What is tango for you?

For me, tango is a way of life. Dance expresses the inner life of a person, at least that is what I learned from José “El Turco” Brahemcha. He once told me, “The dancer dances what he is.”

The authenticity in dance has to do with the everyday life. Everyone has routines and the best comes from the will to give continuity to a process. Tango is a craft, a product of repetition. It always remains rooted, but it is constantly evolving. The more genuine the feelings, the more genuine the search. Certain aspects touch you more or less. Elegance, explosiveness or passion can move a dancer, musician or artist more or less.

For me, tango is a modern dance. There is an order and a distribution of roles, according to tradition, but not in a reactionary manner. There are reasons why you do or do not do certain things, movements. The basic qualities of these are also considered in new steps. The character remains and is not diluted by a complete abandonment of the rules. I see this especially in the Urquiza style (*smiles)… When “everything goes”, the expressions and conflicts are avoided. Everything seems nice but intensity and character are lost.

Tango is my home, a place where I feel safe. I can express myself through it. As a student, teacher, artist or director. In this work I see things that always accompany me. For example, they are memories from my childhood and youth. The first visit to Sunderland where they did not want to let me in because I was inappropriately dressed. However, a club member recognized my desire to get closer to tango and let me come in from behind through the bar, just to watch. There I encountered structure and cordiality at the same time. Or in the kitchen with José, after cooking: “Chiche, this food is tastier than the tango!”. Sometimes I realize that I have to give more space to other aspects in order to feed the tango.

Tango is for me to be able to enjoy. And that I can improve. Maybe not be “the best”, but I can always strive little further for happiness. It does not let me hide in the idea of “looseness” in order not to develop further. In tango you can always learn, just like in life. There is no excuse, just like in life. You get better, also through sadness. The personality refines itself and so does the dance. Melancholy is a very powerful force for further development, as well as the ability to find happiness in misfortune.

In the beginning I never thought I would become a dancer. I would never have allowed myself this thought. And that is why I worked very hard. Over the years, life has given me this. From persistence. My first personal contact came through the family, later through the literature of tango, then through music and finally through dance.

Interpersonal relationships have always been a big component for me. Here I found respect and closeness, both between teacher and student, as well as between husband and wife, parents and children, between friends and my life with the tango.