Roberto Herrera

Roberto Herrera is an Argentinian dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher born on September 5, 1963, in San Salvador de Jujuy. He is recognized internationally for his work in tango, a discipline he has pursued since childhood. Herrera began studying Argentinian and Latin American folk dances at age eight, and by twelve had started formal training in Tango Argentino. His teachers included Antonio Todaro and Pepito Avellaneda.

From 1986 to 1990, Herrera served as principal dancer of the National Folkloric Ballet under Santiago Ayala "El Chucaro" and Norma Viola, while simultaneously performing in various tango venues. During this same period, in 1986, he appeared as a solo dancer in director Marcus Zurinaga's film Tango Bar. In 1988 he took on the role of Martín Fierro in the theatrical production Aquí me pongo a cantar, based on the epic poem by José Hernández, staged at the Teatro de las Provincias in Buenos Aires.

Throughout his career Herrera has danced and choreographed for orchestras led by composers including Osvaldo Pugliese, Leopoldo Federico, Julián Plaza, Beba Pugliese, Osvaldo Berlingieri, Néstor Marconi, Horacio Salgán, and José Colángelo, touring with several of them across Europe and Japan. In 1993 he worked as a solo dancer with the dance company Tango Pasión alongside the orchestra Sexteto Mayor. The following year he appeared in the film Muchas gracias maestro, which chronicles the life of Osvaldo Pugliese.

Between 1995 and 1999, Herrera served as both artistic director and lead performer of Tango, una Historia at the Buenos Aires venue El Querandí. In 1997 he acted as choreographer and dancer for the opening event of the Buenos Aires premiere of the film Evita, and that same year presided over the closing show of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival. In 1999 he appeared on Broadway in Tango Argentino. He performed the production as a soloist alongside his dance partner Lorena Yacono at the Gershwin Theatre in 2000.

In 2002 Herrera founded the Compañía Roberto Herrera Tango and has directed it since its inception. That year, as part of events surrounding the FIFA World Cup in Seoul, he and his company performed Tango de Hoy with Natacha Poberaj. The company has since performed more than 300 times worldwide with productions including Tango de Hoy, Tango Nuevo de Roberto Herrera, Tango, Una Historia, Tango de Buenos Aires, Tango Origin, and El Tango. In 2004 Herrera appeared as guest dancer alongside Mora Godoy in the role of Gaudencio in the musical Tanguera at the Teatro El Nacional in Buenos Aires.

Also in 2004, Herrera established the Herrera Tango Academy, with branches in Buenos Aires, Milan, and Munich. The Munich branch maintains a cooperative relationship with the local school Tango genial. Herrera has taught tango since 1979, conducting workshops internationally and performing regularly at tango festivals. Since 2003 he has served as a jury member of the World Tango Dance Tournament. In 2012 he received the Maestro Formador y Transmisor Popular Argentino de la Danza award from the Consejo Argentino de la Danza.