Maria Nieves

Maria Nieves was a tango dancer whose recorded birth date is 6 September 1934 ^[5]. She met Juan Carlos Copes as a teenager at the Club Atlanta milonga in Villa Crespo, an encounter dated to 1949 ^[1]. The two appeared together on television, in stage productions and at official events over several decades ^[1][2].

Her work is associated with the revival era of tango, with which she is linked from 1983, the year she starred with Copes in Tango Argentino ^[4][1]. That production later won acclaim on Broadway ^[1]. Later stage credits included Tanguera in 2002, a production that was later staged in London's West End ^[1].

She was named an Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires in 2008 ^[3]. She was the subject of the 2015 documentary Un tango más (Our Last Tango) ^[1]. She died on 19 April 2026, aged 91 ^[1].

Early life and meeting Copes

Maria Nieves was born on 6 September 1934 ^[5]. As a teenager she met Juan Carlos Copes at the Club Atlanta milonga in Villa Crespo, a meeting dated to 1949 ^[1].

Career

In 1960 Nieves appeared with Copes and Piazzolla on United States television, on The Arthur Murray Party broadcast by CBS ^[1].

In 1983 she starred with Copes in Tango Argentino, a production that later won acclaim on Broadway ^[1]. Her association with tango's revival era is dated from that year ^[4].

In 1986 Nieves and Copes danced at the White House for President Reagan ^[2]. In 2002 she took part in Tanguera, which was later staged in London's West End ^[1]. In 2011 she danced on Avenida 9 de Julio before more than 15,000 people ^[2].

Dance partners

A video listing records Maria Nieves as having partnered with the following dancers ^[6]:

- Juan Carlos Copes ^[6] - Carlos Gavito ^[6] - Pancho Martinez Pey ^[6] - Fabián Peralta ^[6] - Junior Cervila ^[6] - Alejandra Gutty ^[6]

The listing does not state the dates or contexts of these partnerships ^[6]. Of these, her partnership with Copes is the one documented in further detail, from their meeting in 1949 through their joint appearances in 1960, 1983 and 1986 ^[1][2].

Recognition and later life

Nieves was named an Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires in 2008 ^[3]. In 2015 she was the subject of the documentary Un tango más, also known as Our Last Tango ^[1].

She died on 19 April 2026, aged 91 ^[1]. Her death was reported in the press, and a report on the Buenos Aires legislature's day of mourning named her alongside Luis Brandoni ^[2][3].