NYC Queer Tango Organizer Interview Project

This project grew out of a qualitative research methods course I took as part of a Master’s of Urban Planning program. For our final project, we had to conduct qualitative research using one of the methods we learned about—I chose semi-structured in-depth interviews. Luckily my professor was fairly flexible with the topic, and I was able to use the assignment as an excuse to interview my fellow NYC queer tango organizers about their experiences and motivations for organizing.

I started organizing queer tango classes and events with my co-organizer Arty three years ago, in June of 2023, and as many tango dancers will understand, it has basically taken over my life. Being a part of queer tango has brought me a sense of utter joy and fulfillment that is difficult to convey. I hope that the quotes, images, and excerpts from the process shared here can illuminate some of that joy and the many possibilities that tango, and queer tango in particular, has to offer those searching for connection, community, healing, ease, and expression.

The Process

August 2025

  • 6 semi-structured, in-depth interviews (3 in English, 3 in Spanish) lasting 1-1.5 hours, followed by informal one-on-one discussions with the interviewer
  • Coding and analysis of interview transcripts to identify key themes and topics (Codes: Authentic Expression vs. Performance, Comfort vs. Discomfort, Connection, Belonging, Body Language, Presence, Freedom, Intimacy, Sexuality, Spirituality & Religion, Diversity, and Magic)
  • Formal report produced

January-February 2026

  • Selection of 5 key questions and significant quotes from each interview for publication, translation, light editing, and condensing of selected excerpts
  • Quote approval from interviewees

March 2026

  • Interviewees read selected quotes from the other participants
  • Participants gathered to dance, eat pancakes, and have a roundtable discussion

Roundtable

On Saturday, March 14th 2026, the participants (except Leo, who was sick that day) gathered to dance, eat, and have a roundtable discussion about the project. Here is an excerpt from the end of that conversation:

The Participants

Phi Lee Lam

Co-organizer of La Nuestra Tango, which puts on Queer Tango Camp and Íntimamente Queer Tango Festival
Phi Lee Lam is a queer tango dancer and organizer based in New York City. She became interested in dancing both roles when she first encountered Tango Queer in Buenos Aires. Since 2015, she has been studying with Carla Marano and many other dancers of her generation.

In recent years she has been invited to teach and perform at Queer and mainstream Tango Festivals across the United States and in France. Her teaching is rooted in improvisation, sensitivity, adaptability, and utilization of technique that is natural, embodied and efficient. She has also organized events where she provided safe spaces for women and LGBTQIA+ dancers; facilitated roundtable discussions and seminars; collaborated with global artists, collectives, and organizers in increasing access to non-gendered/open-role/all-inclusive tango classes; and raised awareness of queer tango dancers by organizing public performances.

Mati Donadío

Co-organizer of Miranda Queer Práctica
From a small town in Uruguay, Mati started dancing tango in 2011 and has always been connected with queer tango communities. Mati has taken on various roles within the tango community–teaching, organizing milongas, djing, and performing. A deep passion for tango music led Mati to explore dance and be actively engaged in diverse tango scenes, both social and performance-based. Mati and Mikael co-organize Miranda, a space where queer dancers can deepen their understanding of tango, explore the roles, and build meaningful community through the dance.

Norma Leal

Organizer of Switchers Witches Tango Nights and Tiny Práctica
Norma Leal is a Colombian artist, community organizer, and amateur tango dancer with more than 15 years of experience. Raised in a family of musicians and artists, she grew up dancing traditional Colombian music and later worked as an actress, director, and cultural project leader. Since coming out, they have been dedicated to LGBTQIA+ advocacy and to creating safer, more inclusive spaces in the arts and social dance communities. She is the creator of Tiny Práctica and Switcher Witches Tango Night in New York City, an inclusive tango event that celebrates role fluidity, connection, and community, with a special focus on women and non-binary people who dance both roles.

Leo Sardella

Co-organizer of BK Pride Milonga, founder of NY Queer Tango Weekend
Leo started dancing tango professionally in his hometown of Buenos Aires and has performed in Argentina with theaters including the Colon and Cervantes. He moved to New York City in 2011, where he co-founded Malevaje Tango dance company and later Friends of Argentine Tango. Leo has participated in International Tango festivals worldwide and performed in the US, England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Bolivia and Argentina. He was the choreographer for: Male Tango (IATI theatre) which was recognized with two HOLA awards and Two Latin ACE Awards nominations. He teaches weekly tango classes with NY City Tango and is a co-organizer and host of the BK Pride Milonga.

Mikael Schulz

Co-organizer of Miranda Queer Práctica
Mikael is a Swedish photographer based in Brooklyn, and over the years he’s organized and co-organized queer tango events in New York including milongas, prácticas, workshops, and community gatherings. Together with Mati, he co-organizes Miranda, a space where queer dancers can deepen their understanding of tango, explore the roles, and build meaningful community through the dance. Mikael is passionate about creating welcoming, inclusive spaces where people of all backgrounds, identities, and levels of dance experience can connect. For him, queer tango is about community, care, playfulness, and the freedom to explore both the dance and ourselves. He believes tango has the power to create deep human connection, and he’s grateful to be part of a community that continues to reimagine what the dance can be.

Arty Zhang

Co-organizer of Queer Partner Dance NYC, BK Pride Milonga, and NY Queer Tango Weekend
Arty started dancing in college and has been involved in tango and swing dance scenes in the Bay area and NYC for several years. He is a co-ogranizer of Queer Swing Dance NYC and co-founder of Queer Partner Dance NYC (a somewhat misleading name–QPDNYC specifically focuses on tango). You can find him out on the dance floor keeping the energy up during the cortinas (to any style of music) and occasionally catch a glimpse of his drag queen alter ego: Joy Luck Club!

Noah Wharton

Co-organizer of Queer Partner Dance NYC, BK Pride Milonga, and NY Queer Tango Weekend
Noah took their first tango class in late 2022, where they and Arty met and quickly became friends. Previously, they were part of the Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Company, which inspired them to organize queer partner dance events and classes with the same ethos of inclusivity and joy. They and Arty started Queer Partner Dance NYC in 2023, which offers sliding scale queer tango classes at the Manhattan LGBT Center every Saturday.