Connect with us on Facebook | The Argentine Tango |
| Written by Crew Life Staff |
| Sunday, 01 March 2009 00:00 |
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I cringe to even mention this, but perhaps you once watched “Dancing with the Stars” or maybe some ballroom competition on the television? It was by accident, of course. What I want to tell you about is not the same, not even close. It would be like comparing Rugby to American Football, Apples to Oranges, or that first taste of true love to the blurry shag you had last night. The only similarities are vague at best. After that, everything changes. The difference, as best I can explain it, is that Argentine Tango is only danced for the people dancing. Ballroom, American Tango, and variations are designed for the audience watching and for competition. Frankly, I’m not interested in people watching me dance. In fact, I’d prefer if no one watched which is why I tried, and quickly fell in love with the Argentine Tango. I won’t go in to a long history of the dance. Tango spread from Argentina to most of the known world. If you are motivated there are plenty of great websites and books. One of my favorites, www.todotango.com, in English y en Español contains great links to many different countries. I started to tango, seriously, about 5 years ago though I tried it the first time more than 15 years ago. Maybe the old pictures and stories my grandparents told of dancing the night away provoked me. Maybe I wanted to believe there was a place where men were gentlemen and women still swooned. The music evokes romance, suffering, love, hate, swooning… Whatever the reason, I pushed forward. Perhaps I am making too big a deal of it? People learn to dance for many reasons. Realistically, I didn’t want to be one of those guys standing at the edge of the dance floor nursing a drink in one hand and feeling the pain of two left feet. Besides, the tango looked cool and slow enough that I thought I might be able to do it. My first year was brutal, and I am sure there are women on whom I left an unpleasant mark. Remember though, I started with two left feet and a poor sense of rhythm. Five years later I am confident on the dance floor and no longer care who is watching. As you all know free time is rare in the yachting industry. During yard periods and downtime most yachties pursue personal activities on evenings and weekends. Getting wasted at Waxie’s, falling off a bar stool in Bradley’s, or hooking up only goes so far. What more to do in the flat lands of Florida? Well, learn to tango. You can always go out for a few cocktails and get laid afterward. Hell, you might need to have a few cocktails and get your horizontal groove on afterward. Having often worked out of Rybovich’s yard in West Palm Beach or one of the many boat yards in Ft. Lauderdale I looked into tango opportunities close to these locations. Here are two little gems I discovered and something different for you to consider the next time you make port. I interviewed two tango instructors, Yanira Collado, a dance professional teaching just south of Ft. Lauderdale at Grace Cafe and “George” owner of Exclusively Argentine Tango in West Palm Beach. George moved to West Palm Beach specifically to teach Argentine Tango to beginners. “What I saw was that many instructors don’t focus on very basic information. In my classes we do a lot of walking before moving on to other things. I engage students in learning how to walk properly, how to have good posture and a nice embrace.” Once you learn to walk, you can go anywhere with confidence. The tango is a beautiful, challenging and captivating dance. A feeling of connection develops between the dancers and the music that is hard to describe. People start with a few lessons and end up with a life long love affair. As George likes to say “It gets into your soul!” Yanira Collado speaks fluent Spanish and English. Her professional dance career spans more than 12 years. She continues to study with professionals from Argentina and the United States in addition to teaching private and group classes, performing and choreographing in southern Florida. Currently, Yanira teaches a regular technique class and will soon start beginner and intermediate classes with small groups. She teaches privates at all levels from “Day one, never tangoed in my life” to “I’ve been doing this a long time...” Her specialty is breaking down movements and techniques into understandable parts. Students learn techniques and tools enabling them to dance with anyone. By approaching the tango as an art form, Yanira coaches dancers to express something through the music and dance using the body. She frequently works with the blind and people that experience other learning challenges. Group classes open to the public offer the ability to learn a few basics at a very low cost. The downside is less personal attention and instruction. Your best bet, if you know you want to learn the tango, is to take an introductory private lesson as an individual, couple, or group. The price is usually the same for an individual or couple so find a friend. Pricing is fairly consistent through out southern Florida and an hour with either instructor will put you miles ahead of a public class. George offers the first lesson as “The first hour is free, you pay me for the second.” By the end, you will know for certain if the tango is something you want to continue. Both instructors teach at their respective studios or are available to come to a residence or yacht for an individual or private group class. Their contact information and that of other instructors at Grace Café and Gallery are provided below. One last word, you don’t need fancy shoes or special clothes. Ask your instructor what to wear. It’s the tango you are after, not a fashion statement or some fruity wardrobe. The right attitude and an interest in something different will open some amazing doors. After all, isn’t that at least part of why you started yachting? George’s Exclusively Argentine Tango Yanira Collado In addition to Yanira, two other well-respected teachers also reside at Grace Café:
Both can be reached by calling the Grace Café and leaving a message. |