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We are thrilled to announce the FULL PROGRAM for the 1st Edition of the International Open Roles Tango Festival – Ireland!📅 April 1–5, 2026
📍 Across different cities in Ireland - Dublin - Bray - Wexford
This festival is not just about dancing — it’s about building a community. We invite dancers, culture lovers, and creatives to join us in celebrating inclusion, collaboration, and open roles in Argentine Tango.
Our classes explore the experience of perspective in movement: what it means to dance from our own place, and what transforms when we step into the place of the other. Through role exchange and shared practice, we reflect on empathy, listening, and collective awareness — both as individuals and as a community.
WED 1 – DUBLIN📍 The Factory at Bolands Mills
🔸6pm - Tango Fundamentals – Lucia & Gerry
An essential class focused on the foundations of Argentine Tango. Participants will explore posture, connection, embrace, walking technique, and musical awareness. Suitable for beginners and dancers who wish to refine their basics with clarity and depth.
🔸7pm - Milonga Workshop – Analia Vega & Marcelo Varela fom ARG
A dynamic workshop dedicated to the rhythm and character of milonga. Learn how to move with agility, playfulness, and precision while developing confidence in this joyful and fast-paced tango style.
🔸8:30pm - La Social Milonga at the Factory!
An evening of social dancing in a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere — a space to connect, practise, and enjoy the music together.
Join us for the opening night of the festival at The Factory at Bolands Mills, a stunning space by the canal that blends history, light, and contemporary design. It offers the perfect setting to begin our celebration.
Let the music, the space, and the embrace set the tone for an unforgettable festival week.
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THUR 2 – DUBLIN📍 Scot’s Hall, Clontarf
🔸4pm - FREE Tango Class – Absolute Beginners – Lucia & Gerry
A welcoming introduction to Argentine Tango for those taking their very first steps. No experience or partner required. Discover connection, rhythm, and the joy of dancing in a supportive environment.
🔸5:15pm - Move Smart: Injury Prevention for Dancers
Laura - Bay Area Yoga
This workshop is designed for dancers who want to better understand and care for their bodies. We will explore posture, alignment, balance, and injury prevention, with particular attention to the feet, ankles, knees, and hips.
Led by a Chartered Physiotherapist, the session is open to all dance styles and levels and provides practical tools to improve movement quality and support a healthy, sustainable dance practice.
🔸7pm - Tango Film Screening – Midsummer Night’s Tango
A charming comedy, following an Argentine guitarist (Diego "DIPI" Kvitko - Our festival’s guest artist) and singer (Chino Laborde) who travel to Finland to investigate a surprising claim: that tango was born there. Through encounters with Finnish musicians and tango lovers, the film explores how this deeply Argentine music found a second home in the far north. What begins as a humorous cultural question becomes a touching journey about identity, nostalgia, and the universal language of tango.
🔸8:30pm - Flor de Milonga with Live Music
A vibrant social milonga featuring live music. Experience the energy and emotion of dancing to a live Argentine tango guitarist Diego "DIPI" Kvitko, in an intimate and atmospheric setting.
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FRI 3 – BRAY 📍Holy Redeemer Parish Youth Centre
🔸6pm - FREE Tango Class – Absolute Beginners – Lucia & Gerry
An open class designed for newcomers who wish to experience tango for the first time in a relaxed and friendly space.
🔸7pm - Musicality for Dancers – Analia Vega & Marcelo Varela + Dipi Kvitko fom ARG
A dynamic workshop where dance and live music come together. Led by a dance couple and a musician working in collaboration, this session explores how to interpret tango music with greater depth and expression. Through live interaction between movement and sound, participants will learn to recognise phrasing, dynamics, and rhythm — and translate them clearly and creatively into their dance.
🔸8:30pm - Flor de Milonga – Bray
An evening of social dancing celebrating community, connection and music.
Let the rhythm guide you through tandas of classic and contemporary tango, surrounded by a warm community spirit. Whether you come to dance, observe, or simply soak in the energy, Flor de Milonga invites you to be part of the experience.
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SAT 4 – WEXFORD 📍St. Joseph’s Community Centre
🔸1pm - Festival Lunch - by Kasia
A relaxed gathering to share food and conversation, strengthening the community spirit of the festival.
🔸2pm - FREE Tango Class – Absolute Beginners – Lucia & Gerry
An accessible introduction to tango, open to all with no prior experience required.
🔸3:30pm - Tango Film Screening – Milongueros: El compás de Buenos Aires
Experience an intimate look at the traditional milongueros of Buenos Aires and the rhythm that shapes their dance culture. Directed by Rika Fukuda and José Luis Ferraro, this film brings the heart of the milonga to life. We extend our special thanks to Rika Fukuda for generously sharing her work and making this screening possible at our festival.
🔸5:30pm - Tango Workshop – Analia Vega & Marcelo Varela fom ARG
A focused workshop designed to deepen your tango practice, with exercises to refine technique, improve partner connection, and enhance expressive movement. This interactive session invites dancers to actively explore musicality, precision in footwork, embrace dynamics, and fluid improvisation, providing practical tools to elevate both social and stage tango. Participants will gain insights to strengthen their personal style and deepen their connection on the dance floor.
🔸7–10pm - Wexford Milonga – Show
A festive evening of social dancing featuring a special performance by Analia & Marcelo, celebrating tango’s elegance, tradition, and evolving spirit, hosted by the vibrant Wexford community, eager to learn and warmly welcoming all visitors to share in the joy of the dance.
All Day – Tango Art Exhibition
Paintings by Dimitry Avtin Diamond inspired by tango’s movement, emotion, and atmosphere. An artistic exploration accompanying the dance experience.
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SUN 5 – WEXFORD 📍St. Joseph’s Community Centre
🔸1pm- Festival Lunch – Kasia
A second opportunity to gather, share, and connect before the closing day activities. Kasia will lovingly prepare this meal with care and passion, making it a delicious and heartfelt experience for everyone.
🔸2pm - Zamba – Argentine Folklore – Analia Vega & Marcelo Varela from ARG
An introduction to Zamba, one of Argentina’s most poetic traditional dances. Explore its graceful musicality, rich history, and expressive partner work, guided by Analia Vega and Marcelo Varela. Participants will learn the distinctive steps, elegant handkerchief movements, and subtle rhythms that give Zamba its lyrical charm. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to connect with Argentine folklore, deepen your understanding of partner dynamics, and experience the dance’s emotional storytelling firsthand.
🔸3:30–4pm - Break
🔸4–5:30pm- Vals Workshop – Analia Vega & Marcelo Varela from ARG
A workshop dedicated to the Argentine tango Vals, designed to deepen your understanding of its circular movement, elegant flow, and musical interpretation. Participants will explore timing, subtle footwork, and fluid rotation, while refining connection with their partner and expressing the lyrical, romantic qualities that make Vals unique. Through guided exercises and improvisation, dancers will gain practical tools to move with confidence and grace on the dance floor.
🔸5:30–9pm - Farewell Wexford Milonga
A closing social dance celebrating the connections and experiences shared throughout the festival.
🔸All Day – Tango Art Exhibition
Paintings by Dimitry Avtin Diamond.
Join us in creating an open, inclusive, and unforgettable tango experience!
With tango love ❤️
Lucia & Gerry
NOTE: Analia and Marcelo are available for private dance lessons-
Dipi is available for private music lessons.
Festival Contributors
♦️Partner - Tango Wexford
♦️Official stand - Silueta Porteña
♦️TDJ - Juanito Huracan
♦️Visual art - Dimitry Avtin Diamond
♦️Physiotherapy Applied to Dance - Bay area Yoga
♦️Culinary experiences - Kasia Nowik
♦️Featured Film - Rika Fukuda
♦️Buenos Aires Tango Photography Exhibition -Lucia Seva
♦️Designing custom shoes - Marina Kazijeva
Supported by the National Tango Academy of Buenos Aires Argentina
Organized by Lucia & Gerry, passionate Argentine tango instructors and promoters of tango culture.
info and bookings :
Lucia +353 89 406 6198
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Event Venue
Ireland, Riverview House, 1 Bayview Terrace, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland
Tickets
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