by Holly Darling

Alex Bartos’ dedication to the study of Tango stems from his admiration of the art of persistence. Like the myth of Sisyphus, Tango has taught him the beauty of an elusive pursuit, and how that pursuit will stave off complacency. Alex says that the intensive programs at Oxygen have helped him stick with it and find consistent improvement. And through his dedication to this art, he has found connections of shamanic quality and deep friendships.

What drew you to Tango initially?

I had signed up for a salsa class, and there was a Tango class right after it, so at the suggestion of a friend’s parents who danced Tango, I signed up for that one, too. So partially it was just convenience. I didn’t see anything particularly special in Tango; I committed six weeks to it. It’s really difficult to recall anything about Tango that spoke to me initially. I’m not sure what drew me in. I remember thinking it was hard, but things that are difficult usually have a payoff. And I saw in other dancers what I really wanted to do, so I kept at it.

interview with Holly Darling

Michael Grandcolas is one of the very first sustaining enthusiasts of Oxygen Tango in addition to being an incredibly committed and longstanding member. He also practices Tango daily and has done so for more than a year without missing a single day, following the Seinfeld productivity technique that Avik shared in a guest charla at Oxygen. The discipline, challenge, and emotional connection of Tango keep him coming back for more for over eight years.

What drew you to Tango initially, and how did you discover Oxygen?

I’ve danced for a long time in other dances, and helped teach ballroom classes for about ten years. None of those other dances totally clicked for me so I was just looking around for another dance, and oddly enough Robert Duvall’s interest in Tango made me decide to take a lesson and see what it’s like. My first classes were out of Santa Monica College extension.

interview with Holly Darling

Pei Pei Tan is the new Member Relations Specialist at Oxygen Tango and a recent Tango Challenge graduate. She is incredibly passionate about everything Tango, caring about people and community- building, and newly addicted to asymmetrical clothing and stilettos. After just six months of dancing Tango, she can attest to the transformative power and spiritual dimension of Tango, as well as her surprising love for greeting people.

What drew you to Tango initially, and how did you discover Oxygen?

That’s a really good question. All my life I really loved social dancing, ballroom dancing. I had zero dance experience, never took ballet as a child, no dance experience, but I loved the costumes. My favorite movie was Strictly Ballroom. I was so miserable in law school; I wanted to drop out of law school and become a professional ballroom dancer; that’s how delusional I was. My ballroom experience had only been about a half dozen group classes at various community colleges over the years.