Have you been tango'd?
They say it takes two... so grab a partner and head off to the
The glam event is the largest festival of its kind outside Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango.
Each night there will be a two-hour exhibition of Tango Argentino featuring performances by 19 world-class dancers, with music provided by the leading international tango orchestra, Sexteto Canyengue.
After the show, spectators will be able to take to the floor and dance cheek-to-lapel with the performers (and each other) until one o'clock in the morning.
And if the festival inspires you, just imagine the passion! The glamour! The Eighties satin split-to-the-thigh dresses!
Come Dancing connotations aside, tango is one of those things - along with the accent and the ability to look wildly sexy while throwing a tantrum - that makes you wish you'd grown up in Buenos Aires and not Birmingham.
Las Estrellas, the school where the classes are held, does everything to reinforce that image. Press the buzzer of a small building in a pretty West London mews and you're a world away from the Queensway traffic just metres away. It's probably the music that does it - Latin guitar rhythms that evoke memories of exotic holidays, and walls lined with tango posters and paraphernalia.
As Takis, our teacher, enters the room, everyone shuffles nervously on to the dancefloor. Most people are first-timers, which is reassuring. But then I look at all these men I don't know and remember how erotic tango is, which is not very reassuring at all. (You do get very close. A word of advice: buy some Clorets.)
Takis is a strict teacher. He says things like, 'You just don't get it!' and 'That is not tango!' as you trip over your own feet. But this is good - you do know you'll be taught properly. He's also very committed. As well as organising the aforementioned festival, there are Saturday-night classes which combine an instructional video, a two-hour class and then two hours of dancing (useful if you were wondering when your tango skills would come in handy. You are, after all, going to look a fool doing it in Fabric, no matter how slick your moves.)
Soon we've all got the hang of la salida, a basic routine. Maintaining eye contact and a fixed, moody-yet-lustful expression proves trickier, however, as I keep getting the giggles. Just not enough passion, I guess.
Tango, Las Estrellas, 2-3 Inverness Mews, W2 (020-7221 9535).
£10.
London International Tango Festival,
Porchester Hall, 45 Porchester Road, W2.
Fri 16-Sun 18 Nov, 8pm-10pm (post-show tango dancing 10pm-1am), mats Sat 17 & Sun 18 Nov, 3pm-5pm, £10-£35. Information on: 020-7221 9535/7221 5038.
Daily Workshops for all levels 10am-5.15pm, £15-£25 depending on level.
