Portland’s All Alternative Tango Weekend
Join us for an all-alternative tango weekend—come celebrate tango a different way, September 11–13 in Portland, OR.
Friday, September 11 – Sunday, September 13, 2026 · Portland, OR
Add whole weekendKick off the weekend with a colorful evening of dancing, community, and music. Wear your brightest colors or glow accessories and help light up the dance floor!
Spend the afternoon exploring new movement concepts in class, then stay to practice, experiment, and connect with fellow dancers in a relaxed setting.
Our signature Saturday night celebration features an unforgettable alternative set, plus a special live performance by Ciao Felicia.
For those who still have the dance bug (and aren’t ready to call it a night!), keep the energy going with our late-night session.
Wrap up the weekend with good food, great conversations, and one last afternoon of dancing together before heading home.
Azalea Jane (Portland, OR) has been dancing tango, blues, and fusion since 2009, and has been making music for dancers nearly that long, primarily tango. She plays piano, bandoneon, electric bass, percussion, and voice, and is also a composer, arranger, and producer. Over her fifteen years of playing tango music, she co-formed two different tango groups in Eugene (Combustion Chamber Orchestra and Tangor), obtained a master’s in music composition from UO where her final thesis was a cycle of original symphonic tango songs, and has attended the weeklong Tango for Musicians event held every other summer at Reed College six times since 2013.
Within the last two years, Azalea has been exploring herself as a solo artist. She began performing original tango piano arrangements for dancers in 2024, and original electronic compositions for fusion events in 2025. This will be her first solo set at a dedicated tango festival. Azalea’s set for Nexus will be a combination of many of her different interests and projects: tango standards for solo piano, original electronic beats, electrotango arrangements and compositions, and covers of popular alt tango or fusion songs.
With her original beats and arrangements, she loves to create immersive soundscapes with unique rhythms and harmonies that draw on her wide and eclectic musical background. It is her desire and passion to facilitate deeper connections between people and communities, both on and off the dance floor.
Ciao Felicia is a Portland, Oregon-based tango band that blends jazz and classical influences with classic tango tradition. The band’s name playfully merges the pop culture phrase “Bye, Felicia” with the title of the traditional tango song “Felicia,” reflecting their unique approach to the genre.
Specializing in tangos, valses, and milongas, Ciao Felicia aims to provide authentic and engaging experiences for tango dancers and enthusiasts alike. The band has been a vibrant part of the local tango scene for many years and has recently exploded their activity in the post-pandemic era, performing at milongas and concert stages.
Ciao Felicia has expanded its repertoire to include new arrangements, notably premiering a specially commissioned version of “Yapeyú” at the Tango for Musicians event at Reed College. Their performances not only cater to traditional tango settings but also reach wider audiences through various community engagements.
Noah Brenner has been exploring the unusual sounds and genres of the lever harp for over 30 years. In the mid-2000s, after several years of dancing tango, he dove into playing live tango music on his harp in Eugene, eventually releasing a tango album in 2014 named “Abandon.” Noah is known for playing at milongas from the center of the dance floor, connecting with the dancers from up close. He has played at past Alt Tango Weekends 2013 & 2014 in Portland, Connect 2012 tango festival in Ashland, and milongas in his home town of Eugene, where he also teaches both harp and tango.
Kella Hanna-Wayne has been DJing as much as she possibly can, in a variety of genres, for 15 years. She got her start DJing alternative tango for Eugene’s weekly dance Bailonga, and became their primary DJ in 2013. In 2014, her health significantly restricted her ability to dance or travel, but she became even more devoted to DJing for her local community in response. As a result, she learned to dance to the music in her mind instead of with her body and to connect to the entire dance floor at once instead of to one partner at a time.
Over the years, she has perfected the art of DJing 50/50 alternative and traditional tango sets, while also regularly DJing for Blues-Fusion or Traditional Tango events, often DJing more than 40 times a year. She was a guest DJ at Valentango 2013, Alt Tango Fest 2013 & 2014, and released a 2-hour online DJ workshop on 50/50 DJing in 2020. She is known for her compelling sets that don’t let you sit down as well as her alternative tango that appeals to both the most conservative tango dancers and the hardcore alternative lovers.
Michelle Badion has been teaching partner dance for over 40 years and Argentine tango for more than 30 years. She loves both traditional and Nuevo tango and has been a driving force in the growth of Nuevo and alternative tango in Seattle.
Michelle DJs the third Sunday Tangoesque (Seattle’s premier alternative milonga) as well as many 50/50 milongas that blend traditional and contemporary music. She is also the producer of the Seattle Nuevo Tango Experience, an annual event featuring 10 hours of workshops, two parties, and the Bohemian Ball.
Her extensive background in West Coast Swing, Latin, Blues, Ballroom, and other partner dances makes her uniquely qualified to DJ for the alternative tango community. Every song she selects works beautifully for tango, vals, or milonga while also inviting dancers from other styles onto the floor.
Michelle’s playlists feature music from around the world, organized into tandas of three songs with fun, creative cortinas. She believes that dance music should be beautiful, soulful, inspiring, and fun—creating an experience that encourages connection, creativity, and joyful dancing.
“Researcher of deep rolling beats and inspirational melodies to dance to.”
Caveman Eric, or “Cave E,” began as a radio DJ in the ’90s, later moving into event DJing. His passion for DJing became an obsession after discovering social dancing. Known for his love of “Funky Bluesy EDM,” he skillfully curates sets that appeal to multiple dance styles, from Ecstatic and Blues to Micro, Tango, and Swing.
An active community member, Eric is also involved in catering, Chinese tea service, event production, and teaching tai chi and dance. As a published songwriter and poet, he brings a unique insight into creating music that moves people.
“I want every song I play to call dancers to the floor, partner or not. Songs that capture your spirit and beg you to move.” — Eric Arthur
Rob Montango began his journey in movement as a career martial artist for over 30 years before discovering dance in 2006. What began as curiosity became devotion — he shifted his entire life toward the study of the dance, immersing himself in its music, history, and culture with the discipline of a lifelong athlete.
He has since trained extensively across the United States and Europe with master teachers, traveling constantly to refine both his dancing and his understanding of tango’s musical legacy.
As a DJ, Rob has headlined major festivals throughout the United States, Eastern Europe, and Asia. His sets are known for their emotional architecture — a blend of elegant Golden Age classics, powerful modern orchestras, and a distinctive alt-tango palette that he curates with the ear of a true audiophile. Whether playing a traditional salón or an alternative marathon, Rob crafts an atmosphere designed for deep connection, grounded energy, and unforgettable dances.
His mission is simple: to share music that inspires dancers, honors tradition, elevates community, and reveals the soul of tango — one tanda at a time.
DJ ZANGO aka Erik O’Banion fell into Argentine tango while attending the University of Oregon. After breaking his collarbone in a contact improv dance class, he decided to try a tango class instead, figuring tango would involve fewer broken bones.
Erik has been dancing tango for 25 years, and for the past 10 years, has been DJing and organizing dance events. His latest DJ passion is producing custom remixes after hearing songs that felt almost perfect for social dancing and thinking, “I bet I could make this even better for the dance floor.”
Whether he’s behind the DJ booth or on the dance floor, Erik approaches music as a dancer first. His inspiration comes not only from tango but also from dances like Zouk, Micro, and Urban Kiz. He loves introducing dancers to unexpected favorites and is always searching for the perfect version of a song that makes people want to dance one more tanda.
James Valentino is a Detroit-based Argentine Tango DJ, instructor, and organizer of the Motown Tango Marathon. He’s known for blending traditional tango structure with alternative influence and social dance culture. His DJ style draws from rhythm, atmosphere, and contrast to create nights that feel dynamic, grounded, and alive.
With roots in Hip-Hop, Latin music, and improvised partner dance, James approaches tango from an untraditional perspective — mixing dramatic orchestras, electronic textures, alternative tandas, and unexpected musical transitions while respecting the flow of the room.
As the founder of Tango 313 Detroit, James has become associated with a modern, evolving side of tango culture that embraces creativity, individuality, and crossover influence while staying socially connected at its core.
Steve began partner dancing in 1990 and has been immersed in Argentine tango since 2012, spending years learning, dancing, and supporting the tango community. Sandy started with Latin ballroom and discovered Argentine tango in 2010 and has been teaching since 2018.
The two met at a West Coast Swing dance in Portland and quickly bonded over a shared curiosity: exploring how the connection and technique of Argentine tango could thrive with non-traditional music. Together, they are passionate advocates for inclusive, role-fluid tango and have been actively promoting switch-role dancing and alternative music within the Portland tango community since 2021. Their classes and events encourage dancers of all backgrounds and experience levels to explore creativity, musicality, and connection in a welcoming environment.