VISUAL ARTS
Tango Por Dos at the Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, London, WC2 (0171-314 8800) 16 Oct-2 Nov.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."You can start learning tango at any age. When we dance on stage we do complicated steps but to dance socially it's not very difficult.'' So says Milena Plebs, whose company, Tango Por Dos, returns to London next week with a new extravaganza, staged by four couples and eight musicians.
Tango has always had a bit of an image problem. Originating in the slums of Buenos Aires, the dance was scorned by polite society. It wasn't until the tango became fashionable in 1920s Paris that the strange, intimate dance was taken up by the dancing public.
However, the craze for the tango passed. Younger dancers were taking up new rhythms. Tango, in Britain and the United States at least, was embalmed by the ballroom dancing movement. Deprived of its spontaneity, it emerged as International Tango, a very different dance from the one born in the slums of Brazil. ''It's very far from the tradition of tango," explains Plebs, "because in the Argentine tango, all the movements are in the legs; in the international tango the movements are in the arms. It's ridiculous, they learn a basic step and repeat it all the time. In the Argentine tango you are improvising all the time. The man leads the movement and the woman has to follow. When you go dancing socially you don't follow basic steps, you always improvise.''
There are currently dozens of tango classes on offer. People of all ages and abilities seem irresistibly drawn to the idea of spending their evenings with their foreheads pressed together and their lower extremities entwined. It certainly beats metalwork.
EYE ON TANGO
Hendon Dance Studio, London (0181-530 3820) Every 4th Saturday of the month, a two-hour lesson from the Argentine champion (pounds 6).
The Central School of Dance, Milton Keynes (01908 691008) Private lessons are available (pounds 8 per 30 minutes).
The Paul Alex School of Dancing, Watford (01923 223904) Two-hour beginners classes on Mondays and Thursdays (pounds 4 per person).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments