Dance lessons were never on my bucket list; until a few weeks ago. I was out at an event, and offered a voucher for an intro lesson to The ‘Tango’ at Tango Duende (Melbourne’s home of switch/queer/non-gendered tango). I was not sure about what to expect so I requested some information from the dance instructor. Following is the testimonial I received from Scott:
“It takes two to tango, and that’s because at its core, Argentinian tango is not about fancy steps, or flashy moves, but about a deep, intense connection. A connection between the leader and the follower, the connection between them and the music, and (at least in a social context), the connection with everyone else on the dance floor. The key difference with switch/queer/non-gendered tango is that the age old sexist assumption that the man always leads and the woman always follows is not so much questioned as completely and deliberately obliterated. In a class run by Tango Duende (Melbourne’s home of switch/queer/non-gendered tango), everyone learns both lead and follow roles, and a radical idea called “Cambio de Roles” (change of roles), where-by the lead can be dynamically negotiated and changed throughout the dance.
Tango starts with a simple stylized walk in unison, and to passionate, intense music. The creativity of both leader and follower, are enhanced with the timeless music. The leader (or Dom) chooses the direction and pace, the follower (or Sub) accepts and interprets this lead to form the dance. This is traditional Argentinean tango, switch tango takes it to the next level where the leader and follower are both open to the possibility of negotiating and exchanging the lead and follow. This adds a magical essence to the dance, and can be danced in any combination of genders, e.g. male/male, female/female, female/male.”
After reading this description I was rather excited about this opportunity, and looking forward to a taste of Tango!
After looking around for a suitable dance partner I found one who I knew would be too scared to ‘step on my toes’ so to speak.
The lesson was 90 minutes or so and an enjoyable experience for us both. Our tutor Scott was very attentive, and taught with enthusiasm. It was obvious that he was passionate about the subject he was teaching.
I am not sure that I will ever be a master at the Tango but I do hope to fit more lessons into my schedule in the future, so that I might one day become practiced enough to have some affection for the dance floor.
For more information about a free introduction to Tango, contact Scott at Tango Duende. I highly recommend you give it a whirl!
Alex