Primavera Tango Featured in Australian National News
Thank you to The Senior for highlighting our work at Primavera Tango. We had the opportunity to bring tango to an even wider audience; this time we were featured in the news and the story is moving fast!
We were recently featured in an article by Carla Mascarenhas, a former ABC staff member, now working for The Senior and ACM, all about the surprising mental, physical and social benefits of Argentine tango.
The piece highlights one of our students and our studio, showing how tango isn’t just a dance but it’s a full mind-body experience. It’s fun, challenging and a wonderful way to connect with others, no matter your age or experience.
Argentine tango is more accessible than most people think. You don’t need to memorise complicated choreography, we build learning in layers, starting with simple walking and gradually adding connection, musicality and movement. Many of our students start with zero dance experience and end up loving the journey!
We run weekly beginner-friendly classes in Macquarie Park, designed for people looking for movement, mental stimulation and social connection. Plus, our classes are welcoming, supportive and full of like-minded people who love dancing as much as you will.
The article is free to read (you will just need to sign up for a free account with The Senior) and there’s a short video that shows a glimpse of the magic of tango.
https://www.thesenior.com.au/story/9192258/ross-fairhurst-sydney-mans-tango-journey-builds-mind-body/
If you have ever thought about giving tango a try, now is the perfect time, join us and see for yourself why so many people fall in love with this dance!
#DanceYourMind #MindBodyConnection #SocialDance #TangoCommunity #MacquariePark
Below is a copy of the article (for a direct link click here):
Forget crosswords: the 'sexy' secret to keeping your brain younger
Updated March 7 2026 - 6:54pm, first published 8:30am
Ross Fairhurst and his dance partner Keryn. Picture supplied
Ross Fairhurst first discovered Argentine tango two decades ago after a friend asked him to partner her in a class.
What began as a favour quickly became a passion.
"I was immediately attracted to the Argentine music," he said. "And compared to ballroom tango, it involves improvisation rather than choreography."
The 69-year-old from Waterloo in Sydney had some dance experience, having studied ballet when he was younger and later trying South American salsa. But he admitted Argentine tango was not easy to pick up.
"It can be quite frustrating at first because you're not learning choreographed steps," he said. "You're improvising to the music. As the leader you're giving direction and your partner is responding, so it's quite demanding on the brain."
Despite the challenge, he stuck with it - largely because of the community that surrounds the dance.
"The tango community is very supportive," he said. "Social tango events are a great way to meet other people who love dancing."
For Mr Fairhurst said the "intimacy" that defines Argentine tango is also part of its appeal.
"As mature people, particularly if we're single, we often don't have that level of connection with other human beings," he said.
"It can be a beautiful way to connect with someone."
Overwhelming benefits for health
Over time, tango has become more than a social activity.
Research increasingly suggests tango offers significant cognitive and emotional benefits.
A 2025 network meta-analysis found dance-based activities involving rhythmic synchronisation - such as tango - were more effective at reducing anxiety and depression than standard aerobic exercise.
Another randomised controlled trial in 2025 found seniors aged 60 to 69 who practised adapted tango showed significant improvements in memory accuracy and focus, while a control group showed no change.
A class at Primavera Tango.
Mr Fairhurst and his partner Keryn have taken their dancing to a competitive level, even travelling to Argentina to compete in the world championships.
"We didn't place, but we're working towards going back in 2027," he said.
Today Mr Fairhurst trains around 10 to 12 hours a week, while still enjoying the social side of the dance.
"As you get older, tango gives you both mental and physical challenges," he said.
"You train your body to respond to the music. There's a transition between your mental and physical body that I don't think you get in many other forms of dance."
Tango has also shown promise for sleep and wellbeing.
In one retirement village program from 2013, residents who participated in tango sessions reported reduced stress and insomnia, along with higher levels of life satisfaction and mindfulness.
For Mr Fairhurst, however, the benefits are often simpler.
"As you get older, tango gives you both mental and physical challenges," he said.
"You train your body to respond to the music. There's a transition between your mental and physical body that I don't think you get in many other forms of dance."
Built in layers: Why anyone can do tango
For many people over 50, staying active is about more than just exercise - it's also about connection.
At Primavera Tango in Macquarie Park in Sydney's north-west, Dean and Genevieve Beattie say the majority of their students are older adults looking for both.
"They come to socialise and to get a little bit of exercise - that mind-body connection," Mr Beattie said.
Dean and Genevieve Beattie dancing (left) and together with their first child (right).
While tango can look complex from the outside, he says it is far more accessible than people realise.
"Tango is built in layers," he said.
"Every person can choose how many layers they want to learn. It starts with walking and simple sequences. Then there are rotational movements, and some people stay there and just enjoy dancing to the music. Others keep adding more layers."
The couple's own story began on the dance floor.
They first met at a milonga - a traditional social tango dance event - in Melbourne.
"I asked her to dance with eye contact, what we call mirada, (cabeco)" Mr Beattie said.
"Our introduction was to dance. We danced before we spoke."
The experience, he says, reflects the essence of tango.
"You feel it straight away," Mr Beattie said. "Different dances have a different connection."
