Tango Queerer Stockholm:
Malin Backström and Henny Stridsberg have been teaching together since 2010 – both salsa, lindyhop and now tango. They share first of all their love for tango, but also a passion for dance pedagogy – in combination with a longterm engagement with queer-feminist communities and practices. They are known for their inclusive and norm critical pedagogic approach.
Tango Queerer Stockholm is their initiative to create a mutual platform for different tango activities that adopts a similar philosophy – emphasizing following and leading for all, as well as an open and explorational attitude towards tango styles and codes. They wish to create an inclusive and open-minded athmosphere where everybody can feel safe and welcome.
Malin Backström:
Malin Backström (Stockholm) is a pioneer in the development of queer dancing in Sweden. She started with latin & ballroom dancing in 1998 (for Tony Irving) and has participated in numerous ”same sex dancing” competitions over the world. She has been teaching different couple dances since 2000. After working with latin & ballroom-courses for same sex couples, she co-founded QueerSalsa Stockholm 2010 (with Peter Csaszti/Helm), and she was involved in the creation of queer lindyhop in Sweden from 2008.
Since 2013 she is mainly dancing and teaching Argentinian tango. In Sweden, she initiated the International tango retreat for women at the feminist course- and guesthouse Kvinnohöjden (”Women’s hill”) which takes place every summer. She has also been organizing the very popular both role tango courses at Wiks folkhögskola (Uppsala, 2014-2020). Among those two international both role retreats together with legendary Brigitta Winkler (Germany) – one of Malins most important tango teachers/inspirations.
Since 2016 Malin has specially focused on developing leader courses for followers (”Följare för”), in collaboration with Henny Stridsberg. Early in 2020 – before corona – there was around 70 women participating in these courses only in Stockholm. Lately, Malin has also started follower courses for leaders (“Förare följer”).
Besides in Stockholm, Malin has been invited to teach by tango organizations in Uppsala, Falun, Umeå, Östersund, Tierp, Norrköping, Kolmården, Örebro och Karlstad. She has also taught tango to the actors in the play “Älskarinnor” on Stockholms stadsteater, and participated as a tangodancer in Silvana Imams music video “Zon”.
Internationally, she has taught at queer tango events in San Francisco, Paris and Berlin, and at Kvindekurser in Denmark.
In her teaching Malin creates a nice and safe atmosphere. She is known for her pedagogical skills and her ability to make even difficult things seem easy. She likes to focus on communication and musicality.
Since 2021 Malin is running Studio Touch in Stockholm.
She is also a tango DJ.
Henny Stridsberg:
Henny Stridsberg (Stockholm) experienced many different dance styles from an early age and started to teach couple dances with a gender/queer pedagogic approach in 2010. She discovered the Argentine tango in 2011 and had her tango training mainly in Paris where she lived and studied 2012-2019. Arriving in Paris she quickly became involved in the community Tango Queer Paris, where she was active mainly as organizer and DJ between 2014-2019.
In 2018 Henny graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Dance at Paris 8 University, specializing in feminist dance pedagogy. Currently she continues to train as a modern dancer at Balettakademien and she has also studied dance didactics and choreography at the Stockholm University of the Arts.
Based in Stockholm since 2019 Henny gives both role tango classes, as well as classes in leading for followers and following for leaders in collaboration with Malin Backström. Together they also run the tango retreat for women at Kvinnohöjden (Borlänge, Sweden) every summer since 2014. In addition to tango, Henny also teach creative dance and improvisation in different contexts.
Henny wishes to facilitate dance experiences that can be healing, fun, empowering and community building. In her tango classes she likes to focus on presence and active listening to self and others, as well as on musicality, creativity, movement qualities & dynamics.