What’s the story behind this picture? What are we looking at, in Selfie Sunday #3?
The woman in black is Marilina, the woman in orange is me. Picture taken by Shola Carletti.
In 1999 I stumbled upon argentine tango. The dance, I mean. I was already familiar with tango music since years and loved it. Little did I know that there was a whole subculture around it with a specific dance. Like many people, I had done some ballroom dancing / social dancing when I was in high school. Tango was one of the dances, next to the cha cha cha, the viennese waltz and so forth. Ballroom dancing turned out to be not really my cup of tea. Being tiny, shy, short haired and no boobs (yet), I was the ultimate wallflower. Also, doing memorized steps did not really ‘touch’ me.
You probably do not know this, but the Argentine Tango has little to nothing to do with the social dance tango!
As soon as I was taken along to a tango lesson one day, I was in love. Wow, if social tango was like memorizing and reciting a text or poem, then this was like learning a complete language. And with that language the communications and conversations you could have were endless. Wow again!
Between 1999 and today, I went from ‘just’ dancing / following, to learning how to dance as a leader (the role of the man, normally), to teaching tango, performing (incidentally) and DJ-ing during tango gatherings. I went to Buenos Aires twice, fell in love with a Canadian tango dancer there and -ironically- broke up with him there as well, six years later;-).
I danced, taught and DJ-ed in the Netherlands, of course, but also in Buenos Aires, Singapore, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, Seoul, Montreal, amongst others.
The picture that we see here, was taken in Pune, India. I am dancing with Marilina, an Argentinian woman who lived in Pune at the time. I am leading her. The tango community in Pune is tiny and ‘young’, but I met some great women. Two of them are dutch. What a coincidence!
Tango communities and tango salons are not always nice, generous or welcoming, especially not for ‘older’ women like myself. But it still is a wonderful way to meet new people when you are in a new place, town or country. And when the chemistry between your dance partner (for those 15 minutes), you and the music works, then that feels great. It’s like magic!
Dancing tango relaxes my body and mind. Headaches disappear, thoughts get replaced by emotions. It’s all about self-expression, communication, musicality, feeling, movement and connection. I hate sports and all those types of activity, but tango ? ….tango I love!
Do you dance tango? Or another dance? Or maybe you do something else (painting, pottery, writing) that gives you a similar experience? That lifts you to another level? That makes you shift from head to heart? Tell me, what works like magic for you and why and how?
How I wish I had your skill level and talent when it comes to Tango. Sadly I think I might be one of those people that needs to memorize the poem. I get frustrated quickly if I’m not learning at the speed I’d like.
bisous
Suzanne
One thing is sure: tango is not easy to learn and it takes time and perseverance! In e.g. salsa, you can already feel that you are dancing and having fun after a few lessons. With tango? Not so much. It feels like a frustrating struggle for quite some time for most of us.
On the other hand: the satisfaction and joy can be high in the end;-).
I have a blind spot for dancing. Somebody has just turned off the light in my head. Cannot put steps together to form a dance.
Greetje
Oh, did not know that about you. Well, you have many other qualities and talents!