Instructors: Gökhan & Nehir Baltaoglu
Gokhan: Gokhan graduated with a bachelor degree in Graphic design from Yeditepe university. In 2004 he got an order for a poster from the dance community, and was introduced to tango. He found himself hypnotized by the magic of tango and looked for dance schools while in the design process. With a little bit of research and luck, he started to take his first tango steps under Tanju Yildirim, a famous Tango artist in Turkey. He began to learn as a hobby, but soon started to assist in Tanju’s studio, Dansartistic. Then he became an instructor for the studio where he first started to dance. Although he was teaching, he continued learning and improving. He took workshops from world famous Argentinian Dancers.
Gokhan also focused on the show aspect of tango, and danced with Tangorama Orquesta on various Tv programs, as well as local stage shows. In 2011 he met Aydin Kocamusaoglu, another famous dancer in Turkey, and took classes at his studio, Tangoist in 2011. Gokhan eventually had the honor of teaching at the prestigious Tan Sagturk Dance Academy for the 2013-14 season. In 2015 Gokhan moved to the USA, and is now teaching with the Pittsburgh Tangueros.
Nehir: As far back as her memory goes, Nehir wanted to be a dancer. Her grandparents finally gave in and enrolled her in a weekly jazz class at age 7. By 16 she was certified by Dance Masters of America to teach tap, jazz and ballet. After college she moved to NYC where she first saw Argentine tango at a house party in the village. She instantly became intrigued by it and went to her first milonga later that same night. Soon she became an assistant instructor, but tango remained a small piece of her dance career for many years while belly dance took the forefront.
Following a pull at her heart, she booked a flight to a belly dance festival in Istanbul Turkey, where her two week trip turned into a 4 year portion of her life. With her belly dance career under way she began to miss those long nights of tango. One evening she heard tango music at a street festival in her neighborhood. Later that week she was invited to a milonga. This is where she met Gokhan, who would become her tango partner and husband.
With a diverse background in dance, Nehir has a rich perspective on social dances. The enchanting connection between not only the two dancers, but also the music will forever keep her captivated, and excited to share the art form of Argentine tango through teaching and performing.
Gokhan also focused on the show aspect of tango, and danced with Tangorama Orquesta on various Tv programs, as well as local stage shows. In 2011 he met Aydin Kocamusaoglu, another famous dancer in Turkey, and took classes at his studio, Tangoist in 2011. Gokhan eventually had the honor of teaching at the prestigious Tan Sagturk Dance Academy for the 2013-14 season. In 2015 Gokhan moved to the USA, and is now teaching with the Pittsburgh Tangueros.
Nehir: As far back as her memory goes, Nehir wanted to be a dancer. Her grandparents finally gave in and enrolled her in a weekly jazz class at age 7. By 16 she was certified by Dance Masters of America to teach tap, jazz and ballet. After college she moved to NYC where she first saw Argentine tango at a house party in the village. She instantly became intrigued by it and went to her first milonga later that same night. Soon she became an assistant instructor, but tango remained a small piece of her dance career for many years while belly dance took the forefront.
Following a pull at her heart, she booked a flight to a belly dance festival in Istanbul Turkey, where her two week trip turned into a 4 year portion of her life. With her belly dance career under way she began to miss those long nights of tango. One evening she heard tango music at a street festival in her neighborhood. Later that week she was invited to a milonga. This is where she met Gokhan, who would become her tango partner and husband.
With a diverse background in dance, Nehir has a rich perspective on social dances. The enchanting connection between not only the two dancers, but also the music will forever keep her captivated, and excited to share the art form of Argentine tango through teaching and performing.
The picture above hints at the fabled sensuality of tango. However, a static pose cannot begin to convey whether someone can actually dance Argentine tango. The videos below present a summary of some advanced classes they taught at Wilkins. They will help you appreciate the high level of skill and beauty that Gokhan and Nehir have acquired in Argentine tango. They would love to share these skills with you.