"Dancing Tango is like breathing for me..."

How did you discover Tango?
"I have a first memory of my grandfather shaving in front of the mirror listening to Gardel on the radio. I was about seven or eight years old. Pictures of Evita and Gardel on the walls of that house. Buenos Aires is tango. In the 70s my uncle have been singing on the TV in a popular programme "Grandes Valores de Tango", which had closed only a few years ago after 35 years on the air. My mother taught me the first steps of Tango when I was about twelve years old, she was a professional dancer in Edmundo Rivero's shows before I was born. To illustrate the popularity of Tango in Argentina I can tell you that from 40s to the 70s people met, fell in love, and married dancing Tango. Today, after the Beatles and the military regime of the 80s it is no longer the same."

Is it easy to dance Tango?
"Tango is easy to dance – one man, one woman walking together in an embrace, listening to the music, trying to be one. At the same time Tango is the most complicated of social dances! Unlike other social dances, where both partners rely on a set of twenty or thirty patterns, Tango is a language, and it is not simple. We have several elements (ochos, giros, boleos, ganchos) which we combine just like letters in the alphabet. All this used by the dancer to express his personality, ability to play with the music, rhythm, the evoked emotion. And it is this essence of the unexpected, never knowing what happens next, that makes the woman to pay close attention to her partner's movements, making communication and connection more clear."

How important is the music?
"It is all – everything! But, interestingly, Tango in the 1880-90s had been danced without music! Servants and some slaves, mostly black people, used to meet in a place called "Tango" to enjoy their free time in dancing. Other workers, "compadritos", White people started to copy their movements. Gradually some Cuban music, Spanish music or simply drums were used to accompany the dance that evolved into Tango. Ten or fifteen years after, musicians started to create special music for those events. This is the most popular theory of how Tango was born, although there are others..."

Why is Tango so popular now in the UK?
"Tango is popular not only in the UK but all over the world! I have travelled a lot and have seen that in many different communities. I think it is populat for two reasons:
1) the embrace. Other social dances do not have a close embrace and rely more on the hand lead.
2) recognition. While people dance, they find something rebounding, resounding, from inside. Maybe because the cultural sources of Tango are from many different countries – from African rhythms, the waltz from Austria, to the German instrument bandoneon. It has a subtle, tacit appeal, probably because Tango has connections with almost any modern culture. The Malvinas (Falklands) war delayed spreading of Tango in the UK, but now it can be found in many cities, and its popularity is growing rapidly."

Where is it possible to dance Tango?
"There are many places to dance, yes. I think, the atmosphere and a good floor are very important for dancers. One popular place in London is the Welsh Centre, run by Tango Association on Fridays. Each week they invite different teachers and disc jockeys. I teach there a masterclass from time to time.

Do you, then, recommend a visit to Buenos Aires?
"After one year of dancing – yes, before – no! In Buenos Aires the standard is very high, and people watch you dance before inviting you, so if you are a beginner you will not be asked to dance, resulting in a very boring evening! But after a year training it is the best thing you can do! Dancing every night for several hours with good dancers is excellent for improvement. This month I am taking five or six of my students from London and a few more from Germany to Buenos Aires, and anyone who wants to do the same can contact me. I will help in in any way I can."

Are you prepared to demonstrate the dance?
"Allways. Dancing Tango is like breathing for me."

Thank you so much for your time!..