Santa Cruz's Milonga Desde El Alma

Name: Santa Cruz's Milonga Desde El Alma
Start: 2026-11-21T19:30:00-08:00
End: 2026-11-21T23:00:00-08:00
Location: The 418 Project (Large Theater)

Hosted by Iris Mayo • Featuring Guest TDJ Nico Orlandi

Date & Time

Nov 21 2026 (Saturday)

7:30 PM - 11:00 PM

Location

The 418 Project

In the: Large Theater

Want to volunteer or trade work for entry? Volunteer with us

About This Event

Hosted by Iris Mayo • Musical Selections by Guest TDJ Nico Orlandi

Join us in The 418 Project's Large Theater on Saturday, November 21st for the November edition of Santa Cruz's Milonga Desde El Alma, hosted by Iris Mayo and featuring special guest DJ Nico Orlandi!

Featured Guest TDJ: Nico Orlandi

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nico Orlandi is a beloved Argentine tango DJ and dancer known for crafting dynamic, floor-filling traditional tandas that keep the ronda flowing with energy and heart from the first cortina to the final Cumparsita. A regular behind the decks at premier Bay Area milongas—including Milonga Rubia and Milonga Rubia al Sur—Nico has also been featured as an international guest TDJ at major festivals in Europe, including the International Queer Tango Festival Berlin (DJing the Gala Night at Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche alongside live orchestra Cuarteto Rotterdam) and milongas in Italy.

Evening Schedule & Details

7:30 PM – 11:00 PM: Social Dancing (Milonga) with Guest TDJ Nico Orlandi
Host: Iris Mayo
Venue: The 418 Project — Large Theater (Sprung Hardwood Floor), 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz, CA
Admission: $20 at the door
Hospitality: Light snacks, refreshments, and perimeter table seating included. No partner required—all levels warmly welcome!
Contact: eyemayo@gmail.com

Featured Artists & Lineup

2 Artists

DJ Nico Orlandi

DJ Set

San Francisco Bay Area Argentine Tango DJ (TDJ) and dancer known for crafting dynamic, soul-stirring traditional tandas and cortinas. Regular TDJ at Bay Area favorites including Milonga Rubia and Milonga Rubia al Sur, and international guest TDJ at the International Queer Tango Festival Berlin and milongas in Italy.

Iris Mayo

Host

Founder, host, and organizer of Santa Cruz's Milonga Desde El Alma. A longtime pillar of the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay Argentine tango community dedicated to fostering a warm, welcoming social dance space.

Event Schedule

Times and locations across the venue

7:30 PM Large Theater

Doors Open & Welcome

Doors open in the Large Theater. Grab a table around the dance floor, lace up your tango shoes, and enjoy light snacks and refreshments.

7:30 PM – 11:00 PM Large Theater

Milonga & Social Dancing with Guest TDJ Nico Orlandi

Traditional Argentine tango, vals, and milonga tandas on the Large Theater sprung wood floor, hosted by Iris Mayo with light snacks and refreshments.

Visiting The 418 Project: What to Expect

House guidelines to ensure a welcoming, inclusive space for everyone

We are committed to a safe, welcoming environment where everyone is treated with cultural and personal respect across all backgrounds and identities. We hold the highest standards for consent—in movement, touch, and conversation. Always check in first, honor boundaries, and ensure that consent is clear, voluntary, and ongoing.

As a community-run non-profit collective with a small staff, we cannot clean everything after every event. Please help us care for the space by picking up after yourself, placing recycling and compost in the bins provided, and treating every room with kindness so it remains welcoming for the next gathering.

We have a filtered water bottle refill station on-site, so feel free to bring a refillable bottle. All restrooms are all-gender, ADA-accessible, and located conveniently on the ground floor.

To ensure everyone can breathe and move comfortably—especially community members with chemical sensitivities and asthma—The 418 Project is a low-fragrance space. Please refrain from applying perfumes, scented colognes, or strongly scented lotions before attending.

As an artist-driven non-profit collective, we believe movement and art should be accessible to all regardless of financial circumstances. Many events feature sliding scale tickets, and we offer work-trade opportunities for community members who wish to volunteer in exchange for admission.

Explore volunteer & work-trade opportunities

Plan Your Visit

Venue & Accessibility

The 418 Project is located in downtown Santa Cruz. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming space for all dancers, artists, and community members.

Address: 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Accessibility: Ground floor entrances & all-gender accessible restrooms

Parking: On-street parking & nearby River Street public garage

Get Directions on Google Maps