September 3rd-6th, 2026

NY Queer Tango Weekend

2026 Performers & Instructors

Leonardo Sardella

Leonardo started dancing tango professionally in his hometown of Buenos Aires and has performed in Argentina with theaters including the Colon and Cervantes. He moved to New York City in 2011, where he co-founded Malevaje Tango dance company and later Friends of Argentine Tango. Leonardo has participated in International Tango festivals worldwide and performed in the US, England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Bolivia and Argentina. He was the choreographer for: Male Tango (IATI theatre) which was recognized with two HOLA awards and Two Latin ACE Awards nominations. He teaches weekly tango classes with NY City Tango and is a co-organizer and host of the BK Pride Milonga.

Walter Perez

Walter was trained by renowned Argentine tango masters Juan Carlos Copes, Graciela Gonzalez, and Rodolfo Dinzel, and also by salsa master teachers Eddie Torres and Jimmy Anton. He has appeared in Buenos Aires, New York, and other major cities worldwide as a feature dancer in many tango productions. In 2013, he co-founded Friends of Argentine Tango, a nonprofit organization. Since 2015, Walter and Leonardo have been the organizers of the NY Queer Tango Weekend. Walter was a grantee of LMCC Su Casa 2017-2022 and Creative Learning 2017 & 2020. In the USA, Walter has taught at Sandra Cameron, Dance Manhattan, Stepping Out Studios, IATI Theater, Friends of Argentine Tango, Brooklyn Public Library department of Creative Aging, and Lifetime Arts.

Luna Beller-Tadiar

Luna Beller-Tadiar (she/they) is a queer mixed-US-Filipinx multi-media artist and performer who works in choreography, video, text, and comics. As a tango dancer and teacher she has been anchored in the international queer tango community since 2018, and has since interpreted, organized, danced, and taught for queer tango organizations in Valencia, Paris, Lyon, Berlin, New York, Berkeley, and Buenos Aires.

Luna’s contemporary dance-choreography work has been shown at Movement Research Judson Church; Triskelion Arts; Ailey Theater; Mark Morris Dance Center; the 92NY; Duke University; Yale University; in La Union (Philippines); in Buenos Aires (Argentina); and in 2024 earned her recognition as a Jadin Wong Artist of Exceptional Merit from the Asian American Art Alliance. She has performed with others at Harlem Stage, National Sawdust, Tanglewood, the Yale University Art Gallery, the Performa Biennal 19, and more. She has taught dance at American Dance Festival studios, Duke University, University of Michigan, in Paris, Lyon, and Buenos Aires, and has taught regularly at The LGBT Community Center (NYC) since 2023.

Nick Wallach

Nick Wallach is a dancer, educator, and researcher of Argentinian and South American folkloric culture and dance who lives and shares the limitless ways folklore is danced socially and performatively in urban and rural communities across Argentina and the region. He won the Precosquin, Argentina’s largest folklore festival, with Ballet Sumampa, and has danced with traditional and contemporary groups including Recuerdo Salteño and El Federal. He completed academic training at leading US and Argentinian universities and he has lectured, taught regular classes, and performed at universities and festivals in the US, Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay. Currently he is completing a masters in Anthropology at La Universidad Nacional de San Martín as well as further studies at La Universidad Nacional de las Artes.

He shares folklore and folkloric dance as community-based practices that foster critical intercultural exchange and resistance to cultural commodification, that connect us with Argentinian and South American history and tradition, that reconnect us with the natural world, and that enable us to find freedom in our own bodies and collectively. He also currently researches variants of tango in Northwestern Argentina, as well as connections between folklore and the environment

Nicolás Filipeli

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nicolás Filipeli began dancing tango at the age of 15 alongside his twin brother Germán. Over the years, he expanded his artistic training through classical and contemporary dance, becoming part of different dance companies and developing a strong performance background. In 2014, Nicolás reached the final of the Tango World Championship as part of the first male couple to achieve this milestone. In 2019, he obtained 3rd place at the Tango World Championship, consolidating an innovative and expressive style.

Currently, Nicolás is preparing for the premiere of the documentary The Tango Twins, directed by Kelly Richardson, a project that follows the artistic journey and international development of the twins through tango. As a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, Nicolás has toured extensively across America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, performing and teaching at festivals, theaters, and renowned tango venues. During the last six years, he has participated in numerous shows and artistic projects in Japan, strengthening his international presence. Known as part of the Tango Twins, Nicolás has collaborated with prestigious tango companies and artists and has been invited to major international festivals. His teaching approach is distinguished by his ability to work and dance both roles (leader and follower), allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of connection, technique, musicality, and movement from both perspectives.

Extra Special Guest Performers TBA

DJs

Karen Johnson

Karen Johnson (she/they) is a queer dual role dancer, TDJ, instructor, and facilitator based in Philadelphia, PA. After studying open role tango, Karen co-founded Philly Queer Tango in 2016. She is passionate about creating and supporting spaces where diverse communities can experience the joy of queer tango. She has taught queer tango across the United States, and is part of the organizing team for La Nuestra Tango in New York City. Her teaching focuses on queer centered embodiment, body acceptance, musicality, and developing individual, personal tango styles for every body. As a TDJ, she builds primarily traditional sets with contemporary and alternative accents, focused on keeping people energized to dance all night long!

Liliana Chenlo

Liliana is a pioneer of queer tango and one of the leading figures in the international role-switching tango scene. She has taught and performed at many queer tango festivals around the world, from Berlin to Miami. She is the founder of her own tango company, “Open Tango,” in Buenos Aires, an inclusive space free from gender roles. Recognized as one of the best female tango leaders in the world, she was the first woman to lead at the Tango World Championship, reaching the semifinals. Additionally, Liliana has brought queer tango to international stages and is the organizer of the queer Diva Milonga and the “Love is Love” Queer Tango Festival in Buenos Aires.

& TBA

2026 Program

Thursday, September 3rd, 2026

Opening Night Milonga

8pm – 12am
Intermediate Class
La Nacional (239 W 14 St. Manhattan, NY)
$25
DJ: Liliana Chenlo
Featuring performance by: Nicolás Filipeli

Friday, September 4th, 2026

Friday Intermediate Tango Workshop

Intermediate Tango Workshop: Vals

Vals: Musicality, Circular & Linear Movement

6:30 – 8pm
Balance Arts Center (W 30th St., Manhattan) 3rd Floor
$45
Instructor: Nicolás Filipeli

Friday Night Milonga

8pm-12am
Balance Arts Center (W 30th St., Manhattan) 2nd Floor
$35
DJ: Karen Johnson
Featuring performances by: Luna Beller-Tadiar (Tango) & Arty Zhang (Drag)

Saturday, September 5th, 2026

Intermediate Tango Workshop

Intermediate Tango Workshop: Alterations

Alterations: Changing Directions & Creating Flow

1:30pm – 3pm
Manhattan LGBT Center (208 W 13th St., Manhattan – Room 214)
$45
Instructor: Nicolás Filipeli

Folklore Workshop

Folklore Workshop Description

TBA

3:00pm – 4:30pm
Manhattan LGBT Center (208 W 13th St., Manhattan – Room 214)
$45
Instructor: Nick Wallach

Beginner Workshop

Beginner Workshop: Description

Explore the foundations of tango in this newcomer-friendly workshop! Review the fundamentals of embrace, connection, and movement so you can get moving on the dancefloor.

4:30pm – 6pm
Manhattan LGBT Center (208 W 13th St., Manhattan – Room 214)
$45
Instructor: Luna Beller-Tadiar

Saturday Night Milonga

8pm-12am
Balance Arts Center (W 30th St., Manhattan) 2nd Floor
$35
DJ: Liliana Chenlo
Featuring performance by: Leo Sardella & Walter Perez

Sunday, September 6th, 2025

Sunday Brunch & Community Discussion

11:30am – 1:30pm
1138 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn NY (Free)

Sunday Afternoon Milonga

2pm-6pm
1138 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY
$35
DJ: TBA
Featuring performance by: Nick Wallach