Come on! Start learning how to dance Argentinian style tango and soon you will find out that it is actually a dance heat-to-heart. I started tango lessons with Chavdar Kroumov from sofiatango. net ten years ago and this dance has become her philosophy of living and perceiving the world. Tango is a lesson in balance, trust and communion.

We live in a men’s world but how many of the guys can actually lead in a dance, express their desire and get what they want – with balance, smoothness and politeness though, asks Agapi. How many of them can possibly take a woman in the whirl of the dance that is no less emotional than a genuine love affair? And what about ladies? Trained to fight for our rights on a daily basis and prove our skills, how many of us can close our eyes, relax and let a man take the lead to the end of the world? All these things are actually taught at tango lessons making the celebrated dance an endless, introvert exploration of the self. The couple is all alone in the world, and of course, it is anxious not to collide with other tango-planets around since it is too sobering to have a heel stuck into your leg, isn’t it?

Sofia’s tango society has been growing for close to ten years. Couples that teach the dance become more, venues change, but the tango community is invariably involved in brisk communication and they support each other. Some members of that community have become legends: the beautiful dancer Tania with her captivating perfume, artist Milko, the maker of great costumes, and Marina who went to Serbia to find the husband of her dreams.

Tango is played in spacious halls with wooden floors and also in bars and restaurants such as Before & After. Bulgarian tango dancers visit the festivals in Romania, Istanbul, Vienna and elsewhere with the top destination naturally being Buenos Aires. Sometimes they travel in groups to make the journey merrier.

Growing in popularity, tango has spread geographically too, and is already danced quite seriously in Plovdiv, Burgas and Varna. Various concerts and festivals highlighting tango are held on a regular basis especially linked to the Day of Tango, 11 December but on many other occasions as well.

No matter what tango dancer you are – an enthusiastic beginner never missing a lesson, or an advanced, fluent dancer, tango is just a wonderful pastime. It is the perfect way to relax from tight schedules during workdays and is dense with quite meaningful and enjoyable give-and-take.

English version: Daniela Konstantinova