Beaverdale, the tree-lined Des Moines neighborhood better known for brewpubs and brick bungalows, is not exactly Buenos Aires. Walk down Beaver Avenue on a Thursday evening and you're more likely to catch live jazz at Greenwood Lounge than a spontaneous milonga. But if you look past the headline-grabbing superlatives, you'll find a modest, earnest dance community scattered across Beaverdale and greater Des Moines—and a few larger trends reshaping how Iowans learn tango in 2024.
This guide is based on direct outreach to local studios, public class schedules, and conversations with Des Moines-area dance instructors during March 2024. Rather than declare "best" academies from thin air, we've mapped what's actually available, how to access it, and what to expect as a beginner.
What Tango Instruction Looks Like in Des Moines
Unlike cities with dedicated tango-only schools, Des Moines operates on a hybrid model. Regional dance studios and community centers offer Argentine tango as part of broader ballroom or social-dance programming. Within Beaverdale proper, no standalone tango academy exists at the time of writing. However, several reputable options serve the neighborhood within a 10- to 20-minute drive.
Des Moines Ballroom
Address: 4801 EP True Pkwy, West Des Moines
Contact: (515) 225-0850 | desmoinesballroom.com
Tango offering: Argentine tango group classes and private lessons
Price range: $85–$120/month for group class packages; privates from $85/hour
Skill levels: Beginner through advanced
Des Moines Ballroom runs the most structured tango curriculum in the metro area. Instructors Scott and Michelle Sickler—both competitive ballroom dancers with NDCA certification—teach Argentine tango in eight-week sessions. Their approach leans traditional: close embrace, walk quality, and musicality rooted in the Golden Age orchestras. Beginners can start any month; no partner required, though rotation is optional rather than enforced.
"We get a lot of Beaverdale residents because we're right off I-235," Scott Sickler noted in a phone interview. "It's not a tango-only studio, but we've built a core group of about fifteen regular tango dancers."
Des Moines Social Club
Address: 900 Mulberry St, Des Moines
Contact: (515) 288-3676 | desmoinessocialclub.org
Tango offering: Pop-up tango workshops and monthly social dances (milongas)
Price range: $15–$25 per workshop or event
Skill levels: All levels, with beginner-friendly pre-milonga lessons
The Social Club's programming shifts seasonally, but 2024 has brought a small resurgence of tango events downtown. In February, instructor Mariela Franganillo—originally from Córdoba, Argentina, and now based in Iowa City—led a weekend workshop that drew dancers from Beaverdale, Ankeny, and Ames. The space itself, a converted fire station with exposed brick and high ceilings, makes for an atmospheric milonga when tango does appear on the calendar.
Check their events page directly; tango workshops are announced roughly six weeks in advance and often sell out.
Arthur Murray Des Moines
Address: 6660 Coachlight Dr, Urbandale
Contact: (515) 270-9505 | arthurmurraydesmoines.com
Tango offering: American and International tango as part of ballroom programs
Price range: Introductory packages from $75; ongoing programs variable
Skill levels: Beginner through competitive
Arthur Murray teaches tango, but with an important caveat: their curriculum emphasizes American and International ballroom tango—upright posture, sharp head snaps, and choreographed routines—rather than social Argentine tango. For Beaverdale residents drawn to Dancing with the Stars aesthetics, this may appeal. For those seeking the improvisational, conversational style of Buenos Aires milongas, Des Moines Ballroom or private instruction is a better fit.
Private Instructors and the "Hidden" Scene
Several independent tango instructors operate out of community centers, church basements, and private homes around Beaverdale. These are harder to verify through standard listings, but two names surfaced repeatedly in local dance circles:
- Tomás "Tom" Galarza, who teaches small-group classes at the South Suburban YMCA (401 E Army Post Rd) on Monday evenings. His background is in salon-style tango from Buenos Aires. Classes are drop-in, $12 per person, cash or Venmo. Call the YMCA front desk to confirm schedule, as room rentals change monthly.
- Elena Voss, a Des Moines-based dancer who studied under Chicago tango instructors and now offers beginner-friendly private lessons in students' homes
