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Oxford Tango Embrace is a collaboration between Argentinian tango dancer Luis Berruti and Oxford's Sarah Picaflores formed in the milongas of Buenos Aires.
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With Luis visiting from Argentina, this is a great opportunity to learn from a renown teacher! Please contact us to keep updated about our future activities.
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Luis Berruti
Luis began his tango journey in 2008 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, studying under the renowned local teacher Ezequiel Ristenpart. From the very beginning, he stood out for his dedication to both technical and artistic training, taking seminars with internationally acclaimed maestros such as Sebastián Achával, Roxana Suárez, Julio Balmaceda, and Corina de la Rosa, among many others.
He soon moved to Buenos Aires, where he worked as an assistant to Julio Balmaceda and continued to train intensively with leading figures in tango. His international career began in 2012 with a tour across Spain and Russia, and since then he has taught and performed in over a dozen countries, including Greece, Germany, France, Italy, China, Japan, and Russia.
Together with his dance partner Ana Clara Migoni, he formed one of the most recognized couples in the competitive and milonga scenes: they were runners-up at the Buenos Aires Tango Championship in 2016 and took third place in the Tango de Pista World Championship in 2017. They also reached the World Championship finals multiple times, establishing themselves as a presence on the international tango scene. In addition to performing in major festivals and events—such as Mar del Plata Vive Tango and the Shanghai Tango Festival—Luis has been invited to judge international tango competitions and has worked at renowned academies such as TangoWay (China), Tangomio (Russia), and top tango studios in Buenos Aires including those of Dante Sánchez and Mario Morales.
With a technical and expressive approach, and a deep connection to the roots of Argentine tango, Luis is a teacher committed to sharing tango as a living, inclusive, and transformative dance—both on stage and in milongas around the world.
Sarah Picaflores
Sarah began her tango journey over 17 years ago at the University of Edinburgh, where she was lucky to be part of a diverse and welcoming student community. In her second year of dancing, during an exchange year in Montreal, she founded a tango student society at the University of McGill, with an emphasis on integrating new dancers into the wider community.
She has since studied tango across the world - including extended periods of training in Buenos Aires – learning from some of the most recognised maestras and maestros. Notable influences include Mauro Peralta and Marika Landry, Gaston Torelli, Silvina Valz, Carla Marano, Corina de la Rosa, Sofia Saborido and Rui Barroso, among many other renown teachers.
During her doctoral studies at the University of Oxford, she co-founded the Oxford University Tango Society together with fellow Edinburgh alumnus, Dan Florin Berbec. With a focus on engaging younger dancers, she taught classes and organised a range of events, contributing to the growth of tango both within the University and the wider Oxford community.
Tango was fundamental to Sarah’s recovery from a severe illness spanning several years, brought about by Covid. This experience - alongside intensive physiotherapy and her scientific background - has shaped a keen sense of the role of dance in both physical and emotional well-being.
Her teaching is grounded in body awareness and technique, in support of connection, musicality and expression. She considers tango an art-form and is keen to make it inclusive and accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. `
