Maria Elena Robles, 44, teacher, tango devotee

By day, Maria Elena Robles taught science and biology at Lake ViewHigh School.

By night, she danced the tango.

She became a tango legend in Chicago as she learned fromArgentinian experts, gave tango performances, taught the danceherself and two years ago formed Tango Sentido Productions, alsosetting up her own Web site, www.tangoinchicago.com.

Her love of the tango and for her partner, Danny "Drago"Novakovich, kept her upbeat and active two years past the six monthsdoctors said she had to live because of cancer.

Miss Robles danced her last public tangos in February and died ather Chicago home last Wednesday. She was 44.

Born in Chicago, she was one of five children of Roberto andIsabel Robles. Her father was born in Mexico, her mother had Mexicanroots, and Miss Robles always had a great interest in Mexican cultureand anything to do with the greater Latino community.

She grew up in Lake View on Barry near Broadway. Her father was aself-employed landscape contractor. She attended Nettelhorst grammarschool, Immaculata High School and earned a B.S. in biology fromLoyola University.

She taught science and biology, often in bilingual classes, formore than 15 years in Chicago Public Schools -- the last decade atLake View High School.

Miss Robles grew up in a household where she learned some Spanishbut was encouraged to speak English most of the time. She had to takeSpanish courses in high school and college to be able to teachbilingual education, said her sister, Elva Carusiello.

"She was learning everything she could. Technology was anotherthng she really liked," Carusiello said. "She was really good withcomputers. She used the computer as part of the teaching curriculumin the classroom."

Miss Robles also believed in using art in teaching. In a book puttogether by the Chicago Arts Partnership in Education she was citedmany times as one of the most significant educators who was able tointegrate art in her classroom work. She spent many summers andweekends attending workshops and seminars to find ways to enhance herstudents' education.

From high school onward, Miss Robles took classes in many forms ofdance, including jazz, tap and African.

She was 35 when Argentinian tango couple Gloria and EduardoArquimbau came to Chicago to give lessons. She studied with them ontheir trips here, went to Argentina with her partner to take morelessons once a year and taught and gave exhibitions throughout theChicago area.

Miss Robles gave up teaching at Lake View last May but kept onoffering tango classes once a week, and giving performances. "She'dgo and she'd do one dance. Still, she got out there. That was the bigmotivation for her, to keep on being involved in tango and being withDanny," her sister said.

Other survivors are her mother, Isabel Robles; another sister,Susie Burda; her brothers, David and Danny, and her partner in lifeand in tango, Danny Novakovich.

Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. today at Our Lady of Mt. CarmelChurch, 690 W. Belmont, with burial in Queen of Heaven Cemetery,Hillside.