Spreading the language of dance

• Source: Global Times
• [11:06 August 20 2010]
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Fernando Isley and his partner Jenny Diehl embrace as they dance the tango. Photo: Courtesy of Fernando Isley

By Jonathan DeHart

Perhaps the most commonly held view about tango is that it is all about flash. The image of a tuxedoed tango showdown, fraught with complex steps and sweeping movements, comes to mind when many think of this Argentine dance. But nothing could be further from the truth for Argentine-American tango teacher Fernando Isley, who refers to this flashy breed as "circus tango" or "kung fu tango."

"Tango is a subtle physical language," Isley told the Global Times. "It takes a special kind of person to see the value in something that is not showy or flashy. Its real purpose is to connect other individuals and get to know them by communicating in a language that surpasses words."

Drawing on his bi-cultural background, fervent passion for tango and his long experience with the dance, Isley is coming to Shanghai, where he hopes to connect diverse communities through the language of dance.

"Tango is an ideal social glue for a place like China," Isley said. "As the country works to create a sense of national identity and connect so many diverse groups, tango has the power to bring people together who would normally not even say 'hi.'"

Growing up in two worlds

Isley is tango incarnate. Born to an Argentine mother and an American father, he grew up bouncing between Tucuman province in northern Argentina and Seattle in the US, where he went to college.

But his half-Argentine identity alone did not forge his ties to Argentina's beloved dance. His first teachers were his parents. "Tango is not traditionally that popular in Tucuman," he said. "Buenos Aires is the real capital of the dance. But my parents were always heavily active in the tango community. When we moved to Seattle, they kept their tango ties alive by hosting dances."

It was there a 6-year-old Isley began learning to dance.  "At first, I learned some pre-programmed movements. That was the only way of teaching tango back then."