A Tango weekend blending an Encuentro, a Marathon and the excitement of the Milongas of Buenos Aires. Four 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.
This festival is for you if you love traditional Buenos Aires style social dancing, and are good at navigating in a close embrace.
Many of us experienced tango in Buenos Aires in the 1990s and 2000s when the older Milongueros from the 1940s had returned to the dance floor. Encuentros are inspired by the milonguero style of dancing, and Encuentro fans are a bridge between that older generation to the younger generations. The Denver Close Encounters has a goal of building diversity across generations and geography.
2026 Dates May 22 - 24: "4th Denver Close Encounters"
- May 22 - 24, 2026
- Friday, Saturday & Sunday - 6 Milongas
- Thursday Early Arrival Community Milonga
- Sunday Tango Colorado Cheesman Park Milonga
- Denver Turnverein, 1570 N Clarkson
Like a Marathon - Dancing afternoon and evening; With “early” 12:00am endings for recuperation.
Like an Encuentro - Limited to 180 role-balanced participants; single ticket for the weekend.
Traditional Milongas like Buenos Aires - Dance floor with seating for all, Close-embrace, floor craft & lanes, mirada & cabeceo.
The Warwick Hotel is well-recommended. It's a 4+ star hotel only 7 blocks from our venue, and the prices have been in the $120-$130 range depending on dates & resellers.
Codes, Cabeceo & Assigned Seating
One contribution from the Encuentro tradition is to follow traditional Buenos Aires milonga codes and provide seating for every participant. Many traditional milongas separate the Leaders and Followers into different sections. We prefer groupings of Follower tables alternating with Leader tables. This helps immensely with the cabeceo & floor access, and minimizes clogs of dancers.
Your Hosts
Tom & Analii Stermitz. Tom organized 35 Tango Festivals from 2000 through 2015. Analii has been a movement professional all her life, and offers her elegant Tango Fashions.
