Meredith Klein, the director of the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School, said the festival is a cherished tradition for the city's tango community every year.
Klein has been dancing tango for 25 years, including three years living in Buenos Aires.
During her time in Argentina, she met Ignacio Santiago Ondartz, whom she describes as a "brilliant" tango dancer.
Ondartz not only became Klein's partner on the dance floor, but he quickly became her life partner.
In March 2024, 49-year-old Ondartz moved to the United States, so he and Klein could teach, perform, and hopefully, tour together.
"Everything we were focusing toward was the Philadelphia Tango Festival, and performing together and all of that, when life had other plans for us," Klein said.
Not long after his arrival, Ondartz suffered a hemorrhagic stroke inside the dance studio. He then suffered a second stroke at Temple University Hospital, where he spent seven weeks in the neuro ICU.
Klein said he was intubated for a long time - unable to breathe or swallow on his own.
She explained, "Every capacity that an adult human has, he lost. He's had to regain every single thing from the beginning."
After five weeks in rehab, Ondartz and Klein went home on May 29, 2024. While his right arm and leg were paralyzed, Ondartz said he wanted to learn to dance again. To do that, Klein led the way.
"It was so extreme -- the inability to walk -- that we would start in this corner, and he would have to take a break by that corner," Klein said, as she described teaching Ondartz to walk through dance movements in their studio.
Miraculously, she said he quickly made strides. After a couple of days of practice, Ondartz started to lead. Within a month, he traded his wheelchair for a crutch. Klein said by the fall, he was moving without any help.
When asked how it felt to dance independently again, Ondartz described it as 'marvelous' and 'magnificent.'
When the pair felt comfortable, they set their sights on performing at this year's Philadelphia Tango Festival, which is something they had hoped to do last year.
This Memorial Day Weekend, they came together on the dance floor inside the Lithuanian Music Hall - allowing the power of dance to heal them.
"Ganas means willpower, like drive. And, you know, it's really amazing how much Ignacio has had through all of this," Klein said. "Whenever he has a therapy, or any chance to improve, he just goes for it. It's really amazing."
Ondartz said his doctors believe his stroke was caused by hypertension, leading him to make lifestyle changes after being discharged from the hospital.
As his recovery continues, Ondartz and Klein hope their story will encourage others to know and share the signs of stroke.