INTIMIDATING Tango

This week begins the MidSummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center. I went on Tango night with my friend Nathaniel for a little reportage.


Tango has always seemed a bit intimidating to me. The intensity and attitude of professional dancers makes it look like some secret dance with it's own special language. But tonight helped to lift the veil (or should I say the foot?) on this sultry dance.

Before the dance was a practice session. This was really a joy to watch. Couples giggled as they pulled each other close. Feet were steeped upon, the left and right foot was discovered. Amazingly these same people were able to create a beautiful flow of movement after only one hour of awkwardness.


You could recognize the gal that was seriously there to Tango. She would have a spaghetti-strap dress, usually red, some black, and one was green. The green dress looked great doing the "Sandwich". The "Sandwich" is a classic Argentinean Tango step that is composed of half ocho (eight) backwards, the beginning of a leading of feet without doing it, and a resolution by the ocho forward. I love the fact that it's based on eight. Such a sexy number!


For some reason there was allot of very short men with very tall women. The men were really into it and seemed to know the steps. The woman just looked a bit perplexed.


By the end of the night there were mucho ochos all over the dance floor. And a little romance.