Esquina Tango

Tay (Sulie Anna Tay) is an Iyengar Yoga student since 2000 and teacher in training since 2013. From Australia, Tay's first yoga class was an Iyengar class, and she soon studied regularly with Australian teachers, before moving to the US. Tay's devotion to Iyengar method continued through extensive travel including Chicago, DC Area, Silicon Valley and Seattle. Tay visited India to study with Geeta Iyengar in 2015, andSri H.S. Arun in 2019, and attends workshops with Abhijata Iyengar. Tay works in technology and settled In East Austin in 2017 where she enjoys gluten-free vegan living, music and biking.

Co-founder of Esquina Tango, Monica is the operational director and events co-director. She began teaching tango in 1997, in Austin, Texas. Her career in tango began as a teanager in her hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Her family moved to the States taking her along when she was 17. In Austin,  her love for the arts did not leave but rather intensified. Parallel to working in college, where she studied theatre, Monica found herself in search of other tango lovers in town.  Slowly she found some other enthusiast and they started practicing in a living room; with time curious eyes began joining them and slowly but surely the living room became too small and they had to move to a bigger spot. This was the birth of the Austin Argentine tango community.

Monica has trained with masters like Nito & Elba, Carolina & Diego, Lorena Ermocida, as well as many other renowned teachers. By the time the idea of Esquina Tango was materialized, Monica had already been teaching tango to the Austin community for 10 years.  Her motivation for teaching was and continues to be to share her love for the dance, the music, and the culture. Her incentive is to get people “out in the street” dancing. Her charisma and warm personality engages students. Monica’s tango teaching style helps dancers build on their technical abilities while placing relevance on the connection of leading/following and on dancing to the music. Furthermore, Monica works towards creating dancers that have great social skills and etiquette in the “Milongas”.

Esquina Tango has been an amazing dream come true for the continuation of building of social dancers along with a community of wonderful people of friends. At Esquina Tango teaching goes beyond the mere act of conveying information, it’s the creating links and crossroads between people, sharing, and making the love for dance and music contagious.

Melissa Hagen is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher Level 1. Melissa studied Iyengar Yoga with Austin's most senior teachers including Peggy Kelley and Devon Dederich, traveling to Pune, India to study with Geeta Iyengar. Melissa continues to take workshops with senior Iyengar teachers, volunteer with the Iyengar Association and served as Social Media leader for the National Iyengar Association. Melissa brings energy, lightness and imagery to her dynamic and popular classes. Melissa is an established community leader for Social Cycling Austin and lead's 'The Yoga Ride', as well as performing at local venues as a singer songwriter. Melissa works as house plant manager at Tillery Street Plant Company in East Austin. 

A native of Tijuana, Baja California, Alfonso grew up listening to various danceable music genres such as Cumbia and Norteño. His love of dance developed when he took his first salsa class in 2011 in San Diego, CA. He initially learned Afro-Cuban folkloric dancing to bring variety to his salsa dancing and has now fallen in love with the genre.

This class will introduce children ages 7-9 to the building blocks of dance. Using a thematic approach, students will develop foundational skills in dance performance and choreography. Genre's will be diverse and will focus on the dance forms, dance artists, music and themes that honor the impactful role of Latinx culture in the global dance arts. The class will focus on the whole child, developing cognitive and kinesthetic skills, individual and community expression and the joy of expression through dance. No experience is necessary. 

Michelle Wald FMPT, LMT, Certified Health Coach

30 years as a Physical Therapist, 20 year practitioner in Aston® Kinetics with advanced Certification.  Michelle is known as the “Body Whisperer” and is passionate about optimal health and wellness and helping people recover from injury and pain.  

Angie and Audrey are a Queer Latinx couple with a mission to decolonize society’s mentality by uplifting Afro-Latinx culture, history, and gender-free expression in dance. Angie started her formal training at age 14 in her hometown Colombia. Audrey was born in the Dominican Republic, where her training began in ballet at the age of 4. Though trained in a variety of dances throughout the years, it wasn’t until they both reconnected with their roots, through Afro Latin dances that they began their journey as a performing duo. Angie and Audrey specialize in salsa and afro cuban dance movement. They perform Salsa on 2, most times fusioned with flamenco dance, Afro cuban, modern, and hip hop/phunk.

Melissa Corpus is a Dancer, Teacher and Choreographer in Austin, Texas. Since 2010, she has been teaching samba no pe focusing on footwork, technique and the joy of the Brazilian spirit. Melissa has worked with Austin Samba, the largest samba school in the United States, as a choreographer, director and principal dancer. She has traveled to Brazil and throughout the United States to study with Patrick Carvalho and members of Cia Dom, Ana Laidley, Rosangela Silvestre, Danielle Lima, Rodrigo Marques and Pedro Rosa. In 2014, she paraded in Rio de Janeiro with the legendary G.R.E.S. Estação Primeira de Mangueira.

In addition to Samba, Melissa also teaches, choreographs and performs Salsa, Bachata and Cha Cha Cha. She founded MeliSamba in 2016, a professional Samba performance group, and is excited to spread the Alegria of dance to the Austin community and beyond.  Click here to check her out and book her for fabulous events at!

Mickey has danced socially all her life. When she first saw Argentine Tango in 2009, she fell in love with it, joined Esquina Tango, and has studied it and danced it ever since. She serves on the Esquina Board, chairs the annual Fundraiser, and loves to help beginners gain confidence and enthusiasm for Tango.

Who knew dance dynamite came in a small pink package? Robbie Sky, who is easily recognized by her bright pink hair and sunshiny persona, has been a professional dance coach since 2001. She is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico where she owned and operated Off Broadway Dance Studio. She has trained in over 30 dance styles. Her specialties are Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and Semba.
Robbie has spent her career studying and understanding dance from all perspectives. She specializes in dancing both roles and can therefore coaches both leaders and followers. The “Sky” is the limit with Robbie because you never know what you are going to get. One thing will always hold true…her goal is to make people fall in love with dancing.

Stephanie was born in Corpus Christi, Texas where she started dancing at the tender age of 4 years old. She then went on to study with Ballet Nacional for 10 years in Corpus Christi, where she became a featured soloist and dance instructor for all ages. She then moved to Austin Texas in 1998 where she became a Soloist, ensemble dancer, and choreographer with Aztlan Dance Company for 13 years. She is now one of the principal dancers for A’lante one of Austin’s professional Flamenco dance companies.

Ginny is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) with Yoga Alliance and has been a yoga practitioner for more than 12 years. Holding peace and power in equal measure, she facilitates Vinyasa classes to nurture the mind, body, and spirit.

Carolyn Barreno and Stefan Trandafirescu are full-time professional dancers who recently relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area, drawn by Austin’s one-of-a-kind culture and incredibly friendly people. Carolyn began teaching Salsa, Bachata, and American Style Ballroom in San Francisco in 2005. Having competed, performed, and trained extensively in Latin American dance, she was one of the most respected instructors and recognized Salseras in the area. Carolyn has enjoyed a number of distinctions, including 2016 & 2015 World Professional Rising Star Rhythm Finalist, 2010 World Latin Dance Cup Professional Large Team Champion, 2011 and 2009 World Latin Dance Cup Professional Team Finalist, to name a few. Stefan began teaching International Style Latin & Ballroom dancing in his home country of Romania in 2001, and Bachata and Salsa in 2005. He danced competitively since the early age of 8, and holds numerous titles and accolades, including Romanian National Latin Champion (Junior and Under 21 divisions). He moved to Silicon Valley in 2013, where he later opened his own dance studio. Carolyn and Stefan partnered in 2018 to dance together professionally and quickly became inseparable. They are known for their fun and lively classes, but also for offering a level of detail and technique in their instruction not found in many other places.