Going to the big leagues

Tonight, after eight weeks of learning and studying tango, I finally went to see what the real world of tango is actually like.We went to the Mercury Cafe in downtown Denver, a favorite of Ann's and a hot spot for Tango dancing. Even though I did not think I was ready to dance yet, I was still excited to go to the restaurant and watch other people dance. I was absolutely enthralled by the amazing sense of community that seemed to exist at the Mercury, and the passion was absolutely evident in all of the dancers that we saw during the evening. My experience watching and enjoying the true culture of Tango affirmed Matt's research paper on tango as an addiction. It was obvious that people were hungry for dances, and disappointed if they were sitting on the sidelines. One case that stood out to me specifically that reinforces Matt's hypothesis was a woman who was Ann's friend who was very obviously trying to find a dance partner. After moving closer to us in hopes that she would find a dance partner in a new position, the woman stood up and proclaimed that she was sick of waiting so long and that the night was a lousy one. This strong portrayal of emotion shown in this case is indicative of how badly many of these people need Tango, and the negative effects that come from a night that is not full of as much Tango dancing as they hoped for or anticipated. Although I marveled at the passion that was displayed tonight, I worried that I might not ever have the fire needed to be a good tango dancer. After 8 weeks of dancing and learning about this historic dance, I was absolutely content to sit for two hours and watch every body else dance, without feeling like I was missing out on much. Although I justified this through the fact that dancing in a real milonga is a tall order for a beginner and the reason that I was not dancing was because I was not yet confident enough to dance, I am starting to wonder if I will ever tango fire that I see in my teachers' and classmates eyes.