Perched on the wooden benches lining a temporary parquet floor in downtown Portland, couples and solo dancers slipped off their sandals and sneakers, trading them for dancing flats and strappy heels.
Despite the 97-degree heat on a recent Monday evening, pair by pair, dancers took to the wooden floor shaded by a glass canopy in Director’s Park. The European-style plaza drew inspiration from abroad in more ways than design: It was becoming a hub for international dance.
The quickly growing assembly was there to practice their dance moves, specifically tango.
“It’s nice to see,” said Alex Krebs, owner of Tango Berretín, a dance studio in Southeast Portland. “It reminds me of a lot of places like Paris where you have tango dancing by the Seine all summer, like four days a week.”
The free Monday tango nights happen 6-8 p.m. every other week through September, offering social dancing accompanied by live music. The gatherings are part of the Summer in the City at Director Park program, hosted by Downtown Portland Clean & Safe. The program brings a collection of dance, music, activities and games to the park nearly every summer night.
Read more: 6 free or cheap dance lessons in and around Portland
“It works out well, because I think a lot of these people then dine in the local businesses,” Krebs said. “It creates vitality downtown.”
The event also revives the spirit of Tango Berretín’s once-beloved summer dance nights, which used to draw large crowds to Portland parks.
“We used to approach the city to get a permit to do this,” Krebs said. “We had to bring in a floor. We had to pay the permitting. It was a pretty hefty process.”
This time, the city invited Krebs to bring tango back, covering the costs of his time and musical performance. In addition to teaching at his studio, Krebs is also the bandleader of Conjunto Berretín, an Argentine tango dance-focused band that provided live music for the Aug. 11 dance night.
“I’m here for Alex’s orchestra because very rarely do they play with the whole orchestra,” said Sally DeLorimier, an attendee. “It’s quite an experience, and the singer (Megan Vorster) is just this beautiful presence and voice.”
DeLorimier has been taking tango lessons with Krebs since 2017, although Monday was her first night attending tango night at Director Park. For her, it’s simply another stop on Portland’s vibrant tango circuit.
“The tango community is very inclusive and there’s many different venues,” DeLorimier said. “You could take your pick and they’re all good.”
Portland has long been known for its thriving tango scene. With multiple studios teaching the style, the city offers a new place to tango every night of the week, Krebs said.
Besides Tango Berretín, Dance with Joy Studios, Peninsula Odd Fellows Lodge and Shabu Studios host weekly tango lessons, milongas (tango social dances) and practicas. You can find a full calendar of tango events at portlandtango.com.
That reputation drew attendees from beyond the metro area.
“I live in Salem, and there’s not a lot of tango there at all,” said Tomas Lin. “I have friends that are here from Corvallis and it’s a great way to spend the evening. You go outside, there’s great music, you can watch a lot of really good dancers.”
Lin, a novice to tango but an avid salsa dancer, said the free tango nights are the perfect environment to practice and explore the dance scene.
“There’s very few events like this,” Lin said. “You get people from all different backgrounds coming in. It’s a way for people from different cultures to connect.”
On Monday evening, dancers of all ages graced the tango floor, many of whom were clearly well-versed in the style. But for dancers who are newer to tango, Krebs offers a beginning lesson Saturday evenings at Tango Berretín for $12.
“It’s just so nice to have accessible events free for the public,” said Krebs about the summer tango nights. “I wish we could do it every day.”
If you go: 6-8 p.m. every other Monday, continues Aug. 25, Sept. 8 and 22; Director Park; 815 S.W. Park Ave.; free to attend; downtownportland.org/2025-summer-in-the-city-at-director-park
— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; [email protected] or @chiaraprofenna.
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