It takes two to tango

That Latin passion soon found a home in Montreal, transforming the city into the Tango capital of North America, but rare has been the tango studio to venture past the Plateau. But as the dance's popularity has increased, so have the ranks of those who teach it, spreading the Tao of Tango across our fair metropolis.

Andrea Shepherd and Wolfgang Mercado Alatrista, the partners behind the new NDG venture, MonTango, followed different paths to the same destination. Andrea started dancing at the age of 4, studying acrobatics, jazz and classical ballet. She later discovered salsa, merengue and the lambada, but when she met Santiago Gimènez at the just-opened Académie de Tango Argentin, she quickly caught the tango bug.

Born in Argentina and raised in Peru, Wolfgang had dance in his blood. His mother taught Spanish dance, so he started studying and performing the Creole dances of Peru at a very young age. However, it wasn't until he arrived in Montreal that he got his first taste of a dance that would change his life.

In 2003, Andrea and Wolfgang met at one of Montreal's most popular tango studios, La Tangueria, and the two quickly became partners… both in dance and in life. Since then, the couple have taught together in Chambly, LaSalle, Westmount and the West End and soon realized there was a need for a tango studio in the area. They found a spot on Sherbrooke St. West, right across from NDG Park, and MonTango was born.

"Wolfgang teaches a tango class at the Westmount Y and it's hugely popular," Andrea tells us, "so we knew we had the right crowd and the right demographic for our studio. Plus, it's nice to be able to teach in an area that you also call home."

Asked to explain the dance's huge popularity in Montreal, Andrea quickly makes the comparison between the tango and other Latin dances. "While most Latin dances are external and lively, the tango is oblivious to the rest of the world," she says. "In order to get it right, the couple has to be in a bubble and focus only on each other. While some people don't find the music and the dance joyful enough, I find its intensity beautiful," Andrea adds.

Writer Deirdre Guthrie refers to that connection as "the intimate wrestling of desire" and it's an apt description for a dance that pushes and pulls, comes together and moves apart, sways and stops abruptly in its tracks.

Andrea claims that if you can walk, you can dance. While the owners of two left feet might be inclined to disagree, these two NDG residents are certainly interested in teaching you how. Who knows? You might get bitten by the tango bug as well and soon find yourself glancing seductively in your dance partner's eyes, rose stem between your teeth. Or something like that…

MonTango is located at 5588A Sherbrooke Street West. For more information, you can log on to: www.montango.ca. MonTango will have its official Opening Night Party on Friday, April 11. Festivities begin at 8:30 p.m. and admission is free. Tango demonstrations and a few other surprises are in store. The school will also offer free trial classes on April 8, 9 and 11 at 7 p.m. Anyone – with or without a partner- can come try a class for free, with no obligation to sign up.