Roberto Herrera

Roberto Herrera is a dancer and teacher of tango and Argentine folk dance ^[1][9]. A Tangopedia staff record gives his date of birth as 5 September 1963 ^[14]. According to a career timeline on Wikipedia, he began teaching tango in 1979 ^[1]. An interview with Patio de Artistas states that he moved to Buenos Aires after his military service and joined the Ballet Folclórico Nacional, directed by Santiago Ayala 'El Chúcaro' and Norma Viola ^[3].

His stage and screen work includes the principal dancer role in the film Tango Bar, a place in the cast of Tango Argentino, and the artistic direction of the show 'Tango, una Historia' at the bar El Querandí ^[2][1]. He later founded his own company and a tango academy with branches in Buenos Aires, Milan and Munich ^[1]. Sources differ on the founding year of the academy ^[1].

A video archive lists him with a long series of dance partners, among them Vanina Bilous, Natacha Poberaj and Ani Andreani ^[4]. In 2019 he met Ani Andreani, who became his dance partner and wife ^[10]. In 2024 he marked 50 years in the profession and gave an interview on the social roots of tango ^[3]. The title of a Todo Jujuy article describes him as a jujeño who carries tango around the world ^[13].

Early life and training

A Tangopedia staff record gives Herrera's birth date as 5 September 1963 ^[14]. A Todo Jujuy article describes him in its title as 'el jujeño' who carries tango around the world ^[13]. The same article reports that in 2023 he returned to Tilcara, where his grandfather had lived, after four years away ^[13].

According to Wikipedia's career timeline, he started teaching tango in 1979 ^[1]. The Patio de Artistas interview places his move to Buenos Aires after his military service and dates it to 1986 ^[3]. After the move he joined the Ballet Folclórico Nacional under Santiago Ayala 'El Chúcaro' and Norma Viola ^[3]. His later work covered both tango and Argentine folklore ^[8][9].

Stage and film career

In 1986 Herrera was chosen as principal dancer for the film Tango Bar, according to his Todotango biography ^[2]. The same biography records that he joined the cast of Tango Argentino, the production associated with Segovia and Orezzoli, in 1992 ^[2].

In 1995 he became artistic director and lead performer of 'Tango, una Historia' at the bar El Querandí, according to Wikipedia ^[1]. That run lasted until 1999 ^[1].

In 2002 he founded his own company, Compañía Roberto Herrera Tango ^[1]. A 2010 video shows a company under the name Compagnia Argentina Roberto Herrera performing at Vignaledanza in Italy ^[6]. In 2021 he posted older interviews from his Italian tours to his own YouTube channel, including a report by Raffaella Catinelli ^[11].

Teaching and the Herrera Tango Academy

Wikipedia's timeline dates the start of Herrera's tango teaching to 1979 ^[1]. The same source states that he founded the Herrera Tango Academy in 2004, with branches later opened in Buenos Aires, Milan and Munich ^[1]. Another source gives 2012 as the founding year, so sources differ on this date ^[1].

In 2012 he received the 'Maestro Formador y Transmisor Popular Argentino de la Danza' award from the Consejo Argentino de la Danza, according to Wikipedia ^[1].

His teaching has also covered Argentine folk dance ^[8][9]. In 2015 he taught folklore and spoke about his career at the Festival Colectivo Cultural ^[8]. In 2019 he taught Argentine folk dance with Anabella Belmonte in Puchheim, Germany ^[9].

Jury work

Wikipedia reports that in 2003 Herrera became a jury member of the World Tango Dance Tournament (Mundial de Tango) ^[1]. The same source describes this as a role he still holds ^[1].

Partners

A video archive lists Herrera as having danced with the following partners ^[4]: - Vanina Bilous ^[4] - Natacha Poberaj ^[4] - Ani Andreani ^[4] - Laura Legazcue ^[4] - Lorena Goldstein ^[4] - Tamara Bisceglia ^[4] - Ivana Smoljanovich ^[4] - Silvana Capra ^[4] - Jorgelina Guzzi ^[4] - Aparecida Belotti ^[4] - Anabella Belmonte ^[4]

The same archive also links him with Pablo Verón ^[4].

His partnership with Vanina Bilous was remembered by the interviewer Pepa Palazón as legendary when she introduced an interview with Bilous ^[7]. According to an interview published by Ani Andreani's school, Herrera met Andreani in Munich in 2019, and the two married within the year ^[10]. The same source describes her as his current dance partner ^[10].

Performances on video

The earliest footage of Herrera in a video archive is dated 2006 and shows him dancing 'El llorón' with Natacha Poberaj ^[5]. A 2010 recording shows his company performing at Vignaledanza in Italy ^[6]. In 2022 he danced 'El llorón' again, this time with Ani Andreani at the Munich Tango Festival Conexión ^[12]. A 2019 video documents his folk-dance teaching with Anabella Belmonte in Puchheim ^[9].

Later years

In 2023 Herrera returned to Tilcara, where his grandfather had lived, after four years away ^[13]. In 2024 he marked 50 years in the profession ^[3]. That year he gave an interview to Patio de Artistas on the social roots of tango, published under the title 'Lo social le da el alma al tango. Porque así fue como nació.' ^[3].