Cheesman Pavilion

Denver Tango Festivals from 1999 - 2015

Denver Tango Festivals: 1999 - 2015

The mission statement for the Denver Tango festivals was always "By dancers; for dancers." 

The needs and desires of the dancers should be the priority. To that end, three things are essential: 

  • Most important: the quality of the DJ & the music
  • Organize of the dance floor to enable good dance flow
  • Provide everyone a seat so that the cabaceo is easy.
Vintate Tom
Vintage Tango Teacher

T om produced the Denver Tango Festivals for 15 years, Memorial & Labor Day weekends. These were some of the largest tango festivals in the US during the first decade of the 2000s. Tom was happy to take a break for 7 years, during which he recovered his passion for teaching and dancing Argentine Tango. 

Starting in 2023, the Denver Close-Encounters Tango Festival is a return to the original mission, which emphasized the social dancing of the golden era milongas of Buenos Aires.

Tom Stermitz   
303-725-5963   
[email protected]

Other Events

2025 Denver Close Encounters

Cheesman Park Milonga
A Tango weekend blending an Encuentro, a Marathon and the excitement of the Milongas of Buenos Aires. Three days of tango with one group of fellow tango fanatics. The emphasis is on Close-embrace dancing and traditional social codes. Top DJs are selected for their sensitivity to the passion and energy of the dancers and their love of the famous Golden Era orchestras.

2024 Denver Close Encounters Attendees

Tango Feet at the Denver Close Encounters Festival
We're thrilled to have so many tango dancers coming from all over the US... and beyond. The list is sorted by city rather than role because we have quite a few dual-role dancers.

Encuentro Codes & Customs

Cheesman Park Milonga
We style the Denver Close Encounters event in the tradition of the classic Buenos Aires milongas of the 1940s, 1990s and 2000s. This means we strive to follow the historic customs of good navigation and lanes, using the cabaceo to request a dance, and walking the followers back to their tables. This festival is for you if you love Buenos Aires style social dancing, and are good at navigating in a close embrace.