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Tango meets Classical - Malena - Between Freedom and the Embrace.

  • Lobero Theatre 33 East Canon Perdido Street Santa Barbara, CA, 93101 United States (map)

Tango Meets Classical

Two companies. Two choreographers.


World-renowned Fernanda Ghi Dance Company from Boston
Meredith Ventura & Selah Dance Collective from California’s Central Coast

Together, one powerful ensemble brings you Malena — the story of a woman’s rebellion and her fight to claim her freedom.

Lobero Theatre
Saturday, September 7 | 7:30 PM

Program

7:30 pm Malena - in two acts, with intermission of 15 minutes

8:45 pm Sacada Award and Q&A with Fernanda & Meredith

9:30 pm Milonga and reception at the Lobero Courtyard

East Coast meets West Coast as tango legend Fernanda Ghi joins rising star choreographer Meredith Ventura to create Malena — an adventure in dance storytelling about rebellion, freedom, and connection.

Told in three acts, Malena moves from the intimate embrace of traditional tango, to the raw rebellion of dancing alone in freestyle, and finally to a return — transformed — to a new kind of tango.

A bold, genre-defying original production, born in Santa Barbara, blending the passion of Argentine tango with contemporary dance.

Lobero Theatre

Saturday September 6 | 7:30 PM

Tickets at lobero.org or by calling 805-963-0761 

Price Range: starting at $27 


Fernanda Ghi Dance Company explores the roots of Argentine tango through the lens of other artistic disciplines and social themes. Led by choreographer and dancer Fernanda Ghi, the company works with a team of renowned dancers to build a space for innovation and creative collaboration—honoring tradition while pushing boundaries.

Selah Dance Collective, under the artistic direction of Meredith Ventura, is a contemporary dance company committed to creating original works, offering transformative educational experiences through performance, and supporting community dance projects and emerging artists through outreach, mentorship, and collaboration.

With artists:

Fernanda Ghi

Silvio Grand

Martin Almiron

Zoya Altmark

And dancers from the Selah Dance Collective

Presented by Nomad Tango, this production brings together exceptional artists with a shared mission: to expand the reach of the arts in Santa Barbara and beyond.

A Coproduction of Nomad Tango, Fernanda Ghi Dance, and Selah Dance Collective. 

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August 30

Destination:Tango - with Fernanda Ghi & Silvio Grand

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September 7

El Cachivache in Santa Barbara