Shiwa Noh
Artistic Director
Shiwa is a dedicated Argentine Tango and Tai-chi instructor based in Maine and a leader of the Argentine Tango community in Bangor and Orono since 2011. Originally from Korea, Shiwa began training in Korean Traditional Dance at a young age and earned a BFA in Choreography from the University of California, Irvine in 1996. Making a career move to New York City, she collaborated with modern dance companies and choreographers while presenting her own works. It was in New York City that Shiwa’s Tango journey began in 2001, where she learned from esteemed Milongueros and teachers such as Puppy Castello, Omar Vega, and Pibe Avellaneda. Shiwa further honed her Tango skills in Buenos Aires, studying under the masters Ozvaldo Zotto and Lorena Ermocida. She has performed alongside Maxmiliano Paradiso with Philharmonic Orchestras and collaborated with renowned figures like Pablo Pugliese in NYC and Buenos Aires.
Shiwa started Internal Martial Art training with Kenneth Delves in 2002 with Hsing-yi, energy projection, Qi-Gong, and meditation. Ken had been instrumental in Shiwa’s development in all aspects of life that lasted over 20 years until he passed in 2024. It was Ken who introduced Tai-chi Teacher Vernon Edwards in 2004.
In 2004, Shiwa began a study that continues to this day of 37 posture Yang Style Tai-chi under the tutelage of Vernon Edwards. Her Tai-chi practice is integrated with Argentine Tango as she explored the similarities that exist between the two disciplines.
Following her move to Maine in 2011, Shiwa opened the Noh Way School of Tango and Tai-chi in Bangor, Maine in 2012. That enterprise thrived with the development of an Argentine Tango community in the Bangor area for nearly eight years until 2020, as the pandemic fell upon us all. The Tango scene in the Bangor area was revived in the summer of 2023 with Shiwa acting as a co-founder and artistic Director for Argentine Tango. She offers group and private Tango and Tai-chi lessons utilizing her deep understanding of body mechanics from her training and practice of the two disciplines.
For Shiwa, Argentine Tango is more than just a dance; it is a spiritual practice that fosters connection and intimacy through the Tango embrace. She sees Tai-chi balancing the individual self with the natural world, encouraging better health and a deeper sense of connection. Shiwa recommends both practices to those seeking to enhance their well-being and connect with themselves and the world around them.
Geoffrey Gordon
Executive Director
An Argentine Tango dancer since 2013, Geoff has collaborated with Shiwa for the past several years with a focus on renewing the local Tango community everyone had enjoyed prior to 2020. The advent of the pandemic all but cancelled cultural expression of any kind. Geoff has been deeply involved in several community service roles in Orono and beyond for the past 25 years. He has an interest in economic and community development and volunteers his retirement years in efforts to support a more sustainable community.
As a Tango enthusiast Geoff’s interests are in researching, promoting, and sharing Tango music. He has a personal goal of improving as Tango DJ for Tango Maine events. He works continuously with Shiwa to the develop a disciplined approach to improving his art as a dancer. He is the founder of the Cultural Affairs Foundation of Maine a nonprofit dedicated to cultural entrepreneurship and bringing divers cultural experiences to the State of Maine. CAFMe is in its infancy and Tango Maine represents the initial effort to make the vision become a reality.
Geoff is frequently the first person to arrive and set up the venue and the last person on the dance floor at the end of an evening of Tango. If you catch him then, his smile will tell you his Tango story better than words ever can.