Spreading the language of dance

• Source: Global Times
• [11:06 August 20 2010]
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A physical lingua franca

While it is possible to speak with a silver tongue, Isley believes it is much more difficult for the body to lie on the dance floor.

"We sugarcoat our words. But with tango, it is very difficult to disguise what is being said," he said.

This deeper level of communication is the message Isley hopes to bring to Shanghai, where he and Diehl are moving in September.

Isley plans to stay true to his Argentine roots in Shanghai. "My goal is to begin the study of tango in the traditional way that it is studied in Argentina: amongst men, who learn the lead role as well as the follow part. That way, when they get a woman in their arms they know exactly how she will react," he said.

In tango, no one comes to a table and asks someone else to dance. The men and women sit separately, on opposite sides of the floor. They communicate with their eyes. "It can be as subtle as the raising of an eyebrow or the dropping of a gaze," Isley said.

These conditions call for group thinking and mutual respect, which are some of the inherent benefits that Isley and Diehl hope students in Shanghai latch onto. 

"Once you learn the basic rules, like grammar for language, you have the power to express whatever you wish," Isley said.