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Recap 2019

Well well well, here we come again to the end of another Tango year in 2019. Granted, this year was a lot more muted for me, just one Tango Prelims Championship, one Fame Tango Weekend extravaganza, one Tango marathon (shit, just one?!).

This years tango centered very much around home, no crazy travels (thanks to change in job), no multi-country tango events (thanks to no budget + no time), a smattering of lessons. But internally, centeredness, duende.

Next year, Taipei Tango Weekend, Singapore Tango Marathon + Lisbon for food, travels and Tango.

Where is my tango this year? 10 years since that fateful day running to Michigan Union in shorts and t-shirt with flipflops, hair wet from a swim on a balmy end of September day, 3 to 4 weeks into the new semester. Not knowing this would kickstart one of my greatest passions in this life. The one that brings me into the world of friendships, arguments, travels and meetings. All sorts of people, friends, acquaintances, annoyances.

The fabric of what makes Tango work is its social bonds that are created around the dance. The people you see in your class, then socially, then the ones you travel with to all corners of the world to dance. Istanbul, Belgrade, Paris, Portugal, Tokyo. And in each hub a friend or two to meetup with. I love this dance.

Phillip, Natalie, Andrew, Paul, Jose, Steve, Caryn, Fareza, Liza, Avik, Patricia, Jenny, Bridget, Tatum, Marco, Jacob. All these great leads that picked me up off the sidelines and threw me in with my work heels. Just follow they said. Just go with the flow. Trust. And so I did.

Now. Come with me, listen to that music? Hear that bandoneon strain, those trills of the violin? Dance that. Create these movements with me. Challenge me! Give it your best shot. I can handle it.

Next year? Well. More of the same, just more more more dancing please. Also more kindness in the dance, to bring more people in, to share in the knowledge and awareness without ego. 

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