Abrazo Queer Tango

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Abrazo Queer Tango

We are a SF Bay Area queer tango organization that offers weekly tango classes and a monthly milonga.

Once upon a time, in a land quite similar to this one, kindred from far and wide gathered to dance, prance, and make oh so very merry. They called it Queer Tango, and those were some seriously happy people.

05/14/2026

He aha te mea nui o te ao? | What is the most important thing in the world?
He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata | It is people, it is people, it is people
Whakataukī | Māori proverb

Dr Jacquelyn Parente (she/her) is a social, q***r tango dancer. She began dancing tango milonguero in New Zealand in 2010. In 2016-2019, she served as Demonstrator with Lucia Nuss in Germany, while dancing socially at q***r tango events throughout Europe, including retreats with Brigitta Winkler and Malin Backström and workshops with Geraldine Rojas & Ezequiel Paludi. She returned home to Los Angeles in 2019 and in 2023 resumed learning with tango milonguero and tango salon instructors, Daniel Arias and Katerine Ricardo, respectively.

Her background in engineering, athletics, and caregiving brings together a dance style rooted in clarity, connection, and attention within a close-embrace. Known for her smoothness, musicality, and playfulness, she priorities how tango feels. She remains curious about the factors that enable dancers to gain physical, emotional, and social security on the crowded dance floor. Currently, Jacquelyn serves as Emergency Medical Technician in Los Angeles. She holds an EMT certificate from UCLA, a PhD in Bioengineering from University of Canterbury, and a ScM in Biomedical Engineering and AB in Biology both from Brown University.

—
It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jacquelyn Parente to Abrazo this weekend.

📣 ABRAZO, THE Q***R MILONGA SATURDAY, MAY 16

6:00-7:00 pm All-levels class Jacquelyn Parente
7:00-10:00 pm DJ Andres
8:30 pm birthday vals and our community dance

$15-25 Honor System* Sliding Scale
$10 Students w/ ID

📣 SUNDAY Classes, May 17

3:15-3:30 pm Check-in
3:30-4:30 pm Fundamentals
4:30-5:30 pm Practica
5:30-6:30 pm Deeper dive class.

COST
$15-25 Honor System* Sliding Scale per class, practica free with class or $5 alone.
$10 Students w/ ID

📣 Private Lessons
Jacquelyn is offering a limited number of private lessons during her weekend with us: [email protected]

📣 REGISTRATION FOR ALL EVENTS

Venmo: abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal: abrazoq***[email protected]
Zelle: abrazoq***[email protected]

Note what you are paying for in the comment section
No Refunds or Exchanges
→You can pay at the door, but preregistration is helpful.

Black and White photo credit: Helene Modigh

Abrazo Q***r Tango: Q***r tango by and for q***r, trans, and non-binary dancers (and few of our unicorn friends.)

05/03/2026

Beautiful dancers,

Every Sunday, q***r tango by and for q***r, trans and non-binary dancers.

✨ TEACHER SCHEDULE FOR MAY!

-5/3 Carrie Fundamentals. Nicolas Martin Filipeli from BA, Deeper Dive
-5/10 Carrie and Andrés Ozzuna, both classes
-5/17 Jacquelyn Parente from LA, both classes (she's also teaching our premilonga class on 5/16)
-5/24 Aramo from QT Spain, both classes
-5/31 Carrie and Andres, both classes.

🌈 SUNDAY SCHEDULE

3:15-3:30 pm Check-in

3:30-4:30 pm Fundamentals class. Who will benefit: new dancers and all-level dancers who want to focus on tango basics to advance their dance.

4:30-5:30 pm Practica - socialize, practice, enjoy life + tea and treats station: bring a cup and goodies to share when you wish!

5:30-6:30 pm Deeper dive class. Who will benefit: dancers with 8 or more tango classes, who have an understanding of tango basics, and who want to go deep on special topics, getting more into technique, steps and pivots, spirals and joy.

🎟️ COST
$15-25 honor system sliding scale per class. $10 Students students with ID.

(Note: the Deeper Dive class is for folks with at least 8 Fundamental classes AND a knowledge of tango basics.)

🌈REGISTRATION FOR ALL EVENTS not required, but very helpful

Venmo: abrazo-tango
Paypal: abrazoq***[email protected]
Zelle: abrazoq***[email protected]
>>>No refunds or exchanges. Note what you are paying for in the comment section.

LOCATION
FINNISH HALL 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702

❤️💪🏾 I got nothin' but love for you. Have the best May possible.

04/05/2026

First Sunday of April and it's a good moment to be dancing q***r tango!

FINNISH HALL 1970 Chestnut st. Berkeley.
Sunday April 5, 12, 26: Salem teaches the 3:30 fundamentals class.
Sunday April 5, 12: Glenn teaches the 5:30 deeper dive class.

THE DOME, 951 62nd st. Oakland.
Friday - Sunday April 17-19: Q***r Tango Intensive with Augusto La Marshall

Happy dancing peeps!

03/30/2026

April 16-22, 2026, we welcome back to the West Coast, the godfather of q***r tango, Augusto LaMarshall from Buenos Aires, for a Q***r Tango Intensive: private lessons, workshops, performances, practicas, milongas, socials and all the love and joy we can fit in the room.

Augusto is also a featured artist at the amazing Miami Q***r Tango Festival, ***rtangomiami, April 9-12.

He's an amazing teacher, founder and organizer of q***r tango in BA, a truly gifted gem of the q***r tango world, and he's not in the USA often. Catch him on the east or west coast, or both if you can, while he is here in April.

03/19/2026

ABRAZO, THE Q***R MILONGA
SATURDAY, MARCH 21

6:00-7:00 pm All-levels class with Luna Beller-Tadiar from Q***r Tango NYC
--- Bring a friend, or a crush, or just come on your own. Luna teaches lovely classes!
7:00-10:00 pm DJ Nico
8:30 pm birthday vals and our community dance

COST
$15-25 Honor System* Sliding Scale, milonga plus performance.
$10 Students w/ ID

*Have more cash, please consider the higher / standard rate. DONATIONS, if you can’t join us this month, are greatly appreciated and help us meet our expenses for the month!

Photo credits: Luna by Jules Durr, Nico by Ken Yip

REGISTRATION

Venmo: abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal: abrazoq***[email protected]
Zelle: abrazoq***[email protected]

LOCATION
FINNISH HALL 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702

All the love and sunshine we can fit into the room on Saturday -- come dance with us!

03/02/2026

A sweet start to March with Mira and a gaggle of lovely dancers! Every Sunday, we make q***r tango over at Finnish Hall. Come dance with us.

02/21/2026

Every 3rd Saturday of the month, the longest running q***r milonga -- in our 15th year -- lights up at Finnish Hall.

ABRAZO, THE Q***R MILONGA
SATURDAY, FEB 21

6:00-7:00 pm All-levels class Niko
—> bring a friend, a crush or come with you own beautiful self. This will be a fun class.
7:00-10:00 pm DJ Gentleman Jack
8:30 pm birthday vals and our community dance

COST
$15-25 Honor System* Sliding Scale, milonga plus performance.
$10 Students w/ ID

*Have more cash, please consider the higher / standard rate. DONATIONS, if you can’t join us this month, are greatly appreciated and help us meet our expenses for the month!

LOCATION
FINNISH HALL 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley, CA 94702

Come dance in the house that q***r, trans, and non-binary people built.

01/17/2026

ABRAZO, THE Q***R MILONGA
Tonight, Sat Jan 17
Finnish Hall 1970 Chestnut st. Berk.

6:00-7:00 pm pre-milonga class Andrés and Carrie
—-> In this all levels class, there will be something for everyone! Working through the fundamentals of walking in our embrace with musical variations and possible a sweet walking turn.
7:00-10:00 pm DJ Crespo!
8:30 pm birthday vals and our community dance

Come as you are. Dance as you wish!

COST
$15-35 Honor System* Sliding Scale, milonga plus performance.
$10 Students w/ ID

*Have more cash, please consider the higher rate.

REGISTRATION FOR ALL EVENTS

Venmo: abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal: abrazoq***[email protected]
Zelle: abrazoq***[email protected]

Note what you are paying for in the comment section
-->You can pay at the door
No Refunds or Exchanges

DONATIONS We are a volunteer run organization and 100% of your donations go to making q***r tango possible in the Bay Area. We have raised $1300 of our $2100 goal to start 2026 off in the black. Thank you for your support.

01/11/2026

SUN Jan 11: t's a q***r tango day!

Mira Barakat is teaching both classes!

-3:15 check in, warm up, meet peeps
-3: 30 Fundamentals class
-4:30 Practica - practice, socialize, enjoy tea and treat
-5:30 Deeper dive class. Folks benefit from this class after knowing the tango basics + 8 or so fundamentals classes

Finnish Hall 1970 Chestnut st. Berkeley.

COST
$15-25 honor system sliding scale per class, includes practica
We ask higher in come folks to pay the higher end rate, so that folks with less income and students can still attend. Thank you for making q***r tango available for our whole community

$10 Student with ID
$5 practica alone

REGISTRATION

Venmo: abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal: abrazoq***[email protected]
Zelle: abrazoq***[email protected]

Or Cash, check at the door.
No refunds or exchanges.

Long live q***r tango.

***r ***rtango ***r ***revents ***rtango

12/22/2025

How we end a Q***r Milonga in the west coast manor of the q***r tango kingdom.

Address

1970 Chestnut Street
Berkeley, CA
94702

Website

http://abrazoqueertango.wordpress.com/

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