Tango in Paris

Wednesday, May 4th, 2016
  • Tango in Paris

    A tour boat on the Seine river passes dancers enjoying the evening sun on the banks at Port Saint-Bernard. Throughout the sunny evenings, dancers regularly gather here at the Jardin Tino Rossi, just below the Institut du Monde Arabe.

    When I arrived there were about six couples, and one trio, dancing Argentinian Tango, but when the weather heats up so does the enthusiasm for evening dances by the river. Thought the summer dancers practice all kinds of styles here from Salsa to Tango, traditional dances to rock, and according to one of the dancers I spoke to, everyone is welcome no matter their skill level.

    “It’s not a show, it is a moment of Paris, a time to enjoy this city,” they told me.

    There’s no fee and no real organization, the whole thing just happens organically when the weather is good.

    I watched the dancers Tango around for a while. It looked like fun and at one point a boat full of tourists went by and gave a round of applause as they passed. Eventually, just one couple remained. They seemed lost in their dance as if Paris and had somehow vanished, leaving them as the last two souls in the city who would dance until they too disappeared.

    Stand here using Google street view