About Jaimes and Rachel

Jaimes Friedgen has been studying, performing, and teaching Argentine Tango since 1996 in his hometown of Los Angeles, as well as many other U.S. cities, including Portland, Denver, Boulder, Santa Fe, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle. His remarkable versatility in the dance is due in large part from having studied with such a wide variety of instructors; from Osvaldo Zotto to Mariano “Chicho” Frumboli. Jaimes has an extensive background in movement, including training as a gymnast, which began in 1985, and other types of dancing (break-dancing, hip-hop, ballroom, and lindy hop) which he started to explore in 1991. Jaimes uses an innovative and effective teaching style, and is praised by his students for his phenomenal ability to break down the most complex aspects of tango.

Rachel Smith came to Argentine Tango with a background in martial arts and rhythmic gymnastics. She has studied tango across the United States and in Europe with world-renowned instructors including Luciana Valle, Fabian Salas, Florencia Taccetti, and Gustavo Naveira. Rachel’s gift for clearly conveying the details of interaction between lead and follow makes her a highly effective teacher.