PGH TANGO CONNECTION
Our Mission is to connect people through the passion of tango. PGH Tango Connection offers group tango classes, private lessons, weekly practices, milongas and other events.
Husband and wife team Koichiro and Yulia have been dancing Tango together since 2008. They were introduced while they were both studying at Duquesne University. Koichiro and Yulia’s extensive backgrounds in music give them a deep understanding of musicality, incorporating this in their dance and bringing a powerful presence to their performances. Yulia’s passion for tango and her ability to capture the attention of her audience, led by Kiochiro’s experienced and yet vividly improvisational hand, combine on stage to poignantly reveal the essence of Tango: a man and a woman as one, lovers for the length of each dance they perform.
Koichiro and Yulia and their students traveled to Buenos Aires and studied with Jonathan Saavedra & Clarisa Aragon, Julio Bassan, Ines Muzzoppa, Federico Naveira & Sabrina Masso, Alejandro Larenas & Marisol Morales. The couple has performed at various venues, including Tango en Huracan, Club Atletico Milonguero 2014, Maldita Milonga, Santelmo 2015 in Buenos Aires, United States, Canada, and Japan. In 2019 Koichiro and Yulia performed with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Wheeling Symphony. Currently, Koichiro and Yulia teach at the Wilkins School Community Center in Pittsburgh where they also organize weekly social dances. Their characteristic teaching styles complement each other effectively to cover fundamental as well as more advanced material thoroughly in an easy, progressive, and very approachable manner.
CHEWY (KOICHIRO SUZUKI)
Koichiro Suzuki started taking Argentine Tango lessons at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he went for his undergraduate study. Before Mr. Suzuki started to dance, he was always interested in performance. In 1996–1998, Koichiro marched and performed with the world-renowned Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. After the drum corps, Koichiro decided to pursue a degree in Music Performance which created new ways to express his passion for performance as a musician and a dancer. His dancing skills were greatly enhanced from his deep understanding of music. He studied dance with Marek Szotkowski, Olivera Grubisha, Julio Bassan, and Ines Muzzoppa, Alejandro Larenas & Marisol Morales among others.
Mr. Suzuki completed his Master’s Degree in Performance Music at Duquesne University and performed with the River City Brass Band—the only active professional brass band in the United States. Suzuki’s dance company, Pittsburgh Tango Connection, which he founded to bring Argentine Tango into prominence in Pittsburgh, has steadily grown to become the largest of its kind in the city.
YULIA ZHUKOFF
Yulia Zhukoff's career is a testament to unwavering dedication, consummate artistry, and a profound love for music and dance. Originating from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she commenced her musical journey at age six at the St. Petersburg Palace of Youth Creativity & Music.
Over the years, Yulia's artistry has traversed continents, with her performances resonating across Europe, Japan, and the United States. Her versatile talents have graced some of the world's most prestigious stages, where she has shone brightly as a soloist, chamber group collaborator, and orchestral member, consistently captivating audiences with her virtuosity. Yulia has received numerous prestigious awards and recognitions in her career, showcasing her outstanding talent and unwavering commitment to classical music.
Yulia's artistic journey took a transformative turn during her academic pursuit at Duquesne University's Mary Pappert School of Music. Here, she was introduced to the enchanting world of the Argentine Tango—a dance form that would fundamentally alter the trajectory of her artistic expression.
With the same dedication and precision she applied to her cello, Yulia embarked on a journey into the world of Tango, with relentless dedication and meticulous craftsmanship. Her journey carried her not only across the vast expanse of the United States but also to the very heart of Argentina. Onstage, Yulia's musical talent and her profound connection to the Tango intertwine and capture the attention of her audience.
Yulia Zhukoff's career is a testament to the transformative power of art and the boundless possibilities of the human spirit. Through her music and her dance, her career is marked by unwavering dedication, global recognition, and a transformative journey into the world of Tango, where her musical and dance artistry converge brilliantly.