Mari Travels with Tango

For a long time already, I have known that music is like water to me. Listening to it, one is caressed by its melodies the same way as when standing in a warm shower and feeling the streams of water running down one's body. Similarly, rhythm is like the pounding of raindrops on one's face: invigorating, persistent - and impossible to ignore. Dancing presents an intensified version of the same sensations, for it means leaving the safety of the water's edge and allowing oneself to be carried by the torrent. Instead of being a casual observer, one must now accept that however the water moves, it will affect one's own movement too. If one manages to let go of the habit of restricting the natural flow of movement, one may even become so totally immersed in the stream that one turns into water oneself. This weekend, I understood how dancing with another person adds another layer to this. It reminds me of the laboratory experiments in chemistry, as now, two liquids of differen...

A successful tango event has many indispensable ingredients. Speaking of the physical and logistical requirements, an aesthetically pleasing venue, comfortable floor and easy travelling connections are a must. Even more importantly, the sound system settings and DJ selection play a crucial role in providing the environment for dancing to be enjoyable. Food and drink must be plentiful and available at suitable intervals, while a relaxed attitude to own "refreshments" doesn't harm either. But most of all, a tango event is the product of the people whom it brings together. It is only through the unique combination of nationalities, cultures and personalities that the spirit of any given event starts to form. On the first night, it may still be somewhat vague and tentative, but as the weekend progresses, it becomes stronger and more pronounced, usually culminating in the blissful glow of the Sunday afternoon. And in some rare cases, it continues growing until the wee hours of...

Growing older with tango has its perks. Despite the admittedly bittersweet reality of decreasing demand that you experience in the milonga, you do gain a deeper insight into the nature of things. In particular, you begin to appreciate the importance of genuine human interaction, whether on or off the dance floor. Now that the dancing itself doesn't feel so crucial anymore, the social gatherings pre-, during and post-milonga have more significance. Connecting with old and new friends, talking about what is light - and heavy - in life, sharing some of each other's burdens, begins to feel much more important than embracing a stranger while being moved by the music and the emotions it evokes. Sometimes you still feel like dancing is the most natural thing on earth, that you couldn't possibly live without it, at others you are like the proverbial elephant in a porcelain shop, surrounded by all that beauty, youth and grace. It's not that you are out of the game, it's jus...

Returning from Viejo Tallinn marathon, and for the first time in a long while feeling a need to write about tango. For so many years, my biggest motivation for these trips was the hunger for strong emotions, deep feelings or intense connection to my dance partners. The way to achieve those goals was through a lot of dancing, and the only obstacle was the way your dancing was perceived by others. There was a lot of frustration in those years, and often, you thought of giving up, as you obviously weren't the kind of a dancer you should be. But as frustrating as it was, the occasional moments of feeling accepted, cherished and somehow "included" in the mystical tango bubble were a powerful incentive to keep going. As those sensations became more and more sporadic with each year gone by, you found yourself struggling for a motive, questioning the sense of continuing, but still unable to let go. This past weekend, I may have stumbled upon just such a motivation: while your own...