This is a traditional Argentine tango social dance (milonga) with live music.
Why We Picked This Event
Sascha Jacobsen is a 2022 Latin Grammy Nominee, composer, bassist, and also a tango dancer. He is also dedicated to music teaching.
I first saw him perform in 2012 when he was part of Trio Garufa at the Berkeley World Music Festival. At the time, I had no idea who he was - I was at the very beginning of my tango journey, trying to familiarize myself with the music through live performances whenever the opportunity arose.
Fast-forward several years: I had the chance to meet Sascha in person one night just before I became a ‘tango survivor’ (a dancer who stays until the very end) at The Beat on Mondays. We ended up dancing one A set of 3–4 songs (tango, vals, or milonga) played consecutively by the same orchestra, often with a similar style or era, lasting about 10–12 minutes. together.
At that time, he had mentioned that he was starting to bring live music back to Ashkenaz every 3rd Thursday. And that remained in the back of my memory. The first event was on November 20th 2025 and it will continue in 2026. The last one that I attended was a combination of Live Music with Cuarteto Ramilonga (Diego Ramil, piano, Julian Ramil, bandoneon, Polina Sedukh, violin, Sascha Jacobsen, bass) and DJ Charles Carbone, spinning classic Tango on vinyl records from the stage.
What is “Live Music in Tango”?
Live tango music means dancers respond to musicians interpreting the music in real time, rather than a fixed recording. This can bring subtle variations in timing, phrasing, and energy, requiring dancers to stay more present and adaptable. The musicians still play in tandas. Live music is prized for its emotional spontaneity, hence creating a shared “trance” between the performers and the audience. In other words, no two tandas feel exactly the same—and that’s the magic.
Event Details
Location: 1317 San Pablo Ave. Berkeley, CA.
Time: 07:30-08:30 all-levels tango class; 08:30-midnight milonga with live music.
When: Monthly event every 3rd Thursday.
Price: Advance (before the day of the event) $20; door (on the day of the event) $25.
Parking: Free, non-metered parking is available on surrounding side streets, while metered parking is found on San Pablo Avenue. For evening events, parking is often permitted in the REI parking lot across the street after 9 PM.
Food & Drinks: Ashkenaz has its own cafe and serves vegetarian and vegan empanadas, pizza, and snacks.
About the Location
Ashkenaz is a 50-year-old music venue and dance hall in the heart of West Berkeley. It was founded by David Nadel in 1973. When you enter Ashkenaz, you will find yourself on the 1500 sq ft wooden dance floor of the main hall. The unusual cafe at the entrance is custom-built by the founder of Ashkenaz, Nadel, and his friends. If you look up, you will also see custom-built stained glass throughout the main hall and through the rest of the building.
A Quick Guide to Feeling Ready for the Night
Shoes
You don’t need a high heel to dance tango, but most followers find it helps them to get the posture right. Many leaders also prefer a low heel rather than a completely flat shoe. Find out what feels good for you and what supports your posture.
Dress Code
You do not need to dress up, but many dancers dress neatly. Women can wear pants but often wear dresses or skirts with slits to allow for maximum movement. Men wear comfortable pants with shirts. If you feel comfortable in a pair of jeans, you can wear that as well.
Partner
There are dance couples (not necessarily life partners in life but in dance) who come together yet dance with other people. Going solo is also perfectly fine; you can dance with anyone, and absolutely no partner is required.
Asking for a Dance
If you are a courageous follower and you know the person, you can directly ask the person for a dance. But the traditional way is the cabeceo - where the leader looks at the follower (mirada), the follower meets the eyes of the leader, the leader nods, and the follower responds with a nod. Since Ashkenaz has a huge dance floor, it might be trickier to catch eye contact, particularly when the lights are dimmed, but magically the dancers find their eyes meet regardless. If this feels unfamiliar, it’s perfectly okay to ask for a dance directly - many dancers are flexible, especially in community spaces like Ashkenaz.
Skill Levels
The class is for all levels, and beginner dancers are encouraged to dance to the live music as well. Even if it’s your first time experiencing live music, you can simply enjoy, observe, or dance at your own comfort level.
Snacks & Water
As I always say, it is a great idea to carry your own bottle as a dancer. You never know how much cardio you will end up doing during these milongas, which is sure to trigger your thirst. Tango cardio is real—just disguised as elegance. A dancer at my table offered a sweet snack to share; it was purchased from the Ashkenaz Cafe and likely made with almond flour. It was delicious—the snacks at Ashkenaz are definitely worth a try!
Vibe
One of the great surprises of dancing to a live band is the need to adapt to the musicians’ interpretation in the moment. With Cuarteto Ramilonga, that adaptability felt natural rather than challenging. The music invited attentive listening without disrupting the flow of the dance.
There was a strong sense of connection between dancers and musicians, with the room fully immersed in the experience. The floor remained engaged throughout, as dancers responded fluidly to the live phrasing.
As a follower, the experience varied from tanda to tanda, at times more expressive, at others more cautious or deeply attentive to the music. The live interpretation encouraged presence and musical awareness, while still allowing dancers to feel grounded and connected.
Crowd Size
40-50 people. Ashkenaz has a capacity of 300 people, and I have definitely danced in milongas where there were more people, but even on a Thursday night, the competition is stiff. There are multiple milongas happening simultaneously in three different places. Yet if you ask my opinion, live music deserves more people. Though the extra space on the floor is something dancers secretly appreciate. For those who do not know what they are missing, it is worth checking it out, and then you realize that you may become a regular if your personal schedule permits, of course. That’s at least what I am aiming for.
Stories from the Dance Floor
I shared a tanda with Charles Carbone at this event.
At the time, I had no idea who he was until after we connected on Facebook through the Feeling Flow Community. Then I saw that he was going to DJ in Palo Alto with vinyl tango records, but the date did not work for me. And then here we are. He was going to DJ on the same night as Cuarteto Ramilonga with the vinyl records. Another reason not to miss the 3rd Thursday.
How many people are there who own vinyl tango records nowadays, and moreover, how many people are there who actually take the DJ stand with those vinyl records?
At the end of the night, I thanked him for the wonderful music and re-introduced myself. He remembered that we shared a tanda, and in fact we had a picture captured from that tanda. I asked about his journey with vinyl records - how it started. He said 13 years ago, when he was dating a woman and they were both in Argentina, he thought that it would be cool to buy some records and come home and dance to them on the turntable. Romance was the muse, and soon he was ‘all in,’ not realizing how deep his passion would go. It takes time and energy to do it right, but Charles does it anyway along with his reggae love - as he defines himself, “different sides of the same dude.”
On the 3rd Thursday, since he was on duty as the DJ with the vinyl records, sharing a tanda wasn’t possible this time; however, I managed to capture a photo of him on the famous Ashkenaz stage.
Summary
Ashkenaz is an old, famous dance venue in Berkeley that still preserves the venue’s old soul. If you live close by, and even if you are not a tango dancer but a fan of live music, the 3rd Thursday of the month is something you would not want to miss for its homey vibe and warm energy.
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