My mother recently made a short tango dance film. Staring Audrey Pattison (my mother) and Julian Marcelo Elizari, a young Argentinean  tango teacher. The film is called Androgyne and has been posted on YouTube (you can watch it below).

On the day I made it to the Internet, I forgot  to take the details of the film. I thought I remembered the name of the film maker,  RAWinearls, so did a You Tube search with it. Up came all sorts about  Earls Court including The Motor Show, Led Zeppelin  and Pink Floyd, non of which was my mother dancing in. well not officially,  though being the amazing lady that she is, she did  manage to get me and my then husband onto the list of crowd entertainers for virtually every night of Pink Floyd’s 1994 “P.u.l.s.e”  Earls Court dates, where had I actually been called upon to entertain I would have done my Belly Dancing, but that’s another story.

I told  my mother of my technical difficulties in trying to locate her, she explained that it should have been Richie. A Winearls. It’s not anything to do with Earls Court at all.

Second time round the Internet seemed to be on hyper speed, suddenly there was my mother but, I realised I had no sound on the laptop. I tried to turn it up, nothing, I tried to stop the video, it refused.  It’s very odd watching  people dancing with no music.

I thought to down load the video and then sort out the sound problem.  I couldn’t find the icon to click on. Then suddenly the film disappeared. I tried to find it again and got a whole library of other tango dancers but not my mum (interestingly, in amongst the tango I got “How to Crochet a Scarf” which surely was in the wrong classification). Just as I was about to give up, I found my mum again. I clicked on download and it all worked beautifully. When I checked my Real Player library I found I had downloaded it twice. Is it me?

Back at home, the sound now sorted, I sat down with my daughter to watch again.

There followed the most beautiful, delicate, tango. Two people so in tune with each other, comfortable, gentle, so delicious.  My Aunty Viv,  long time best friend of my mum and herself a professional dancer, dance teacher and also still dancing, so therefore far better qualified to judge than me, said that they (Audrey and Julian) are perfectly balanced in every way.

I love to watch really good dancing, this is a real joy to see, and not just because she’s my mum.

Dancing has been part of my mother’ life ever since she was a child. It was her career before we were born and she taught ballet for many years while we were young. Coming to tango relatively late (she says), it quickly became a real passion,  it’s something I know she wishes she had come across sooner, but boy is she good and what an inspiration to all. She proves that if you have the ability and love for something, age is unimportant. We are so proud of her.

Oh and Mum; THOSE SHOES!

Watch and enjoy.

Audrey Pattison.

Julian Marcelo Elizari.

Richie. A Winearls.

©Claire Pattison Valente 2008