The purpose of this page is to provide a straightforward and balanced introduction to the various Chicago-area tango venues for milongas (tango social dances), practicas (tango practice sessions), special workshops and other regularly schedule tango events in the greater Chicago area. This should make it easier for a visitor or a new resident to learn a little about the host location for various tango events and how to find it.

Milongas and their venues are strange bedfellows.  The names used below are simply the names dancers commonly used to refer to these events and locations. While each tango event and hosting venue has an official name, that’s not necessarily the name that’s used locally or on this website. I am not officially representing any event, but instead, simply trying to make it easy for people to find what they are looking for.

“ARTango Center”
4203 North Ravenswood Ave
Chicago, IL‎

ARTango Center moved to it’s new location — 4203 North Ravenswood Ave — on May 13, 2011.  The new facility is located a few blooks north of its former home over the last few years.

This venue hosts ARTango’s regularly scheduled milonga on Fridays, regularly scheduled classes during the week, in addition to milongas and events hosted by others.

“ATI” American Tango Institute

325 N Hoyne Avenue
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 733-6324

ATI is a large, recently renovated large, rectangular dance hall located on the upper floor of a large building in the warehouse district just west of the Loop near Grand & Damen. Entrance is on the west side of the building near the southwest corner. The top-floor facility is generally accessed via a stairway. ATI’s home milonga is scheduled for Saturday evening at 10:00 pm, following walk-up lessons for beginners and intermediate dancers. The main room is quite pleasant, with windows on three sides of the space. Other practicas and workshops take place at that location days during the week. ATI also sponsors other tango events throughout the greater Chicago area.

“Barba Yianni” Grecian Taverna
4761 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625

… a Greek restaurant in Lincoln Square on the north side near the corner of Lawrence and Western. A separate large, rectangular room off the main dining room and bar area host the Sunday, Wednesday and monthly Friday milongas. The dance floor comfortably spills over into the restaurant area for additional seating, as needed.

“BOOCOO” Cultural Center
1823 Church Street
Evanston, IL

…on the northeast  corner of Church and Dodge, diagonally across the street from Evanston Township High School.  Hot food  and drinks are available to order from the menu inside.

“Ida Noyes” Hall
University of Chicago
1212 E 59th St
Chicago, Illinois 60637

Ida Noyes, on the University of Chicago campus, is home to regularly scheduled tango classes.  Ida Noyes was the host venue for the Chicago Mini Tango Festival through 2010.

“Latvian Community Center”
4146 North Elston Avenue,
Chicago, IL‎

The ground-floor entrance to the milonga is through a door on Hamlin Avenue, diagonally across the street from “Tony’s” retail store, about 30 feet around the corner from Elston. Once inside, enter the first door on the immediate left; the milonga is in the spacious room to the right with wooden floors. The milonga has an adjoining room where food and drink is served, in addition to a side-room room to the left for coats and shoes.

“Milonga Che“ at Esquina Tango
5602 N Ridge
Chicago, IL

Esquina Tango is the recently renovated 2nd story home of Friday evening’s Milonga Che located at the corner of N Ridge, N Broadway and W Bryn Mahr near the north end of Lake Shore Drive. Image the scene from the Japanese movie “Shall We Dance” where the dance studio overlooks the commuter train station. That’s the view from inside – overlooking the Bryn Mahr ‘El’ station. It’s the home of the Friday’s weekly 10:00 pm milonga, as well as other regularly scheduled events.

Dancing is in a triangular-shaped room, with lots of windows along the two long sides of the hall, a large window on ‘the point’ and provides a pleasant, comfortable environment. Access is via one flight of stairs. Visitors are buzzed in from the sidewalk entrance after ringing the bottom buzzer on the glass door labeled “5602″ .

“Milonga Suburbana”
La Tascas Tapas
25 W Davis St
Arlington Heights, IL

This Monday evening Milonga is located in the northwest suburbs in downtown Arlington Heights near the Metra Station. The milonga runs from 8:30 to 11:00 following an hour-long walk-up class, and is readily accessible from the city or other northern and western suburbs. Access is through the main door of the restaurant and along the left hand wall to the back room. The room is intimate, but with plenty of room to dance.

“Parkes Hall Choir Room”

Northwestern University
1870 Sheridan Rd
Evanston, IL 60201

Parkes Hall is located on the southern edge of the Evanston Campus of Northwestern University and is the site of many of the dance classes for NU BLAST, the student dance organization at Northwestern University. It is located across the street and 1 1/2 blocks north of the Whole Foods Supermarket, and just south of Millar Chapel and can be accessed from Chicago Ave entrance on the west side or the parking lot entrance on the east side. Dance classes are usually held in the Choir Room, a large room in the basement.

“Wheeling” Executive Plaza Hotel
1090 South Milwaukee Ave
Wheeling, IL 60090
bordering the Chicago Executive Airport

“West Chicago” La Yunta Milonga
179 W. Washington
West Chicago, IL
… in the far western suburbs of Chicago

This list will be updated on a regular basis.