Marisa & Oliver
Background before tango...
Oliver Koch (German) received a training as a dance teacher and a
stage dancer in Hamburg and at the Rotterdam Dance Academy. He started his
career as a dancer with Rosas, the well known contemporary dance company of
Belgian choreographer Anne
Teresa De Keersmaeker. With Rosas he danced in the performances Erts, Woud,
Just Before, Achterland, Drumming, I said I, In Real Time and others. Oliver also
danced with the companies of Michèle Anne De Mey and Feria Musica (circus). He had
a leading role in the dance films Les Noces and Love Sonnets (Thierry De Mey).
In 1993 Oliver Koch discovered Argentine tango. It was a revelation and tango
immediately occupied an important place in his life and dance career. For many
years Oliver combined his work as a modern dancer with his passion to dance and
teach tango. At the end of 2001, he left Rosas in order to dedicate
himself totally to his career in tango. Marisa van Andel
grew up in a Dutch family in
Northern Italy. As a very young child already, she followed regular and frequent
dance lessons of all kinds. Yet, when she left school, she opted for the
university and in 1986 she left Italy moving to Brussels to study journalism and European
studies. She started to dance tango in 1994 and immediately got passionate. In 1998 Marisa succeeded in
combining her passion for dance with her job, when she became promotion and
press officer with the Rosas dance
company of choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. After office hours she worked as a
tango dancer and teacher. At the end of 2001 she left Rosas in order
to dedicate herself fully to tango.
Tango background and training...
Marisa & Oliver met on the Brussels tango scene
in 1996; they are dance partners and in life since then. They were trained by old tango maestros such as Pepito
Avellaneda, Eduardo Arquimbau, Mingo Pugliese... as well as by younger teachers,
among which Gustavo Naveira, Pablo Veron, Julio Balmaceda & Corina De La Rosa, Gabriel
d'Angio & Natalia Games, Geraldine Rojas & Javier Rodriguez and Claudia
Codega & Esteban Moreno. Oliver
& Marisa regularly travel to Argentina to improve their technique and
dancing style working with the best teachers and milongueros.
About the dance
style...
Over the past 10 years
Marisa and Oliver have
developed their own dancing and teaching style, combining the intimacy and the
close embrace of the tango de salón with the creativity and playfulness of the
tango fantasía. They created
in 1999 "Al compás del corazón", a
non-profit association with the aim of developing, promoting and teaching tango in Belgium.
Al compás del corazón
(the title of a famous tango meaning "to the beat of the
heart") is the aim of Marisa and Oliver's tango... The intimacy in
their tango
dance comes from a non verbal communication in which leading and following are no longer coming from muscular force, but
from the heart and soul... They permanently search the energy, the connection that is created between two persons when the melodies of he
tango give birth to a dance of pure improvisation. Permanently feeling and
listening to
each-other, they give free flow to a game full of challenges and surprises.
Oliver and Marisa's tango is a harmonious proof of the association between
intimacy and a skillful game of legs and feet.
About the teaching...
Marisa & Oliver's teaching focuses on improvisation. The main quality of
their pedagogic approach consists in the permanent and progressive analysis of
the basic structures of the tango. By teaching traditional or original figures,
they focus on the techniques and details of
leading and following, the active role and elegance of the movements of the lady, the constant maintaining of
the individual and shared axis, as well as harmony, fluidity, synchronisation and interpretation of
the music.
About the tango career...
Oliver and Marisa have been teaching
and performing since 1996 all over Belgium and the Netherlands,
as well as in Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, the USA and Buenos Aires.
They collaborated with several dance and theatre companies, such as Larbi
Cherkaoui, Ensemble Leporello and Tiempo Bruto. They danced for TV programmes, trailers and commercials, as well as in several
tango shows ans festivals with renown orchestras as Tango al Sur with Dirk Van
Esbroek, Alfredo Marcucci's Veritango, Los Reyes del Tango, Color Tango, Silencio,
Quinteto Zárate, Tango Dorado and the New York Tango Trio. They have choreographed, created and danced in several theatres
throughout Europe the successful show
Ensueños de tango
(2003),
with 4 dancers
and 5 musicians of Quinteto Zárate on stage. When seeing the première of
Ensueños in The Netherlands, well-known theatre and TV actor and director Frank
Groothof invited Marisa and Oliver to be the lead dancers in his new
performance, Orpheus.
In December 2005 this theatre and dance performance to live music was
successfully created in The Netherlands, followed by a tour in 2006 in about 60
theatres. End 2005 Oliver and Marisa worked for the TV show "Let's
Dance" (VT4), choregraphing and teaching Belgian celebrities 5 tangos
which
all scored very high points from the jury.
2006
- Orpheus, tour 2006, Theater
De Tamboer-Hoogeveen (NL), Theater De
Kom-Nieuwegein (NL), Theater De Veste-Delft (NL),
Theater De Vest-Alkmaar (NL), Stadsschouwbug Nijmegen (NL), Schouwburg De
Meerse-Hoofddorp (NL), Schouwburg Amstelveen (NL), Koninklijke Schouwburg Den
Haag (NL), Schouwburg Cuijk NL)
theatre, dance and live music show with
actor/director Frank Groothof and Quinteto Zárate.
- Ensueños de tango, tour 2006,
Posthuis Theater- Heerenveen (NL), Theater 't Speelhuis-Helmond (NL),
Munttheater-Weert (NL), Jan Van Besouwhuis-Goirle (NL), Schouwburg Amstelveen
(NL)
tango show with dancers Birkit Wildenburg
& Muzaffer Demiray and Quinteto Zárate.
- Let's Dance 2006, Endemol & VT4
Tango choreographers and teachers (5 choreographies) for the Endemol Television
programme Let's Dance, broadcast on Belgian TV channel VT4.
- 2nd International Brussels Tango
Festival (B), 2006
workshops and performances at the tango festival of
Brussels, organised by Alma del Sur.
- Tango?Tango! Lille (FR), 2005
special monthly training programme to educate tango teachers organised by the association Tango?Tango!
- Workshops and/or exibitions in Lille (F),
Leeuwarden (NL), Antwerpen (B), Siracusa (I), Stuttgart (D), Frayssinette (F).
2005
- Orpheus, tour 2005, Theater
De Purmaryn-Purmerend (NL), Theater De
Poorterij-Hoorn (NL), Theater Het Park-Zaltbommel
(NL), Theater Nieuwe Buitensociëteit-Zwolle (NL)
theatre, dance and live music show with
actor/director Frank Groothof and Quinteto Zárate.
- Ensueños de tango, tour 2005, Theater De
Naald- Naaldwijk (NL);
Theater van Vlaardingen (NL), Theater
Kattendans-Bergeijk (NL), Stadsschouwburg Nijmegen (NL), Cultura-Ede (NL),
Theater De Roma-Antwerpen (B), OC De Djoelen-Oud Turnhout (B), NTG Theater-Gent
(B)
tango show with dancers Birkit Wildenburg
& Muzaffer Demiray and Quinteto Zárate.
- 4th Tango Marathon of Washington DC, USA, 2005
workshops and performances at the tango festival of
Washington DC, one of the main festivals in the USA.
- 3rd Tango Festival of Firenze (I), 2005
performance at the tango festival of Firenze,
organised by Tango Club.
- 1st International Brussels Tango
Festival (B), 2005
workshops and performances at the tango festival of
Brussels, organised by Alma del Sur.
- Tango?Tango! Lille (FR), 2005
special monthly training programme to educate tango teachers organised by the association Tango?Tango!
- Workshops and/or exibitions in Lausanne (CH), Cordes (F), Paris (F), Lille (F), Enschede (NL), Utrecht (NL), Edinburgh (UK), Amsterdam (NL), Brugge (B), Gent (B), Antwerpen (B), Abano Terme (I), Ustica (I), Stuttgart (D), Frayssinette (F)
2004
- Tango Pasión, Concertgebouw Brugge 2004
tango show with Alfredo Marcucci and his musicians
of Sexteto Veritango and with Juan José Mosalini and his ensemble and
dancers Jorge Rodriguez and Maria Filali.
- Ensueños de tango, tour 2004, Isala
Theater-Capelle a/d
Ijssel, (NL);
Schouwburg Middelburg (NL);
Schouwburg De Meerse-Hoofddorp (NL);
Theater De Vorst-Tilburg
(NL), Lux Theater-Nijmegen (NL)
tango show with dancers Birkit Wildenburg
& Muzaffer Demiray and Quinteto Zárate.
- Trainingsklasse, Stuttgart 2004
workshops organised by Trainingsklasse Stuttgart.
- Druivenfestival Hoeilaart 2004
tangoshow with dancers Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray and Quinteto Zárate.
- Buskergarden Festival, Ferrara 2004
workshops and performance for the yearly Buskergarden Festival.
- Festival Les Milonguettes du Tarn, Cordes 2004
workshops and performance with famous bandoneon player José Luis Betancor
on the main festival evening.
- Un Mare di Tango, Genova 2004
tangoshow to live music in the open air theatre of the Port of Genova with
dancers Pasquale Bloise & Emmanuelle, Alejandro Angelica and others.
- Festival 4-D Tango, Eindhoven 2004
workshops, show and group choreographies with the
orchestra Quinteto Zárate and the
dancers Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer
Demiray. Tangoshow in the Muziektheater with
the tango orchestra Silencio and the dancers Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray
and Patricia Hilliges & Matteo Panero.
- Workshops and/or exibitions in Salzburg
(A), Lausanne (CH), Stuttgart (D), Grafingen (D), Cordes (F), Paris (F), Lyon
(F), Ferrara (I), Firenze (I), Padova (I), Ravenna (I), Calampiso (I),
Frayssinette (F),
Istanbul (Turkey)
2003
- Trainingsklasse, Stuttgart 2003
workshops and tango show Ensueños de tango with the dance couple
Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray.
- Tangomania, Summerfestival di Bologna, Bologna 2003
performances on the big tango festival of Bologna with the orchestra
Los
Reyes del Tango, DJ Felix Picherna and the Argentinean dancers Juan-Carlos Copes & Johana
Copes, Javier Rodriguez & Geraldine Rojas, Claudia Codega & Esteban
Moreno, Roberto Reis & Lucila Cionci, Demian Garcia & Carolina
Bonaventura, and Italians Tobias
Bert & Annalisa Di Luzio, Matteo Panero & Patricia Hilliges.
- El Labo, closure party, Paris 2003
performance with the Argentinean dancers Sebastian
Missé & Andrea Reyero and the orchestra Septeto
Gustavo Gancedo .
- La Zapada, closure
party in Trianon, Utrecht 2003
show and group choreographies with dance
couple Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray.
- Festival 4-D Tango, Eindhoven 2003
show and group choreographies with the
orchestra Quinteto Zárate and the
dancers Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer
Demiray and Vincent Morelle &
Maryline Lefor.
- Al compás del corazón, big
winter ball Ons Huis, big
winter ball Ons Huis, Brussels
2003
show
and group choreographies with the dancers Birkit
Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray and Vincent
Morelle & Maryline Lefor.
- Workshops and/or exibitions in Salzburg (A), Lausanne (CH),
Stuttgart (D), Cordes (F), Frayssinette (F), Paris (F), Grafingen (D)
2002
- Aktueel Denken en Leven, Stadsschouwburg Mechelen, 2002
performance on a theater stage with Cuarteto Tango al Sur (Dirk Van Esbroek,
Alfredo Marcucci, Juan Masondo, Daniela Rapan).
- Festival Ultimo Tango, La Bombonnière Maastricht, 2002
workshops and performances with the orquesta Septeto Dorado and dance couples
Damian Esell & Nancy Louzan and Demian Garcia & Carolina Bonaventura.
- Festival Noches a Media Luz, CC De Doos Hasselt 2002
workshops and performances with the orquesta Sexteto Oblivion and dance couple
Andrea Bestvater & Martin la Bruna.
- Chill2Party Kanaal 2, Tour & Taxis Brussels 2002
performances with common choreographies with dance couples Birkit Wildenburg
& Muzaffer Demiray and Vincent Morelle & Maryline Lefor.
- Festival van Vlaanderen, Place Marché aux Poissons Brussels 2002
performance on stage in opening of the concert by Guidon Kremer.
- Birthday party of the 'Baron of the Port,' Haven van Rotterdam 2002
performance on stage with the orquesta Otra, Juan José Mosalini and dance
couple Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray.
- Milonga alla Villa Strozzi, Firenze 2002
performance with dance couple Patricia Hilliges & Matteo Panero.
- Noche de la Pasión, Congresgebouw Antwerpen 2002
performance on stage with dance couples Birkit Wildenburg & Muzaffer Demiray
and Sebastian Arce & Mariana Montes.
2001
- Salon Día del tango, Villa Urquiza Buenos Aires 2001
performances with the dance couples Geraldine Rojas & Javier Rodriguez and
Facundo & Kely Posadas.
- Milongas at La Nacional & La Belle Epoque, New York 2001
performances for the New York tango scene.
- Dinner-show Babalù, New York 2001
show at Argentine restaurant Babalù in New York with the New York Tango Trio.
- Tango party Weekend Knack & Radio 2, Café Central
Antwerpen 2001
performance with the dance couple Geraldine Rojas & Javier Rodriguez.
- Prestige de la Mode, Casino Knokke, Casino Oostende... 2001
series of performances on catwalk opening and closing the fashion shows of famous
Belgian stylists.
- 'Sproken' of actor Josse De Pauw, Theater Het Net Brugge, 2001
performance on a theater stage with the trio Veritango of Alfredo Marcucci.
2000
- Spettacolo di tango in Piazza, Pianoro (Bologna) 2000
performance on an open air stage with dancers Patricio Lolli & Amaray
Cochero.
1999
- Aktueel Denken en Leven, CVA (Centrum voor Amateurkunsten) Brussels,
1999
performance on a theater stage together with the music group Laïs...
- Tango show at the VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), 1999
performance with the orquesta Sexteto Oblivion of Brussels.
1998
- New Year's Evening, Bologna, 1998/1999
performance at the Sylvester milonga of the tango association La Milonga of
Bologna.
- Noche de la Pasión, Casino Gent, 1998
performance with the orquesta Veritango of Alfredo Marcucci and dance
couples Natalia Games & Gabriel d'Angio and Ricardo & Marisa Talamoni.