Marathon

Charlie and Irina met years ago in a tango class. They came from different worlds, yet tango brought them together — and has kept them together ever since.

 

Charlie, originally from Los Angeles, served 22 years in the U.S. Marines before settling in Monterey in 1998. Irina is from Astrakhan, Russia, and her journey to the Central Coast was anything but linear: university professor, hotel general manager, international student — each chapter eventually led her to Monterey, to tango, and to a new life.

 

Today, both are language professors who blend their passions for teaching, culture, and tango. Together, they run Tango Monterey Bay as well as the LA Summer Tango Marathon.

 

Tango Monterey Bay is a team effort. Charlie and Irina work alongside their beloved teacher Katya Sazonchiik  and her husband Isaac Kaminer, who together form the Tango Monterey Bay team dedicated to building community, fostering growth, and sharing the joy of tango across California.

 

For years, Charlie and Irina dreamed of bringing a tango marathon to Monterey. Their experience working with Ilona Glinarsky at the LA Summer Tango Marathon gave them the confidence and skills to finally make that dream a reality. 

 

They wanted to create an event where dancers could experience not just tango, but the full spirit of Monterey — a place both wild and breathtaking. A place where you can dance all night, then wake to the ocean wind, go wine tasting among rolling hills, hike dramatic coastal trails, or watch whales breach on the horizon.

 

This marathon is the result — shaped by passion, partnership, and the belief that tango connects people not only to each other, but to the beauty of the world around them.