My mum introduced me to tango. She led the way for me and many others. She introduced it to her small community in a generous and welcoming way. I try to follow her example in my own town.
I hear from many other dancers that I am so lucky to be able to share tango with my mum. We even dance milonga together, laughing our butts off as we change lead and follow. I don’t get to hang out with her much since we live a few hours away from each other but I am lucky to share tango with her, even from afar.
Tango is a richer experience when the roots of its culture are regarded and respected. It is a beautiful life journey and when you are on its path, the mystery of it unfolds …like life… keep moving through each moment… with grace….if possible.
Yup, that’s my mum. Now you know where I get it from. It’s a family thing.
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I appreciate that your mum told you to respect tango’s roots and its culture. The only way to know tango’s culture is to dance in the milongas of Buenos Aires. There are no true milongueros anywhere else in the world. You experience the real thing dancing with them.
I’m glad to read this on your blog, especially after reading a post by a prominent teacher in Germany who wrote: “You don’t have to travel to Argentina — you find great milongas and festivals everywhere.” She has spent only a few weeks in Buenos Aires during the ten years she has been dancing. You don’t learn much about the tango culture while living in Germany.