ADICTANGO GALA DINNER SHOW,

Jacklyn Shapiro

OUR STORY STARTS SEPARATELY,                   BUT ENDS TOGETHER...

Biography of owners and operators of ADICTANGO. 

ROBERTO PENA

Raised by a family of tangueros in a neighborhood of Buenos Aires city, Roberto Pena is originally from San Martin, Argentina. Having been exposed to Tango from a very young age, it is to no surprise that a he recalls himself waking up at milongas in between two chairs waiting for his mother and father to finish their last dance. Although Tango was an essential part of his childhood, Roberto was never drawn to learning it on his own. It was not until years later, after his immigration to the United States, that he was inspired by the show “Forever Tango,” which ultimately awoke his desire to reconnect with his roots. Shortly after, Roberto found himself taking classes and workshops with many reputable instructors where he continued to grow and develop as a dancer. However, deep inside he felt that no matter how much he was able to absorb from instructors, a critical component of his dance was missing, someone who was able to reflect an equal amount of spirit and ambition. After meeting his dance partner, Jacklyn Shapiro, over six years ago, Roberto now has the knowledge and opportunity to express himself and take his dancing to the next level.

JACKLYN SHAPIRO

Introduced to by her peers in the Russian community, Jacklyn began her dance training at the age of 12 at Universal Dancesport Center, where she became enamored with the art of Ballroom dance. Her instant love for dance and performance led her to become a competitive Ballroom and Latin dancer for ten years. After her competitive stage, she knew her profession lay in sharing her passion with others. Nowadays, Jacklyn continues to teach Ballroom dance while building upon her more recent dance passion, Tango. For Jacklyn, Tango has been an eye-opening experience giving her the opportunity to bring all of the elements together: the sensuality, connection, and the desire to express the inner-self, something that many times got lost in the competitive nature of her other dancing. Not long after taking her first Tango steps alongside of Roberto, Jacklyn realized this dance offers something unique - the feeling of dancing from the heart. 

OUR MISSION TOGETHER...

Today, Jacklyn and Roberto take every opportunity to learn from each other, maintain an open mind, and grow together as they continue on their tango journey. As instructors, performers, competitors and event organizers, they aspire to become more versatile in both their skill and projects. But importantly, stay true to what Tango is at its core: Love, Passion, Creation, and a form of Expression.

WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED

Competitions

2012 Logan Square Tango Competition (Philadelphia, PA) – 1st Place

2014 US Tango National Championship    (San Francisco, CA)  - Finalists

2014 New York  Tango National Competition (San Francisco, CA) – 2nd Place

2015 US Tango National Championship    (San Francisco, CA) – Finalists

2016 US Tango National Championship    (San Francisco, CA) - Finalists

2017 US Tango National Championship    (San Fransisco, CA) - Finalists

2014-2016 World Tango Championships    (Buenos Aires, Argentina) – participants