IN TOUCH: Walking away

Could you describe Walking Away?

Lou: Walking Away is a dance of Argentine tango. And tango is a walk of sensuality, sexuality, fantasy and imagination of the human world within an embrace.

Walking Away is a piece showing what we dance in a Milonga (social tango event) so it’s totally improvised. And improvisation is one essence of tango.

Because we tried different songs and every dance was different, the shooting of Walking Away was difficult. We experimented with many shooting methods, but in the end we went for a single take. Even that was very difficult.

What inspired the dance?

Matthew: Walking away resonates with the idea that at the end of a loving encounter on the dance floor there is a transition to drop any attachment to the partner by saying "thank you" and walking away. This protocol allows for greater courage of personal expression during the dance.

Lou Yang: " I hope people will have a tango dance some day and are struck by a magical moment."

Why did you decide to learn tango?

Lou: The sense of distance with another soul first intrigued me to dance tango. And as I dance I'm surprised to learn what I can do with my body and my mind, as well as how to let that be known by a partner. It can’t be helped really. I can hide my face in an embrace but not the internal 'physicalising' of myself.

I learned tango on Zoom! That’s not the whole picture; I actually learn it from every man and woman leader who dances with me.

I started dancing tango and taking tango lessons just as the lockdown happened when Kelly, an Auckland teacher, organised Zoom classes with Argentine teachers. And I took regular Zoom classes in my two-square-meter bathroom until the day I was due to give birth. On that day, I had an induction appointment at 10am so had to finish my last class a bit early at 9:45am. 

Why do you think tango is so popular among Asian communities in New Zealand and elsewhere?

 Lou: Argentine tango is a worldwide social dance that’s danced in every major city in Asia. It also attracts Asian people here in New Zealand. In Auckland, for example, half of the regular milonga dancers are Asian, and the majority of organisers and performers are originally from Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan and China.

I see tango as a highly diverse dance - not only intercultural and interclass but also age diverse. It’s a great dance where new arrivals in a country can feel a sense of belonging, and where local people can meet and get to know each other deeply.

I have asked around the milongueros (social tango dancers) around me, and everyone seems to have an individual reason for wanting to learn and dance tango. For example, one Japanese dancer told me that most tango songs sound similar to old Japanese songs - with their clear structure of phrases with the first beat as a strong beat. This also reminds me of mainstream Chinese songs I grew up listening to. And I think that’s why the rhythm of tango makes me feel natural and at home. 

Lou: "I see tango as a highly diverse dance - not only intercultural and interclass but also age diverse."

How do you hope people will respond to the work?

Lou: I hope people will have a tango dance some day and are struck by a magical moment. 

Lou Yang is a writer and actor. Prior to Covid, she spent her evenings watching theatre productions but with lockdowns closing theatres she took up tango. She says she now spends her evenings dancing. 

Matthew Civil is a tango dancer and teacher of more than 20 years. He was a semi-finalist at the World Tango Championship in 2006.

Yang would like to thank Auckland Council CCS, Pasion Por Tango studio for their support, and Stuart Hoar, a writer and tango dancer for producing the workshops and organising the filming of Walking Away at Massey University.