Rebecca Shulman and Jean Fung

Teaches at Pioneer Works

Rebecca Shulman

Rebecca Shulman has been affiliated with Dance Manhattan since 1994 helping develop the school's extensive Argentine tango program and curricula. Born in New York City, Rebecca studied classical ballet all her life and Contact Improvisation and yoga since 1993. 

Her tango career began in 1991 with Daniel Trenner, with whom she began to perform and to visit Buenos Aires. Her Tango teachers include Mingo and Esther Pugliese, Gustavo Naveira and Olga Besio, Tete and Maria, Juan Bruno, and Antonio Todaro. She has performed with the finest dancers of her generation, and given workshops across the U.S. Students everywhere seek Rebecca's clear instruction on improvisation, technique, adornments, and musicality. For four years Rebecca taught and translated for Stanford University's Tango Week. In 1998 she taught at the Montreal Festival and for several weeks in Istanbul, Turkey. She has produced half a dozen popular instructional videos, available through Bridge to the Tango. 

Rebecca is a co-founder and artistic director of TangoMujer, an all-women dance company which performed at Symphony Space and Town Hall in New York, and at the Podewil Theatre in Berlin in 1998. In 1999, TangoMujer received a National Dance Production grant from New England Foundation for the Arts, which sent the company on tour to seven cities in the 2000-2001 season. In 2003 TangoMujer performed at Jacob’s Pillow, Denver Tango Festival, Queens Theater in the Park, and University of Maryland. In May 2005 they took their show to the Tanzhaus in Dusseldorf, and in 2006 they were a part of Leading Ladies of Tango. (visit www.tangomujer.org). 

In January 2002, Rebecca cohosted Bridge to the Tango's visit to Havana, Cuba, teaching tango to Cubans as part of a cultural exchange. In March she danced at the grand opening of the spring season of the Autostadt in Wolfsburg, Germany. That summer Rebecca was honored for 11 years of contribution to tango in the U.S. In February 2003 she performed in "Swango: the Fusion" and in "Avantango" at Town Hall. In 2004 she gave workshops in Seattle, Portland, Baltimore and Northampton. In 2006 Jaimes Friedgen and Rebecca started the tango scene in Bombay. 2007 saw her teaching at festivals in Denver, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, and St. Louis.

More than a dozen of New York's current tango teachers are Rebecca's former students. Her dance partners after Daniel have included Omar Vega, Metin Yazir, Constantin Rueger, and Evan Griffiths. Every Monday night she hosts and dj's NYC's longest-running milonga, Luna Tango Salon and Practica, which was started at Dance Manhattan over 15 years ago.

Jean Fung

Jean’s goal: Inspire and share her exuberance for tango, teaching YOU how to go about learning the “language” of tango--finding your personal style, your own expression-- not simply to imitate... how to find connection while embracing the sensuality, fluidity & fun in Argentine tango.

Begin now your ever-expanding tango-journey!

Jean Fung, a former research scientist, “converted” to work committed to movement, tango and healing, now teaches Argentine Tango & Feldenkrais® Awareness through Movement® and is also a Certified Reiki Practitioner. Jean began partner dancing over 16 years ago to recover from injuries, and once she “happened on” the tango, she’s found her home and has been tangoing for over 12 years. As one of the tango “pioneers” in the USA, she can claim much credit for creating the tango community in the greater Philadelphia area and now, in Bermuda. In her pioneer work here she brought in a virtual who’s who of performers and master teachers of tango to the area. She gratefully acknowledges the inspiration and training received from the following luminaries (and now great personal friends) of the tango world and among them are: Brigitte Winkler, Cacho Dante, Carlos Gavito, Daniela & Armando, Daniel Trenner, Eric Jorrisen, Ester, Mingo & Pablo Pugliese, Fabian Salas, Gullermina Quiroga, Gustavo Naviera, Juan Carlos Copes, Lorena Ermocida, Nito & Elba, Osvaldo Zotto, Pepito & Suziki, Rebecca Shulman, and Rudolfo Dinzel.

She has lectured on the history of the dance and tango music at Community College of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has also taught tango in a variety of other settings, and along with her continued teaching and organizing in the Philadelphia area, is currently affiliated with the NYC studio, Dance Manhattan, perhaps THE outstanding tango teaching institution in the US.

Move with Freedom, Dance with Ease Feldenkrais® & FunTango with Jean Fung http://www.phillytango.com