Spreading the language of dance

• Source: Global Times
• [11:06 August 20 2010]
• Comments

Fertile ground

Diehl first saw people dance the tango at a club in Argentina while she was on vacation. "When I returned to Seattle, I immediately signed up for tango classes," she said. "But then I got into the maddening cycle of learning steps upon steps. Just before I got burnt out, I met Fernando's mother, who recommended that I take lessons with him."

As they danced, they fell in love. This was the turning point that led the couple to spend two months in Shanghai this year with Diehl's family. During this time, Isley gauged Shanghai's interest.

Drawing on the same powers of observation that led him to boil tango down to its essence, Isley noticed that Shanghainese are fond of group activities, such as tai chi and ballroom dancing.

"People in Shanghai respond to tango very positively," he said. "Tango is very community oriented. In the individualistic US, you sometimes get a bunch of yahoos flying around the dance floor trying to show off. That doesn't make for a very pleasant experience. In China, the culture is more suited to creating an experience that is pleasurable for all."

"Tango dancing is so much like tai chi," Diehl added. "It's all about the flow of energy through your body and communicating that to another person's body. I really think Chinese people can get into it more than American people."