Since 2008, the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School (PATS) has been promoting Argentine tango as a form of dance, music and poetry that can enrich anyone’s life. Tango dancing is based on walking, and is accessible to people of all ages. Tango music is in the midst of a renaissance and, as one of the leading tango music presenters in the United States, PATS is honored to be part of that. Tango poetry is lagging behind the other aspects of the art form. We look forward to seeing many new tango lyrics, on many topics and in multiple languages, to reflect tango’s global reach in the 21st century.
Our offerings include: group and private dance classes, both in person and online; workshops on special topics; small and large social dances (called practicas and milongas); guest residencies by tango performers and teachers of international stature; live tango music, from small events with a solo musician to full orchestras; lectures and workshops on the history of tango and related topics; and first dance preparation. We organize the Philly Tango Festival and the Fishtown Salon Concert Series.
During the pandemic, we have become one of the leading presenters of online tango content including lectures, dance classes for individuals and couples, and livestream music events. We held an entire Virtual Tango Festival featuring 49 artists from around the world in May 2020. While dancing together in person will not be safe for a while, outdoor, socially-distanced, seated concerts are now possible. We believe that we are the first tango organization to hold hybrid concert events, mixing live, outdoor socially-distanced performance with a live stream that can be viewed from anywhere in the world.
