Luciana Valle
Portland Tango weekend

Luciana Valle
Tango Workshops

Portland, OR - May 6-12, 2025

Save the Date

May 6-12, 2025

Register soon, workshops fill up fast!

Matías Sotto will also be in town. He will teach a couple of workshops with Luciana, the intro class at Berretin milonga on Saturday. Matias is a fabulous teacher, gentle and precise he will provide an excellent partner for Luciana.

Matías Sotto Bio

Mati is a distinguished Argentine tango dancer renowned for his profound understanding of body mechanics, stemming from his background in ballet. This expertise has enabled him to refine tango movements, aligning them with the body’s natural dynamics.

For over a decade, Matías has collaborated with Luciana Valle. Their partnership has flourished both in Buenos Aires and internationally, including notable performances at events like the Portland Tango Festival. Their teaching emphasizes a deep comprehension of tango’s structure, technical precision, and the importance of connection between dance partners.

In 2013, Matías made history by partnering with Alejandro Segovia as the first male couple to qualify for the semifinals in the World Cup Tango, securing 8th place.

Matías maintains an active presence on social media, sharing insights into his dance journey and upcoming events. His Instagram account provides a glimpse into his professional endeavors.

Luciana Valle Bio

Luciana Valle, a tango dancer since the nineties, played a pivotal role in the Tango Investigation group of Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas. This project significantly contributed to the development of the tango language now widely used globally for teaching tango.

Renowned for her expertise as both a leader and follower, Luciana has earned widespread recognition as one of the finest female teachers. Her teaching style is characterized by fantastic energy, exuberance, and a keen eye for detail. Luciana employs descriptive movement images, making intricate actions accessible to her students. Her classes emphasize the dance’s structure, technical nuances for comfortable and expressive movement, and the strong connection between leaders and followers. This approach challenges and benefits both leaders and followers alike.

Additionally, Luciana is a co-founder of El Motivo Tango, a trio of female excellent tango teachers. This dynamic group not only imparts their tango expertise but also hosts a highly attended practica every Monday evening in Buenos Aires.

Since 1999, Luciana has been a regular presence in Portland, conducting tango workshops and offering private lessons. Her enduring commitment to teaching has left an indelible mark on the local tango community.

Rino Fraina & Graziella Pulvirenti Tango weekend

Rino Fraina & Graziella Pulvirenti

Tango Workshops

Portland, OR - July 9-15, 2025

Save the date:

July 9-15, 2025

Stay tuned for more details.

Rino & Graziella – Bio

Rino and Graziella began their dance journey together with the clear goal of building a stable partnership while refining their technical and artistic growth in tango. After reaching a professional level in ballroom dance, they transitioned to tango, drawn by its greater freedom of musical and movement interpretation. Their rigorous training in other dance forms has shaped their approach, leading them to develop a structured, recognizable teaching method based on strong technical foundations.

They have taught at numerous tango schools across Italy and serve as directors of the En Tus Brazos Tango Association in Catania and Eboli (Salerno).

Their tango training includes studying with esteemed masters such as Alejandro Arenas and Marisol Morales, among others. They continue expanding their knowledge by organizing and participating in advanced seminars with Chicho Frumboli & Juana Sepúlveda and Gustavo Naveira & Giselle Anne.

As teachers, Rino and Graziella focus on helping students deepen their technical understanding of tango. Their lessons and guided practices provide clear, structured instruction, equipping dancers with the essential tools to develop and refine their own unique style.

Rino and Graziella are not only accomplished tango dancers but also event organizers, hosting gatherings such as the Catania Summer Tango Week.

They have taught and performed at numerous national and international tango events, including:

  • Rosario Tango Festival – Rosario, Argentina
  • Festivalito Tango Upload – Lisbon, Portugal
  • Tango Upload – Coimbra, Portugal
  • Mediterranean Tango Cruise
  • Bunker Tango – Turin, Italy
  • Fall Portland TangoFest – Portland, OR, U.S.A.

As performers, they have graced stages at:

  • The Tangart – Athens, Greece
  • Boulder Tango Festival – Boulder, CO, U.S.A.
  • Iconic Argentinian milongas such as Milonga 10 and El Gardel de Medellín

They are also the creators and choreographers of the theatrical tango show Which Tango Are You?, performed in Italian theaters.

Explore more about them at www.rinoygraziella.com.

 

Maria Olivera tango Workshops

Maria Olivera
Tango workshops

Portland, OR - June 12, 19, 2025

Workshops

with Maria Olivera

From Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

She will be back in Town

Stay tuned for more details:

www.shabustudios.com

More to come

.

Maria Olivera From  Buenos Aires, Argentina

María Olivera has been dancing Argentine Tango for 19 years. She is a member of the Asociación de Maestros, Bailarines y Coreógrafos de Tango Argentino and a Member of the International Dance Council (CID-Unesco) since 2014.

In 2006 she started traveling internationally to teach and perform. She has taught workshops and performed in the most important tango communities of the SA (New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, San Diego, Cincinnati, Hartford, Seattle, Washington DC, Atlanta, Memphis, Miami, Tampa,  Honolulu, Maui, Chicago, Tucson, Albuquerque, Portland, Salt Lake City),  and Europe (Staffordshire, Devon, Cardiff, Newcastle Upon Tyne, London,  Bramshaw – United Kingdom-, Stockholm, Umea, Skelleftea –Sweden-, Turku/Abo –Finland-, Bonn, Saarbrucken and Wiesbaden –Germany- Milos, Greece), as well as in Mexico, Brazil and Canada (Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Edmonton.)

Maria has been part of many tango festivals in more than one occasion: Valentango (Oregon, USA), – October Fest (Oregon, USA), Chicago Mini Tango Festival (Illinois, USA), Meet in the middle (Missouri, USA), -Tucson Tango Festival (Arizona, USA), – Albuquerque Tango Festival (New Mexico, USA), – NYC Milonguero weekend (New York, USA), – Tango Sutra (Washington DC, USA), – Moonlight in Vermont (Vermont, USA), – Turkey Tango Festival (Oregon, USA), San Diego Tango Festival (California, USA), – Tango de los Angeles (St. Wendel, Germany), – Tangosommer Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden, Germany),  Montecattini Terme Tango Festival (Montecattini, Italy),Tango Tangk (Bramshaw, Reino Unido),  Tango Feast (Devon, Reino Unido),  1º Congresso du Tango Argentino (San Pablo, Brazil),  Todos Tango Festival (San Miguel de Allende, México),  Salt Lake City Tango Festival (Utah, USA), Barcelona Tango Meeting (Barcelona, Spain) Montana Tango Uprising (Montana, USA), Greek Island Tango Retreat (Milos, Greece), Milonguero Wochenende (Saarbrucken, Germany)

She co-produced the documentary film: “The History of Tango Dance 1940 – 1960 – The Golden Years”.

In 2012 she released and instructional DVD “Techniques for followers”.

She has performed as a jury for the “Campeonato de Tango Sede Zona Norte”, one of the preliminary competition whose awarded couple is selected to participate in the Semifinals of the “Mundial de Tango” in the city of Buenos Aires.

She has been distinguished with the award “Pa’que bailen los muchachos”, declared of cultural interest by the Honorable Congreso de la Nación Argentina, Secretary of Culture and Legislature of the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires.

Among hundreds of performances she has been part of the play “Tango Allure” in the city of Tucson, Arizona, she performed at the opening of the full dome film Tango 360, the inauguration of the Rally Dakar 2015, in the Annual “Feria del Libro” and at the magnificent Salón San Martín in Buenos Aires.

María has lectured about the connection of Tango with other disciplines at the University of Bucknel, Ashland and Dartmouth, all in the USA and she has coached in the field of Argentine Tango for the Arthur Murray dance schools in the State of Connecticut, USA.

She has also taught at several milongas and dance schools of Buenos Aires: Escuela de Tango Beba Bidart,“La Milonguita”, “Vida Mía”, Centro Cultural Torquato Tasso, – “Porteño y Bailarín”, Nueva Escuela Argentina de Tango, – El Beso, Obelisco Tango Escuela, Centro de Artes AlFer, “Nuevo Chiqué”, Milonga “Mi refugio,  Milonga “Lujos”, Milonga “Sentimental y coqueta”, etc

Currently, she teaches regular tango, milonga and technique at Escuela de Tango de Buenos Aires.

SAVE THE DATE

June 12, 19, 2025

Location

 

Shabu studios

6055 NE Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97213

Portland Tango Website Update

Portlandtango website update

New look and new information

Welcome to the updated portlandtango.com website!

We are all hoping that it is finally come the time to go back dancing after almost two years of separation.

In these two years the Portland Tango Association (PTA) has worked hard in refurbishing the portlandtango website with a more modern look. Most of the preexisting information has been kept but reorganized in a slightly different manner.

There are a new google calendars where events can be listed and  Google groups to substitute the defunct Yahoo groups.

Now we just need you to let us know what you think and how we can improve it. Send us your thoughts here.

Concerning the teachers and organizer we need help from them to update the events happening in town once they start going.

Some teachers already have a dedicated page created from preexisting information. We might have missed others, apologies if that happened.

As an organizer or teacher, to update or create a new presence on this site or have access to the new google calendar please fill in the forms below.

If you are a local teacher and would like to add your information to this site:

Fill in the following form.

If you are a local organizer and you would like to:

  • Promote your event on this site
  • Have access to the Portland Tango Community Calendar to schedule events

Fill in the following form.

Portland Tango Community

Portland Tango Community

Portland, OR

We invite you to visit Portland and its wonderful Milongas.

 

Housing in Portland

Portland has a large and congenial community of tango dancers, who love to share their passion and their homes with visiting dancers.

If you’re coming to Portland and need housing, Contact us with your information. Please include dates, preferences, minimum acceptable accommodations, special needs, etc.

While finding a space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to communicate your needs to the Portland community on our local email list.

Some accommodations are free or for trade, and others may have a small charge.

Good luck, and we all hope your visit to Portland is enjoyable if not magical!

Please, send us a feedback, positive or negative about your experiences here.

Thanks!

Categories PTA