On Wednesday evening we had our much anticipated (and much feared) Tango class at “Total Tango.” Somehow, we had the expectation of enjoying food and drink during the class, in some sort of interactive dinner theater venue. When we walked into the dance studio, filled with open floor space, no food or drink, mirrors, and about 20 other people, we all got a bit nervous. But the instructor quickly quelled our fears and got us up and dancing in no time. It was interesting that this was our first time encountering another large group of overseas tourists (mainly British, Irish, French, and Australian).

First the instructor covered the basic Tango step: the box step. He then taught us “ocho” – a variant on the step; and then, added the embrace and started having us try it all out. In Tango, men choose their partners, and as long as they do so with confidence, women must accept. So, each of us (four) guys danced with probably 10 or 15 different partners during the class. The class was enjoyable, but we were starving by the end of the session.

Part 2 of our Tango night was upstairs, and involved a cabaret-style dinner with a Tango show. The food was unfortunately not great (and overcooked steak while in Argentina is a no-no), and the show was a bit hokey. Although we felt a bit bad about it, we left in the middle, and drove to San Telmo to have our second dinner. See our next post on La Brigada.

From August 22-29, 2010, 11 alumni of Cornell University will volunteer with the Jewish community of Argentina.