Welcome to the Abrazos Tango Festival!
We are Mariela Franganillo and Dagny Miller, and it is with great excitement that we present to you the 2024 edition of the Abrazos Tango Festival! Our intention in curating this festival is to offer the New York City community a transformative experience. Prepare to embark on a journey of exploration and find yourself inspired by these great artists and your fellow tango dancers!
For us, Tango is an art form. With the help of master teachers, dancers, and artists we hope to bring to life the picture of rich possibilities offered by Argentine culture, dance and music. Tango Argentino is a social dance where the music is set but the dance is all improvised. Simply performing steps is not enough. Connecting with your partner and the music is where the art of Tango truly lies. We have found that technique is a way to get there, but not the end result in itself, and in the festival you will have the opportunity to experience all three of these critical elements.
Tradition looks not only back, but also forward in the hope of continuation. Sharing the tradition of tango means, in part, sharing its timelessness. During the Festival we will glance back at the tango and witness—workshops, milongas, and performances—its evolution into our modern moment.
Tango’s timelessness manifests itself not only through the music that is as alive today as it was over a hundred years ago, but also through aspects of the dance. It is a forever art form that cuts not only through time, but also through social structures. It's inclusive, diverse and flexible in form. Everyone can adopt it and make it their own. It is a silent language that has the capacity to connect people of all ages, genders and backgrounds.
Tango is connection, awareness and joy!
Mariela Franganillo & Dagny Miller Dance Tango NYC
Our Team
Mariela Franganillo
With more than 30 years of experience teaching, performing, and choreographing, her career highlights include: a featured role in Forever Tango on Broadway; performing and teaching at Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center; collaborations with noted musicians including Pablo Ziegler at Carnegie Hall; and a U.S. tour with Julio Inglesias.
Her own shows include—Recuerdo Tango, Tango Connection, Tango Noir and SWANGO the Musical! with screenwriting by Rupert Holmes. Additionally she was invited to choreograph and perform in the Fall for Dance Festival at the City Center.
Dagny Arizona Miller
Trained as a classical ballet dancer, tango captured Dagny’s heart right as she was going into university. Premed classes kept her busy during the day, but nights filled with tango lit up her soul. She soon realized she was exactly where she was meant to be- helping others find the joy, pleasure, and community she found in tango. These days you can find her teaching in NYC and around the US, emphasizing connection above fancy steps. Her favorite thing is to see her students smiling on the dance floor as they find the confidence to be themselves.