Our goal

is to strengthen the dance community in San Diego so that the enjoyment from a night of dancing leaves everyone feeling electric.

How we are doing it

We recognize that the energy of a dance increases dramatically when the number of people in attendance is above a certain threshold. So on the busiest dance night of the week, we offer a comfortable space with a large top-quality floor that welcomes dancers of all styles and backgrounds.

The atmosphere should be familiar to our visitors from around the world and yet celebrate the culture and style of San Diego.

A legacy passed on from our founders: Mike Markov and Patrick Green

Mike and Patrick became fast friends in the mid nineties due to their mutual addiction to dancing with tangueras. They have been involved with many different and important ventures in the San Diego tango scene, from partnering with Mike Hamilton and promoting tangosandiego.com to co-founding the Baila Tango franchise in San Diego with guidance from BT's founder, Metin Yazir.

Mike (as far as he knows) is San Diego's first tango DJ, and he started with a very limited selection of music! That is until an angel investor, a rather well known doctor, donated music to the cause. Thus began the saga of translating emotion and energy to the dance hall with music choice. Mike took inspiration from DJ Cesar of Club Danzarin, with a serious hands-on approach, as well as inspiration from the DJ's of La Viruta in Argentina.

Patrick is probably best known as the non-door man, yet official greeter and bouncer of Milonga Sin Nombre. His humorous outbursts at the end of a raging milonga set can best be described as a "cat in heat" (and if you don't get it… don't worry). His smile was always present as was his open heart and listening ear.

Independently, Mike and Pat made a Millennium New Year's resolution to help bring more young dancers into the social tango scene. Patrick started classes at an Encinitas high school and has produced some excellent dancers, and one teaches tango in San Diego today. Many of these dancers went away for college, but drop in from time to time.

Mike, with his wife Judy, helped begin the UCSD Tango Club with free instruction (to poor starving students) for a full year before starting recreation classes before the club practice. He also developed choreography for club performances around campus. Mike and Judy also dance with the Tango Alma performing ensemble based in San Diego.

Milonga Sin Nombre is a milonga without a name, a sanctuary, a dark but warm place; one where couples dance in their own worlds without judgment or audience to hinder them. It is a place where couples connect and commune with each other through movement and music. As a DJ, this was one of Mike's most profound desires.

Mike quietly and unceremoniously retired from DJing in March of 2006 and has had quite the life adventure since. He still teaches at UCSD, performs with Tango Alma, and keeps a small number of private students. (For good organic tango instruction contact Mike Markov of Baila Tango.)

Patrick retired from teaching, yet remains involved with Milonga Sin Nombre.

For Patrick and Mike, it's been an absolute pleasure being involved in and contributing to the artistic community. Mike and Pat believe they have achieved their Millennium resolution: Milonga Sin Nombre is almost entirely UCSD student run, Mike and Judy's recreation classes are full, and the UCSD Tango Club on Tuesday nights is the best practice in town.

Last modified: Sun Oct 01 20:28:39 Pacific Daylight Time 2006