Southern Cross Tango
Adrienne & Andrew Gill
Southern Cross Tango’s Adrienne & Andrew Gill are recognized internationally for the artistry, elegance & romance of their tango, connection in the dance, innovative teaching & performance.
Established in 1999, Southern Cross Tango is South Australia’s original professional tango school. With over a decade of experience & an impeccable reputation for excellence in teaching, performing, choreographing, & presentation of inclusive tango functions in the community, Adrienne & Andrew are highly respected by their peers.
Adrienne & Andrew are popular performers & teachers, regularly invited to appear in festivals & events around Australia. Adrienne & Andrew have choreographed & directed over 30 theatrical tango shows since 2001, including the recent “Once upon a Tango” (starring Argentine guest dancers Demian Garcia & Alejandra Mantinan, & Italian Guitarist Massimo Scattolin), & “Romancing the Tango” (starring international guests Milena Plebs & Demian Garcia, & pianist Anthony Halliday). They have collaborated with musicians & artists, couturiers & dancers, poets & actors, in tango productions celebrating the beauty of the tango arts.
Adrienne & Andrew Gill are the artistic directors & producers of Australia’s longest running tango festival, “Buenos Aires at the Beach”, with the 2011 Festival celebrating its’ 12 year.
Adrienne & Andrew have appeared in numerous television features, in various documentaries, short art-house film projects, as dancers in the Paul Cox film “Human Touch” & on national & local radio stations featuring Argentine Tango & dance culture.
Adrienne & Andrew have worked professionally with some of the world’s best musicians & tango performers, including Milena Plebs (Argentina), Demian Garcia (Argentina), Alejandra Mantinan (Argentina), Carolina Bonaventura (Argentina), Joaquin Amenabar (Argentina), Massimo Scattolin (Italy), Mirko Satto (Italy), Anthony Halliday (Australia), Tango Futur (France), & Saxafourte (Germany), plus Australian groups Zephyr Quartet, Colectivo29, Tango Noir, & Quartito Azul.
Adrienne & Andrew have performed in Argentina, USA & Germany, & toured regional Australia in a 12 concert series as feature performers in the Murray River International Music Festival. Recently, they starred in “The Mystique of Tango” Concert at the Daylesford Town Hall as part of the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival.
In addition, Adrienne & Andrew’s impressive performance history includes the Los Angeles Fireworks Tango Festival (USA), Womadelaide, Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival, Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Music Festival, Sydney International Tango Festival, Canberra International Music Festival, Australian Tango Festival, New Jersey Tango Extravaganza (USA), Adelaide Fringe, Perth Fringe, Cabaret Fringe, Tangomania Festival, Tropicana Festivals, & Musica Viva Concert Series. During 2003 & 2004, Southern Cross Tango had a 2 year artist residency at the Weimar Room, directing, choreographing & performing monthly Tango on the Edge Cabaret Tango Shows.
Southern Cross Tango conducts classes & structured courses in SA, workshops & master classes all over Australia. They also present specialised courses in primary schools (healthy active lifestyle initiatives) & secondary schools, universities (dance & cultural studies), & rehabilitation centres (promoting the physical & mental health benefits of dance).
Adrienne & Andrew were invited by the SA Health Department to design & present an innovative new Tango Dance Program for the patients & staff of Glenside Rehabilitation Hospital during 2006. Adrienne & Andrew have also taught Argentine Tango to the members of integrated dance company, Restless Dance Company - Youth Ensemble. Adrienne continued to work with the company as a tango/creative dance tutor for participants with a disability.
Adrienne & Andrew develop many new innovative group choreographies each year & teach courses designed for performance tango students & professional dancers. Adrienne & Andrew have trained many dancers who have gone on to become tango teachers.
Southern Cross Tango presents the celebrated SA Milongas “Tango by the Sea” & “Tango Nuevo Milonga”, and the prestigious “Tango on the Hill” gourmet dinner & theatrical tango show.
Adrienne and Andrew have trained extensively overseas, refining their technique and style and connecting with the continually evolving trends in argentine tango around the world. They dance with elegance and lithe grace, & have made tango relevant & accessible to a new generation of dancers across Australia.
SHOWS & FESTIVALS
The Mystique of Tango, Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Music Festival 2010 (VIC). Adrienne & Andrew Gill performing with Demian Garcia, Alejandra Mantinan, Massimo Scattolin & Anthony Halliday.
The Natuzzi Norwood Food & Wine Festival 2010 – Southern Cross Tango dance school, social dance demonstration (SA)
Once Upon a Tango Show - Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2010. Southern Cross Tango performing with Demian Garcia, Alejandra Mantinan, Massimo Scattolin, Tangueros, & Tango Bajo.
A Lovely Afternoon Tea Dance, Geelong Community Tango – Floorshow 2009 (VIC)
Ceroc & Modern Jive Christmas Function – Floorshow 2009 (SA)
Christmas Milonga – Floorshow 2009 (SA)
Salon de Pierreries – Friends of Buenos Aires at the Beach - Floorshow 2009 (VIC)
Canberra Tango Association – Floorshow 2009 (ACT)
Tango by the Sea- Floorshow 2009 (SA)
Romancing the Tango Show & Glamour Milonga – Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2009 (VIC) – Southern Cross Tango performing with Milena Plebs, Demian Garcia, Anthony Halliday, Tangueros, Sidewalk Tango & Tango Bajo.
Tango on the Hill Show 2008 (SA)
An Indian Wedding – Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide June 2008 (SA)
Tango Futur Concert – Canberra International Music Festival 2008 (ACT)
The Great Ocean Tango Road Show – Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2008 (VIC).
El Abrazo Tango Club Milonga – Buenos Aires, Argentina 2007 Tango Antiguo – Heritage Milonga, Adelaide Arcade 2007 (SA)
Meat Market Tango – Adelaide Fringe Festival 2007 (SA)
Womadelaide Festival 2007 (SA) Tango Concert with Mirko Satto – Tango by the Sea 2007 (SA)
Tango/Motion Show – Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2007 (VIC)
Meat Market Tango – Tango on the Hill 2006 (SA)
Musica Viva – The Chong Liew Dinner, Music to Inspire Fundraiser 2006 (SA)
TOUR: The Tango Concerts - Murray River International Music Festival 2006 Tour (VIC, SA & NSW)
Flash Tango - Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2006 (VIC) New Jersey Tango Extravaganza 2006 (USA)
Tango Noir - show at the Forum Theatre, Melbourne - Australian Tango Festival 2005 (VIC)
Sydney International Tango Festival 2005 (NSW)
New Jersey Tango Extravaganza 2005 (USA)
Retro Tango - Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2005 (VIC)
Tango on the Edge Cabaret Shows & Floorshows 2005 (SA)
Tropicana Festival 2005 & 2003 (SA)
Primavera Returns - Show 2004 (SA & VIC)
The Tango Tale of Scarlet & Wolf, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2004 (SA) & Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2004 (VIC)
Tango on the Hill Show 2004 & 2002 (SA)
Twisted Tales of Tango on the Edge, Cabaret Shows 2003 - 2004 (SA)
Tango on the Edge (June 2004); Tango, Puppeteer & Doll (Nov 2003); The Colours of Tango (Aug 2003);Tango on the Street (July 2003); Tangmalion (June 2003); Mirror, Mirror (May 2003); Tango in the Clandestino (April 2003); Twisted Tales (March 2003)
Cabaret Fringe Festival 2003 & 2004 (SA)
Glamour Australis Show 2003 (SA)
Bundaleer Forest Weekend Festival 2003 (SA)
Hot Tango Show - Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2003 (VIC)
True Blue Tango Show - Buenos Aires at the Beach Summer Tango Festival 2002 (VIC)
Dance Spectacular, Adelaide Festival Theatre 2002 (SA)
Tango Cabaret, His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth Fringe Festival 2002 (WA)
Tango Fireworks Festival 2002 (Los Angeles, USA)
Salon de Tango, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2002 (SA)
Street Corner Man, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2002 (SA)
Beyond Piazzolla, The Famous Speigeltent, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2002 (SA)
Spanish Fiesta 2002 (SA)
Winter Tango Show, Winter Tango Festival 2002 & 2001(QLD)
A Thoroughly Modern Primavera Show 2001 (VIC)
Intersecting Worlds – A Tango Show 2001 (VIC)
Bedazzled Show 2001 (SA)
Womadelaide Festival 2001 & 1999 (SA)
McLaren Vale Bushing Festival 1999 (SA)
Radio Interviews
Radio Interviews & Guest Appearances:
Southern FM Spanish Radio “Projection Sur” (VIC) 2010
ABC Radio 891 Breakfast with John Kennealy (SA) 2008
The Pulse FM Radio (VIC) 2008
Festivals, 5 EBI Radio 2007 (SA)
ABC Radio (VIC) 2007
Afternoons, ABC Radio 2004 (SA)
Life FM Radio (SA) 2004
Drive, ABC Radio (SA) 2004
La Bomba, 5UV Radio (SA) 2000
ABC 5AN Radio (SA) 2000 & 1999
Media Articles & Testimonials
Media Quotes:
“Thanks to the dedication of young tango tyros like husband and wife team Andrew Gill and Adrienne Jarvis (Gill), tango is filling dance-floors” (Dance Informa Magazine)
“When Senor & Senora Gill hit the stage there’s every good reason to smile” (Adelaide Advertiser)
“Adrienne & Andrew Gill open the performance with all the tango pizzazz that got the audience clapping” (DB Magazine)
“Tango is dangerous … amid the heat of a sultry night, the dancers of Southern Cross Tango seemed to positively revel in the danger, gliding across the floor with barely concealed passion…”(Adelaide Advertiser)
“The combination of Adrienne & Andrew Gill’s tango dancing and Mirko Satto’s peerless accordion music was both exciting and soulful, vividly conveying the complexities of human emotion”(Sunraysia Daily)
“The crew from Southern Cross Tango gave the stage some sparkling and passionate footwork.” (Adelaide Advertiser)
“Impressive were the dancers of Southern Cross Tango, who wowed the Cohuna crowd with their poise, skill and grace.” (Cohuna Farmer’s Weekly)
“The rapture escalates when he (Mirko Satto) is joined by Adelaide tango dancers, Adrienne & Andrew Gill, who enhance his renditions of Piazzolla and Galliano classics.” (The Northern Times)
Testimonials:
“I had heard great things about your festival, but I have to tell you it was way, way better than I expected, even after what I'd heard. You guys and your team did a fantastic job in every respect, from the quality of the organisation to the great faculty, classy acts and fantastic decorations! I have only recently discovered the tango world and thought I was a convert before, but I'm an absolute convert now!” (G Southwell, participant of Buenos Aires at the Beach 2009)
“Thank you, thank you thank you - My first Buenos Aires at the Beach and I enjoyed the whole experience and felt the weekend was well rounded, and am so glad I was part of it. Performances were lovely, decorations fabulous, great workshops. I made some new friends, got to know some of my fellow Victorian Tango community a little better” (M Thomson, participant of Buenos Aires at the Beach 2009)
“It is such a joy to come to your classes and you are so wonderful at making people feel comfortable...that has been an enormous contributor to my gaining confidence.”(T Goodwin)
“We have been enriched by your wonderful lessons and examples of the Argentine Tango as it should be performed and enjoyed. How beautiful you make it all appear and how gorgeous you both are” (Barb McDermid, Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism)
“Every time they (Adrienne & Andrew) dance, they break my heart” (Sergio de Pieri, Director of Organs of Ballarat Goldfields Music Festival)
“Excellent teaching, quirky & unexpected performances” (A Jefremov 2006)
“I never cease to be amazed by what these guys (Adrienne & Andrew) come up with …Talent upon talent!” (M Galli)
“We have been inspired and enchanted by the Tango; we now have an increased desire to dance better and to keep on learning.” (I & K Thomas)
Media Articles:
May 2010, “Adrienne Gill”, True Local Business Profile – Guardian Messenger
Autumn 2010, “Step this way” featuring Southern Cross Tango’s David & Michelle Wheaton – Adelaide Hills Magazine
January 2010, “Passion for dance” – Guardian Messenger & Southern Times Messenger
July 2009, “A connection with Tango” – Guardian Messenger
July 2009, “Dance winter blues away” – Southern Times Messenger
December 2008 / January 2009, “Tango – the People’s Dance”, Dance Informa
February 2008 “Valentines Day” – Southern Cross Tango photo feature, Adelaide Advertiser
March 2007, “Meat Market Tango” Adelaide Advertiser
March 2007, “Meat Market Tango”, DB Magazine
February 2006, “Tango Treat” front page article in the Cohuna Farmers’ Weekly
February 2006, “Passionate Performances on the Murray”, The Northern Times
February 2006, “Fine Musicians at Murray festival”, Echuca Moana Tourist News.
February- March 2006, “Exotic Entertainment”, Golden Rivers Country Tourist News.
Summer 2006, “International Flavours of music”, What’s on Along the Murray magazine.
January 2006, “Murray River International Music Festival”, The Sunraysia Daily
June 2004, “Fringe adds glitz” Paul Lloyd, Adelaide Advertiser
October 2004, “Forget the bridal waltz, step out to a Latin rhythm”, Adelaide Advertiser
October 2004, “More than two can tango: Latin American dance is taking Adelaide by storm”, by Tim Lloyd for the Adelaide Advertiser
March 2004, “The Tango Tale of Scarlet & Wolf” review by Jamie Morgan, Adelaide Advertiser
August 2003, "Teaching audience to tango" article by Megan Lloyd, Adelaide Advertiser
August 2003, "Landscape colours captured in tango show", The Pulse, Messenger Newspaper.
May 2003, "Deliciously wicked Tango", The Pulse feature, Guardian Messenger
February 2002 “Salon de Tango”, Katherine Goode, Adelaide Advertiser (****)
March 2002, “Street Corner Man”, review by Katherine Goode, Adelaide Advertiser.
February 2002, “Song, Dance & Romance” review by Raymond Chapman Smith, Adelaide Advertiser.
January 2002, “Tango Passion hits Anglesea”, The Echo, Geelong.
2001 “Tango Queen”, Adelaide Matters Magazine front page & feature article.
June 2000, “Spanish dancers come to Nuriootpa”, The Leader.
June 2000, “Tango set to tantalise the Barossa”, The Herald.
Southern Cross Team
David & Michelle Wheaton
David & Michelle Wheaton have been dancing with Southern Cross Tango for a number of years, & began teacher training in 2009. So far, David & Michelle have taught a number of successful terms of Southern Cross Tango classes in the Adelaide Hills. David & Michelle have performed in various Southern Cross Tango shows, including Once Upon a Tango (Buenos Aires at the Beach) & Tango on the Hill. David & Michelle have featured as Tango Teachers in the Adelaide Hills Magazine Autumn 2010 edition.
David studied modern ballet and jazz with a number of dance schools in Adelaide, including the Australian Dance Theatre. In the early 1980s, working as a choreographer with the Adelaide Theatre Group, he combined dance and drama to create a number of performance pieces specifically for non-dancers. Michelle’s passion for tango dancing & her life-long involvement with horse riding & technical training, gives her a unique understanding of connection concepts stemming from both disciplines.
Kylie Clifford
Kylie Clifford has been dancing with Southern Cross Tango since 2002 & has featured in many Southern Cross Tango produced cabaret & theatre shows since 2003, including Tango on the Edge, Primavera Returns (SA & VIC), Meat Market Tango (Adelaide Fringe), Scarlet & Wolf (Cabaret Fringe, Buenos Aires at the Beach) Romancing the Tango (Buenos Aires at the Beach) & Womadelaide.
Kylie has travelled to the UK, Los Angeles, New York & Buenos Aires to further her tango dance training, & continues to study under mentors Adrienne & Andrew Gill. During 2010, Kylie became a Southern Cross Tango Class Demonstrator.
Pam & Richard Jarvis
Pam & Richard Jarvis’s life changed in 1989, on hearing the newly released recording of Astor Piazzolla’s recording of ‘Zero Hour’. They have since acquired a massive library of tango recordings from Argentina and across the world, studying the history and evolution of tango music, dance and poetry.
In 1992, when a tribute to Piazzolla was part of the Melbourne Festival, they were there. They were there when Doug De Vries formed his New Tango Quintet. When David Backler arrived in Melbourne from New Zealand (via the UK and Barcelona) they found a teacher who knew how people were dancing in the milongas of Buenos Aires. They became students around 1996, and within weeks paid the first of many visits to tango’s birthplace, where they danced and became friends with the people of the milongas who had kept tango’s flame burning. In Buenos Aires they grew to respect the spirit of tango, and understand the tango legacy.
In their quest they have taken classes with great Argentine dancers and teachers including Poche Luna, Demian Garcia, Edith Paez, Graciella Heredia, Carolina Bonaventura, Julio Balmaceda & Corina De La Rosa, Miriam Larici & Hugo Patyn, Milena Plebs, Ezequiel Farfaro, Diego Di Falco & Carolina Zokalski, Aurora Lubiz, Carlos Copello & Alicia Monti, the late milonguero Nestor Rae & Patricia, Pablo Veron & Noel. They have studied with Australian teachers, Bill Jarman, Christian Drogo, Fabio Robles, David Backler and the incomparable Adrienne & Andrew Gill, and supported the tango circles of Melbourne and Adelaide.
Although never planning to set themselves up as tango teachers, Pam & Richard have happily passed on their knowledge to those who are interested, and now find themselves fostering and teaching the new Community Tango in Geelong group. They love it – and feel that this is the way they can give back to Tango what they have received.