Resume

Ken Delmar

415-468-8000

info@sftango.com

www.sftango.com

Career Highlights    

 A  native of San Francisco, Ken Delmar studied under Harold Christensen and Roberta Meyer at the San Francisco Ballet School.  At the age of 13, he became the protege of Richard Gibson.  During his teenage years, he was the principal dancer with the Peninsula Ballet Theater and "the wonderkind" of the Bay Area. At 16 years old, Ken received an invitation from the Bolshoi Ballet to tour the U.S. with them, and to study in Moscow afterward.

Ken gave private performances for Rudolf Nureyev & Margot Fonteyn, and for Princess Grace of Monaco at her palace.

Beginning in 1990, Ken passionately embraced the Tango, studying extensively in Argentina under the most renowned Tangueros.  Since that time, his success with the tango has mirrored his prior successes in the world of  ballet.  In 1995, he was awarded 2nd Place in the Buenos Aires Radio Tribu Tango Contest, an unprecedented achievement for an outsider.  He went on to win the Supreme Dance Award at the California Winter Festival.  In 1999 to 2000, Ken introduced Argentine Tango to four Hawaiian Islands. During the 1990's, Ken founded the five most important milongas (Tango Parties) in San Francisco: Mission Blue Milonga, Monte Cristo Club, Studio 435 Broadway, Verdi Club and Tango Soma at Studio Gracia. In addition, he was the founder of the Argentine Tango Programs at the Metronome Ballroom and Studio Gracia.

From 2000 Ken passionately embraced Cuban Salsa and Afro Cuban Dance which he now teaches both at Cañada, and Skyline colleges. 

Tango Teaching Experience:      

Over 30 years of teaching experience covering Argentine Tango, Milonga, Vals cruzada, Cuban Salsa, Afro Cuban Dance, Son, Danzon, Cha Cha Cha and Choreography.

Over 20 year service for San Mateo community colleges 2022 - Present Cañada College Redwood City, Ca. 

2022 - Present Cañada College Redwood City, Ca.

2017 - 2018 College of San Mateo 

2003 - 2013 Studio Gracia, San Francisco, CA 

2002 - Present Skyline College, San Bruno, CA 

2002 - 2006 Colma Park and Recreation, Colma, CA 

2001 - 2008 Mission Blue Center, Brisbane, CA 

1986-1993 Stanford University Spring and Summer Dance, Stanford,

1992 -2004 Conducted yearly Tango Tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina 

2001 -2002 Rhythm and Motion, San Francisco, CA 

2000 - 2001 Sausalito Community Center, Sausalito, CA 

1992 - 2001 Metronome Ballroom, San Francisco, CA

    Director & Principal Teacher of Argentine Tango

1993 -1999 Monte Cristo Italian Club, San Francisco, CA

1997 -1998 Kimballs Carnival, Emeryville, CA

1994 -1998 Broadway Studios, San Francisco, CA

1993 -1996 Verdi Club, San Francisco, CA

1993 -1995 Ravano's, San Francisco, CA

Tango Performance:

2002 -2003     Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, CA

                               Orange Memorial Park, South San Francisco, CA

                               Sterling Park, Colma, CA

2000                   Hilton Hotel, Kona, Hawaii

1993 -2000    Metronome Ballroom, San Francisco, CA

                               Stanford University, Stanford, CA

                               Broadway Studio, San Francisco, CA

1999                   Brisbane Community Park, Brisbane, CA

1997 -1998    Atraccin Tango (Principal Dancer),  San Francisco & Buenos Aires

                              Tango Fatal (Principal Dancer), San Francisco, CA

1996                  San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, San Francisco, CA

1996                  Radio Tribu Tango Contest, awarded 2nd Place in Buenos Aires

1995                  Smithsonian Institute Concert Series, Washington D.C.

1995                  Suprem`e Dance Award Winner for Tango, California Winter Festival

1993                  Stanford Latin Dance Ensemble, Stanford, CA

Ballet Teaching Experience:

Over 20 years of teaching and performing experience in Ballet

1988 -1995    Stanford University, Stanford, CA

                               Dance Faculty Member, Ballet

1976 -1991     Western Ballet School & Co., Mountain View, CA

                               Founder, Artistic Director & Principal Teacher

1986 -1989     Foothill College, Los Alto, CA

Performance Director and off campus teacher (Foothill Arts Alliance)

Ballet Performance:

Principal Dancer & Soloist:

1981 - 1983      ATER Balletto, Italy

1980                    Makarova and Company, New York

1973  - 1975    Netherlands Dance Theater,  Netherlands

1972  - 1973    Joffrey Ballet, New York

1971  - 1972    National Ballet of Holland, Netherlands

1969  - 1970    Stuttgart Ballet, Germany

Leading Roles:

Balanchine's Allegro Brilliant, The Faun in Afternoon of the Faun, Harlequin in Carnival Harold Lander's Etudes, Bluebird Pas de Deux, Jerome Robbin's Moves, Hans Van Manen's Solo for Voice and Septet Extra, Satie Pas de Deux  choreographed specially for Ken Delmar by John Kranko, Rudi Van Danzi's Night Island and Moments, Benjamin Harkavy's Grand Pas Espagnole, Leonide Massine's Beau Danube.

Scholarships Include:

School of American Ballet, NY

American Ballet Theater School, NY      

American Ballet Center, NY

San Francisco Ballet School, CA

Ford Foundation, NY & SF

Critical Acclaim for Ken Delmar the Dancer

"As Till in Til Eulenspiegel, Delmar was captivating and gave a profound and surprisingly expressive interpretation of this Nijinsky tour de force."

    Das Bild, Stuttgart

"See Ken dance, if you possibly can. His dancing is always poetry in motion."

    Susan Cushion (Chairperson, Stanford Dance Department)

"The Happy Jumper, Ken Delmar from the United States stood out  throughout the evening; his is an enormously gifted talent."

     La Repubblica, Milan

"When Ken and Mariela danced the Argentine Tango, they had the entire audience spellbound."

    Stanford Daily

"Ken Delmar was an opening-night favorite in Bluebird pas de deux defying gravity, seeming to hang suspended in the air.  Delmar's got IT."

    De Telegraaf Amsterdam

"It's incredible to watch him leaping and turning in the air.  He has the cushiony spring of all good male dancers, lingering as if suspended.  He partners his ballerinas with commanding elan."

    Oakland Tribune

"... a luminous performance featuring Ken Delmar, a superlative talent."

    San Francisco Chronicle

"There were no budding Nureyev's on view in the performances, yes, come to think of it, perhaps one, Ken Delmar, is a micro-Nureyev with a sense of style, marvelous coordination, and an enviable ability to move gracefully and manfully.  In the familiar impressionistic ballet 'Afternoon of a Faun', he is the bare-chested, sensual spirit playing the Nijinsky role.  In an angular, expressionistic modernism called The Door, a la Jerome Robbins, he is the lover-flame who dries his moth-love to immolation."

    Oakland Tribune

"Ken Delmar danced the Peasant Pas de Deux from Giselle with compelling virtuosity. His stage presence is spellbinding and his technique is sure and strong."

    San Francisco Chronicle

"Everything considered, [the show] was marvelous... especially the brilliant Ken Delmar in the Peasant Pas de Deux of Giselle... . Delmar is very special indeed."

    San Francisco Chronicle

"The Faun, danced by Ken Delmar, was animal and mortal, child and man, an amazingly subtle amalgam.  And the duet for Delmar and Gretchen Stock was choreographed and danced like the vibration from a plucked harpstring."

Doris Hering Dance Magazine

TESTIMONIALS 2026

Ken is something very rare in dance, not only is a master of dance he is a master instructor. He truly takes the time to build foundations and is incredibly patient, which is hard to find with such a technical dance as the Argentine Tango. His enthusiasm and passion is the icing on the cake. If you want to love dancing and excel at the same time look no further than Ken!

Louise B.

Learning tango and other Latin American dance forms from Ken Delmar has been a great experience. His teaching is very thorough and at the same time loads of fun. His knowledge is deep and he passes it on in an encouraging way, never lacking a sense of humor.

Richard G.

Excellent, personable approach. Solid teaching skills. High level of enthusiasm and communication. Provides an ambiance that defuses peoples fears about learning a very difficult dance and where they can enjoy the experience. Ken's approach does more than just teach a difficult skill, it gives people a lifelong love of dance. As a major plus, his students quickly find themselves in a class full of friends rather than strangers.
Highly recommended!

Trevor R. 

I really love Ken's class. He is my first dance teacher, and I have had a lot of good experience from his classes. He knows what he teaches and enjoys his job. He also pay attention to details. I highly recommend his class if you are trying to be a good dancer and really want to learn. Ken is a skillful artist and an excellent , dedicated teacher. He has such a passion in teaching his students so that we really benefit from it. He and his assistant Diane put their efforts together to conduct each session carefully in order for us to make steady progress. After one semester, we all can enjoy Argentine tango! The cost of tuition is so minimum at the Skyline College and the College of San Mateo, it is really a bargain.

Mark C.

Argentine Tango and Cuban Salsa Changed My Life

By Xi Lin, CSM Mathematics Major

The spring term, which was my last semester at CSM, I needed to sign up for two more credits to be qualified as a full time student there. During the club open-house day, I was wandering among the various club’s booths to look for something of interest to me. A tall, thin guy was dancing with loud music from his boombox in the middle of walkway and he said to me “Do you want to dance?” I told him “I do not know how to dance”. He said it was easy and fun! Suddenly, he grabbed my hands and twirled me around him to start dancing. I was little slow to catch on to the beats of the music. However, with his guidance I was slowly stepped into the beats of the music. I asked what dance it was. He said it was salsa!

Although I was in a jazz class previously, I never had partner dance experience, but that brief dance incident piqued my interest in looking for partner dance classes. I searched on YouTube for salsa and tango dances. I was immediately attracted by the beautiful movements of the Argentine tango. The music was so rhythmic and the movement was so graceful. I immediately looked up the dance classes offered in our colleges. I was able to sign up for an Argentine tango as well as a Cuban salsa class to fit into my schedule. At that time I did not even realize that both classes were taught by the same teacher, Mr. Ken Delmar. After our very first classes, I had a sense that I would like to stay with these two dances for a long time. Ken is so passionate about what he teaches. In the class he told us that he went to Argentina to learn his skills fourteen times after he retired from his ballet career.

By the end of the spring semester, we all learned a lot and we had a lot of fun in our classes as well. During our lessons, Ken had us rotate partners so we had a chance to dance with every leader and folloer in the class. In that way, we could give each other feedback so we all learned much quicker. More importantly, during the first half of his class time, the more advanced dancers (Ken’s students who have gone through his previous classes) in the class danced with the beginner dancers, so we all progressed faster and enjoyed our dancing a lot more.

Now I am leaving CSM and Skyline College since I was accepted by UC Berkeley. I will miss Ken’s classes. However, while I will continue to study for my mathematics major, but I will have dance training by electing a modern dance class at Berkeley that Ken recommended. He believes it will eventually help my partner dances a great deal.

I am looking forward to my challenges at Berkeley!

By Xi Lin, CSM Mathematics Major