GALERIA DE PERSONAJES UCRANIANOS

We definitely like our ukranian galery of personalities: just look at blinck in NAZAR's eyes as he spontaneously invites me for kolomyika dance! Adorned by the georious beard and moustache and a strong, masculine chest, he makes a fine tango dancer. Nazar was the one to introduce us to a fine art of vodka drinking. His commandment was: do not leave Lviv without tasting Nemiroff!It was fully fulfilled!

Zoya and Wiktor will never go unoticed. Wiktor's incredibly blue eys and his recent idea of shaving his head add elegance and style to his tango. Zoya is an extravagant woman, who combines retro and modern tendencies in tango fashion. Her collection of hats will do for all the women in tango Lviv. She is ageless with incredible energy supplies.
Both of them are alma mater of Tango in Lviv, the KING and the QUEEN of TANGO VILLA ( 800 m 2), where all the tangueros can meet, dance, sleep, eat and drink in harmony...

Siergiej.Age-undefined. Profession: free enough to come for all the seminars all the days of the week and privide us with the luxurious service of a chofeur. Special signs: T-shirt you can never stop staring at, and the more you stare at the Russian letters, the more you realize what's written there : STOP STARING AT IT! Siergiej is our provider of Ukranian beer and KVAS. His boyish looks do not prevent him from being a good macho in tango.

Marczyk is CANADIAN UQUI ( in arg. Spanish: el ucra canadiense), which means that he is Canadian of Ukranian origines and it was this very genetics which made him decide to stay in post/communist Ukrania when he visited the country last year. This was Marczyk's roundabout way to get to Tango- and he is a very promising material for Lviv's tango scene. He is in fact, Mark, but who on earth wants to be Mark in exotic Ukrania where the diminutive can be as sweet as Marczyk...Vegetarian, as the picture depicts him, even it s a hard task in mean-oriented Ukrania...

Pavlo, also called Pasha. Genuinely Ukranian cossack. Goes without saying. Does the Daliesque moustache help in tango? Defnitely he has a passion for tango! A journalist and psychologist from the city of Ivan Frankovsk ( about 150 km from Lviv) came to stay in Tango Villa during the whole week of seminars, attended and filmed everything, including my birthday party. He has an ambitious project to write an extensive article about this tango community experience.
Our companion of neverending conversations, vodka plus salo till the very advanced hours of the night.

This is a spontaneous photo of a part of our ' ukranian tango family' , who remained in Rinok, after the milonga and show and wanted MORE... The party was transfered to a misterious terrace with a splendid view over Lviv.

Here goes another typical portrait of Marczik, as a tango dancer, retro. This is an image we will keep in our minds. Beside Victor- Halyna, Halka or Gala, a crucial family link, descovered 2 years ago. Victor is lucky to have such a cousin in Lviv. Not only a pretty face- she is a representative of a new generation of Ukranians- they think Europe and more. Halyna succesfully organized our stay with seminars, show, press and TV coverage 2 years ago, being only 19 and absolute tango beginner. Now, she is a tango addict, a family and a personal friend of both of us.

Artem. If Zoya and Wiktor are the king and queen of a Tango castle in Lviv, then Artem is the right hand man. Commander in Chief.Talented tango dancer , instructor and informatition, keep his hand on tango pulse. Looks Argentinean. As behind every nice man there must be a woman-Ania has won Artem's heart and brought him to tango world. Tango Love Story

It s not that I like Ukranian boys better ( which is true!) but MEN CONSITTUTE THE MAJORITY OF THE TANGO COMMUNITY IN LVIV! Each workshops we had about 4-5 men without a partner. This is an enormous publicity for Lviv! But, apart from men, the GIRSL ARE BEAUTIFUL and talented dancers in Lviv. Look at those two podrushki ( friends, diminutive)!