It takes two (hundred) to tango at the Lithuanian Dance Hall in Port Richmond

Emiliano Messiez, the composer and music director of Típica Messiez, says there's nothing like dancing to live music.

ByTom Kretschmer WPVI logo
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
It takes two (hundred) to tango at the 11th Philly Tango Festival
Dancers, instructors, onlookers, and a ten-piece orchestra spent many hours well into the early morning dancing until near exhaustion.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Hundreds of dancers packed the Lithuanian Dance Hall in Philadelphia's Port Richmond neighborhood over the weekend for the area's largest Tango Festival.

Dancers, instructors, onlookers, and a ten-piece orchestra spent many hours well into the early morning dancing until near exhaustion.

"Tango is spread throughout the world, you get that sense here. People from all over the world all taking part in the sensation, and that's what it's really about," said Jerry Klein.

Emiliano Messiez, the composer and music director of his orchestra, Típica Messiez, says there's nothing like dancing to live music.

The orchestra, with members from the United States and across the world in Buenos Aires, released a new music album at the festival this year.

"I love it because for most concerts the crowd will applaud when you finish a song. Here, you finish a song, and a lot of times it's silence. It's because they're still dancing and want more," said Messiez.

For a heads up on next year's Tango Festival you can check visit: https://www.philadelphiatangoschool.com