IT'S NOT AN OBVIOUS CITY IT'S NOT AN OBVIOUS CITY FOR THE WORLD'S MOST FOR THE WORLD'S MOST SENSUAL DANCE, BUT, IN SENSUAL DANCE, BUT, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TANGO ANTICIPATION OF THE TANGO TAIPEI FESTIVAL, TAIPEI FESTIVAL, NANA CHEN FINDS SHE'S SEDUCED FINDS SHE'S SEDUCED
PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID HOGSHOLT DAVID HOGSHOLT
Be my lover for the next three minutes,” says Thomas, a man in his 50s. Hand-in-hand, we slowly circumnavigate the center of the room. It is Friday night in Taipei. About 20 couples are embracing each other, some keeping a respectable distance, others so tightly entwined they seem certain to leave as paramours.
The Tango Taipei Association is the only club of its kind in Taiwan. Although the city is an unlikely hub for Latin nostalgia and melancholy, since they started in 2000, founders Stacy Jou and Daniel Liu have transformed a personal passion into successful weekly milongas – or dance parties – such as this one held inside the Fortress Café at the historical Chung Shan Tan Theater.
PASSIONATE PEOPLE
Looking around, couples say nothing to each other as they concentrate on creating elegant movement. “The tango is about communication and interaction without words and, because it requires constant embrace, you can really feel what your partner is feeling. They tell you what mood they’re in, using their bodies in reaction to the music,” says Stacy, now an established tango performer and teacher.
“It’s really a dance with strong emotions. You can choose to express them through your body, however strongly or tenderly,” adds Daniel, Stacy’s long-term dance partner. “Tango is not just about the dance. It becomes a lifestyle. You begin to enjoy life more.” Daniel’s hair, worn slicked back goes well with his thin mustache and the period attire he’s wearing tonight.
You can see the enthusiasm by the show of feet in the theater, most having spent the day running around offices, if they’re lucky. “I sit in the office for up to 14 hours a day,” says Viola, an attractive executive in her twenties. “It drives me crazy, so the milongas allow me to shut the office out of my mind while I move to the beautiful music. It’s also a great excuse to leave work early on Saturdays”. Her partner Shawn, an IT executive agrees, “My life is the computer until I come here.”
FESTIVAL FORGES AHEAD
All this tension, embracing and dancing is about to climax in the annual Taipei Tango Festival, held from 13-17 September. The festival will open with the Chinese-style milonga, when participants dance the tango dressed in traditional Chinese costumes, a sure way to meld Chinese conservatism with Argentine passion.
“Tango has changed the way I express myself off the dance floor,” says Jessie, who works in the cosmetics business. “Traditionally, Chinese people don’t touch, but now I am more affectionate. I don’t hesitate embracing friends or my children.” Thomas, her husband, adds: “I used to be very shy. But now we belong to the same big family. Even when I travel abroad, I can see friends at another tango club. We’re building an international community”.
GAINING A FOLLOWING
When Stacy and Daniel founded the Tango Taipei Association in 2000, there were few tango lovers in the city. They and a small group of friends would rely on instruction videos as teachers, even dancing on train platforms before they could afford a studio or educational trips to South America and Europe. These days, the club can afford to bring teachers to town.
“This year, we’ve invited three very prominent tango couples to the Taipei Tango Festival. You will see Javier Rodriguez and Andrea Missé, Esteban Moreno and Claudia Codega as well as “Pancho” Martínez Pey and Gabriela Amalfitani. These are really big names in tango. We’ll also have live music. As far as we know, no one else in the region holds a tango festival.
“We are following the Argentine and European traditions that have worked for many years. We’re hoping to draw more people from around the region this year, particularly the Philippines, since Filipinos already have a background of Latin music and are naturally musical people,” says Daniel.
ALL ABOUT STYLE
Even with big name tango stars attending the festival, the expected 500 participants will come from all walks of life. And judging by the way my clumsy feet are patiently guided, club members are used to guiding first-timers. “To be a good dancer you just need to walk first. Walk tall and elegantly,” Daniel assures.
“We are not here to judge and say who is and is not allowed. The festival is for everyone. The only major concern is space, so it’s first come, first served for the grand milonga – the biggest night – where we have space for about 300 people,” he adds.
This year’s grand milonga will be held in a ballroom at the Lai Lai Sheraton Hotel and if the dancers look decked up tonight, it’s only a taster for the spectacular show of costumes paraded during the five-day festival. Some dancers explain that the ritual of grooming and dressing for a milonga is just as important as the event itself and can take up to four hours.
That’s perhaps what Thomas was picturing with his eyes closed until the last beat of the classic Por Una Cabeza that marked the end of our dance. He gestures for me to point my shoes towards his then leaves to seek another parter for the next embrace.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Visitors are welcome to join at any time.
“The nature of tango is easygoing,” says Agnes, a regular. “For someone visiting the city, coming to a milonga is the best way to familiarize yourself with the local culture. The very nature of the dance – having physical contact – forces you to break the ice without trying. I know when I travel abroad, that the first thing I do is look for a tango club. Now I have friends around the world to dance with.”
The Taipei Tango Association organizes weekly milongas at Fortress Café, New York New York Jazz and Esencia Flamenca. Entry fees range from NT200-350 (PHP279-488), including one drink. Private classes can also be arranged by calling Stacy Jou at the Taipei Tango Association (tel: +886 916 985-815).
For the latest information on tango shows and announcements, go to www.tangotaiwan.com
JESSIE IS A COSMETICS EXECUTIVE IN HER 40S
Why do you like tango?
It started out with the music.
I had never heard anything so beautiful. I was mesmerized and drawn in. Daniel also did a great job of teaching so I just got more and more interested.
Did you start by going alone or with someone?
This dance is perfect for singles or couples, but since I already had a partner at home, my husband Thomas, he got curious and joined me shortly. When we were hesitant or tired, it was fun to just sit and watch beautiful people move to the lovely songs.
What are the milongas like?
They’re great. The crowd is so relaxed that you never feel that the atmosphere will get too out of control or crazy. It stays fun and since you change partners after each set of three dances, you end up becoming friends with everybody – just like us.
How does tango fit into your life?
Thomas and I fly between Taiwan and China a lot on business, but there’s a tango club in Shanghai, so sometimes, although we’re in different cities, we feel happy knowing the other is dancing on the same night.
What’s funny is, a lot of the dancers are in the same situation so it’s really become a large international community of friends.
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