Francis discovered Argentine tango in 2003 while working at a youth theater by day and as a doorman at a neighborhood milonga by night. Captivated by the connection he saw on the dance floor, he soon began dancing, and in 2005 was invited to teach his first students. Between 2005 and 2015, he taught in several Canadian cities and organized his own event, La milonga de Pancho. He also performed in two semi-pro shows, including Milonga de mi Barrio, where he played the lead role. In 2015, Francis embarked on a two-year road trip from Montreal to Buenos Aires, conducting over 300 interviews for a documentary. Since 2019, he has taught and DJ’d at Studio Tango Montréal.

Ula, originally from Poland, is now based in the UK. She fell in love with tango from the very first moment, but only the music documentary Café de los Maestros (2008) got her hooked. The music and culture drove her down the path of thinking and feeling music in a more holistic way. She started DJing in 2011 and since then she’s been an organizer and a DJ at various milongas and events in Poland, across Europe, the United States and the UK. In her tango many of her loves come to play, her culinary background translates into treating the tandas like courses to shape the experience. Molding treats and carefully pairing cortinas as she pays attention to the level and energy of the people and floor. Seeing how the sound shapes and guides an experience is her skill set. Music has always been important for her as a means of transmitting emotions, taking dancers on a journey, building atmosphere and connecting. She plays the music that moves her as a dancer: intimate, dreamy, energetic, joyful, and elegant. Always in Djay mode even outside of the milonga, finding magical tandas, or special cortinas. The greatest joy for her is seeing people’s expressions evoke the same energy with which she cultivates and delivers her selection.

PC Randy Alan Fisher

Howoon discovered tango in 2011 in Daejeon, South Korea, drawn instantly to its unrepeatable magic, the way no two moments are ever the same. That living, breathing quality captivated him from the beginning, from the subtle shifts that surprise even in familiar songs to the harmony created through connection. On the floor, he cherishes how partners can interpret the music together or explore different layers like musicians in an orchestra, each adding nuance to a shared composition.

As a DJ, Howoon plays with the hope that dancers will encounter the magical moments that keep him dancing year after year. He devotes himself to reading the room closely, choosing the right music at the right time to invite people to the floor naturally. His foundation is the well-loved classics of the Golden Age, whose richness he believes best matches the pulse of the room, complemented by carefully chosen, rarely played recordings that add freshness and creative spark. By using well-preserved, high-quality versions of the music where every instrument can be heard clearly, he aims to give dancers the freedom to discover new possibilities in every phrase, silence, and shared step, the essence of tango’s magic he hopes to inspire. He has been invited to DJ at many of the most beloved milongas and large-scale events across South Korea and Asia, and after moving to San Francisco in 2022, he has continued sharing his inspiration with diverse communities and dancers throughout the United States.

Short Description: La Siembra Tango is a collective of professional tango musicians brought together by CU Tango Music, dedicated to honoring the music’s deep historical and musical traditions while actively shaping its future through creative exploration and ongoing artistic innovation.

CU Tango Music is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the performance, education, and appreciation of Argentine tango music, dance, and culture in the Champaign-Urbana area, the Midwest, and United States.

Christen is a performer and accompanist based in Champaign, Illinois. Originally trained classically, she has experience teaching, accompanying, and performing as a soloist or part of an ensemble, including more than 15 years playing for various churches in Champaign and the surrounding communities.

She first heard Argentine tango music as a new dancer in 2011 and quickly fell in love with it, often attending milongas without even dancing, preferring to simply enjoy the music. She began studying Argentine tango music in 2017 when she joined Champaign-Urbana, IL-based tango orquesta, Bandoneon Massacre. She has since continued her study through participation in various festivals and workshops with renowned tango artists, including Julian Peralta and Sumi Lee.

She approaches music like she approaches the rest of her life – with curiosity, precision, a desire to challenge herself, and a keen attention to detail.

Jessie Stark is a Hamilton, NY–based violinist whose versatile performing career spans classical, fiddle, and tango traditions. Over the past four years, she has studied with leading tango musicians including Julián Peralta, Guillermo Rubino, Pablo Jaurena, and others, deepening her expertise in the genre. She has performed with a range of ensembles such as the Buffalo Tango Orkestra, Las Almas, Tango Llaneros, and at the CU Tango Music Festival.

Jessie is a founding member of the Hamilton Village Quartet (HVQ), with whom she performs regularly. Most recently, members of the HVQ performed a full concert of tango works arranged for string quartet as a part of the Hamilton Tango Weekend. She is also a co-founder of the Fiddle Sax Fusion Band and the Illinois Flamenco Jazz Collective, both of which appear at festivals and academic conferences nationwide.

Marco’s fascination with sound started at an early age. He got into playing music at age 7 and has never stopped. Fine tuning his ear and continuously learning about sound throughout life, Marco has done sound for concerts, studios, milongas and marathons.

Captivated with the light shows from live performances, it was obvious that along with the sound, the lighting played an integral part of the experience. It is this same ambiance that he works to bring to live events such as AATM. Where both the visual and audible ambiance come together to help create a pleasant and joyful experience for all. He is looking forward to helping it happen again at this year’s AATM.

We make up the team behind louistangophoto, capturing events in a way that we hope lets you re-experience their fleeting beauty. Louis does most of the shooting, and Jennifer brings vision and creativity in post. Together, we curate a concise story of each evening through your embraces, style, expressions, and the character of the venue. You will rarely see us at the same milonga since one of us is usually home with our two daughters. We are thrilled to be back at the Ann Arbor Tango Festival in 2026.

Edmond is dedicated to creating a seamless and inspiring tango experience for all AATM attendees. Building on the legacy of Yelena and past organizing teams, he brings care, creativity, precision, and a deep passion for tango to every aspect of the event.

Grateful for the support of friends and the vibrant Ann Arbor tango community, Edmond remains committed to honoring AATM’s rich history while making 2025 an unforgettable celebration of connection, music, and dance.

PC Steven Thull