El Cacha Tango Company

The El Cacha Tango Company was started in 2003 in Cape Town by Mareli Schröter, Cherona Reisenhofer and Nur "Latino" Dreyer with the aim to spread this passionate and unique dance in Cape Town and South Africa.

Nur "Latino" has a comprehensive background in the martial arts, particularly the Brazilian rhythmic art of Capoeira and Kung Fu. He has brought the exquisite balance and strength from Capoeira into his Tango.

Nur "Latino" has performed for many corprorate, community and private events and was the lead male dancer in El Cacha's full Tango dance show called "El Beso''. Other performance credits also include "Maria de Buenos Aires" and "Tango Pulse"

Over the past few years he and his partner Cherona have established themselves as the premiere Tango performance duo in Cape Town.

Cherona began her dance training at the age of four. Classical Ballet, Latin American and
Flamenco form the foundation of her dance background.

Her Tango journey began in 1997, training with her mother, Mareli (thank you Mom!) as well as various teachers from Argentina including Facundo Gallo & Magdalena Valdez, Johanna Copes and the late Guillermo Terruzzi.

Cherona is a passionate performer and has danced for a number of corporate, community and
private events and was the lead female dancer in El Cacha's "El Beso". She also performed in and, alongside Mareli, co-choreographed El Cacha's second show called "Tango Portraits".

As a dedicated teacher Cherona focuses primarily on style, technique and musicality in her
classes.

Mareli is a Master dancer/examiner of the British and German Dance Federations in Latin American and Ballroom dancing. She has trained and choreographed children and adult dance teams and has performed, choreographed and co-ordinated stage and television shows in South Africa and Germany including “Salsa” on Top Billing, “Tango” for the Felicia Show, corporate events and festivals.

She has conceptualised, promoted and operated her own dance studios for over twenty years. Mareli has studied the Tango with some of the greatest masters of Tango - including Lidia Ferrari, Carlos Copez and the late Guillermo Terruzi - in Berlin , London and Buenos Aires .

She opened the first Tango café in Africa called Tanz Café in Johannesburg and has since been on the forefront of the Tango scene in South Africa . With her partners Cherona and Nur "Latino", Mareli has trained and choreographed dancers for performance and taught group and private classes for local social dance aficionados as well as international visitors.

Now based in Germany, Mareli continues to spread her vast knowledge and great passion for the Tango at studios in Tübingen and Nürtingen.

Jackie has an extensive dance background and was trained in the Cechetti Ballet syllabus as well as Modern Jazz. She found her true passion in the Tango after taking her first lessons with Mareli in 2003 and soon after traveled to Buenos Aires to experience Tango culture.

Over the past 8 years she has trained with many great Tango masters including Juan Carlos Copes and Johanna Copes, Milena Plebbs and the late Osvaldo Zotto. She is also part of the El Cacha performance team and has danced in El Cacha's past performances including "El Beso" and "Tango Portraits".

After Mareli moved to Germany in 2007 to start El Cacha DE, Jackie stepped into the role of an El Cacha Tango instructor and is well known in Cape Town Tango circles.