My story and how I got hooked on Tango Argentino
Discover an inspiring journey into Argentine Tango, from sport and mindfulness to connection, healing, and personal transformation through dance.
Dr. Jutta Lenz
6/5/20264 min read
People often assume that because I teach and dance Argentine Tango today, it must have been a lifelong passion. The reality is quite different. For many years, tango was not even on my radar.
My life was shaped by movement, sport, psychology, education, and a deep curiosity about human potential. With a background in Sport Science, Psychology, and Education, I have always been fascinated by the connection between body and mind. Looking back now, I can see that every experience, challenge, and lesson throughout my life ultimately prepared me for tango, even though I had no idea at the time.
My first encounter with dance came when I was only five years old. I attended ballet classes while also learning to swim. Unfortunately, my experience with ballet was not a happy one. My teacher seemed to dislike me and often made me feel uncomfortable because he considered me too plump. As a young child, I could not understand why, but I knew that dancing no longer felt enjoyable. Eventually, I stopped dancing altogether and believed that chapter of my life had come to an end.
Instead, I immersed myself in sport. From the age of twelve through to my mid-forties, I devoted my time to gymnastics, athletics, tennis, swimming, and ballroom dancing. Later, my interests expanded into fitness and endurance sports. Pilates, cycling, interval training, strength classes, and marathon running became a significant part of my life. Movement was never simply about performance or competition. It was about feeling alive, capable, and connected to my body.
In my early fifties, another unexpected adventure began when my younger son, Sascha, encouraged me to try Shotokan Karate. One day he simply said, “Mom, you’re so sporty, you can do it.” Those words were all the motivation I needed. What followed was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Training alongside my son gave us countless hours together, sharing discipline, perseverance, and personal growth. Eventually, I earned both my First and Second Dan shortly before turning sixty. That experience taught me a valuable lesson: age is far less important than curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to keep learning.
Years of marathon running eventually took their toll on my body, and recurring injuries forced me to think differently about my future. I asked myself a simple but powerful question: How do I want to feel and move when I am ninety years old? The answer led me toward practices that focused not only on strength and fitness but also on longevity, awareness, and wellbeing.
This journey introduced me to yoga, Pilates, and Qi Gong. What began as a personal interest soon became a deeper passion. I completed a yoga teacher training course in India and studied Qi Gong in Germany. Through these disciplines, I discovered something that competitive sport alone had never fully taught me: the power of presence. I learned to listen to my body, to move with awareness rather than force, and to appreciate the importance of balance between physical and mental wellbeing. At the time, I had no idea how valuable these lessons would become in my tango journey.
Around the same period, I found myself drawn back into the world of dance. I explored Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, West Coast Swing, Tap Dancing, and Flamenco. My career as an international management consultant required extensive travel, which made long-term commitment difficult. Nevertheless, whenever my work schedule and family responsibilities allowed, I danced. Often four nights a week.
The more I danced, the more fascinated I became. Every dance offered a different language of expression. Each style revealed unique ways of communicating emotions, rhythm, connection, and energy. Gradually, I began to understand that dance affects much more than the body. It influences the mind, emotions, confidence, and overall well-being. This fascination eventually led me to study dance therapy and research the psychological effects of movement whenever time allowed alongside my demanding professional career.
Interestingly, it was Kizomba that finally opened the door to Argentine Tango. Kizomba requires sensitivity, connection, awareness, and non-verbal communication between partners. As I explored it more deeply, I recognised many of the same principles I had encountered through yoga, mindfulness, and Qi Gong. Presence. Trust. Listening. Awareness. Connection. These disciplines all seemed to point toward the same deeper truths, and tango brought them together in a remarkable way.
One of the greatest blessings in my tango journey has been the teachers who guided me along the way. My wonderful teacher Len in South Africa, a former ballroom champion, helped me understand that tango is far more than learning steps and figures. He was detailed, demanding, and deeply insightful. Through his teaching, I began to discover dimensions of tango that many dancers never fully experience.
Later, I had the privilege of learning from Beat, my teacher and dance partner from Zürich. Both Len and Beat gave me something invaluable. They taught me that tango is not about memorising movements. It is about feeling. They taught me connection, awareness, listening, presence, and flow. Instead of collecting more patterns and figures, I learned how to experience the dance itself.
When I reflect on the decades of sport, study, teaching, and personal development that shaped my life, I realise that tango gave me something unique. It helped me move from my head into my heart.
For many years I focused on analysing, planning, achieving, and understanding. Tango invited me to trust more, think less, and feel more deeply. It taught me that genuine connection cannot be controlled. It emerges through awareness, openness, and presence. The most beautiful dances are not necessarily those filled with impressive figures. They are the dances where two people truly connect and share a moment together.
Today, I understand why Argentine Tango touches so many people so profoundly. It is far more than a dance. It can be a form of healing, a practice of mindfulness, and a pathway to authentic human connection. It teaches us to become more present, more aware, and more alive.
That is why I fell in love with Argentine Tango. Not because of the steps. But because of everything it has taught me about connection, awareness, life, and myself.
If you have ever been curious about tango, you do not need to know everything before you begin. I certainly did not. Sometimes a single step is all it takes to open a completely new chapter in life. For me, that step was tango. Perhaps it could be for you too.
At A Kind of Tango, we warmly welcome both beginners and experienced dancers to our weekend seminars and private lessons. We believe that learning should be enjoyable, supportive, and inspiring. Most importantly, we believe that tango has the power to bring people together through genuine connection, one step at a time.
To learn more about upcoming tango workshops, performances, seminars, and events with Beat & Jutta, visit A Kind Of Tango Official Website or follow their journey on Instagram and Facebook.
