This story of Argentine Tango begins in Italy, of all places.

A crowd of students watch as a suave, ponytailed gentleman guides his tango student with care and finesse. With subtle twists of his body, she swivels her feet, kicks up her leg, and the audience looks on.

The music stops, they bow, and the crowd erupts... all in a day's work, 

... and this is just the beginning.

An Argentine Tango Journey, and The Man Behind It

Giuliano Scarpati was supposed to do something different with his life. Yet this South American born Italian found himself working for the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Florence, Italy. 

GS: I was born in Colombia, and my parents still live there. I grew up in a successful family, so I was supposed to become a lawyer, doctor, or a business man like my dad. In that country there is nothing like A.M., so when I told them, they couldn’t understand. Every time I talked by phone my mother told me, "When will you get a real job?"

AML: How did you discover the Argentine Tango?

GS: My father lived in Buenos Aires, and he talked to me a lot about this dance. It was the seed.  In Italy, I made many friends who loved this dance. It was the tree. When I started dancing it... I tasted the sweet fruit.  I fell in love.

AML: Is it true that you need to have a ponytail, facial hair, or a cool accent to excel in the tango?

GS: [Laughs] Actually, most of the dancers I know have short hair and a clean face, but these things you mentioned make you more recognizable. I was a theater actor and a street artist before dancing. So, I found out, these three things can be helpful to get into the character.

AML: How did you get involved with the A.Tango curriculum for Arthur Murray?

GS: I was an AM International Top 3 Instructor in 2007 & 2008, and was noticed by my skills in the argentine dances. So, If AM needed a new tango program, I was the right person for the job. I created a new program for our students in Florence, and I presented it to our franchisee and chairman, Mr. Augusto Schiavo. He liked it and he said it could be helpful for all the other AM studios.

AML: Was there a lot of pressure?

Oh, it was me applying the pressure. I invested a lot in creating the best program for our students. I traveled to Buenos Aires to make sure I was doing things right.  When I knew about the possibility of doing it for all the studios, I said: “It has to be awesome”.

AML: Do you feel like you delivered?

GS: I’m very satisfied of the result. I believe that our company now has the best social A.Tango program ever. 

AML: Thinking of the Argentine dances, if you had to describe each one in a few words, what would they be?

GS: A.Tango: Intimate. This is about a “you and me” story, my skin talks to your skin, my heart to yours. By the way, I said “intimate”, not “sensual”, even if it is a sensual dance. I mean, there is a very deep comunication between the 2 dancers.

Tango Vals: Sophisticated. You recognize the best argentine tango dancers by the way they do Tango Vals, the way they “fly” with the music.

Milonga: Joy. A.Tango is a sensual, dark dance, and the Milonga instead brings out the light, and makes us have fun.

AML: Describe the feeling when someone really connects to the music in Tango.

GS: When you really connect to the music, you dance with it, you move with it, you improvise, have fun, choose the speed, and you enjoy the moment.

AML: So how would you describe your entry into the world of dancing?

GS: Looking behind I can say that it has been a journey full of obtacles, doubts, mistakes, excitement and happiness.

AML:  Did your mother ever come around to understand your decision? 

GS: After 8 years, she made peace with me when I told her I was the manager.

AML: Bravo.

(Clockwise from Left)  Giuliano Scarpati, with his wife, Valeria, daughter Ginevra (6), son Francesco (8 months), and daughter Virginia (3) is the Director of the Arthur Murray Studio in Florence-Italy, and creator of the new Arthur Murray Argentine Tango, Milonga and Tango Vals program.

 

Dance coach, author, family man and positive person, his goal is to make people’s lives, through dancing, extraordinary. He just published the book “The Secret Story of Arthur Murray”, and will be a guest contributor to the ArthurMurrayLive.com blog.