FERNANDA GHI

Dancing career

Fernanda Ghi is a tango dancer world renowned for her unparalleled elegance, for her interpretation, her choreographic creativity and for her powerful command of the stage.
Together with Guillermo Merlo, who was her partner for over 20 years, Ghi is the 1999 World Argentine Tango Champion (Miami, FL).  Ghi and her partner were the first non-Asians ever invited to perform at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo and were the feature dancers on the PBS special ‘Tango Magic’ with Pablo Ziegler and the Orpheus Orchestra.
 
 Ms. Ghi has performed in concert with several Symphony Orchestras (New Mexico, Long Beach, Costa Mesa, Cincinnati) and was commissioned the creation of a tango ballet for the Tulsa Ballet Dance Company In 2017 and 2018 and Fernanda Ghi was an official judge at the ‘Tango Mundial,’ the Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup in 2018 and 2019. 
 
Fernanda Ghi performed in countless shows and exhibitions. For isntance, this year’s include (in reverse chronological order):  

 Stowe Tango Music Festival, August 18-20, 2022 in Stowe, VT. With Silvio Grand, Ghi performed at the Festival opening Milonga and at the “A Night of Tango”
• “Tales of two Countries”, August 7, 2022, at the Summermusik 2022, Cincinnati, OH with Silvio Grand, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Eckart Preu, conductor.
• “Tango Amor”, August 6, 2022, with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Eckart Preu, conductor, and Sivio Grand.
 “2 hot 2 tango”, May 22, 2022, with Silvio Grand, Ben Bogart (bandeneon) and Winnie Cheung (piano”, Asolo Theater, Sarasota, FL,
• “Carnivale de Tango”, February 26, 2022, Boston, MA. With Silvio Grand, Boston Tango Orchestra and Alfredo Minetti (piano) and Richard Scofano (bandeneon).
Future engagememts include Tango Queer Festival, NYC, NY in October 2022, and others.

Productions

Ghi’s creative work revolves around the concept of identity and search for authenticity, in productions that pushed the boundaries of tango music and dance as a genre. Among the most notable productions are:
• “Tango Varon”, in progress. Premiere scheduled for February, 2023, in Medellin, Colombia. Breaking with one of the most “sacred” tango traditions, Ghi created and produced a tango show with male dancers only, demonstrating that the “woman’s” and “man’s” roles can be performed independently on one’s gender.
• “Black and White”, October 11, 12, 13, 2019. Boston Center for the Arts’ Virginia Wimberly Theatre, Boston, MA. A haunting fusion of tango and still b&w photography.  In 4 acts, a cast of 8 dancers translated into dance stories told in projected photographs by Cuban-American artist Andres Mario de Varona. .
• ”Carmen de Buenos Aires”, November 2015. World Music/CRASHarts and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, MA. In a concept based on the fusion of tango and flamenco, Bizet’s Carmen choice is made between the individual flamboyance of the Matador’s flamenco and the committed intimacy of Jose’s tango.
Maria de Buenos Aires” May, 7, 2018, Portland, OR, with Eugene Opera and David Lefkowich, director. Ghi choreographed and performed in the modern rendition of the classic tango opera by Astor Piazzola.
• “Maria de Buenos Aires” July, 2017, with Mill City Opera, Minneapolis, MN and David Lefkowich, director.
• “Identitad”. In collaboration with Guillermo Merlo and Alfredo Minetti. Presented during tours in USA and China, in over 50 performances between 2012-2014. A puppeteer’s marionette comes to life and searches for her true identity.
• “Ballet meets Tango”, Tulsa Ballet Dance Company, 2008. Ghi choreographed a tango ballet act, part of a 3 act show.
• “Tango Dreams”, Tokyo, Japan, 2000-2007. Together with Guillermo Merlo, Ghi created one of the longest lived tango shows ever to be performed in an Asian country. For 7 years the show ran a full theater in Tokyo, Japan. Fernanda and Guillermo were the first non-Japanese artists invited to perform at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo.
Fernanda Ghi Dance Company is based in Brighton, MA.

Teaching

For over 30 years, Ghi has trained amateur and professional tango dancers and teachers. With a solid base anchored in the fundamental principles and the essence of the genre, Ghi’s teaching involves carefully designed curriculums and a clear and effective methodology.
Most of Ghi’s teaching takes place at Fernanda Ghi Dance Academy, Boston, MA, which continues the activity of Artango (2010-2018), a first school that Ghi started with Merlo.
In addition, Ghi teaches often in specialized workshops in the US. Some of the most recent workshop include (in reverse chronological order):
• Stowe Tango Music Festival, August 18-20, 2022 in Stowe, VT: “Musicality in pivots”, “Creating a group choreography”, “Saccadas”
• Weekend with Fernanda Ghi”, Charlotte, NC, June 17, 2022: “Connection in the embrace”
• Hudson Valley Tango Festival, Kingston, NY, April 22-24, 2022: “Circular ganchos”, “Musicality”, “Saccadas”.
• Special Series for Boston Queer Tango, The Armory Center for the Arts. A special monthly workshop on dissociating tango roles from gender.
Together with Merlo, Ghi released several tango instructional DVDs (2000, 2007, 2010).