About the Club

Welcome to PennTango!

Since 2009, PennTango has been promoting the enjoyment of Argentine tango at the University of Pennsylvania. Argentine Tango is a highly social dance form, emphasizing connection and improvisation. PennTango's membership consists of a fun group of social dancers interested in improving their tango skills and building a larger community to go out dancing with!  We are not a performance group, and do not limit membership or hold auditions. We are open to all Penn students, faculty, staff and alumni!

You can reach us at penntango@gmail.com or our Instagram page.

About Tango

Argentine Tango (as opposed to Ballroom Tango which is its own genre) is a highly social dance form, emphasizing connection and improvisation. It originated in the 1880s in the Rio de la Plata region between Argentina and Uruguay, and contains both European and African influences. 

There is a leading role, traditionally danced by men but not exclusively anymore, and a following role, traditionally danced by women, but now with occasional male followers as well. There are also dancers (typically more advanced) who can switch between roles.

The steps between the partners correspond to each other; if the leader does Step A, the follower must know to respond with Step A'. However, in Salon Tango aka Social Tango there is no memorized choreography. The leader may lead any steps he/she pleases, as long as it follows the music. This improvisation is part of what makes tango so unique. Stage Tango is where steps are choreographed, and this is what you have likely seen on TV. 

PennTango practices Salon Tango. 

About the Instructors

We are taught by our house instrcutors, Jake and Dasha.

Jake Spatz founded TangoDC in Washington, DC in 2005, became house teacher at the popular Eastern Market milonga in 2006, and became the instructor for the University of Maryland’s Terrapin Tango Club in 2010. He has performed in festivals, feature-length plays, commercials, and live shows at the Kennedy Center, Disney World, and Washington Performing Arts Society. He continues to hone his craft by attending masterclasses, and is also a noted tango DJ and translator of tango lyrics.

Dasha Khripkova began DJing in Philadelphia in 2008, and after moving to DC she co-hosted and taught at Eastern Market with Jake since 2010. They were featured dancers in the How Philly Moves mural at the Philadelphia Airport. Dasha and Jake moved to Philadelphia in 2023, and they run Fairmount Tango Club's Milonga Corazón every 2nd Saturday.

Will and Zoe, experienced members of the local tango community, also step in from time to time to help us workshop new figures!