Tango Connections Missoula classes are taught primarily by Lori Mitchell and Patrick Marsolek, although we ocassionally have guest instructors from our community help out as well.

About Patrick

Since Patrick had is first introductory lesson in the Argentine tango in 2005, he has been passionately exploring, studying and learning tango. Shortly after that first lesson he attended a full weekend workshop and hasn’t looked back. He’s attended seminars, festivals and has studied with many of the modern ‘masters’ of tango from the United States, Europe and Argentina. He’s been twice to Argentina to experience the rich culture of tango and study from the Porteños.

Patrick & Lori teach around Montana

Photo by Ari Denison

Since 2007 Patrick has been teaching tango around Montana, Washington and British Columbia. He’s one of the founding members of TangoHelena and Tango Missoul, both, nonprofit community organizations dedicated to promoting the tango and the culture of the dance in Central Montana.

He enjoys sharing the tango with people of all ages. He’s had students in grade school and as old as 100 years. He’s taught in dance studios and festivals, schools, retirement communities, workplace Christmas parties, private groups and individual lessons. He produced a series of Tango lessons through Helena Civic Television which has aired more than 50 episodes. Lori and Patrick have two current DVDs out with more in the works.

Currently Patrick is focused on the tango community in Missoula and Western Montana with his wife Lori, and the tango dance team – a group of the tango ‘regulars’. Lori and Patrick teach weekly classes and host one milonga a month in Missoula and at their home in Potomac. They also help with the monthly milonga organized by Tango Missoula and other local dance events.

For his ‘day job’, Patrick is a clinical hypnotherapist, writer and researcher, and teaches classes on compassionate communication, self-hypnosis, and personal empowerment.

Patrick is available for private and group lessons: e-mail
406-443-3439

 

 
About Lori Mitchell
 

We are all movers. Movement is an essential part of life. We begin our study of movement when we begin life. We express our selves with gesture, posture and stride everyday of our lives. That expression is unique.


I began a focused study of dancing at the University of Washington, as a pre-med student working towards a degree in Anthropology. Upon graduation I moved east to Boston, New York and then back to Seattle to continue dancing. It was dance for me not medical school.

Over the last 30 years I have studied modern, ballet, jazz, tap, flamenco and trained in Pilates, Gyrotonics, and Laban movement fundamentals. My work as a dancer has encompassed performance hanging from ladders, dancing in fountains, and dashing across the Broadway stage. Every performance was an expression of the Choreographers vision and my own story. In 1990 I co founded Thread Dance, a collaborative group of four dance familiars, and explored improvisation, personal expression and story telling through movement. Together we found the joy of sharing our dance with small audiences in intimate spaces.

In 1991 I earned my license in massage. Years of practice have taught me much about how the body works, and how to listen. Following this thread I earned my Nursing degree in 2005. Now I travel in the healthcare, academic, and dance worlds with an eye and heart informed by the joy and wisdom of the importance of movement, self expression, and acknowledgement.

My Tango teachers include Abby & Diego, Patrick & Grace, and several workshops with Alex Krebs and Murat & Michelle. Whenever possible I dance in Joy French’s Tuesday night Modern class – I highly recommend it.

I love to teach and am fortunate to teach Anatomy & Physiology Labs at Missoula College at the University of Montana and facilitate workshops for Living Art of Montana. At the DDC I get to teach Flamenco and Tango. And best of all I am blessed to dance and teach Tango around Montana with my fabulous partner Patrick Marsolek.

 
Lori is available for private and group lessons: e-mail