Klaus Petritsch, UKA certified teacher of dance, has trained for about two decades with many masters of Argentine tango, while living in London, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, and Sydney.
A late start of a non-dancer
He comes from a dancing family. His mother was European champion in Latin ballroom dancing, but he himself did not start out as a dancer. It was in 1994 that he discovered dance. He joined a “funky jazz dance” class despite being the only male in the class. In a few months he had found his dancing feet, and soon moved on to African dance, hip hop, breakdance, salsa, and finally (1996) Argentine tango.
Klaus discovered his love for Argentine tango in Cambridge, UK, while pursuing a career in science. He found that tango and science have a lot in common: improvisation, creativity, accuracy – and for Klaus – passion and fun! Klaus was lucky that his first Tango teacher taught the essence of tango (improvisation) very well. He became seriously addicted after experiencing what it feels like to follow and realizing how the unique magic of Tango works.
Intensive years of training and teaching – the emerging Tango teacher
The next two decades Klaus lived in London, San Francisco, and Sydney, studying and/or teaching Tango. During this time, after leaving San Francisco, traveling (and dancing) across the USA, central America, and Brazil for over a year, Klaus and his wife Ulla refined their technique in Buenos Aires. There, both danced and trained daily for six months both Nuevo and Traditional Tango. In 2006, Klaus and Ulla started the first Argentine Tango school in Sydney specializing in Tango Nuevo. A few years later they moved to Cairns, where they helped create a fun, and open minded Tango community until they moved to Finland. After a few years in Finland, Klaus continues to teach Tango in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and surroundings.
His biggest influences since 1998 were:
- Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne
(structure, technique, musicality) – Buenos Aires - “Chicho” Mariano Frumboli and Eugenia Parilla
(structure, technique, musicality) – Paris - Sebastian Arce and Mariana Montes (creativity, musicality) – Paris
- Mauricio Castro
(structure, creativity, improvisation, technique) – Buenos Aires - Gabriel Glagovski (dynamics, fluidity, technique) – Buenos Aires
- Christina Cortez (jumps, dynamics) – Buenos Aires
- Homer Ladas (technique, musicality) – San Francisco
- Horacio Godoy (musicality, milonga) – Buenos Aires
- Murat Erdemsel (musicality, creativity) – Sydney
Klaus is known for his systematic, clear, and analytical way of teaching. Thanks to his formal background in science, engineering, martial arts, vocational teaching, instructional design, and study of the human mind, Klaus is known to facilitate fast progress in his students.
From traditional to Tangofusion – exploring the whole dance spectrum
Klaus has found a way of fusing his background in other dances – in particular Salsa – with the concepts of Argentine tango to achieve nearly complete freedom in partner dancing. As a result, his way of dancing has been described as exceptionally free, musical, playful, dynamic, fun, comfortable, and easy to follow. This could be accomplished despite the large repertoire of moves and continuous experimenting with new ideas. Although a passionate teacher, he is very much a social dancer first.
Traditional Tango music has many rhythmic and melodic layers that may be hard to separate for non-experts. Many modern Tangos (e.g. electronic Tango or music by Astor Piazzolla, see below), or non-Tangos, are free of such complications.
Teaching as the highest form of learning – turning into an accomplished Tango teacher
Thanks to his international experience as teacher, student, and active social dancer, he can point out the strengths and weaknesses of the different ways (“styles”) of dancing Tango in his classes. In addition, he encourages his students to study with different Tango teacher s trying to learn from the strengths of everyone, including fellow dancers. Klaus prefers the social dance floor to the stage. There, he is genuinely happy to dance with everyone to inspiring music of any era and genre. Klaus is a passionate, life-long learner, and continuous to study and explore Tango with his students and other Tango enthusiasts.