About Us

E-Mail us at tangoroom@sbcglobal.net

About THE TANGO ROOM

The Tango Room Dance Center opened its doors on December 11, 2004, a date specifically meant to coincide with the International Day of Tango, a day in which tango communities around the world celebrate the Art of the Argentine Tango with shows, milongas, and concerts.

The Tango Room Dance Center is the home and heart of Argentine Tango in Southern California; and is the only studio dedicated to the teaching of authentic tango. Since it opened, The Tango Room has become home-away-from-home for many dancers who drop in during the day to practice, who devotedly attend El Encuentro, the Saturday night milonga and who attend as many tango classes and workshops as they can.

The Tango Room has gained a reputation throughout the dance world as consistently offering the highest level of teaching and presenting the best special workshops by visiting tango masters.

Although Argentine Tango is the soul of The Tango Room, we delight in in offering many other classes, such as Salsa, Bachata, Belly Dance, R&B Line Dance, Zumba, Childrens Latin Ballroom, and Childrens Ballet.

When you visit The Tango Room, you will feel as though you have stopped by a friend's place. For the owners, Julie Friedgen and Angel Echeverria, The Tango Room is as important to them as their own home.

About the Owners

ANGEL ECHEVERRIA - A true “porteno” (one born in Buenos Aires), Angel Echeverria remembers watching his aunt and uncle dance tango on the patio of the family home as he was growing up. Tango music filled the days and nights of his life since the neighborhood he grew up in was home to many famous tango musicians. As a teenager in the early 60’s he began his dancing career studying with the true tango masters, the old milongueros of the famous clubs such as Sunderland, Sin Rumbo, Sans Souci, 17 de Octubre, El Huracan and more. Living in Buenos Aires when the great tango orchestras were still playing at milongas, Angel had the good fortune to dance every week to the legendary orchestras of Pugliese, DiSarli, Basso and Troilo

Famous for his distinctive and authentic style of tango, his extraordinary musicality, his subtle lead and classic footwork, Angel is affectionately referred to as the “godfather” of tango in Los Angeles. Although he knows hundreds of complex combinations, his teaching is rooted in technique. These qualities, plus decades of dancing experience, make Angel an unparalleled teacher who relishes sharing tango history and stories with his students.

For many years, Angel hosted the Sunday night milonga at the Los Angeles Argentina Association and for the last ten years has hosted the very popular Saturday night milonga, El Encuentro, in Sherman Oaks.

JULIE FRIEDGEN - Motion picture and television writer Julie Friedgen is a native of Los Angeles. A former ballet and flamenco dancer, Julie grew up listening to the music of Carlos Gardel and watching her parents’ Argentine friends dance tango at parties. When she began dancing tango thirteen years ago she knew this was the dance for the rest of her life. Her years of ballet and flamenco training taught her how to express one’s feelings within a framework of technique. This ability and the passion she has for teaching make her a unique teacher. Her enthusiasm for and love of tango are infectious and all her students catch tango fever.

Together she and Angel have become well-known for their distinctive “milonguero” style of tango. They have co-produced some of the most successful live tango events in Los Angeles, i.e. “Tango in Hollywood” at the historic Hollywood Athletic Club; “Tango Confessions” at a landmark Southern California church; and six years ago introduced the first celebration in Los Angeles of The International Day of Tango each December 11^th by creating an Annual Award night to coincide with the celebrations held by tango communities the world marking the birthday of Carlos Gardel. In 2002, they created and organized the first tour of tango dancers ever to perform on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

Julie and Angel were the guest dancers in the production of “Flamenco Loves Tango” at the Thousand Oaks Arts Center. They have performed at Los Angeles’ Music Center for Hispanic Heritage month; for the Peruvian Consul General; at the NoHo Arts Festival; at the annual gala of the Mexican-American Bar Association; at the Friar’s Club in Beverly Hills and at the Beverly Hills Women’s Club; at various entertainment industry events as well as numerous private affairs.

Angel and Julie’s home is always open to their tango friends from all over the world who consider being invited to one of his famous asados (Argentine bar-b-que) as the highlight of their visit to Los Angeles.