It has been said that tango plays on the edge of both passion and death. For Nora Dinzelbacher, those themes occurred off the dance floor in 1990.

Her partner in tango and life, Raul Dinzelbacher, who seemed vibrant and healthy at the age of 40, died of a sudden heart attack in front of her during a Stanford University-sponsored (San Francisco) Tango Week.

Suddenly a widow at 36, Nora was left in a country where she barely spoke the language, with contracts to teach dance but no partner and a grieving heart. It was too painful to think about returning to Argentina to see the ghost of her life everywhere she turned.

Instead, she found her courage and began teaching alone. After a number of impressive shows, Nora was soon teaching classes every day. But in 1997, the Stanford Dance Department decided to discontinue its tango instruction, and asked Nora if she would like to independently carry on the tradition of Tango Week. Knowing what the challenge would be, she once again called upon her inner strength and the people who believed in her.

The late Bob Moretti, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and an award-winning tanguero took over the production of tango week with her. Having been in love with tango since childhood while growing up in Hell's Kitchen of New York City, Bob had a passion for tango, and in later years became a dedicated student of the dance under Nora's tutelage. His military discipline and keen business savvy were just what Nora's Tango Week needed. "It is an honor," Bob said when Nora asked him to join her.

For the first seven years, Nora and Bob presented Nora's Tango Week to students from around the world. Their shows have coupled beginners with some of the best tango instructors ever known and this current year will be no exception.

After co-founding Nora's Tango Week and seven years of production Bob retired from Nora's Tango Week. Sadly, we lost Bob Moretti to cancer in June of 2005.

In 2008, Nora will present the eleventh annual Nora's Tango Week in Millbrae, CA.

You are all invited!