ICONIC CHURCH IS SETTING FOR A SPARKLING NEW DANCE FESTIVAL
Do you fancy learning the gancho or mastering the sacada?
Then Paisley is the place to be this weekend if you want to pick up some tango steps that will sweep you off your feet.
The Paisley Tango Festival is packed with taster sessions, dance classes and dancing that will see visitors from near and far twostepping the weekend away.
The festival kicks off today and runs until Sunday with Milonga – social dancing – and workshops taking place at Thomas Coats Memorial Church.
Tonight and on Sunday night, DJs will be providing the music for dancing.
The main attraction will be the Grand Milonga on Saturday at 8pm, which will feature Juango Lopez Vidal and Orquesta Tipica.
Over the weekend there will also be workshops and taster sessions and an opportunity to see some of the world’s finest tango dancers in action.
The tango festival – the first dance festival of its kind in the town – is looking to be even more popular than first anticipated.
Organiser Drew Moir said: “The reaction to the festival has been fantastic.
“We’re almost reaching capacity on the Saturday night – there’s been a really good number of people who have booked in to take part.
“We have amazing instructors from New York, Russia, Australia and Europe coming to teach, so it’s looking to be a great weekend.”
Drew, who has been teaching Argentine tango for six years, explained what kind of steps people can expect to be learning.
“We have the gancho, which is the Spanish word for hook, so this move involves hooking your leg around your partner’s leg,” he said .
“There’s also the sacada, which is a leg sweep.”
The tango – which is known for its impressive and elegant style – will be taught in a fun, laidback and sociable way, bringing people from all walks of life together.
Drew explained: “The tango is all improvised, so it gives people freedom to express themselves and listen to the music.
“It’s a dance which is all about connection and posture but there’s a massive social aspect – it’s about having fun and enjoying it.”
The Paisley Tango Festival has been supported by the Cultural Heritage Fund, the pot of council money which has been set up to help boost Renfrewshire’s creative potential.
Drew added: “Paisley has a great dance scene, but it has never really had a tango scene.
“That’s why I set up the festival – to make it more accessible to people.
“I’m looking forward to getting people together and introducing them to something new.”