Taken in by Tango

Sometimes, in an individual’s life something comes along that transcends all material boundaries while leaving an aesthetic effect on the soul. For Kiran Sawhney, the first professionally trained Tango teacher in India, the aforementioned dance form is what fuels her obsession. Or as she simply puts it, “You don’t choose Tango; Tango chooses you.”

Adept in all sorts of dance forms, be it the Indian classical or dances having international flavour like the Salsa and Merengue, Kiran revealed that when she was introduced to Tango, she knew this was what she was meant to do. “I knew it as soon as I came across Tango. After I discovered my unrelenting love for the dance, there was no looking back,” she gushed excitedly. “There are other variations of the dance as well like Ballroom Tango and the Argentine Tango. I, however, deal with the latter,” she added.

The innovator of Aqua Tango, a fun twist on the original dance which she combines with aerobics inside a swimming pool, Kiran adds a rather interesting element to her repertoire of training methods. 

“I have been doing <g data-gr-id="111">Tango</g> for the past twelve years. Every year I go abroad to upgrade my skill sets so that I can come back here and spread the love of this beautiful art in my country. Though I have been teaching since the last three years, this is not the source of my bread and butter. I am mainly a personal trainer and being able to incorporate my passion into my job makes it all the more satisfying” Kiran said. Talking about the popularity and the scope of Tango in India, she said,” Tango is less than a decade old in India. It’s in the infant stage with the journey of spreading its wings across the country only just beginning. The response that I am getting is very encouraging and hopefully it can only get better from here. The road is hard but achievable.”

On asked about her experience of learning <g data-gr-id="108">Tango</g> overseas she had only positive things to add. “It was a beautiful experience. To go to Buenos Aires and to learn their most popular dance form was a dream come true for me. Till date, I have visited that place three times and it amazes me every time. There are small Milongas there where they outright reject people if they are not good enough. 

Fortunately for me, that never happened in my case. I got accepted with open arms.” she recalled.

She positively beamed when asked about her teaching experience and replied, “Teaching Tango to people has been a beautiful experience, both in India as well as overseas. Institute Cervantes has roped me in to teach there as well. That is an exceptionally proud achievement for me. Being an 

Indian and teaching a Spanish original dance form has been a surreal experience."

Before signing off, Kiran had a message for all aspiring Tango dancers. “There are three things you should keep in mind if you really want to dedicate your life to this art; perseverance, persistence and dedication. It is not something that you can learn overnight. Don’t lose patience, embrace the musicality and you’ll find this to be a worthwhile experience,” she said.