Entomologist shares love of tango with campus community
By day, Juan Luis Jurat-Fuentes is a researcher who strives to rid the world of armyworms and other pests. However, when evening falls on campus, he’s been known to take to the dance floor, a bit of an alter ego taking over.
“I’ve traveled the world and danced on every continent except Antarctica,” Jurat-Fuentes says.
Jurat-Fuentes, a UT AgResearch Dean’s Professor and faculty member in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, also is an expert when it comes to one of the world’s most famous dances—and he gives lessons. He’s the leader of the popular VolTango Club, where he instructs students and faculty in the art of the Argentine tango.
“It’s a difficult dance because it’s improvised, meaning you don’t practice something that you just do over and over. So it’s a little challenging, but it also makes it fun,” he says.
Jurat-Fuentes is a native of Spain. He loves to tango because it’s a blend of dances from the different countries and cultures in South America, Europe, and Africa.
He’s a good instructor, but he can’t put students on Dancing with the Stars after just one practice session, called practicas. Learning to tango takes two, and mostly it takes time. If you were expecting stomping moves and roses clenched in teeth, that might be a bit dramatic. People in the club learn to walk through the steps and to communicate nonverbally with their partner. With Argentine tango, the dancers never break their embrace.
“You dance with this person in a hug, so it’s not like you separate from that person. It’s like you have to move as one.”
-Jurat-Fuentes
Meetings are to learn the dance and also just to meet people. The club also holds social dances called milongas, invites guest instructors, and liaises with the local social tango community.
“It’s so addictive,” says Greeshma Geetha, student president of the club. “It’s just something I really want to pursue.”
Jurat-Fuentes says Argentine tango is like a captivating language to learn to speak—and he looks forward to more teaching and dancing. It is a blend of grace, style, and tradition, embracing the steps in a journey of culture and connection. “I’m very passionate about my work, but I’m also passionate about Argentine tango,” he says.
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