Marcelo "El Chino" Gutiérrez: The Alchemist of Tango
In the world of Argentine tango, a handful of teachers are known not only for their artistry but for their transformative impact on how tango is taught, learned, and lived. Marcelo "El Chino" Gutiérrez is one such figure.
He doesn’t just dance tango - he dissects it, remakes it, and gifts it back to dancers in a form that's not only more accessible, but more profound.
A Buenos Aires Beginning
Marcelo’s tango journey began in Buenos Aires in 1998, a time when tango was undergoing a renaissance. The wave of Tango Nuevo had begun to challenge traditional forms, ushering in a new generation of dancers who dared to explore the boundaries of movement and musicality. But Marcelo wasn’t content to just ride the wave. He plunged into deep study.
At the prestigious IUNA (Instituto Universitario Nacional de Arte), he immersed himself in a full-bodied dance education: Russian and French ballet, jazz, choreography, yoga, and of course, tango.
This multidisciplinary foundation helped Marcelo develop a unique lens through which he understood tango - not just as a social or performance dance, but as a system of body mechanics and expressive potential.
Bridging the Generations
Marcelo's style is a masterful bridge between generations. He studied with tango royalty: the Dinzels, Nito & Elba, the Rivarolas, Teresa Fernández, and Victor Arne, absorbing their wisdom like a sponge. Yet, he also embraced the analytical, innovative spirit of Tango Nuevo, especially the work of Gustavo Naveira.
From the Dinzels, he drew theatricality and a pedagogical approach that embraces creativity. Nito & Elba infused his dancing with musicality, elegance, and classic social floorcraft. The Rivarolas helped shape his understanding of structure and improvisational dialogue. Teresa Fernández, steeped in the Todaro method, influenced his precision and boldness. Victor Arne’s unique presence and elegance offered a model of command and charisma. And from Gustavo Naveira, Marcelo absorbed the language of Tango Nuevo - its deconstruction of movement, its analytical clarity, and its drive to innovate.
The result? A style that respects tradition but is unafraid to innovate. A pedagogy that builds from the floor up - literally.
The Method: Grounded, Clear, Transformative
At the heart of Marcelo's teaching is his obsession with grounding.
His signature exercises - with evocative names like "The Horse Ride," "Standing Leg," and simply, "Grounded" - focus on cultivating deep awareness of balance, posture, and movement initiation.
He teaches students to push the floor, to engage the standing leg fully, and to become acutely aware of how movement is generated from the ground up.
It's not just about making pretty shapes or learning figures; it's about understanding the why and how of every motion.
This makes his teaching uniquely scalable. Beginners learn to move with intention. Intermediate dancers unlock musicality. Advanced dancers refine expression and nuance. He doesn’t teach steps. He teaches how to think like a dancer.
"Blueprint for How to Improve Your Tango Practice"
One of Marcelo's most impactful workshop titles sums up his philosophy: "Blueprint for How to Improve Your Tango Practice."
Here, he lays out not just drills or sequences, but a framework for evolving your dance. Whether solo or partnered, students walk away knowing how to:
Build body awareness through repetition and contrast
Develop connection by reimagining how the embrace functions
Play with rhythm and syncopation in intelligent, musical ways
Marcelo emphasizes the idea that practice is not repetition for its own sake. Instead, it is a tool for internal transformation.
His exercises challenge dancers to become aware of habitual movement patterns and replace them with intentional, biomechanically sound alternatives. He often uses progressive layering: starting with fundamental actions such as weight transfer or pivoting, and then adding musical complexity, expressive texture, or partner interaction.
Marcelo "El Chino" Gutiérrez
When it comes to connection, Marcelo dismantles the idea that the embrace is static.
He encourages dancers to think of it as a living system of feedback, where elasticity, tone, and responsiveness can evolve within the same song.
This transforms the embrace from a fixed position to a dynamic, expressive channel.
In musicality, Marcelo’s approach leans on clarity and creativity.
He teaches how to internalize rhythm and phrasing, so that dancers can express syncopations and pauses with confidence and elegance.
This fosters a style of dancing that feels conversational - not mechanical.
This isn’t just a class. It’s a mindset shift. It’s about empowering dancers to become architects of their own tango journey.
Empowering Women Through Cobra
Back in Buenos Aires, Marcelo regularly leads a special series of classes under the banner of Cobra. The name is both symbolic and functional.
In tango, the cobra - the serpent - represents quiet power, agility, and fluid control.
These are the very traits Marcelo encourages women to embody as leaders: strength without tension, clarity without aggression, presence without dominance.
Cobra classes are not just about role reversal. They are a bold invitation to rebalance tango’s historical gender dynamic. Traditionally, tango roles have been rigidly defined - men lead, women follow. Marcelo disrupts that script.
In Cobra, women learn to initiate, to take space, to own the direction of the dance.
Participants often describe the experience as liberating.
Many women report that learning to lead gives them a new level of empathy and awareness in their following - and vice versa.
It builds confidence, expands expressive range, and deepens their connection to the music and their partner.
More than technique, Cobra teaches authority, decision-making, and embodied leadership. It's also about shifting the narrative of who gets to interpret the music first.
In Marcelo’s view, everyone deserves to have a voice in tango, regardless of gender or role.
It’s an initiative that reflects his larger vision: to make tango inclusive, curious, and ever-evolving - a dance where everyone can both speak and listen, lead and follow, shape and be shaped.
Marcelo "El Chino" Gutiérrez
Tango Champion, World Traveler
Marcelo's artistry hasn't gone unnoticed.
He was the runner-up in the 2002 Metropolitan Tango Salon Championship in Buenos Aires and a finalist in the 2017 World Tango Championship.
But rather than remain in the competitive circuit, Marcelo has spent the last two decades traveling the world, spreading tango through residencies, workshops, and performances.
From Europe to Asia, North America to Latin America, his reputation as a deeply effective and engaging teacher has only grown. In 2022, he even served as a judge in Uruguay's qualifying round for the Tango World Championship.
Boston & Ultimate Tango
Marcelo's June 2025 visit to Ultimate Tango in Malden, Massachusetts marked his first-ever appearance at our school - a long-anticipated and joyful event. We had hoped for years to host him, and finally, thanks to the persistence and charm of our teacher and Andilonga host Andi, we made it happen.
As the saying goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach - and even Marcelo "El Chino" couldn’t resist Andi’s legendary homemade cakes. Fittingly, the visit coincided with Andi’s birthday Andilonga, making the occasion all the more festive and memorable. Read more about it here.
The weekend included:
A Friday night Pre-Milonga class focused on structure and stability
Four transformational workshops:
Tune Up Your Fundamentals
Blueprint for Practice
Milonga Magic
How to Transform a Standard Movement into a Tango Movement
A DJ set for the Che Tango practica, where Marcelo’s musical selections kept the floor buzzing
Even the city of Medford took notice, featuring his workshops in their event highlights. You can read more and register for future events at Ultimate Tango.
Watch Him in Action
If you’ve never seen Marcelo dance, start here:
This video showcases his signature fluidity, grounded strength, and musical expressiveness. It's not flashy. It's felt. The dance breathes.
The Podcast That Reveals It All
In Episode 142 of Joe’s Tango Podcast, Marcelo goes deep into his story - how he found tango, why he pursued such a multidisciplinary education, and how he built his methodology. It’s a must-listen for any dancer serious about understanding the deeper path of tango.
He shares:
"I didn't grow up dancing tango. I found it in my 20s - and it was like being struck by lightning. Everything changed."
"You have to fall in love with the structure first. Without that, the creativity has no bones."
"Tango is not about steps - it's about conversation. If you want to dance better, you have to listen more."
These reflections underscore his grounded, thoughtful approach.
Marcelo speaks about tango not just as a cultural treasure, but as a practice of presence and communication.
The episode reveals how his background in ballet, yoga, and choreography shaped the nuanced pedagogy he shares today.
Listen here: Joe's Tango Podcast – Episode 142
The Takeaway: Why Dancers Love Marcelo
Let’s break it down:
Quality
Why It Matters
Anatomical Precision
Helps dancers stay injury-free and learn with clarity
Progressive Methodology
Makes tango accessible for all levels, from raw beginners to pros
Emotional Intelligence
Encourages dancers to connect, not just perform
Global Vision
Synthesizes diverse tango traditions and modern insights
Inclusive Ethos
Classes like Cobra redefine tango's gender norms
In short, Marcelo builds dancers, not just choreography. His work is rooted in connection - to your partner, to the music, to the floor, and to yourself.
Deep breath in tango
To study with Marcelo "El Chino" Gutiérrez is to take a deep breath in tango's evolving history.
It’s to step into tradition with reverence, and into innovation with joy. It’s to learn not just how to dance, but how to listen, respond, and transform.
Whether you’re leading, following, or learning both, Marcelo gives you tools to build your tango from the inside out.
And maybe, just maybe, he reminds us that in tango - as in life - the most important thing is to stay grounded, stay curious, and keep dancing.
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