During my research phase, I also noticed that in Argentine Tango, people danced very close together. I mean very very close together. I mean really close. In Argentine Tango parlance, the hold is called the "close embrace". As I learned later, most styles of partner dancing, like ballroom or Salsa, you and your partner are in a H-frame. Just like Baby and Johnny below.
But in Argentine Tango, you are in a A-frame with your partner. In the H-frame, you and your partner are on either side of the H, and your arms make the dash in between. By keeping the connection in the torso through the arms, the leader communicates to the follower which way to go. In the A-frame of Argentine Tango, instead of connecting through the arms, you are leaning against each other and connecting chest-to-chest. I was both very excited and utterly frightened.
I emailed one of the clubs to see if it were possible for me to learn the dance without doing close embrace, and I never heard back from the organizer. I was torn. On the one hand, I was fascinated by the dance. On the other hand, I was wondering if I were violating any moral codes. The funny thing in retrospect is that I would always imagined dancing with a hottie.
After going back and forth for the better part of a week. I decided to just go for broke and try out the class. Throughout the day, I kept thinking about the class. After dinner and my Vespers prayers, I put on my most decent set of clothing and hopped into the university bus that will transport me from the quiet North Campus to the exciting unknown of Angell Hall on Central Campus.
P.S.: Here is an excellent online blog that chronicled a man's journey in the world of Tango in Argentina. I read this blog from beginning to end when I was looking into Tango. And I panic like a little boy when I was trying to find the blog again. This is the power and beauty of dance.
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