Tango community in Jakarta growing

Fuchong "El Tanguero" (right) and Daisy Tsang Kwan Nga dance at Paciencia's 5th Anniversary Milonga in Central Jakarta on June 10. The community in Jakarta has since 2012 gathered every week on Monday evenings to dance tango. (JP/Liza Yosephine)

Argentina may be on the other side of the globe from Indonesia, but the sensual tango has traveled some 15,000 kilometers to get the feet of Jakartans moving to its sultry rhythm, as more and more are dancing to its beat.  

Grouped under Paciencia, a tango community in Jakarta, at one point almost 200 people spun around with their partners during a 17-hour milonga, or dance party, to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the community from June 9-10.

Fuchong "El Tanguero", a Spanish nickname he took on which means "the tango dancer", established Paciencia in 2012 soon after returning from Buenos Aires, where he had traveled to learn the Argentine dance in its birthplace.

It was there, he said, that he learned the true philosophy behind the tango, after being immersed in the culture for three months. 

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"The philosophy is how we find a connection. Connection is very important. ...Connection means we can appreciate and we can give, and that's what tango means," Fuchong said during the anniversary event in Central Jakarta. 

These are the values he brought back with him and have applied in the pursuit of spreading the passion for tango in Jakarta. Five years later, and the community had grown, Fuchong added, albeit at a slow pace.

"Tango is not easy," said Fuchong, who is also a DJ and dance teacher. 

Originally from Bali, Fuchong leads the community of tango enthusiasts in Jakarta by teaching a class that is followed by a milonga every Monday. The class and the milonga each cost Rp 100,000 (US$7.5), with classes beginning at 7 p.m.

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Faraidi Rivai Malik, who helped organize the anniversary celebration, says tango is also gaining ground around Indonesia, as communities are also popping up in Yogyakarta, Bandung in West Java, Surabaya in East Java and in Bali. 

"Dancing tango is all about being part of a community. It's not just "hi and bye", we also build friendships," she said. 

In addition to dancers around Indonesia, Faraidi said connections were also established with international communities through attending events and networking abroad. 

The connection, Faraidi said, was what helps spread the word and supported the growing interest of tango in Indonesia. (kes)

Source: Tango community in Jakarta growing