Meet Katia Diamond | Argentine Tango Instructor, Performer & Adjudicator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katia Diamond and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katia, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
I have learned so many things by choosing the career path that I have. But I think the single most important lesson I have learned was to always follow your dreams! Often conventional philosophy and society as a whole suggests the safe “one size fits all” approach to designing your life. Many people can find happiness and satisfaction this way and ultimately find a job or career they adapt their life and expectations to and reluctantly put their passion on hold resolving to make it just a hobby. But for others, like me, I would never be truly happy unless I was doing what I believe I was put here to do every day. I am a dancer and have been all my life. At 5 years old I remember taking dance classes in elementary school and looking forward to every class. I started dance groups with my friends and put together dance rehearsals for our families to watch. While growing up in South America, I danced folk dances for hours and hours in the streets during national holidays and celebrations. Even as a child, I dreamed of performing on stages with the bright lights shining on me and the smiling faces of the audience watching with excitement. Of course it wasn’t always easy and I have had my share of adversity and challenges along the way. But by following my dreams, I wake up every day and get to do what I absolutely love to do. So for everyone reading this, never stop dreaming! If you truly want something bad enough, dreams can come true!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an Argentine Tango Instructor, Performer & Adjudicator. In addition, I am the founder of Milonga Magnifica (an Argentine Tango dance party) that I host the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month in San Diego. I am also producing an Argentine Tango stage show called “Tango Burlesque” that is scheduled to debut in 2024. As you can see Argentine Tango is my passion and it has brought me so much joy and rewarding moments throughout my life.

I love what I do because I feel that through my dancing and my events, I make people happy and help them grow as individuals. I honestly could not love my job more!! I love to inspire people through my performances and see them smile and have fun at all my events.

Most of all as their teacher I love to see my students grow and follow their dreams and achieve their own successes in dance and every aspect of their lives. My students always tell me how much they love me and how grateful they are for me. But I am truly grateful for each and every one of them and they give me just as much happiness and joy in return in so many ways. Some examples are:

• I have watched as many of my previously shy students, with support and encouragement, came out of their shell through tango and became more confident on the dance floor and in everything they do in life.
• I have seen many depressed people find joy and start to smile again.
• I have seen many of my group class students find the love of their life in my classroom and actually get married. I have choreographed many of their wedding dances and have watched them walk down the aisle together and start a new life and adventure as a couple.
• I help my senior students keep their minds and memories stimulated by challenging them with exercises and patterns that requires their concentration and focus.
• I see many of my younger teenage students grow and become respectful adults.
• I have trained students for dance competitions and have experienced so much joy to see the happiness and sense of accomplishment on their faces when they proudly competed and succeeded.

I dance many styles of dance and even have several world titles in ballroom dances. But tango is very special and different than most other dances. It’s a conversation between two people using body language! To succeed in tango you have to learn to be very attuned with your own body and also the body of the person you are dancing with. It’s very much like meditating with another person and each dance is a new opportunity to provide a unique improvisational expression and interpretation of the music. You have to be so present in order to understand it and fully enjoy it. It’s truly rewarding and amazing and can be best described as the perfect movement of two individuals moving in perfect sync!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love San Diego and think it is the most beautiful city in the United States with some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. There are so many amazing places to see from the many spectacular beaches to Balboa Park, La Jolla and more. But one of my favorite places to visit is Coronado Island. Whenever I have friends visiting, it’s one of my favorite places to take them. Coronado is such a friendly island with so many happy people everywhere. It has a quaint old town feel that reminds me of a small town from a simpler time. The Hotel del Coronado is an absolutely beautiful hotel with fantastic little shops and one of the most beautiful beaches in San Diego. The ocean views and sunset from the hotel terrace and restaurants is just breathtaking! The whole area is just fantastic!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I was 20 years old I met my amazing husband Barry and got married to him a year later when I turned 21. It was the best decision of my life and now we have been happily married for more than 15 years! He is the most encouraging and supportive person I have ever known and he is my number 1 fan! I owe so much of my success to him because he has truly been the wind beneath my wings! Thank you my sweetheart – I love you with all my heart!!

Website: https://katiadiamond.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiadiamond

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katia.diamond.77

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/katiadiamond

Image Credits
Alex R Castro, Felipe Telona Jr, Daniel Roffo, Martin Almiron,