Wednesday 6 May 2009

I'll have what she's having..

The passion for tango waxes and wanes sometimes. What is it about the dance that captivates some of us and yet leaves others unmoved? In our young tango community we watch how our core group of budding tangueros appear week by week, enthusiastically tackling the class subjects of ochos, giros and even the subtleties of el cabeceo. Yet some disappear, maybe for a myriad of reasons, we never really know why, but they are missed. It is the variety of people who dance tango that makes it so interesting, so diverse, so compulsive. Tango has conquered the world, in actual fact, as anyone fascinated with the subject will have discovered, as tango spreads its wings across the globe, we find talented dancers and teachers evolve not just from Argentina, but from the Far East, the whole of Europe, the Latin Americas, Russia, the USA as well as home bred in the UK. I have been amazed by the technical yet innovative approach to the dance of the Germans and Orientals, and the chic stylishness of the Italians, as well as the sheer passion of a genuine Argentinean!
We endeavor to bring to Malvern some of this eclectic society, for tango, although originated in Argentina well over a century ago, has over the last twenty years changed and diversified into an international passion. Why? An interesting question. Especially when you look at the fascinating array of people dancing tango today. Lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, engineers, musicians, farmers, teachers, scientists, artists, writers, to name but a few, and including young students to retired professionals. It has been described as the "thinking man's dance." In a world dominated by television, the internet and mobile phones with their constant demands via texts and emails, the real world of tango excites and makes us feel connected to the human race as a whole, far more than any cyber experience ever could.
When you experience a beautiful dance with someone, and are blown away by the awesome connection with that partner, I can never forget that line in the film "When Harry met Sally," and Sally is sitting in a cafe with Harry having just eaten a presumed "orgiastic" ice-cream, a nearby woman having observed her noisy renditions says to the waitress, "I'll have what she's having"...
We all want that, don't we? Yes please, and that wasn't even including the music!



Tango Malvern web site is http://www.tangomalvern.com

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