by Cain Hopwood
Chapter Seventeen
“And once again, as we do every Wednesday afternoon, we’re talking to the inside man of dance, the man with his ear to the floor, Simon Travis.”
“Thanks Alfie. But I must say that after dropping in on Sophie and David’s rehearsal last night, I’m not going to be putting my ears anywhere near the floor if he’s got tap shoes on.”
“So the Legendary David Ellis still has it huh?”
“He does indeed Alfie. I mean, tap is my discipline, but I’m feeling pretty humbled right now.”
“So, you think our Sophie might be the one to beat huh?”
“If a little of David’s magic rubs off on her, that might be the case Alfie. But as you know, this competition is about the celebs, not the dancers.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well I don’t want to get into the technicalities of the judging. But, on the night the judges will be awarding points for the performance as a whole, and for the celebrities’ performance specifically.”
“I see, and these two scores are combined equally?”
“That’s what I’ve been told. And then the votes come into play.”
“The votes?”
“Exactly, so if you want your Sophie to win, you’d better get out there and get her all the votes that you can.”
“You hear that people, vote for Sophie. You can find the voting…”
“Hey Alfie that’s not fair, the other contestants don’t have free radio to promote themselves.”
“OK, you’ve caught me out Simon. Speaking of the other contestants, any gossip you can tell us about? Last week you weren’t very forthcoming.”
“No I wasn’t, but the couples were just finding their feet last week. However, it just so happens that I did notice a couple of things recently.
“Do tell.”
“Well, I am a little concerned about Izzy and Owen Melia.”
“The uncle and niece combo, they’re doing hip hop right?”
“They are, and I’ll tell you one thing it’s going to be a very dynamic routine.”
“That sounds good. So what’s the concern?”
“I’m not sure that Owen is going to make it through the rehearsal schedule that Izzy has set.”
“What? You think he might…”
“It’s a possibility.”
“I don’t know Simon, the Melia’s are tough old goats. None more than Owen. Farming up there in hill country is not for the faint of heart.”
“Look I get you Alfie, but he was breathing so hard the other night that I had to postpone the interview. I’d hate for him to have an incident at rehearsal, or worse, on the night.”
“You heard it here first folks. Don’t be surprised if there’s an ambulance standing by on the night. Thanks for that little nugget Simon, anything else?”
“Just one thing Alfie, we’re still selling raffle tickets for the all expenses trip to see Scorched Floor. Two lucky winners will get to choose a couple to see the show with. We’ve got flights, limos to the theatre, dinner, and much more. You can get tickets anywhere you see a voting box.”
“Indeed you can Simon. And, thanks to Costal Commuter Air Services we will also be flying the winners to Canberra and back on the night.”
“That’s incredible Alfie. We’ll be drawing the two winners on this show in two weeks time.”
“Thanks Simon. I’m Alfie, and this is the afternoon show on 2BR and we talk to Simon every Wednesday.”
Alfie tapped a couple of buttons on the console and the on air light clicked off. “Good job, you’re a natural.”
Simon let out a breath that he didn’t realise that he was holding. “Still a bit nerve wracking though.”
“Ah you get used to it, it’s a lot easier when you’re on air with someone else. Hey that bit on Owen is good, exactly what we want, any more where that came from?”
Simon winked and tried to look confident. “We’ll see. I’m heading up to Canberra with Daryl and Jade tomorrow night. Then I’ve got the Mayor’s rehearsal on Friday. So I’m sure something will turn up.”
Alfie grinned. “Don’t leave a stone unturned, or a closet unopened OK.”
Simon smiled back, though he knew that he would need to leave Jade’s skeletons safely on their hangers.
Then he thought about David Ellis. He was the real deal when it came to Galah celebrities. He’d stopped dancing twenty years ago, and everyone assumed it was because he’d started to loose his touch. He’d still been young, well relatively young, but from what Simon had seen of his dancing last night, he can’t have stopped because of a lack of skill.
He wondered what had made David hang up his shoes and move back to where he’d come from with a new wife. He’d been married to Fay now for twenty years, but Simon couldn’t remember if she had been involved with his previous marriage breaking up or not. It had all been a bit before his time.
Fay was kind, and very proper, so it seemed unlikely. But if there was one thing he knew about the bush, it was that the only way to keep a secret was to tell no one, and then forget it yourself. So someone, somewhere, was bound to know something.
His journalistic senses started tingling. There was a story here all right. Then he stopped. Did he really want to open what could be a pandora’s box, especially about people who meant a lot to him.
“OK, I can tell by that look that you’ve got something. What is it?” Alfie said.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Simon said in what he hoped was a convincing voice.
Alfie just tapped his nose and winked.
Chapter Eighteen
Simon pulled into Jade’s driveway to find his usual spot on the lawn, beside Jade’s Toyota, occupied by a dusty, but well cared for Holden ute. It had at least six different antennas attached to the roof, and a row of spotlights on the roll-bar that looked capable of barbecuing at a distance any kangaroo silly enough to jump out from the bushes. Topping it all off was a bumper sticker that read ‘workhorse, not show pony’.
He stopped behind the ute and two canine heads —one grey and one black and white— popped up from out of the tray. He honked twice and they broke into a frenzy of barking. Simon grinned and got out of the car to wait.
It wasn’t long before Jade came trotting out carrying a calico bag with her dance shoes.
Daryl was right behind her. “Ding. Dong. Shut up,” he yelled and the two dogs quietened down.
“I see that you’ve got all your ruminants covered with these two,” Simon said, ruffling the collie’s head.
“I dunno, Dong there, she’s afraid of goats.”
Jade stopped and spun on her heel. “You called the female Dong?”
Daryl shrugged. “They were pups together, and they both used to go bezerk when the doorbell was rung. That’s how they got their names.”
“And why didn’t you call the cattle dog Dong?”
Daryl looked confused. “She’s a bitch as well.”
Simon and Jade both laughed.
“OK, You got me there,” she said. “Shall we go?”
“Are we going in your car?” asked Simon.
“Well, his car only has two seats, and your car will probably strand us somewhere in dingo country. So, yes, we’re going in mine.”
“Hang on,” Daryl said. He pulled a bag out of his car and produced a couple of bones. “There you go you two, I’ll be back later,” he said and tossed the bones one at a time at Ding and Dong.
“They’ll be right there?” asked Simon.
“Yeah, the ute’s like a second home for them. They’d much rather be there than chained up at home by themselves.” Daryl clipped a couple of loops on the tonneau to give the dogs a bit of cover, checked their water and gave them each a scratch. Then he turned to Simon and Jade. “Let’s go.”
“So Jade, what kind of tango event are we going to?” asked Simon.
“It’s the weekly club practica.”
“Practica?”
“That’s what they c
all it. It’s basically a practice session, super informal. There’s usually a good turnout.”
“Interesting,” Simon said. “I suppose partnered dancing needs something like that.”
“It does. The good thing about a practica is that it’s as much about practice as dancing. So it’s perfectly OK to stop in the middle of the floor and discuss a technique, or work on a movement. That sort of thing would be frowned on at a regular milonga.”
Daryl rubbed his forehead. “Man all these terms are hard to keep straight.”
Jade reached across and patted him on the leg. “Don’t worry you’ll pick them up.”
“So what’s the game plan for this trip?” he asked.
“Game plan?” Jade frowned. “I guess we hit the practica, warm up a little, and then I guess I’ll grab one of my regular partners and work through each of the moves in our routine. That way you can see what they’re supposed to look like. Also, some of the practica regulars are pretty technical, so I’m hoping that they will be able to explain the moves from a bloke’s perspective.”
“It sounds like you have it all worked out,” Daryl said.
“This is not a pleasure trip,” she said. Then she grinned. “Although I do plan to do some dancing for myself, you guys can watch and learn. See what real tango is like.”
“Brace yourself Daryl,” Simon said. “I’ve seen Jade tango. You won’t look at her the same afterwards.”
“Assuming I can get a good leader,” she said.
After that the drive to Canberra was fairly quiet. Jade had her radio cranking out modern club tango songs from Gotan Project, and Otros Aires. Simon had come along with her occasionally on her weekly tango jaunts, he knew the drill. After an hour and a half of tango music she’d be itching to dance, no matter how tired she was, or how busy a day she’d had on her feet.
Daryl was tapping his fingers along to the music as well. Mostly they travelled in silence, although occasionally Jade would point out a section of a song and say something like, “good spot for ochos.” Daryl would nod, but Simon doubted that Daryl knew what Jade was saying.
* * *
“Jade, good to see you, it’s been a while,” said a late middle aged man with twinkly eyes and suspiciously dark and luxuriant hair. He gave a little bow. “Bailarmos princessa?”
“Be back in a bit lads,” Jade said as she was whisked out into the middle of the floor.
“Who’s a popular girl huh, we haven’t even sat down,” Simon said. “Come on, let’s check out the show.”
The practica was being held in a large hall that adjoined one of the clubs in downtown Canberra. From his previous trips with Jade Simon was expecting a smaller, more dimly lit venue. But this place was overly large, and well lit. The walls were lined with cheap plastic chairs and there were a couple of tables at one end of the room leaving lots of space for the couples dancing.
It was clear from the outset that this was not a social dance. The music was coming from a boom box in the corner, and it was only just loud enough to be heard. Most couples were dancing, but several had stopped and were deep in discussion right out in the middle of the floor. In a smaller place the couples standing around would have clogged up the line of dance. But in this vast space there was plenty of room for the others to manoeuvre around them.
Simon and Daryl took a couple of chairs and settled into watch. Jade and her partner were flowing sensuously around the floor in a close embrace. Occasionally they’d separate just enough for Jade’s leg to flick upwards, or they’d slow down and she’d seem to drape herself around her partner.
Daryl was staring out at the group of dancers with the intensity of a sheep dog in a stockyard.
Simon leaned in close. “Who are you looking at?”
Daryl’s eyes didn’t leave the floor. “Jade, she looks incredible.”
“That’s the thing about tango, it’s all about making the woman look amazing. He is very good.”
“He? He just looks like he’s shuffling around.”
Simon smiled. “Oh no, he is in control of every move Jade makes, every kick, every curl, every delicious little twist.”
Just then the music slowed down for a few bars, as tango does. Jade’s partner must have known the change was coming up, and he led Jade into a series of long slow ochos.
“Here, watch his shoulders,” Simon said. “He twists at the waist to the right. Jade steps backwards and to her left to stay in front, then just as she arrives he twists back the other way and steps to the side again. Suddenly —from Jade’s perspective— she’s going in the wrong direction and facing the wrong way. All she can do is pivot on the spot through one hundred and eighty degrees and step backwards again to get back in front of him.”
Daryl frowned, but he was nodding as well. “I see what you mean, she’s doing all that amazing twisting and pivoting and he looks like he’s just standing there rocking back and forward”
Simon chuckled. “The important thing is how he’s standing and rocking, or more to the point when. It’s what’s causing her to do all that beautiful movement.”
Daryl’s voice was low. “And that’s just one step.”
“It’s one of the few I happen to know,” Simon said with a hint of sadness. “You see that thing they’re doing now?”
“Yeah.” Daryl’s tone was puppy like.
“No idea at all.”
“Really?”
Simon sighed. “I don’t even know what it’s called. But the pattern they make on the floor is gorgeous.”
Simon looked around, several people had opened bottles of wine. “Now there’s an idea,” he said. “Do you drink red?”
“I worked in the mines I’ll drink anything.”
“OK, how about you find us a seat at one of those tables and I’ll duck next door and get us a bottle. She’s going to be a while I imagine,” he said waving towards Jade.
* * *
Simon and Daryl were well into their glasses when Jade returned. She was glowing with exertion and was smiling like a kid on Christmas Day.
“So who was that?” asked Simon.
“Alfredo, he’s the president of the Tango Social Club. He’s an old flirt, but man has he got the moves.”
“I wish I knew more tango,” Simon said. “I could point out to Daryl the mechanics to some things, but most of what you guys were doing went above my head.”
Jade’s head bounced up and down. “Tell me about it. I don’t know half the stuff that Alfredo makes me do.”
“What?” Daryl said, frowning. “How can you dance steps you don’t even know?”
“If the leader is strong and confident he can do it. All the follower needs to do is walk,” Jade said. “But don’t worry, we won’t be getting you do that. This is all about teaching Daryl just the movements he needs.”
Just then another dancer joined them at the table, this time a younger, balder man. “Jade, shall we?” he asked.
“I’m sorry George, I’ve really got to help out one of my student’s here. Give me an hour or so and I’d be happy to,” she said.
The bald guy, nodded, smiled and backed away.
“You’re popular here,” Simon said, giving her a gentle jog with his elbow. “Are we going to start training now?”
“Yes, I’ll just call Alfredo over.” She turned and waved and Alfredo came bounding over.
“Pleased to meet you both, now which of you is the celebrity?”
“Celebrity, what to you mean celebrity?” Jade said.
“Ah, this is on the secret yes,” Alfredo said and tapped the side of his nose.
Jade just cocked her head to the side.
But Alfredo wasn’t to be deterred. “It is for the show, no? The dancing celebrity show.”
“Yes,” Jade said slowly. “But how did you know, I only told you Daryl here was my student.”
“Alfredo put two and two together, and everyone knows of the show.”
“Everyone?” asked Jade.
“Of c
ourse! Everyone was here last week hoping to see you and ask questions, get tickets,” Alfredo said nodding frantically. “You have tickets yes.”
“Um… Daryl?”
“I’ve got a few left,” Daryl said. “But I didn’t bring the book tonight, I didn’t think I’d sell any.”
“But you have two tickets for Alfredo?”
Daryl blinked. “Sure, I’ll give them to Jade, she can bring them up next week.”
Alfredo clapped. “Very good, very good. Now how can we help you, you learn tango yes?”
Jade stood up. “Now hold your horses Alfredo, this is how we’re going to do this.”
The next hour flew by.
Jade had Alfredo take her through each of the sections in their routine. She broke each down into its individual movements, and had Alfredo demonstrate, and then explain, how he moved his body to initiate each one. Despite his rather odd english Alfredo was detailed and precise, almost anatomical with his descriptions. His passion for tango was infectious. As a result Daryl was entranced and he absorbed the instruction like a sponge.
Simon meanwhile was working on the bottle of wine and just enjoying watching the way Jade, Alfredo, and the other dancers moved together. He’d had a brief flirtation with tango when he’d lived in Sydney, but it had faltered along with the love affair that had spawned it. But watching the couples here he started thinking that maybe he should take it up again. Having another tanguero in town would make Jade happy, that was for sure.
Daryl flopped down in his seat, leaving Jade and Alfredo to take to the floor again. He took a healthy swig of his glass. “Wow that was intense, but I think I’ve got it now. Or at least I think I’ll know what it is once I manage to get it, or something.”
“I get you,” Simon said. “Sleep on it, I’ll bet the movements will make more sense in the morning.”
Daryl nodded.
“Hang on a second, one final test,” Simon said seeing a couple he’d been watching earlier. “Do you see the gay couple?”
Daryl looked up, “The two blokes?”
“That’s them. Now, which of them is the leader and which the follower?”
