The great English poet Ezra Pound once said, “…When music strays too far from dance, it atrophies.” Not wishing to risk such a dreadful fate, the North Carolina Symphony has engaged two dancers for our upcoming Tango Nuevo concerts in Chapel Hill (Jan. 26) and Raleigh (Jan 27-28). We asked Tango artist Karen Jaffe to tell us a little bit about this exciting dance form.

Tell us about the art form—how and where did Tango develop?

Much is lost in myth and an unrecorded history. It is generally accepted that in the early 1900s, with the immigration to Argentina of many Africans, Spaniards, Italians and a mix of others, Tango was created. This melting pot of cultures, each borrowing dance and music from one another, encouraged the creation of new steps and music that eventually became what we know today as Tango. The dance continues to evolve over time, even today.

What sets it apart from other forms of dance?

Unlike other dances that are step sequence based, Tango requires a deep commitment to the other person in the moment of the dance. It is like an intense love affair that lasts only the length of the song. It is about the connection, communication and awareness of that other person, sharing the energy, moving to the music, together creating something greater than the two individuals. Within the technique of Tango, on the social dance floor, each dance is a unique creation built moment to moment, based on the movement of the entire floor and the interpretation of the music in our bodies.

What are Tango’s distinguishing features?

Communication that happens within the embrace, the subtleties and nuances, the personalities of the dancers becoming the dance, as well as the dialogue, the conversation between the couple during each dance. These qualities pull the dancers to be very much in the moment, present for what may be "said" next, never knowing what to expect. Of course everyone dances their personality, and depending on their “voice,” every dancer can feel dramatically different. My highest ideal of the dance is having a partner who is clear in his invitation, but also listens to my voice, my interpretation of the music, allowing space and time for me to express fully in my body that moment, while still being able to maintain the leader role. The roles of leader and follower can become ambiguous, as there are times when the leader actually follows the follower's movement, and the follower leads by completing a movement with her full range of motion. This blurring of the lines can create the feeling of oneness with the music. These moments for me, I can describe as Zen-like or dreamy. These may not be apparent to someone who is watching the couple, but certainly a huge attraction for me.

How did you get interested in Tango?

I was an avid contra dancer at the time, when I attended a dance retreat and took my first tango class. There was a young man attending who had some experience. It was during this first class, with him, that I had my first “Tango moments!” I was immediately hooked. There were only a few people dancing in Asheville at the time, so I traveled and took as many classes as I could. This is how I began my Tango journey.

It was around 2003 when I met Daniel through mutual friends. We danced socially together first, which was rare, because he lives in Charlotte and I live in Asheville. That does not matter really though, as we were both speaking the same language. So when we were able to get together and dance, we danced very well, both being experienced dancers. It all sort of blends together now in my memory, but I think we began working together at my first Tangogypsies Regional Tango event, which was in May 2005. We found we enjoyed working and dancing together, that we complimented one another. It seemed beneficial to collaborate and organize both workshops and performances. We both work with other partners as well, but still very much enjoy dancing, performing and teaching together when we can make that happen.

Tell us a little about your training as dancers.

From that very first class I have continued to seek out teachers who can help me continue to grow as a dancer, as well as a teacher. As time has passed, the search has become relentless. My journey has been diverse, having to take what classes were offered in the early years. I was very fortunate to have been exposed to some high caliber teachers very early on, and consistently over the years. I studied with many different teachers, who had different perspectives and styles, which was challenging, but now I realize how beneficial that education was. Things are different today; with the worldwide interest in Argentine Tango and the growth of communities all over the world, classes are not difficult to find. I continue to seek out qualified teachers in styles and aspects of my dance that I am interested in refining. At this point in my journey- my annual trip to Buenos Aires is my personal intensive training time.

I also work with select teachers that I host in Asheville for my Tangogypsies events. We offer my local community workshops and opportunities for social dancing, while I am furthering my education both as a teacher and a dancer. This has also been a huge asset for my training. It is a never ending journey for me, no arrival, no end. I plan to continue to work with the teachers who inspire me, those who can help me refine my dance in different ways. I hope to continue to enjoy and explore all the aspects of the dance, for as long as I desire to dance and teach, which I hope is the rest of my life!

Is Tango difficult to learn?

In its essence, the dance is simple: connect with your partner, listen to each other and move to the music. Walking is essentially the basic step in Tango. We all know how to walk, right? It may sound simple, but for most people, it is quite challenging. First, we all bring our package of who we are into the experience. Our life experiences, our relationships, experiences with other dances, our entire life's richness of what makes us who we are. This affects how we perceive the dance and how we are able to integrate and translate the information of the dance into our bodies and with our partners. Beyond this, there is a tremendous amount of technique to learn. Retaining the knowledge both in the mind and the body takes some time, much practice and patience with one’s self. There is a saying in Tango that “you have to walk your miles” to learn the dance. It is the truth! With consistent quality teaching, regular practice and social dancing, maybe a few private lessons to get that crucial one-on-one feedback from a teacher, most people need about one year to feel like they may be starting to really understand the dance, and have a functional vocabulary and comfort level on the social dance floor. Everyone has a different experience with Tango, though there are some common factors. My experience was that the more I learned, the more I progressed, the more I fell in love with the dance, the more I realized I had so much more to learn! There is another saying in the dance that “You don't know what you don't know.” I think this applies to everyone who is learning this dance. Tango is more than a dance for me. It has been a vehicle for personal growth, humbling, positively challenging for me in so many ways. Ultimately, for me, it is a vehicle to experience divine connection. The deep connections and relationships I have made throughout my experience make all the challenges and hard work of the journey well worth the effort! I would not trade it for anything.

Are there different styles of Tango?

Yes, absolutely, though I will, and do, avoid trying to categorize these. As I said before, I believe everyone ultimately dances who they are, of course within the training that they have had, adapting to what style they like and what works for them. Everyone is different, everyone holds their own ideal of the dance, everyone has a personal agenda.

Looks like you will be performing with bandoneon player Coco Trivisonno in a work by Piazzolla, who is known as one of the great tango composers. What is it about his compositions that makes his music so well suited to the dance?

Actually, Piazzolla is not considered one of the most dancer friendly composers. Yes, a great composer, no question. His music is so moving, so rich and diverse, but very challenging for most dancers to find in their dance. When he introduced his compositions they were met by orthodox tangueros with opposition. Instead he played concerts for non-dancing audiences and then, finally was praised for his work. It was not until more recent years that Piazzolla's work was valued for dancing, but even now is more commonly used in performances rather than for social dancing.

Which other Tango composers do you admire?

I enjoy most of the Golden Age orchestras. Their music varies so much and I enjoy adapting my dance to the different qualities of the orchestras. A few of my favorites, if I had to choose, Enrique Rodriguez, Carlos Di Sarli, Francisco Canaro, Pedro Laurenz. Again, I have to say, it is very hard to choose, and even the composers/orchestras I mention, depending on the year, vary greatly!

I really do enjoy dancing to most of the music of the Golden Age orchestras. I admire the love and passion of all who created this beautiful music. Even today, at most milongas around the world, these same orchestras' recordings are the most desired music for dancing. New Tango music is being made and orchestras are being formed. Live music at a social dance is a treat, and as the music develops, the styles of dancing continue to change along with the music. This is an ever evolving dance form.

I do believe nothing will ever replace the classic Golden Age music as the standard for social Argentine tango dancing.

Where can we see more Tango in North Carolina?

As far as I know, classes and social dancing opportunities are available in Asheville, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham and Wilmington. Thank you to the NC Symphony for sharing this beautiful music with the people, and for allowing Daniel and I the opportunity to share our passion for the dance as well!