I enjoy dancing Argentine tango. I even teach it sometimes. Whether I’m in class or elsewhere, I often receive questions about the same tango topics. For a few months now, I’ve been thinking that it would be wonderful to have a platform for answering such questions and for telling the world about Argentine tango and its culture. Oh, the beauty of the internet. It has provided me with exactly such a platform - the blog.
Since it is a new year, it seems like just the sort of time to start a blog. So here is my resolution:
To create and regularly (every Friday, *fingers crossed*) post on a tango blog, intended for those who either don’t dance tango, or would be considered beginners.
That’s the goal. Feel free to keep me accountable.
My good friend Peter Litster often posts on Facebook about tango. He is both a tango dancer (example here) and a Lindy Hopper (example here - notice the dancer in common!) aside from making artwork during non-dancing hours. Have a read of his latest status:
Every so often at milongas, I run into into the odd tango-virgin; Not the ones who came to the lesson with the intention of learning, but the ones who literally just wandered in, either by accident or just to watch. Some of them wander back out after a few minutes, but every now and again I see an unfamiliar person standing by the entrance and watching the dancers with a look of wonder in their eyes.
I love meeting these people, and hearing some of their reactions:
"How are they doing that without stepping on each other. . . ?"
"So its not AWKWARD being that close to a stranger?"
"Oh my gosh, she's dancing with her eyes closed?!"
"Their dresses are so beautiful. . ."
And inevitably:
"Me? Out THERE? Heavens no, I'm too uncoordinated! I'll kick someone, I just know it. . . "
That last sentiment is something I encounter all the time. Although I can most certainly empathize, it makes me quite sad because the thinker of the thought, “ME? Out THERE? Heavens no, I’m too _____” has at some point been given the impression that tango is some sort of elite sport that only the most coordinated people can do.
“If you can walk, you can tango!”
It's a common phrase used to counteract the common perception of tango as elite. While there is actually a bit more to tango than walking, the idea is spot on - it doesn’t take any particular born-this-way talent to learn to dance. All it takes is a little willingness. It may also require the ability to suspend your self-consciousness long enough to enjoy yourself. Either way, it is my firm belief that there is nothing particularly special in the genetic makeup of tango dancers. YOU could tango, if you tried!
Do you find yourself thinking along the lines of the “tango-virgins” Peter described above? Even if you’re not a tango-virgin yourself, please let me know what your thoughts and questions are. I’d love to write about them!
Happy New Year!
Since it is a new year, it seems like just the sort of time to start a blog. So here is my resolution:
To create and regularly (every Friday, *fingers crossed*) post on a tango blog, intended for those who either don’t dance tango, or would be considered beginners.
That’s the goal. Feel free to keep me accountable.
My good friend Peter Litster often posts on Facebook about tango. He is both a tango dancer (example here) and a Lindy Hopper (example here - notice the dancer in common!) aside from making artwork during non-dancing hours. Have a read of his latest status:
Every so often at milongas, I run into into the odd tango-virgin; Not the ones who came to the lesson with the intention of learning, but the ones who literally just wandered in, either by accident or just to watch. Some of them wander back out after a few minutes, but every now and again I see an unfamiliar person standing by the entrance and watching the dancers with a look of wonder in their eyes.
I love meeting these people, and hearing some of their reactions:
"How are they doing that without stepping on each other. . . ?"
"So its not AWKWARD being that close to a stranger?"
"Oh my gosh, she's dancing with her eyes closed?!"
"Their dresses are so beautiful. . ."
And inevitably:
"Me? Out THERE? Heavens no, I'm too uncoordinated! I'll kick someone, I just know it. . . "
That last sentiment is something I encounter all the time. Although I can most certainly empathize, it makes me quite sad because the thinker of the thought, “ME? Out THERE? Heavens no, I’m too _____” has at some point been given the impression that tango is some sort of elite sport that only the most coordinated people can do.
“If you can walk, you can tango!”
It's a common phrase used to counteract the common perception of tango as elite. While there is actually a bit more to tango than walking, the idea is spot on - it doesn’t take any particular born-this-way talent to learn to dance. All it takes is a little willingness. It may also require the ability to suspend your self-consciousness long enough to enjoy yourself. Either way, it is my firm belief that there is nothing particularly special in the genetic makeup of tango dancers. YOU could tango, if you tried!
Do you find yourself thinking along the lines of the “tango-virgins” Peter described above? Even if you’re not a tango-virgin yourself, please let me know what your thoughts and questions are. I’d love to write about them!
Happy New Year!