It is with great sadness that TangoAustralia reports on the sudden death of tanguera Andrea Misse, in a car accident in La Pampa, Argentina, on 2nd January at the age of 34. A young mother and wife as well as a tanguera, her loss will be felt very deeply.

In 2010 and 2011, Andrea Misse came to Australia with Javier Rodriguez as the star performers at the Sydney Tango Salon Festival. Many Australians met and learnt from Andrea, who saw teaching as her mission.

The tributes to this beautiful dancer have been building - below are a few - plus a few words from an interview with Andrea's about how she came to tango.

Sima Oertli, organiser of the Sydney Tango Salon Festival writes:

"Today the worldwide Argentine tango community has experienced a great tragedy with the loss of one of its greatest exponents and ambassadors.
"We can only endure such a tragic loss of a vibrant and beautiful person and dancer by celebrating her life and her achievements; and remembering the understanding and grace she has brought to so many.

"Growing up in the neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, Andrea’s knowledge and understanding of tango came from the old milongueros and milongueras at the milongas where she learnt to dance. With her brothers Sebastian and Gabriel and her sister Stella, she was one of the new generation of maestros and was dedicated to preserving and imparting traditional Argentine culture and the values of Tango.

"Andrea Missé was a performer, choreographer and tango teacher for various dance companies in Argentina from 1995 to 1999. She performed for "National Geographic" and the TV channel Solo Tango; was performer and choreographer for the presentation of Julio Iglesias' CD "Tango";and was founder, director, choreographer and dancer of the "Tangodanza Company" in 1999.
In 1998, Andrea began travelling to  Europe and USA and from 2003 to Asia for performances and workshops.

"Andrea’s credentials are long and varied and her accomplishments many, but her legacy to the worldwide tango community is the legion of tango dancers for whom she has been such a shining example and mentor in their journey towards understanding tango culture and dance.
Throughout her adult life and especially since 2003 when she formed a new dance partnership with Javier Rodriguez, with whom she shared a great love of traditional values, Andrea sought to pass on her knowledge.
Javier and Andrea have not only nurtured their students to become better dancers technically and aesthetically, they also inspired them to feel and understand tango not as a dance, but as an attitude and a way of life.

"This legacy will continue to grow and ensure her life’s work will be perpetuated by the legions of dancers within the tango community whose lives have been touched by her teaching and friendship."

Tito Palumbo, editor of BA Tango reported on Facebook:

ANDREA MISSÉ, a los 34 años. El 2 de enero de 2012. Bailarina y enseñante. Aprendió danzas folclóricas siendo niña. A los 12 años comenzó a tomar clases de tango y a concurrir a las milongas con sus hermanos y su mamá. Tuvo como parejas de baile a Leandro Palau y, en los últimos años, a Javier Rodríguez. En un accidente automovilístico en la ruta 152 a pocos kilómetros de General Acha (provincia de La Pampa). Viajaba con su esposo, su hija y su suegra, quienes sufrieron heridas.

A short interview with Andrea

In an interview in El Tanguata magazine in February 2010 Andrea is interviewed with Javier Rodriguez.  In this brief extract she talks about her family and how she came to be a tanguera …

“We are five siblings, three girls and two boys. I am the eldest. We started to dance folklore with Santiago Ayala (a) “El Chucaro" (The Wild) and Norma Viola from early childhood onwards. When I was 11, we came across the school of Carlos Rivarola and out of curiosity we started to take classes with him. Later on, of course, he took us to the Sunderland Club where we got a direct impression of social dancing and we got to know a milonga with family atmosphere. We were delighted. When I was 12, I went with my younger siblings to all the milongas, accompanied by our mother or grandmother. It was not well viewed to bring kids into the scene, but in family places it was accepted. The next day we had to go to school, the afternoons we did our homework and at night, we went back to the milonga. Until today we’ve all stuck to tango…"

You will find the full interview on El Tanguata…

Sima's tribute concludes:
“We mourn the loss of a great tanguera, who has left her indelible mark in the hearts and minds of so many.
“Our heartfelt condolences to her bereaved family and to all who knew and loved her.”

This video shows Andrea and Javier dancing in Sydney at the Sydney Tango Salon Festival in October 2011.

Our thanks to Vincenzo Rajo for the photos taken at the 2011 Sydney Tango Salon Festival. You will find more of his beautiful photos on his Facebook page.

Please leave your tributes to Andrea at the end of this article.