According to members of the Tango Club, tango is a meeting of two bodies and two hearts, keeping members coming back each week.
Tango Club was started five years ago by students in professor Ann Dobyn’s First Year Seminar, “The Rhetoric of Tango. They wanted to keep dancing, and they did.
Originating in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, tango is a slow, passionate and improvisational dance. It relies heavily on slow and steady walking movements. Dramatic and sensual, tango moves in a counterclockwise motion across the dance floor.
Professor Dobyns’ favorite thing about tango is a combination of two things.
“Being able to be completely and totally in your body, shutting everything else out except how your body feels, and how it feels to do that with someone else,” said Dobyns.
“The thing that makes the dance work is the embrace,” she said. “The whole room is in an embrace.”
Professor Dobyns teaches the class with her dance partner Chuck Scillia, who is president of Tango Colorado, a Denver-and-Boulder based Argentine tango dance club. She began dancing eight years ago in affiliation with Tango Colorado. She has been hooked ever since, and still participates in dance classes on Tuesdays at the Denver Turnverein.
Tango Club attracts a diverse group of participants. Members range in age from 18 to 60. It is a very international group of students, with participants from Iran, Russia, Vietnam and China.
Even community members fueling their addiction to tango will show up. The group welcomes them warmly.
“At Tango Club we learn a lot about the etiquette and history of tango as well as the dance itself,” said member Elizabeth Boyer from West Des Moines, Idaho.
“Tango is something I never would have thought I would get involved with, but I’ve loved it for the year I’ve been a part of DU’s Tango Club. My favorite part of being in the club is how many people I’ve been able to meet from all parts of DU. It’s a very diverse group, and we have a lot of fun!”
“The Tango Club is a very loving community,” said Dobyns.
“They care about each other. In Tango Club, we give hugs,” she said.
Dobyns and her partner Scillia teach tango with ease and patience. The focus of the club is to have fun, relax and learn to tango in a supportive and informal environment. The dance room during a lesson is filled with amusement and the nostalgic chords of the bandoneón, an instrument similar to an accordion and a staple of tango music.
Members do not need to wear special clothes or shoes, but are encouraged to wear shoes that can slide on wood floors.
Tango Club performed at the recent Global Gala on Feb. 26. Male members of Tango Colorado joined them.
Tango Club will be performing at the upcoming DU Festival of Nations on April 13. This Festival is an educational extravaganza that strives to educate students about cultures around the world.
These events are optional and enjoyable opportunities for members.
Professor Dobyns will be teaching an Advanced Seminar during spring quarter called “Tango: Border Crossings in Art, Race, Gender and Politics.”
Tango club meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in the basement of University Park United Methodist Church at 2180 S. University Boulevard. Snacks are provided.
For more information visit the Tango Club Facebook page.
