Tango Bewitchment for All Ages

Last night I attended a friend's birthday party where, partnered by a friend of mine from the milongas, I surprised her with a brief Tango performance. It was outside on the brick patio, and the night was very cold, but the huddle of guests was completely enthralled and responded as animatedly and enthusiastically as any Tango fan gathering.

Later, after being approached by many of the guests who expressed a variety of happy feelings regarding our little show, the 12-year-old daughter of one of them approached us. I asked her if she wanted to dance Tango, as she was already decked out in a beautiful sparkley black dress and '30s beret.

"No," she said. "I wrote about it and want to put it in my novel." She was holding a sheet of paper and I asked if I could read it. She handed it to me, and I read it, with my partner reading it over my shoulder. In two short paragraphs, this woman-child had captured the essence of the moment, brilliantly describing the mood, the sounds, the movements. I was smitten by her delightful observation:

"She placed her nose gently near his ear, where she whispered the steps to him." [paraphrased]

Her mother told me later she had seen her rush to the table and start to write just as soon as the music ended.

Ah, Tango. The muse for all ages.