Aoniken Quiroga: Dance To Express the Joy
Like any other form of dance, it’s easy to expect that tango dancers are slim, fit, and light on their feet.
This can be especially true if one is part of a general audience. After all, most people have likely become acquainted with tango through TV shows and movies, which often portray show tango or ballroom tango. Some might even confuse tango for other kinds of dancing such as salsa or flamenco. However, the fact stands that most dancers portrayed in the media possess a certain body type that allows them to be agile and flexible to deliver a good performance.
Believe it or not, though, one tango dancer seems to defy these stereotypical notions of what professional dancers ought to look like.
Aoniken Quiroga, who is recognized as a supremely talented tango dancer and teacher, does not fit into this mold.
In fact, one would never guess he’s a dancer based on his rather stocky appearance. Regardless, he is definitely one of the tango teachers you want to study with. Alongside world-renowned and controversial tango legend Alejandra Mantiñan, Aoniken Quiroga is one of the tango dancers you must know — and here’s why.
The Tango Journey
Aoniken Quiroga’s tango journey began at a very young age.
A post from Flixxy offers a short summary of how and when Aoniken started dancing:
“Aoniken Quiroga has been dancing tango since an early age and has studied with masters such as Carlos Gavito, Rosa Perez, and El Pibe Avellaneda.
For years, he has devoted himself to the study of a personal style that seeks to combine the connection of milonguero, salon elegance, and the style and speed of a show dancer.
He is a dancer endowed with great personality and charisma, has been exhibited in many of the major milongas of Buenos Aires and the world, and is one of the protagonists of the new tango youth in Buenos Aires. They [Aoniken Quiroga and Alejandra Mantiñan] both started dancing early — Alejandra at the age of eight and Aoniken at the age of [seven].”
Those belonging to the tango community will understand how unlikely this pairing between Aoniken and Alejandra is. Alejandra Mantiñan is tall and slim, with the physique and appearance of a typical tango dancer. She has been, on numerous occasions, described as an angel, queen, and goddess of tango. On the other hand, Aoniken Quiroga is shorter than Alejandra, and has a big body frame — not the kind of partner one would expect to see with someone described with such superlative praise.
Yet, Aoniken’s performances are no less than breathtaking. His incredibly smooth and swift footwork — a surprise to many — is more than enough proof that, indeed, he’s the perfect partner for the woman hailed as one with the “miraculous feet.”
For those wondering just how deft Aoniken Quiroga is, check out this recorded performance from Tangoamadeus 2012, which he shared with Alejandra Mantiñan as his dance partner.
That said, it’s no wonder that Aoniken Quiroga has received a number of accolades and has been constantly invited to perform in different prominent tango shows all over the world.
According to a post from Amigos del Tango, Helsinki:
“Aoniken Quiroga started dancing at the age of seven, surrounded by the great milongueros of Buenos Aires, and at 12 he was already performing in his city.
Having developed a style of his own,
at only 19 years old he came second in the Tango salón category of the World Tango championship in Buenos Aires.
Years later he gave up his career as a lawyer in order to dedicate himself to his passion: being a tango dancer. At that moment, his life changed as he was invited to join the company Forever Tango, which allowed him to take his style to an extensive tour of the US and Mexico.
In Buenos Aires, he was the lead dancer in some of the most important shows of the city, including Tango Porteño, the legendary Café Tortoni, Señor Tango and others.
At only 23 years old, Aoniken broadened his career, teaching and performing at the most prestigious festivals in Europe, Asia, and America. He has worked with the renowned Alejandra Mantiñan, among others, and, since 2017, has been the dance partner of Noelia Barsi.
Today, with 25 years of experience in the dance, Aoniken has managed to develop a teaching method based on biomechanics and conscious body work, as well as the history of Argentine tango.
Coupled with his down-to-earth personality and arresting charm, Aoniken Quiroga has definitely cemented himself as a tango dancer worthy of note.
Style and Philosophy
As one of the so-called protagonists of the new tango youth in Buenos Aires, it can seem like Aoniken Quiroga’s style doesn’t entirely subscribe to the traditional way tango has been danced for decades. Then again,
Aoniken Quiroga is a tango dancer who uses dance to express joy and freedom. What he brings to the stage is his love not only for the dance but also for family and friends.
This is exemplified in the interview conducted by The Delicate Strength in its “Conversations on Tango” segment during Tango Element Baltimore 2011. In this interview, Aoniken Quiroga reveals his philosophy and who has inspired him to dance tango:
“When I dance with [Alejandra Mantiñan], for me, she is my best inspiration.... Always, when I dance, my motivation is my friends, my family, my history.”
“I danced tango for all my life.... I don't remember my life before tango. All the things happen when I dance. All this history, all these things, all these friends, all these nights in the milonga I leave — it's the mix, it's part of me, and when I dance, it's the only moment I feel totally free. And I try to think, okay, this is my moment. In another part of my life, I don't know why I need to follow a structure on different things — government structures, bank structures, or my family structure, or the [social] structure.
But when I dance, it's my structure. And this is my motivation. Now, this is my moment. I can do everything here. This is the moment to do it.
Obviously, the person who dances [with you] is very inspiring. It changes all the time.”
However, this doesn’t mean that Aoniken Quiroga doesn’t recognize and respect the roots of tango. In fact, his background in the dance has allowed him to study tango’s century-old history and cultural significance.
His essay, “Tango-thinking,” has gained traction and appreciation among numerous fans. This famous post discusses Aoniken’s thoughts on what appears to be a challenge faced by the tango community regarding the essence and importance of milongas.
An excerpt of this post was shared in Stromboli Tango:
“Today I would like to speak to the tango community in the world because we are facing a great challenge at this time, because I think that around us there is so much triviality and loss of essentiality that we are in danger of finding ourselves in the same welter in which other rhythms, other dances have also found themselves in different moments....”
“I love tango, it is the only thing I really know how to do. I have dedicated every hour of my life to it since [I was] seven years old...”
“I have been living in Italy for five years, and I suffer; I suffer to see that now the codes that made me what I am have been lost, respect for others first and foremost now destroyed by egocentrism, the term MAESTRO used by the first ridiculous good-for-nothing, the great performers like TROILO and PUGLIESE cast aside because they were considered difficult, the milonga has become a stage where anyone does anything to be protagonist....”
“I suffer for this because the result is that I, as well as many other tangueros give up going to milonga or go less often, because sometimes it seems like a losing battle...”
“I can't let this happen, though, because it would be like ditching a fundamental part of my life....”
“TANGO has to be respected, loved, known, studied, analyzed, it has to be understood once and for all that it is POPULAR CULTURE and that its noblest expression is the MILONGA, the dance hall, the place of socialization, union and shared values, and for that to happen we have to go back to the roots, in milonga only the SOCIAL dance counts...”
“For various embellishments and technical games, there are the shows, the big stages: in the milonga you WALK, you RUN THE RONDA; if you understand the value of respect and tradition, you will understand that there is nothing more beautiful than to WALK with elegance on the COMPAS, and that is why I ask you to join me with one voice shouting BACK TO THE MILONGA, BACK TO THE TANGO, BACK TO THE CAMINAR!”
Through this essay, one can clearly see Aoniken Quiroga’s stance on the essence of tango, which has, by and large, kept to a rather traditional mindset, especially when practiced in milongas. However, he remains true to his innovative and creative style during shows and performances, which have gained many admirers on the world stage.
Aoniken the Maestro
Now that one has an idea of who Aoniken is as a dancer, it’s also important to look at Aoniken Quiroga as a teacher. Many students can attest to the fact that his talent for teaching tango is equal to his talent for dancing. As exemplified by his style and philosophy,
Aoniken Quiroga is knowledgeable in both the technicalities of tango, as well as the aspects of the dance that are geared toward more profound emotions.
A post from Tango Argentino describes his teaching style as such:
“Aoniken Quiroga is one of the most prominent representatives of the new generation of Argentinean dancers. He is recognized as one of the best tango teachers at the international level and has been a guest of the biggest tango festivals around the world.
“His classes are highly appreciated for the great technical knowledge of tango movement, but also for the sensitivity and attention to 'the emotional aspect of this dance’, which Aoniken manages to convey with passion, thanks to its great capacity for communication.
“Since 2010 Aoniken has been a Director of Studies at the Tango de LasTangata School, where he teaches courses with Claudia Bread.
“With Alejandra Mantiñan he teaches and performs around the world.”
It is no surprise that Aoniken Quiroga would have a knack for communicating well as he revealed in “Conversations on Tango” that, if he did not become a professional tango dancer, he would have likely pursued his father’s career in journalism. His sentiments on feeling are also encapsulated in the same interview, wherein Aoniken Quiroga explains what tango means to him:
“One phrase of [Antonio] Gades. Gades talked about the flamenco and said,
‘The flamenco is between a step and a step.’ I think this is tango — between a step and a step. It's in the silence, it's in the moment of you feeling only the things you feel inside of you.”
As a teacher, he manages to combine the fundamental techniques of tango with the intense feelings the dance arouses in those who experience it.
Out of the Mold
If there is one phrase that fits Aoniken Quiroga perfectly, it’s “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
While he may not fit the mold of what a typical tango dancer looks like, he has shown time and again that he’s more than capable of not just dancing but giving breathtaking performances and invaluable lessons to tango students.
He remains an inspiration to many tango dancers who wish to take up the craft, no matter their shape, size, or skill.