Buenos Aires is always the epicenter of the tango map, and with the arrival of the Tango World Championship, the city reaffirms itself welcoming dancers, masters, and enthusiasts from all over the planet. At Secreto Tango Society, we wanted to be part of this global gathering by celebrating it in the best possible way: with our house fully renovated and opening our doors with an international milonga to dance, reconnect, and unveil the new space together with the community.
For this event, we had the pleasure of welcoming great couples who joined our dance floor at Gorriti 5801. Because, although they arrived from different latitudes with distinct backgrounds and languages, when the tango begins to play, everyone converges in the exact same embrace.
Voices of the World: What Does Tango and Competing in Buenos Aires Mean?
Taking advantage of their time in the city during the World Cup, we welcomed several international dancers and competitors to our venue to ask them two simple things: how their journey in dance began and what it represents for them to be today in the meca of the genre.
Among them, from Brazil, we received Marina Ernandes and Facundo Rodríguez, based in São Paulo and current Brazilian Tango Escenario Champions. Marina shared an endearing memory of how her passion started:
“I remember when I was a little girl and traveled to Buenos Aires with my parents; I went to a tango show and fell in love. I thought I had to learn it, otherwise I would be a frustrated person… Today is the ninth year I come to compete in the World Cup, and with Facu we have been dancing together for five years.”
Reflecting on what it means to return to the city year after year, she told us about that unmistakable nostalgia of living, breathing, and fully immersing themselves in tango, which has become almost their entire life.
That same sense of discovery connects with the experience of Jezebel Dang and Zhenyu Raphael Zhou, winners of the preliminary round in China and originally from Xi’an and Chengdu. Making their very first trip to Buenos Aires after winning in their home country, they combined the intensity of the competition with visits to historic circuit classics like El Beso, Salón Canning, and La Viruta.
From another corner of the globe, Polina Luchin and Artem Luchin from Moscow, Russia, highlighted the deep sense of community that the Argentine winter brings, noting how special it is to gather in Buenos Aires every August to reconnect with maestros and friends from all over the world.
That spirit of reunion was equally present when we welcomed Tanya Gutiérrez and Sebastián Avendaño, Colombians based in Germany, reigning European Champions, and school directors. While Tanya recalled with a smile how tango completely captured her and made her fall in love, Sebastián emphasized why the city remains the ultimate destination:
“Buenos Aires continues to be undoubtedly the number one place to come live and enjoy tango. It is an obligatory date for meeting friends, family, masters, history, and living it.”
The gathering also extended to leading figures of the European scene, such as Sperling and Aguilar, CEOs of TangoInMilan and 2026 Italian Tango Escenario Champions, alongside Anes and Matteo, an Argentine-Italian couple who visited our show during their stay and went on to reach the Tango de Pista final.
The Pride of Our Cast: Talent, Journey, and World Stages
The celebration in our renovated space also had a very special flavor indoors, recognizing the talent and achievements of the great artists who form part of our team of experts:
- Guadalupe Ponzelli and Lisandro Eberle: Who became finalists in Tango Escenario at the 2026 World Cup, choosing to interpret “Cualquiera de estas Noches”, a beloved piece from our repertoire, with the same intensity they share night after night in our room.
- Estefanía Gómez and Fernando Rodríguez: 2019 Tango Escenario World Champions and the last couple to be crowned at the historic Luna Park. Recalling those nerves prior to the grand definition, Fernando and Estefanía pointed out:“Being there on the World Cup stage means something new and very big; we were shaking like a leaf… But when you go out, you forget the world because otherwise, it’s impossible. To the colleagues competing today, we tell them to enjoy it, that it’s already played out.”
- Sabrina Nogueira and Eber Burger: Outstanding semifinalists in Tango Escenario at the Buenos Aires City Championship, who contribute their mastery and form an essential part of our cast.
An Open Space for the International Community
Unveiling our renovated house surrounded by these stories confirms the very reason for being of Secreto Tango Society. We do not seek to be just a room where a show is consumed, but a living meeting point. A space where world champions, competitors from all continents, and curious travelers cross paths on the dance floor, share an embrace, and continue writing the history of the international tango community.
