Pol Van Assche started the non-profit organisation Polariteit in November 1989. He was one of the first persons to promote tango in Belgium.
Pol was born 15 dec 1948 in Bujumbura and came to Belgium with his family when he was 11 years old. In December 1988 he organised a birthday party in the Château de Fontaine that was themed around tango and had 140 participants. People asked him there where they could take tango lessons.
Pol himself then took classes in Argentine tango with the Dutch teachers Wouter Brave and Martine Berghuijs who founded the Amsterdamse tangoschool and were one of the first promoters of Argentine tango in Europe. They were students of Antonio Todaro. Pol himself would since December 1990 travel 20 times to Buenos Aires and 5 times to Montevideo to study tango. His most influential teachers were Antonio Todaro, Pepito Avellaneda and Ernesto Carmona. He would also organise holidays to Buenos Aires as a tour leader.
On December 15, 1989 he organised the first Noche de la Pasión in Ghent, which was a yearly event for Argentine tango, Cuban salsa and other Latin dances. At its peak, 5000 people attended the Noche de la Pasión.
When Pol served his conscription, he teared his meniscus in a bad maneuver and later in life got troubles because of this in his knee. He had to be operated and doctors had to saw through his leg. He had been in a wheelchair for a while and needed to wear a metal construction under his knee for years. Because of his experience, he became an ambassador for Handicap International.
Polariteit rented a dance floor in Verkortingstraat 55, 9040 Gent for 30 years. There was a milonga every Friday, also on holidays and twice per month on Sunday. This Friday, December 22nd will be the last milonga of Polariteit at this location, because the costs to continue there have become too high. Polariteit will keep giving tango classes at another location and they will also keep organising a milonga at another location, but there will not be a milonga anymore every Friday of the week.
Especially people who danced in Ghent have known the dance floor in Ghent and it is sad that after 30 years it disappears. There are a lot of great memories there !
December 22 From 20:00 to 24:00
Zaal de Vloed (Verkortingstraat 55 9040 St Amandsberg / Gent)
