxed environment, where our students can relax, recreate, resorting to creativity, group work, socializing, getting to know each other from a different, deeper and also fun perspective.
In our class program, within the Classic Tango movements, we delve into Elemental concepts such as Embrace, Body Awareness, Balance, Coordination, etc.
Beyond being a physical discipline, Tango helps us communicate and connect with others and with our own sensitivity, crossing barriers and opening ourselves up, also cultivating a sense of belonging.
On the other hand, Tango dancing is a great channel to connect with our Body, our Mind and Spirit; and share ourselves from that place with another person. This can be very revealing and even healing, generating great positive changes in the person.
Anyone can dance Tango, and enter the experience of it as deeply as they wish; We will be there, accompanying and guiding in that process.
about Leonardo
​
Leonardo had his first approaches to Dance and Art in the Tango Dance Course
taught at the National University of Lomas de Zamora. At the same time he was part
of the Municipal Ballet of Esteban Echeverría, under the direction of Mario Morales,
from 2001 to 2006. In these years he had extensive training on the assembly and
choreographic process in Tango, he participated in a large number of acts holidays
and achieved important recognitions in the Buenos Aires Youth Tournaments with a
Double Gold Medal in Solo Couple and a silver medal in Group Choreography.
So he was also Champion in the National Tango Tournament, carried out by the
television program “Show Match”, he was a Finalist in the World Tango Championship in 2018 (Stage category) and 2021/2022 (Pista category), and finalist
of the championship " Pelando Variacion”, obtaining 2nd place in 2018 and 7th place
in 2021.
Continuing his training and experience, he
was a Member of the Mora Godoy Ballet,
directed by the choreographers Nicolas Cobos
and Paola Jean Jean.
Over the years, he trained as an Integral
Artist, in disciplines such as Classical Dance,
Contemporary Dance, Jazz Dance, Theatrical
Interpretation (prof. Claudio Rissi, Ines
Estevez, Luis Romero, Gerardo Otero), and
Alexander Technique, among others. .
He has a great international career as a
dancer in important dance companies such as
"Pasiones Company".
(Spain - Italy in 2009, Italy - Greece in 2010),
or "Tango Journey" (Switzerland / 2012). He
was part of the magnificent show "Arrabal",
directed by Gustavo Santaolalla, Sergio
Trujillo and Julio Zurita, between 2011 and
2018 ( Buenos Aires, Toronto, Boston and
Bogota).
As an Instructor, he shared his knowledge in
foreign cities such as Tokyo, Miami, San
Francisco, Hawaii, Portland, Toronto, Montreal, Dusseldorf, Schaffhausen, Paris,
London, Gothenburg, Barcelona, Malaga, Genova, Copenhagen, Krakow, Varna;
and in Argentina, cities like Buenos Aires, Tandil and Rio Gallegos.
I integrate shows such as: “Madero Tango”, “Astor Piazzolla Tango”, “Señor Tango”,
“Complejo Tango”, “Taconeando”, “Gala Tango”, and “Tango Palace”`, Dancer of the
Living Tango Chess organized by the government of the city of Buenos Aires (Year
2008).
Presentations at the “Cuidanza” festival, “Cambalache Festival” and “Tango Buenos
Aires, festival y mundial” with the company “Lazos” (tango-modern dance).
He starred in Social Tango, 2013/2018, Teatro de la Ribera, Kirchner Cultural
Center. He was a dancer in the TempoTango company, and Leading Dancer and
Assistant Director in “Todos Hablamos de Amor” by Cecilia Troncoso.
In Audiovisual productions, he participated in "Tita, the Movie", Video Clip
"Everything you are" (Snow Patrol), and starred in "Tango 360", projected at the BsAs
Planetarium.
Author and Director of "Chiquilin, from the street to the scene", Festival and World
Tango (year 2014) Festival Misterio Tango (year 2015).
Today he is Co-Author and director of "Cadaver Exquisito."
On the other hand, since 2018 he has also ventured into the Organization and
Production of Social and / or Artistic events (Milongas, Shows, Festivals, Streaming).
about Valentina
She is a dancer and teacher of Argentine Tango, with experience in the development
of self-management cultural projects. She investigates the possibilities of tango,
without losing sight of its tradition. She combines the technique and functionality of
the current dance, with the essence of the Tango milonguero.
She began her training in her hometown, San Martin de los Andes, in Ballet and
Choreographic Tango.
She was trained in the City of Buenos
Aires by renowned teachers. Some of the
most influential were Monica Parra, Marithe Lujan,
Carlos Rivarola, Pablo Giorgini, Geraldine Rojas and
Suyai Quiroga.
He has enriched his professional
experience dancing and teaching in the
most recognized Milongas in Buenos
Aires, in National Festivals, as well as in
important events and Dance Schools around the world.
Like her Philosophy of Classes, Valentina
maintains that “We can all dance tango;
We can all develop enough sensitivity to
experience a real and conscious
connection with our own body and with the
other, with the floor and with the music”.
She organize one of the most famous Milongas en Buenos
Aires: Pipi Cucu Milonga in Salon Marabu.
She is currently teaching at the Salon
Porteno La Nacional, La Viruta
Tango Club and in Salon Marabu...
