Pingback

Buenos Aires, October 30

I arrive at my Tango lesson and the ranks have dwindled quite a bit. There is an Aussie couple, me, and our instructor Guadalupe. I have been alternating between my glasses, and contact lenses augmented by reading glasses. Today is bright and sunny and I wear my contacts, sunglasses, and carry my reading glasses.

I place my sunglasses and reading glasses on a shelf and Guadalupe says, “ah, two pairs of glasses for you today.  The sunglasses are for Bad Sam?”

“Si, si,” I respond. “I have to wear the sunglasses because I am a Man of Mystery, un Hombre Mysterioso.”

She replies, “I know. You are a man of mystery and you just tango on.”

I am embarrassed because I forgot that I have a signature line for my e-mail that includes that information.

“I am impressed by this, this way you make your living,” she says.

I am a little flustered by her reference and it takes me a moment to remember my steps, but finally I begin to walk leading Guadalupe. Guadalupe is trying to prepare us for the pressures of the milonga, the dance hall. “The man has a hard job, because he must lead. The woman can close her eyes and dance, but the man must also watch the traffic and not get too close to the persons in front or of the persons in the back.” She attempts to get the men in the room to lead and not have our partners know the next step or variation we will try. This is quite hard for me at this early stage.

I have an insight that I share with my Aussie colleagues about trying to Tango.  ”You’re studying Spanish, right? It is like learning a language.  It seems okay in the classroom when you are speaking slowly, but get out on the street and you freeze.”

Guadalupe shows us that you don’t even have to make a step.  ”If the floor is crowded, sometimes you can keep your partner in the em-brace and shift your weight from side to side. Dancing is not about making steps, it is about making connections with your partners.”

My Frankenstein choreography now feels cheap and silly.

At the end of the lesson, Guadalupe claps her hands and announces: “OK, chicos, is time to end.” She must hurry to get ready for her performance tonight.

I feel a bit humbled by the session, the “pingback” or reference to my blog, and by the process I have undertaken. Guadalupe speaks two languages that I cannot: Spanish and Tango.