Pepito Avellaneda (1930-1996) Dancer and teacher, particularly admired for his talent for milonga, creating a great number of new steps. He was raised among the club regulars in his neighborhood and although he was a pizza maker by inheritance, he began to perform tango professionally when he was very young. He started at age 15 with a show at Teatro Roma in the neighborhood of Avellaneda and he later landed contracts to work in the rest of the country. He also began to work as a curtain raiser in between cinema performances and it was then when a representative gave him the pseudonym Pepito Avellaneda (first he was Pepito “from” Avellaneda, making reference to his home neighborhood). In the mid-80s, he began traveling abroad to give courses on tango and milonga. He was accompanied by his second wife and dancing partner, Suzuki. Many of the most outstanding professional dancers in the mid-90’s were his students. He is commemorated in “Milonga para Pepe Avellaneda”, composed by Domingo Federico and Fabián Russo. We are paying tribute to the great milonga maestro through his colleagues’ comments and a display of his notable style.

Pepito Avellaneda (1930-1996) Dancer and teacher, particularly admired for his ...