Raymond Fonk

Many people are drawn to Argentine tango for its spectacular and passionate-looking figures, like the ones you often see in performances. Social tango is not anywhere as spectacular to look at. It is danced with steps that are fully improvised at the moment, often in a close embrace, and captivates its dancers through the shared enjoyment of the music and feelings. This is the way it is still being danced today in many traditional milongas, or tango dance salons, in Buenos Aires (from where I am writing this), and elsewhere.

There are many teachers, some of which are (very) good, who can teach you tango steps, lots of technique, beautiful (after much practice, that is), and complex figures. But if you are in the Houston area, and if you are interested in learning to enjoy tango socially, and dancing comfortably in a warm embrace, I highly recommend the classes of Srini and Lola. When I lived in Houston, until some years ago, I would regularly attend their classes, where I would always pick up something new or get some fresh insight.

In their classes, they convey their enthusiasm and love for tango, but also explain in-depth the ins and outs of the movements of social tango, without it ever becoming mechanical. In this they draw from their ample experience in those same milongas in Buenos Aires, where both of them are, and have been for many years now, very popular dancers fully integrated into the local community. Their students have found they are eminently prepared for the milongas and many find themselves to be sought-after dance partners.