I am a physical chemist/technical writer with a great passion for tango. Since I started dancing, more than 25 years ago, I always liked helping tango teachers organize their workshops. So it is not a surprise that when the opportunity came in 2017 I started managing the Portland TangoFest . As a regular gig I run a monthly milonga together with a local teacher. I also enjoy organizing fun dancing parties together with my husband Art.

I am the CEO of Vibrant Table Catering. I love putting together and managing events for all different occasions, big and small. Besides supporting the festival, I enjoy creating one in a life time amazing culinary tango events for the fun of our community.

I’ve been involved with the Portland TangoFest since 2017 and enjoy working with the dedicated team members. I’ve been dancing tango for over 20 years and especially enjoy traveling to events around the the country and beyond. I also like to tend to my gardening and exploring the various hiking opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.

My background is in IT as a project manager. Last year was my first involvement in tango and event planning. I had to learn the ‘tango language’, but I’ve met many wonderful and delightful people that have graciously and patiently helped explain the tango terminology and etiquette to me. I’m now in my second year assisting with the festival. I’m a student of ballroom dancing, enjoy volunteering, love travelling, and spending time with family, friends, and my 2 dogs!

This is my 2nd year helping with PTF. It started as a way to get to know the Portland tango community. I was bitten by the Tango bug 5yrs ago and ever since, my retirement dream is to travel to Tango Festivals around the world. When I can take a break from my full-time job, I love to travel with my husband anywhere that’s tropical with sunny beaches and large bodies of water. Besides Tango, I also love to sing, ballroom dance, and quilt.

This is my second year volunteering at the Portland Tango Festival, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see the event come together and see dancers from all over enjoy the results of our hard work! My main hobby is tango (what a surprise!) but I also enjoy many other styles of dance, and I especially love dancing to live music. I’m also an avid crafter and usually have at least a couple projects in the works at any time.

I began my Tango journey in Portland 26+ years ago, supporting visiting teachers and festivals whenever possible. I am a professional dancer, singer, actor and choreographer for 35+ years in a broad repertoire of styles and owner of Dance with Joy Studios, dedicated to creating more moments of joy, greater connection, love and kindness in the world. This is my second year with PTF and my current role is helping to select the visiting teachers, curriculum and coordinating classroom host and monitor volunteers. I have loved being part of such a caring dedicated festival team and look forward to seeing tango friends at this fun event.

I am often called Sughi, and I was an organizer (with my husband, Peter) and DJ on Maui for 8 years before relocating to Portland nearly 3 years ago. Aside from loving to travel to Italy and visit my family, I have found solace in appreciating the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and basking in the seasons. I was a hula dancer for 30 years and I developed a deep connection with nature, plants, and flowers. I marvel at the ever-changing seasons and am constantly in awe as the colors wash over me. AND, I love my plant identification app!