Workshop demo with Cecilia Gonzalez & Jake Spatz (Oct. 2015)

Classes with Jake

Beg - Int - ADv

Jake Spatz has been teaching tango since 2005 and gives it his all whether it’s for two students or two hundred. His focus on classic tango de salon emphasizes realistic social style, the beauty of an elaborated dance, and a lyrical musicality that reaches from basic rhythm to beyond.

Jake often uses a series format, exploring related moves to encourage his students’ versatility, with frequent review to strengthen retention. Known for his lucid explanations and practical advice to growing dancers, he views himself as his students’ stepping stone to success in the milonga. Recent topics include “Elegant tango salon,” "Creativity in tango," "General musicality," “The fleur-de-lis,” and "Social sacadas."

Intensive Workshops

The workshop format allows students to explore key concepts in greater depth, with the flexibility to let everyone learn by productive practice, by asking questions, and by breaking through limitations. Jake’s workshops typically mix a variety of approaches:

  • Solo work to learn and develop your skills

  • Partner practice to deepen your body awareness

  • Group drills to sharpen and maintain your technique

Sometimes exploring different styles of dancing, or diving deep into topics like creative improvisation or tone in the embrace, Jake’s workshops challenge dancers to broach new territory, adopt fresh perspectives, and open broader horizons for the long term of their dancing journey.

Private Lessons

Jake offers private lessons in Philadelphia at the Walker Dance Studio on Spring Garden St. Students are responsible for booking and floor fees (which are very reasonable).

Jake enjoys teaching couples to help students improve their teamwork and partnering, and charges dancers local to the Philadelphia area a flat fee of $80/hour for solo and couple lessons.

Jake’s Background

Tango began for Jake in 2001 in Brooklyn, where he started taking lessons at Art Land Bar with José Fluk and Silvana Brizuela-Weigel, learning to dance with other couples in a laughably tiny space to the live piano sets of Albert Garcon.

After moving to DC in 2003, Jake continued studying with everyone he could, including Pablo Fontana and Anne-Sophie Ville. In 2005 he made his first stage appearance, and soon racked up a list of credits including TV commercials, festival dances, the lead in a feature-length play, and shows at the Kennedy Center, Disney World, and the Washington Performing Arts Society, where his small troupe opened for the late Broadway legend Chita Rivera and won applause from the Ambassador of Argentina.

In 2006 Jake became house teacher at the popular Eastern Market milonga in DC, and in 2010 he began teaching for the Terrapin Tango Club at the University of Maryland. In 2010 he also ran the first of his tango bootcamps at Eastern Market, which for a decade launched numerous social dancers on their lovely way around the collective dance floor. He continues taking classes when he can, and has completed two seminars with Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne, while also pursuing intensive study under Gabriel Missé and Claudio Villagra. Jake has also assisted and performed with esteemed luminaries including Cecilia Gonzalez, Mariana Galassi, Monica Paz, Virginia Pandolfi, and Analía Centurión.

In Philadelphia since 2023, Jake now runs Milonga Corazón every second Saturday, and teaches for the UPenn tango club on Mondays. He edits the local event calendar posted at Tangodelphia.com.