Steven Thull is a tango dancer, DJ, and photographer. He lives in Rochester, NY, where he has been organizing milongas and teaching classes since 2017. As a tango photographer, he is known for capturing the special moments that happen on the dance floor. As a DJ, his focus is to provide the right music to create those moments. 

 

Steven approaches every milonga with an attentive eye on the ronda, a keen ear for the music, a large collection of quality recordings, and a passion to put it all together for the dancers.

 

Photo credit: Amalía Van

Yulia has been a tango DJ for over 15 years, both locally in Washington D.C. and in various tango events throughout the U.S.

 

She loves to contrast the music texture and emotional charge in a way that drives the crowd to dance all night. She aims to get to the trance-like state where dancers feel safe and inspired. Most recently, Yulia is inspired by the idea of the wave from the 5 Rhythms dance practice and incorporates it in her tango DJing.

 

Photo credit: Catrinel Iftode

Milton “El Gallo” is not your regular DJ. He is a true professional, an exuberant entertainer, a thoughtful romantic, a mischievous character, a dynamic dancer, and a magic-maker who understands that every moment of an event matters.  His approach to DJing mirrors his approach to tango. He looks to deeply connect with the people in the room, carefully and thoughtfully selecting songs, tandas, and even cortinas to create a mood that accentuates the experience for each dancer present.  Expect a carefully curated journey of musical emotion that inspires you, keeps you dancing, and leaves you satisfied.

 

Milton hails from Boston-ish (MA, USA) where he is the resident DJ of the popular and long-standing monthly event, Milonga Nueva, which he co-hosts with his lovely wife, Corin.  He has frequently DJed throughout the United States and Canada, and at major events in Europe.

 

Photo credit: Jani Autio

Every dancer who's crazy about tango wants a DJ who can match their crazy with devotion to tango music. If you're that kind of crazy, then James "El LocOh" is your kind of DJ. As the name implies, James is certifiable. Not only will he mastermind an exquisite playlist, he'll also toil over his impressive collection of remastered tunes searching for the winning track, and engineer every detail of the sound quality to get you lost in the music. And don't let his perfectly-crafted D'Arienzo and Biagi tandas fool you, James always has his pulse on the dancefloor and will expertly balance mood and melody to satisfy all of your Golden Age desires. Bring your most padded shoes to this milonga, because when James is spinning you won't be able to leave the ronda.

​

Photo credit: Steven Thull

Tara was intrigued by golden era tango music with its depth, layers, and intricacy right from the beginning. Having DJed in local communities like Tampa, NYC, DC, as well as destinations like Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Norway, and Lithuania, Tara has honed her enormous passion for tango music and DJing.

 

Tara understands and attends to the flow of energy and emotions of the dance floor, focusing on connecting with the dancers and also the connection between the dancers. She has put in countless hours studying and researching tango music and its history, in order to share this knowledge with the dancers through her music. Her love for the music is often expressed through playing air instruments at milongas! 

 

What makes Tara most happy when DJing? Seeing people connect with each other and with the music, and seeing people's emotions and connection actually moving the energy of the space along with the music.

 

Photo credit: Lena Y Eugen

The one and only Nikos Zacharakis will be back behind the camera at Regalo! Nikos loves tango and photography, and he marries those passions through his tango photography. Since 2015, Nikos has captured tango moments in more than 20 tango marathons and festivals, as well as in dozens of local milongas. You may see him more often with his camera than on the dance floor, perhaps peeking out from behind a pillar or curtain or tucked away discreetly in a dark corner, capturing sweet and undisturbed tango embraces.

 

Photo credit: Steven Thull

Both on and off the dance floor, Jackie is happiest when connecting deeply with people and building community. This ethos is reflected in her dancing and DJing where she consistently weaves a warm, welcoming, playful space for dancers to connect. As a DJ, she has a keen sense for a milonga’s mood and flow, crafting emotional arcs with solid Golden Age tunes as well as fresh, resonant tracks to keep spirits and toes floating through the night. Jackie has DJ’d at marathons and festivals including the Windy City Tango Festival, Cleveland Tango Bowling Marathon, Nor’easter Marathon, and the Terrapin Tango Festival. For many years, she also regularly DJ’d popular milongas in Washington, DC. Jackie currently lives in Lawrenceville, New Jersey where she DJs as well as teaches and performs with her partner, Sean Ericson, in the Princeton area.

​

Photo credit: Catrinel Iftode