Burcin Unel and Alper Üngör's feet were in sync as they glided across the dance floor as if it were made of ice and air. With intricate twirls and an occasional kick of the heels, they showed onlookers how to properly perform Argentine tango.
Unel and Üngör taught viewers how to tango step-by-step as part of the second annual Tango for the Cure, an event held by UF's Argentine Tango Club to raise money for the American Cancer Society for breast cancer research.
The event was held downtown on Saturday evening at the Gainesville Dance Association and was open to both experienced and inexperienced tango dancers. For a small donation at the door, participants could learn tango techniques for two hours followed by a social dance with refreshments and a raffle.
For Unel, the faculty adviser for the Argentine Tango Club and a tango teacher, the event is always personal to her. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor, and she chose to host this event for breast cancer awareness partly because of her mother's success story.
Tango for the Cure is also an extension of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk that will take place later in October. The proceeds from the event, along with any donations made online for its team to participate in the walk later this month, will go to the American Cancer Society.
Last year the club raised about $1,400 and is expecting to raise about the same if not more, Unel said. As far as awareness goes, Unel said that as long as she can educate people about the benefits of early diagnosis, then that is a step in the right direction.
"Even if one person goes and gets a mammogram and it ends up saving her life, then as far as I'm concerned, I'm successful," said Unel. "It's one person, one day at a time."
Üngör, who was a faculty adviser for the club in previous years, also teaches Argentine tango and has been dancing for over five years. He enjoys the silent conversation that is expressed through the dance and explained that the dance is about connections between the partners, the music and the dance floor. Argentine tango poses a challenge like a mathematical puzzle that needs to be figured out, he said.
The club tries to cherish the community by reaching out and educating new people, hoping that it will spread like a virus and make people aware of its existence, Üngör said.
"One of the things we are hoping for is to grow the community and to bring something new to Gainesville," Üngör said. "We want people to be aware of our existence and help the tango-dancing community grow while connecting with other communities in Florida."
You can find out more information on the UF Argentine Tango club by viewing its Facebook page. To donate money to its team for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, visit the event website.
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