Stella Baez

Stella Baez, whose name also appears as Stella Báez in some source titles, is a dancer described in a 2017 interview as a professional dancer, teacher and actress ^[5][1]. According to an interview she gave with Ernesto Balmaceda, she came to tango almost by accident: she was cast as an actress in the stage show 'Los muchachos de antes no usaban gomina' ^[1].

Her career is closely tied to Ernesto Balmaceda. By the couple's own accounts, she became his partner in dance and in life around a year after he began teaching at Club Almagro ^[1]. A dancer listing records her as a partner of Ernesto Balmaceda, and the same listing also records a partnership with a dancer named Ernesto Paez ^[11].

Recorded appearances in the dossier span from a visit to Chicago in September 2007 to a performance in Paris in July 2026 ^[3][10]. They include dancing at Salón Canning, teaching at La Nacional in Buenos Aires, an homage to Miguel and Julio Balmaceda, and a public conversation at the Academia Nacional del Tango ^[4][6][7][8].

Early career

Baez began dancing tango almost by accident, according to the first part of a five-part interview with REVISTANGO ^[1][2]. She had been cast as an actress in the stage show 'Los muchachos de antes no usaban gomina' at a theatre whose full name is not given in the available material ^[1]. The dossier dates this beginning to 1987, at year precision ^[1].

Her background as an actress continued to be part of how she was presented: a 2017 interview introduced her as a professional dancer, teacher and actress ^[5].

Partnership with Ernesto Balmaceda

Baez became Ernesto Balmaceda's partner in dance and, by their own accounts, in life, around a year after he began teaching at Club Almagro ^[1]. The dossier dates this to 1996, at year precision ^[1]. The interview in which they describe this carries the title 'Hasta que un día no nos separamos más' ^[1].

The earliest dated footage of the couple shows them on a visit to Chicago, in the United States, in September 2007 ^[3]. In 2019 the couple gave a five-part interview to REVISTANGO ^[2].

A dancer listing records Baez as a partner of Ernesto Balmaceda ^[11]. The same listing also records her as a partner of a dancer named Ernesto Paez ^[11]. The available sources do not explain whether this is a separate partner or a variant entry, so the record is noted here as unresolved ^[11].

Performances

Baez danced at Salón Canning in 2013, in footage that also features Osvaldo and Coca Cartery ^[4].

On 27 December 2022 she danced in the homage to Miguel and Julio Balmaceda at the Parakultural, held at Salón Canning ^[6].

On 13 February 2025 she danced 'Pájaro sin luz' with Miguel Ángel Zotto at En lo de Balmaceda; the recording's title attributes the music to D'Arienzo ^[9].

On 1 July 2026 she performed with Balmaceda at MilOnda 1905 in Paris ^[10]. A recording from that event, labelled as the second of four, shows the couple dancing 'De corazón a corazón', attributed in the title to D'Arienzo ^[10].

Teaching

Baez has been described as a teacher as well as a dancer ^[5]. On 28 December 2023 she taught with Ernesto Balmaceda at La Nacional in Buenos Aires ^[8].

Interviews and public appearances

In 2017 Baez was interviewed by Faroltanguero, which presented her as a professional dancer, teacher and actress ^[5]. In 2019 she and Balmaceda gave a five-part interview to REVISTANGO, which covered how she came to tango and how their partnership began ^[2][1].

On 31 August 2023 she joined a public conversation with Coca Cartery at the Academia Nacional del Tango in Buenos Aires, as part of the 'Bailarines por Bailarines' cycle named in the source title ^[7].

Related

Dancers linked to Baez in the available records are Ernesto Balmaceda, her long-time partner, and Ernesto Paez, who is also listed as a partner ^[11][1].