THERE is something a bit saucy about the tango, isn’t there? Let’s face it, there can’t be many women out there who have not, at one time or other, rather fancied the idea of being skilfully swept around the dance floor by a confident (and, if you are honest, muscular, young and altogether dashing) gent.
It is a dance which has more than a hint of the erotic and a lot of the intimate and – to the uninitiated – a lot of steps that rather seem to take the gloss off the sweeping.
This week, the dance became the focus at Jersey Opera House with the opening of the touring production, Tango! Tango!
For ladies there is good news and bad news associated with this dance. The good news is that it is, without a shadow of doubt, the man who leads. The bad news is that you have to get your man to the dance class in the first place.
There is little getting away from the fact that, when it comes to dancing, a hemisphere can make a world of difference. Head off to Buenos Aires and you are unlikely to find a young man who doesn’t want to dance well. Head for Burnley or Bruges and the situation will be somewhat different. Over here it is more likely that a rather sulky partner is being dragged to a class, possibly as some kind of penance or apology. After all, for many it gets a bit too close to that feminine side, doesn’t it?
What this does not take into account, however, is that there are some peculiarly male aspects to learning to Argentine tango, according to local teacher Michael Dubois.
‘If you have got a technical type of mind then that is what is suited to this dance,’ he said. ‘It is a bit like trying to pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time. It also seems to be the guys – once they have got their heads around it – who enjoy it the most.
‘They get dragged along to start with and then realise that it they can get to know it and like it.’
However, this is not an undertaking for a couple who want to learn a few quick steps and get out. Getting tango right takes time and, even now, Michael and his partner (in dance and in life) Mareen Dannehl find that they are still learning and improving.
Mareen said that girls may initially find it easier because they have probably done some form of dancing before.
But apart from the looking sexy on the dancefloor (when it goes right, of course) what is the attraction of learning Argentine tango?
‘For me it is a wind down and a change. It is completely separated from the everyday,’ said Michael.
‘It also brings us together,’ said Mareen. ‘You really have to dance as a couple rather than as two people.’
Tango, however, has always been a mark of sensuality in films even if we don’t exactly dance it on the streets over here – yet. James Bond can certainly cross a dance floor in style and one of the forms of the dance has provided key moments in movies like the Thomas Crown Affair and, more recently, Mr and Mrs Smith. Even Arnie tried his hand – well, his feet – at it in True Lies.
The dance has its beginnings in Buenos Aires but what we have tended to see on this side of the world are the dances as adapted by the Europeans who travelled there and translated them to the ballroom.
Michael said that what the dance is really about is finding a woman – by showing how good a dancer you are. When there weren’t that many ladies around, finding one meant sticking out from the crowd and the best way of doing this was by proving that you were impressive on the dance floor and, moreover, could make her look impressive too.
Actually, the first ladies being sought were not exactly the town’s blushing virgins. Men would be practising their dancing while queuing for the brothels and the ladies would decide who they were going to bestow their favours upon depending on the manner and ability they showed on the dance floor. Needless to say, then, that the idea of the dance is to get quite close.
This was not a dance which grew out of ballrooms. It was developed by dockers, bricklayers and workers who wanted to stand out from the crowd. ‘This is a down to earth dance by men who want to impress the ladies,’ said Michael.
That does not mean, however, that this always has to be the flamboyant dance that we have become used to seeing. As Michael and Mareen move around the room it is clear that this is also a dance that can be performed with great gentility and grace.
At its best, said Michael, the man should be the rock of the dance and almost unseen – his greatest achievement being to show off his partner.
That being the case, he had his work cut out when this short blonde borrowed him for ten minutes and attempted to follow his lead.
Even within this demonstration, which was somehow helped by the torrential rain outside making the setting seem more exotic, it was easy to see how seductive the dance can be when it works. It is quite a change from the usual trauma of being flung around the dance floor.
There is a constant temptation for the novice to stare at your feet, but, said Michael, it is the upper body which actually leads the dance, the feet and legs providing the embellishments to the dance.
It would be lovely to think that one day we could see a passion for tango throughout the Island. Lots of co-ordinated people getting together to enjoy the opportunity to dance together. All we need to do now is persuade the men …
lMichael and Mareen are starting their next course on 30 September. For more details contact them at tango@jerseymail.co.uk
Article posted on 21st August, 2008 - 3.00pm
