Mari Travels with Tango

At Riga airport, waiting for my flight home. No matter how often I have visited, each time this city shows me a new way of enjoying tango life. This time, my biggest pleasure came from the early-morning dancing on the stamp-sized floor of the breakfast room of our hotel, and that one mind-blowing tanda with a leader whose musicality was only enhanced by the lack of shoes and the availability of red wine. 😊 The warmth, love, laughter and joy that surround me at the Riga events would in themselves be enough of a reason not to miss a single one. When on top of that I was blessed with moments of perfect unity of souls on the dance floor, my attachment to this place became stronger than ever.

Many things are wonderful about this journey called tango, but there is nothing, nothing quite like sharing a Pugliese tanda with someone who hears it the same way as you. In tango heaven.

People sometimes ask me if one has to be very fit to be able to participate in tango events that go on for several days. While the actual dancing really isn't that strenuous, what is indeed needed is a certain stamina and ability to enjoy the slightly confused state of mind brought about by lack of sleep, throbbing feet, deep conversations (whether verbal or through dancing ) with people you met just 5 minutes ago, as well as all the emotions induced by the music. All this  creates a weird sensation of the whole world being condensed into the microcosm formed by just two buildings: That of the milonga and that of the hotel.You have a vague recollection of there being some other, more real world out there, but dismiss the thought as irrelevant as you dive back into the sea of emotions. Being slightly crazy is not required, but it does help.

Rewind and replay: once again, on the train to the airport, late as always. Running to the train, I could see a flash of longing on the faces of the two old ladies  I passed. A thought flashed through my mind: Them thinking: "oh, how I wish I could travel like her!". Me thinking : "oh, how I wish I had the peace of mind they have!". We smiled at each other and continued our journey.