Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
[This is Part II of Jun 11. In Part I, I went to La Boca.]
The receptionist at the hostel convinced me to go to a tango lesson and show as it was “cheap Tuesday”.
Everything was A$320 (~S$80), including transportation to and from the hostel, one lesson, a 3-course meal, unlimited drinks and a good show.
My heart did bleed a little when I handed over my A$320. That’s one third of the maximum amount I can withdraw from the ATM at a go. This meant that I will probably need to visit the ATM soon.
My classmate C joined the lesson + show as well, signing up with my hostel. She heard that her hostel was selling a similar package but at A$500.
Pick up to Complejo Tango
My receptionist said the shuttle bus would come at 6:45pm to pick us up. It wasn’t until well past 7pm that the bus actually came.
The bus was half full with very excited girls. Where are all the boys?? [I overheard in my dorm the next day that the guys went to a lesson/show with more guys than girls. Maybe I should have signed up for that.]
When we reached Complejo Tango, we were all sheparded onto a narrow staircase and went one floor up to reach the medium-sized dance studio.
It took a while for the rest of the people to come and for the class to start. Our instructor was Alejandro, a name I will never forget because of Lady Gaga.
Since there were more females than males, some girls had to go to the boy’s side to learn their steps. I manage to hide away at the girl’s side because the boy’s supposed to lead.
Our lesson was short and sweet with lots of footwork. In between, we had to find partners to dance and it was rather awkward. Still, it was a nice break from all the sightseeing and Spanish learning.
Food
After our class, it was dinner time. Our tables were set in a hall that had a stage in the center, against the wall.
I shared a table with my classmates, dorm mates and a lady from Sydney. Our table wasn’t very near the stage but it was a nice distance.
For my three-course meal, I chose empanada for appetizer, steak cooked raw for my main and a creme caramel for dessert.
Since it was a all-you-can-drink, the waitress plonked down three bottles of wine to be shared about the five of us.
The meal was good, although my steak could use a bit more searing to get the fat crispy. (Oh, crispy fat on steak…)
The show started after the main and before dessert…
The show must go on
Surprisingly, there were storylines to the show. In the first one, a man–our instructor Alejandro–kept stabbing the wall where his shadow was. Then his pals came out.
The three of them did a “manly” tango that reminded me of a VideoJug instructional video.
The ladies did come out in the end and that’s when the show got exciting. One of the ladies looked very much like Melisandre with the same sexy red dress but hair that is more copper than red.
In between the storylined dances, an elderly man would pop up and sing. He would then disappear and appear in the storyline as The Elderly Gentleman with Great Seduction Skills, or something like that.
The length of the show was great. It didn’t feel too long or too short.
Around the end, some of the girls were drunk on their all-you-can-drink and were very boisterous. They continued being happily loud on the shuttle bus back.
I would recommend going for tango lesson + show as this if you don’t dance. It’s a great way to learn a bit about the dance and you get a certificate at the end.
YQtravelling 