Tango

By Xman, Hilo,

I do not know what tango I learned to dance when very young. But I had not danced it for some 30 years when I got to Hawaii Island. I looked at a lot of them and settled on the American Tango because it was the most easily accessible and most of my new friends were dancing it.

"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
~Aldous Huxley

After a few years and no big success at it, I discovered many other tangos that could be danced as Tangos and also the big difference between social tangos and Exhibition Tangos on Maui and Oahu. I even saw Ballroom competitors attempt a little Argentine flavored footwork in their show pieces.

There are even videos claiming to be Argentine Tango that end up looking like fancy Argentine moves done to the American Tango. So I tried Argentine Tango and that really screwed things up for me. As any true tanguero would say, "to really do the Argentine Tango you must start with the salon. Everything else from, the seemingly impossible entangled footwork to the big stage moves, arise from there."

Nostalgia by Placido Domingo

Then I left tango alone for a few more years. And I was having a ball dancing everything else. Eventually this was followed by the International Tango. I learned it fairly well except for my lack of precision in doing it as "prescribed." And also the fact that I couldn't get my partners to "phrase." Apparently phrasing is not taught in Hawaii, I don't know.

I became convinced that International was just not my cup of tea. I have seen the cutting edge of Latin dancing in Night Club Salsa as I watch them blending old Latin moves with the new, though I am not a partisan of arm entanglements.

I have come to the conclusion that many ballroom studios and competitions are very successful in LAGS when it comes to the Latin dances. Not the way Latin people dance it which is a lot simpler. I believe the market will eventually evolve into a Latin dance peripheral such as the Swing, Tango, Salsa, Line. If it happens it will be on Oahu first.

"They know enough who know how to learn."

Whatever happens, in this nice big beautiful dance world we have in Hawaii, my path is clear. I must try to go as much of the way into the authentic Latin Style of all the dances and I know I am not alone.