PORTLAND – Until last January, I hadn’t asked a girl for a formal dance since I was 10 years old.
That was 23 years ago.
I recalled the discomfort a few months ago as I approached the Maine Ballroom on Congress Street.
I was there for “practica,” a weekly open-forum tango dance, at the urging of a friend who attended regularly.
I knew nothing about tango — or any other type of ballroom dancing for that matter — but since it supposedly takes two to tango, I figured it might be a good way to meet people.
There were plenty of them in the Maine Ballroom that night. Dancers of all ages crowded the floor, sashaying up-and-back, side-to-side and generally rotating around the dance floor.
One of the first things I noticed is that the women all seemed to have their eyes closed. I self-consciously wondered if it was because I’d entered the room and they wanted to avoid being chosen as my partner.
They didn’t have to worry because I asked no one to dance. I didn’t know how. But my friend coaxed me onto the floor and taught me the basics of tango: a catlike walk, like a prowl.
“Lean forward,” she said, “and just walk to the beat.”
It must have been tough for her to teach me, not just because I had two left feet but because men, not women, are supposed to lead in ballroom dancing.
Nevertheless, the dancing fascinated me. It seemed so intense and complex, yet others made it look so easy.
I wanted to learn more, so I signed up for tango lessons, a six-week course offered through Portland Adult Education. And then I proceeded to spend the next six weeks stepping on toes, stumbling, apologizing and blushing.
As soon as I’d learn one step, I’d forget another. I grew frustrated at times, and more than once excused myself to the sidelines for a breather.
I may not have been a natural tango talent, but I was persistent. I practiced what I tried to learn on Tuesdays every Wednesday night at the Maine Ballroom.
It was embarrassing at times because many of the dancers at the Ballroom have years and even decades of tango experience. I learned that they form an informal club of about 30 dancers who meet regularly in Portland and correspond on the www.porttango.com website.
In some ways, these Wednesday practica sessions were more intimidating than the Tuesday lessons. I’d arrive at the Ballroom at about 8:30 and take a seat on sidelines, sometimes sitting for 10 minutes or more until I worked up enough nerve to ask someone to dance.
We’d step onto the floor and embrace. Then, I’d pick my beat, and take a step forward, trying not to trip or trip my dancing partner.
Aside from not falling, the key to tango dancing is not thinking too much about your next step. You’ve got clear your mind and move with the music, no easy feat — or feet — for a clumsy new dancer.
But because I was lucky, thick-skinned and willing to work at it, eventually I started to get a feel for this form of ballroom dancing. After three months, I had the basics and could actually lead a partner on a few controlled turns around the floor.
I’m proud of how far I’ve come in just 23 years.
Jonathan Hemmerdinger can be reached at 791-6316 or at:
jhemmerdinger@mainetoday.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
