The most beautiful art could very well be ‘life’ itself – ‘Life Artist’ Hellen Chen

This is my first time dancing Argentina Tango in Helsinki, Finland (Frostbite Tango) while touring Northern Europe.

The trip touched me so much!!

Thanks to this wonderful photographer who captured this shot while I was dancing - I was not aware of being photographed until much later. 🙂

Big thanks to the organizers and other dancers which made me, a stranger, so welcomed. This is a unique event which I will never forget. 🙂

Whether it is in dancing or creating a great relationship with that special someone or engaging in any other "arts," the most beautiful art could very well be 'life' itself.  Below is my short note inspired by the most fascinating art: LIFE.

 

 

It’s snowing outside.

Helsinki, Finland.

A city of white, a blanket of silence.

Walking into the spacious indoor, taking off my heavy coat and the thick furry hat,

removing the soft long scarf,

And the winter gloves that could withstand a minus 30 degrees Celsius temperature,

(gloves are specially made from Taiwan…) I take off each layer with care and deliberation.

What is left on me, is my dancing gown, thin as a feather, but I don’t even feel a tinge of coldness.

Of course I am not cold. Because my passion is like fire!

When the tango music begins, it is the firewood that makes this passion burning.

Tango – a charming land.

Millions of beautiful possibilities, it is almost like walking on clouds in heaven, and at the same time an indescribable deepness.

One dance, makes me forget the outside snowy scene of a different land,

makes me forget about the hectic tiredness and worries.

Full of clarity and flowing energy, walking the beautiful steps, bravely moving forward to experience the romance of tonight.

Challenge myself – breakthrough upon breakthrough, no matter how tired I might be.

Just landed from a long distance flight, passing through countless time zones,

close to 30 hours of journey,

but it was only yesterday that I was on the other side of the planet.

The distance is indeed huge,

hard to imagine what is like now, at the other side of the world!

I, am from Taiwan.

Looking at every foreign and yet familiar faces.

Ah! My fellow tango lovers!

I am so happy, to meet you here!

You are my life-time friend!

The air of tango is not necessary fragrant, but it is captivating.

The colors of tango is not necessary bright hot, but it is fully satisfying.

The emotion of tango is not necessary sweet, but makes one could not forget about it.

The embrace of tango, let you embrace life, with the sincerest heart.

Ask someone, who has never been to heaven, what is his feeling?

Of course it is a mystery.

Until you visited it, experienced it, then you and I both know this feeling –without even saying a word.

Because you have tasted heaven.

It’s beauty, is unique.

It’s persistence, is steel that is covered with softness.

Look at yourself, and feel this space,

What you see, is what you see.

What you feel, it is all real.

The spirit of the dance, is not difficult to capture on a black and white picture,

it seems so clear, and yet also unclear.

It is just what you see, Tango,

Cannot be seen through, cannot be understood, but only the person himself knows in his heart.

Actually it is not mysterious.

That charm, breathing and coming alive through the rhythm,

The beauty of Tango, is forever found at the clouds of heaven.

Hellen Chen

A Short Note
Northern European Tour

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外面飄著雪。

北歐，芬蘭。

白色的城市，一片沈寂。

走進了寬闊的空間，脫掉厚重的大外套與毛絨絨的帽子，

再拿下長長柔軟的圍巾，

還有那種可以預寒零下30°c的手套，

而且還是台灣特製的……好似在抽絲剝繭。

最後貼身的，是那一層合身的舞衣，薄若蟬羽，卻毫無寒冷的感覺。

當然不冷。因為熱情如火。

Tango的音樂響起，這是燃燒悸動的柴火。

Tango，迷人的天地。

千變萬化的美妙，彷彿走在雲端的天堂，令人無以言喻的深邃。

舞一曲，忘卻了廳外的北國雪景，

想不起那些奔波的疲勞與煩憂。

神清氣爽，踩著美麗的舞步，勇敢向今夜的浪漫前進，

挑戰自己極限再突破的體力。

剛剛的飛行，穿越了國際換日線。

將近30個小時的長途拔渉，

但昨天在地球另一端的我，

距離竟然是那麼地遙遠，

很難想像彼端的此時此刻！

我，來自台灣。

看著一個個陌生又熟悉的面孔。

啊！Tango的同好們！

真的好開心，能在這兒遇到了你！

我一生的朋友！

Tango的空氣不一定芬芳，但令人著迷。

Tango的色彩不一定豔麗，但味道十足。

Tango的情感不一定甜蜜，但無法忘懷。

Tango的擁抱，會讓你真心地擁抱生命。

沒來過天堂的人，你問他置身天堂是什麼感覺？

當然是個謎。

直到親身拜訪過、體驗過後，咱們心照不宣。

因為你已知道天堂的滋味。

它的美，是唯一獨特的。

它的堅持，柔中帶剛。

看看自己，再感受那個空間，

你看到什麼，就是什麼。

你所感受到的，全都是真的。

那舞動的氣氛，竟然不難在一張黑白照片中被捕捉，

看似清晰卻又迷濛。

就是你看到的，Tango。

看不清，摸不透，卻又冷暖自知。

也沒有那麼玄。

那個神韻，在節拍中活著，呼吸著。

Tango的美，在雲端的天堂之中永存。

Hellen Chen
北歐之旅，小記(隨筆)