ISU students and Ames community members can enjoy multi-level Argentine Tango Drop-in Lessons in Room 3512 of the Memorial Union every Sunday.
From 4 to 5 p.m., Valerie Williams, modern dance instructor, leads the class in beginner techniques and introduces new sequences each week. From 5 to 7 p.m., intermediate-level techniques are shared, and the floor is opened to all to try out their moves and work with different partners, all under Williams’ guidance.
For ISU students, lessons are $45 for 5 sessions. For non-ISU students, the rate is $55.
Williams says that dance is her life, and always has been. She traces her love for Argentine tango back to the 1990s.
“I’m a dancer/choreographer,” Williams said. “I’ve been social dancing literally all my life. I took a tango class when I was working in London… I fell in love with Argentine tango. That was in, like, 1995. I’ve been dancing Argentine tango ever since, and it is my favorite social dance.”
Williams has dabbled in all kinds of dance, from folk to ballroom to salon. To her, Argentine tango sticks out above all.
“One of the things I like about tango is that it allows us to dance with any music as long as it has a tune because a lot of dances like salsa, merengue, even foxtrot, are danced with the bass line, like the drum line, and in tango, you dance with the melody,” Williams said. “That’s one of the reasons, actually, it’s my favorite.”
Beyond just technique, Williams shares why she has a fondness for Argentine tango.
“Argentine tango, for me, is like the best intersection of technique and expression,” Williams said. “I say frequently that dancing will save the world, and I believe that social dance has an enormous influence over how we treat each other.”
Dance can be an expressive art form that allows people to break down barriers and build connections. Social dancing specifically is all about interaction, socialization, and fostering connections in a relaxed, welcoming environment rather than for an audience or competition.
“We have this physical communication that goes on,” Williams said. “We touch, which is really important, and I have noticed that since the pandemic, especially, but even before that, people just don’t touch much. Social dance gives us a chance to be humans, which I think is really important.”
Williams’ philosophy is that in Argentine tango, there are really three partners.
“We dance with the music,” Williams said. “The music is like the third partner. Both the lead and the responder are dancing with the music and with each other. Tango is about communication with each other. When you have that level of communication, then dancing is exhilarating. Here, we work on making dancing exhilarating.”
Through tango, Williams has been able to communicate and connect with others around the world, regardless of language or cultural barriers.
“I find tango everywhere I go,” Williams said. “It’s like having cousins all over the place… any place I am, I look for tango. I was in Turkey, for instance, and there’s tango, so I went dancing. Here’s the thing: if you don’t know the language, it doesn’t matter because you don’t have to use your words when you’re dancing.”
Williams urges others to step out of their comfort zone. At one point, everyone will be a beginner in dance, but that shouldn’t deter one from trying it.
“Just do it,” Williams said. “Try it. Have fun with it. Lots of people will say, ‘Well, I can’t dance,’ and I think, well, that’s why you take lessons!”
If you are interested in or would like to learn more about Argentine Tango Drop-in Lessons, click here.