Tango inspires community

PAM Jarvis is the face of inspiration on the Geelong West Town Hall, with a story that would have anyone, of any age, keen to tango.

Pam is one of nine people from across the region who are featured in this year’s STREETFACE, a project that profiles local residents with life stories about major transitions they have experienced that need to be shared.

However, her story is also about the people she has inspired through dance which gives her students from all backgrounds and all abilities, a new confidence and a connection to look forward to each week.

Pam was teaching dance improvisation in Melbourne 20 years ago when she travelled to Argentina and fell in love with Tango.

After returning home, her husband Richard hurt his back and she was diagnosed with breast cancer and experienced complications from her treatment.

Tango dancing, which relies on balance and promotes good posture, became a key part of her recovery.

Around that time, they moved to Geelong and discovered the Christ Church community, that supported people who had no support, had health problems, were homeless or had served prison terms.
Pam said establishing a community Tango group on Monday evenings seemed perfect, with Tango being a dance anchored in small communities which created a sense of connectiveness.

As she began to feel better, and building on the success of her community class, they established a Gentle Tango group on Wednesdays in conjunction with Dementia Victoria and under the umbrella of Southern Cross Dance.

The Gentle Tango group has welcomed people with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and other health or movement issues, as well as those who have lost someone – and they all have found a place to dance.

She said they had also started themed classes, sharing French onion soup for Bastille Day, just before this month’s lockdown, and they were looking forward to a Bollywood-style class with an Indian morning tea when classes resumed.

Pam said COVID and lockdowns had been so tough for her students because all their support had been taken away, and activities like Tango classes would be especially important to “build that sense of connectiveness”.

Pam, who regularly shops in Pako where her STREETFACE appears, said she had no idea that her photograph would be as large as it is, but was supportive of a project that gives older people a profile.

She laughed, explaining that she’d encouraged her students to “take a photo with the Big Pam, like the Big Lobster or the Big Banana”.

Read more about Pam and other residents featured in STREETFACE on the Humans in Geelong website and share your thoughts on the storytelling project via the City’s website.

The project is a joint initiative involving G21, the City of Greater Geelong, Colac Otway Shire, Golden Plains Shire, Barwon Health, Dementia Australia, Bellarine Community Health and Humans in Geelong.