Sallycat and Carlos

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Tango dancer. Writer. Adventurer.

Sally Blake is a British writer on a mission to inspire others to live their dreams.
Born in Shrewsbury in 1963, she lived the life she thought she ought to have, until the grand age of 43 when unexpected events (divorcio!) led to her first ever solo adventure, to Mongolia. There, in a slightly seedy bar in Ulaan Baatar, she heard the words ‘Argentine tango’ and so, got the chance to discover the life she really wanted. She’s been dancing in Buenos Aires ever since.

In June 2010 Sallycat published her first book, a super-useful and entertaining guide book for tango dancers, Happy Tango: Sallycat’s Guide to Dancing in Buenos Aires. She reckons it’s a great read for anyone passionate about tango and hopes it will help YOU to live your tango dreams.

Listen to Sally
on BBC Radio 4: Excess Baggage
29th October 2011

Click here to listen to the author of Happy Tango: Sallycat’s Guide to Dancing in Buenos Aires Sally Blake speaking about her experiences of tango in Buenos Aires on the BBC Radio 4 programme Excess Baggage presented by John McCarthy. The programme was broadcast live from London on Saturday 29th October 2011, with Sally half-way-round-the-world-away in the Buenos Aires BBC studio. Sally and the tango item are in the second half of the broadcast, but the first part is fascinating too, an interview with transoceanic rower Roz Savage. Sally would like to thank Travellers Worldwide with whom Sally first travelled to Argentina, and BBC Producer Harry Parker for this BBC Radio 4 opportunity.

See Sally dance with her teacher Ariel Yanovsky in this 2008 film made by British film maker Catrin Strong. See Sally dance with her love Carlos at her Mum and Dad’s Golden Wedding Anniversary in 2009, here. Remember that Sally only began dancing tango in late 2006, so she is still a relative beginner.

When Sally first travelled to Buenos Aires in 2007 she wrote a popular blog called Sallycat’s Adventures, an honest account of her experiences not only learning to dance tango in Argentina, but also of trying to change the driver of her life from head to heart, in her forties. The blog remains online and is packed with articles about Buenos Aires, Argentine Tango, and every aspect of Sally’s quest for joy. You can read the very first post of Sallycat’s Adventures here.

Sally is learning to paint energy. You can see some of her paintings here.

Sally’s writing her second book, a practical guide  for those who want to discover more joy. You can read the first draft of the book, in the form of ‘Tasks’ — try some of them if you like, at the Happy Hearts Quest here.

Grateful thanks to Julie-Anne Cosgrove for the photo of Sally and Carlos.