'Feel and not just dance Tango'

You don’t find Tango, Tango finds you,” says 46-year-old Kiran Sawhney who is known to be a pioneer in Argentine Tango, and has been trying to promote and teach  the dance form in India.

With a professional training in Tango from Buenos Aires, Sawhney, who started her journey 13 years ago, says it is destiny that got her close to Tango. “Not everyone can do Tango. It is a dance form which is not a part of our culture and is very uncommon in India. I am able to promote this dance form here is one of my greatest achievements,” says the
Delhi-based artiste, who is also a fitness trainer.

According to her, the dance form is meditative, blissful and makes one feel rejuvenated. “Tango is a very gentle and soulful dance form which has rhythms resembling our heart beats. One moves like an animal while dancing Tango. With a close embrace between the partners, one moves on four feet with their partner,” she expresses.

“Moreover,” she adds, “one needs to feel and not just dance Tango. It is like an addictive drug. The dance form is not showy where one person dances on a stage to perform. People dance Tango for themselves and not for the audience.” 

Sawhney recently organised the second edition of the Tango festival in Delhi, where Tango maestros and artistes from all over the world were invited. The event included workshops on the techniques of Tango and Tango performances. “As compared to the previous editions, participation had doubled this year. Many people were seen sharing their apprehensions and I think the dance form is slowly picking up now,” she tells Metrolife.

Speaking of the health and fitness benefits that the dance form provides, she says that Tango helps burn equal amount of calories as walking. “An hour-long Tango in a day keeps one away from depression and sadness.”

Meanwhile, Sawhney now looks forward to building a Tango community in India and getting all Tango lovers under one roof. In her fitness centre, she says that around 250 people, including both expats and Indians, have been actively involved in learning the dance form.

“With passion and interest, even a non-dancer can learn Tango. Through the community, I want to make people see and feel what the dance form is all about,” she says.