My Parents’ Extreme Tango Makeover

Studio 360
The World

When Yowei Shaw was in college, her parents’ relationship started to change. Maybe it was empty nest syndrome, maybe it was a midlife crisis – she’s not quite sure. But after taking dance lessons on board a cruise ship, her parents turned their lives upside down for the tango.
They went from a couple who stayed home watching the History Channel to dancers going out five nights a week, perfecting their technique. They even renovated their house to make room for a dance floor.  
A few months ago, they made the trip to Buenos Aires, the tango’s birthplace and epicenter. They were dying to study under the dance stars whose videos they’d watched religiously on YouTube. But their daughter observed that if tango solved some problems, it created others.
  
Is there a hobby that’s taken over a relationship in your life?   A creative passion that brought you together, or pulled you apart? Tell us in a comment below, or by e-mail.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.