June 23, 2004

Takes two to tango

Steven Baum and Maribel Lalonde teach Argentine dance

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

       The Argentine tango is the dance of love.
      Paying homage to the purity, beauty and sensuality of this art form, Steven Baum and Maribel Lalonde have been sharing their passion for the tango with area dancers.
      This month, the pair are leading a series of Sunday evening classes as well as Tuesday evening workshops through Northwestern Michigan College's Extended Education Services. They teach the basic eight-step move that is the foundation for the dance. From there, students can explore and practice a myriad of moves with names such as Gancho, Cadena, Dorothea and Boleo.
      Baum, an intense man who has been captivated by the Argentine tango, said this is not a dance of showy ballroom tricks. Instead, the partners in the male-led dance move as one, weaving a visual tapestry on the dance floor while totally focused on each other.
      "Argentine tango is not ballroom tango, it is an ethnic dance that is a combination of all cultures in Buenos Aires," said Baum, who has been a devoted student of the dance for a year. "The tango dance, the original Argentine tango dance, is captivating about the truth of life, and the truth of affection and the expression of the dance of love. And you don't change its purity, you pursue its original purity."
      Baum admits he is a mere beginner when compared to the true practitioners of the Argentine tango, many of whom have been dancing for decades. He is determined above all else to be a good and respectful student. A part-time residence in Miami, where the dance is more common, and a trip to Argentina have furthered his studies.
      "I thoroughly enjoy taking the tango to the ultimate steps and I'm not in any way, shape or form going to pretend that I've achieved in just a short period of time what these beautiful people can do with the tango," he said. "When I first did it, I said 'Ooh, I have to do this, I have to run this road.'­"
      "This dance is so beautiful and expresses so much love on both partners' sides, that you cannot help but say it is a difficult dance to learn," Baum noted. "But after you learn it, you are blessed with a unique perspective on dance."
      Lina and Jon Fiebing of Traverse City are students of the Argentine tango in Baum's class. They became so intrigued with the dance that they traveled to Miami recently for a Tango Fantasy week, where they met Argentine instructors who are celebrities in their home country.
      "It is very challenging, very intense," said Lina Fiebing of the Argentine tango. "You do a lot of thinking, especially the men, who have to learn ten times more than the women because they have to lead. It is fun, we get the connection and I enjoy dancing it."
      Jon Fiebing admits he is hooked on the Argentine tango and determined to pursue greater levels of mastery. He enjoys the dance's lack of a script and likens learning the basic moves to learning letters and words. Dancing it, and dancing it well with a partner in tune with your lead, would be like fluent speech.
      "It is very eloquent and there's no end, no fixed end to what you're doing," he noted. "It is not quite instant gratification that many Americans are used to that."
      Consistent practice is the key to progressing in the dance. The Fiebings practice every week and Baum and Lalonde estimate that they practice five or six hours per week together.
      "There's always new things to learn," Lalonde said. "It is more about the maturity of life because you really express things."
      "It has gotten to the fun stage where you don't even have to think about it," she continued. "The key thing is to find a partner to practice with."