LibroTango and More…

Jake Spatz is the author of the Librotango book series
translating Golden Age lyrics. The translations are made for singing,
and many of his versions follow the original sheet music note for note.
Each volume also includes an informative thematic introduction,
casting a new light on the tango as a genre, plus extensive notes
on the origins and details of each song. The Lyrics pages archive
many early versions prepared for broadcast on the weekly program
“Bienvenidos al tango” on WOWD-LP Takoma Radio.

In April 2023, Jake and Dasha moved from DC
to the vibrant tango scene in Philadelphia,
where they are now making their new home.
Their upcoming tango events are listed below.

Past events (now closed) are listed here too,
to commemorate their successful runs.

Current EventS

(Philadelphia)

Fairmount Tango Club
2nd Saturdays (except Nov. 9, 2024)
Ukrainian League of Philadelphia
—8pm class ($15), 9-12 milonga ($20; $30 for both)
Electronic payments only please (buy advance tickets)

Past EventS

(Washington, DC)

Eastern Market Tango Club (2004-2020)
Thursdays & 1st Saturdays

Terrapin Tango Club (2010-2020)
Student group at the University of Maryland

Sundays at the Gym (2012-2020)
Weekly tango workshops

Early in its long run, the event survived a major fire on the premises in 2006. During building repairs the milonga continued at a large pub in nearby Silver Spring and later at Jake’s home in Arlington. It soon returned to a renovated North Hall at Eastern Market, where it ran strong for more than a decade until the Covid lockdown of 2020 ended its tenure as one of the East Coast’s most beloved tango venues.

A second home for locals and travelers alike, the Thursday and 1st Saturday milongas anchored the bustling tango calendar in DC, and offered a bridge for student clubs to test out the larger scene. After a successful run of seventeen years, the celebrated milonga went on hiatus in March 2020 during the Covid lockdown, with the end of its run announced in March 2023. As in many communities, new events and new organizers are rising to follow in its footsteps, and to guide the tango world forward through its next exciting chapters.

Jake Spatz began assisting at the Eastern Market milonga from its start in 2004, becoming house teacher in 2006 and then organizer in 2013, alongside co-host and teacher Dasha Khripkova. The milonga’s founder Bill Griffiths continued attending regularly as a mainstay on the social floor. Over the years, the event's dedicated crew included Dylan and Brendan Griffiths, Marty Maier, and local dancers Liz Sabatiuk, Ruth Kubishen, Jose Ortiz, Liz and David Chorvinsky, and Milos Nikolic. Event photographers Jaime Montemayor and Melody Yazdani, along with many others, captured the many faces of tango magic on the dance floor.

We saluted the passing of some good friends here, and we welcomed a great many new ones to the community. Now we bid a fond farewell to a beast of a milonga—one that gave so many of us so many rewarding times. Let us be glad we can raise a glass, to good old times, in pastures new.

DC Events

Eastern Market Tango Club closed in 2020, but you can find updated event listings for all tango activities in the DC area at the Capital Tangueros website and Facebook group

Retrospective

We are currently brainstorming about ideas for a retrospective to commemorate the milonga. We will post some updates once a viable project materializes

to Philadelphia!

Jake & Dasha are already joining the tango community in Philadelphia to teach and DJ, and will be posting calendar updates regularly for those traveling between cities

Resources & Links

Whether you're just getting into tango or you're new to the DC tango community, check out these resources for some more information about where to dance, how to dance, and why to dance :)

Learn Tango Music

Check out this hour-long discussion of the 2/4 measure in tango, with Jake Spatz and show host Maxfield Wollam-Fisher on Takoma Radio's program "Bienvenido al Tango."

Capital Tangueros

This volunteer calendar lists all the tango events in the DC area, and has up-to-date information about scheduling of classes, milongas, and other special events. Check it often!

In Strangers' Arms

Read about the cultural background and the roots of tango with In Strangers' Arms by Beatriz Dujovne (McFarland, 2011). Jake edited the book and provided many translations of tango lyrics.