I once noticed some turquoise shoes and a suitcase as I danced on the last evening of a tango festival. She had obviously gone up to her hotel room to get her suitcase before getting on a airplane home. The message was clear, not only to me, but to all: "It's either now or never."
Our eyes met as the next tanda started. Di Sarli. When we danced it was wonderful. She said after one song: "I wished I had danced with you earlier! I had no idea."
"What do you mean? You saw me dance by you many times."
"Yes, but you can never really know how it feels just by the way it looks."
That dance with Magdalena was in November 2009, and her comment and our dance has stuck with me. There are those who say that you indeed can sum up how it will feels to dance with someone whom you carefully watch.It is common practice for many dancers to make all their judgments with their eyes before they ever dance with someone. I agree there is some validity to the testimony of the eyes. But let me get this right! Can tango be the only human activity in which appearance does not sometimes lie?
I have discovered many wonderful dancers by being willing to put appearances aside. I prefer the partner who is musical, playful and has a wonderful, melting embrace. Those are things that are hard to observe.
Tango is a wordless intimate conversation in a crowd. The novel you hold cannot be judged by its cover.
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