NATCHEZ &8212; Think very carefully before you decide to participate in the Tango Gritz &8217;n&8217; Glitz over New Year&8217;s, because you just might get hooked.

&8220;Nine years ago, I went to San Francisco with a girlfriend and Forever Tango was on,&8221; Christina Johnson said. &8220;I walked out of the theater and said, &8216;That&8217;s it, I&8217;m going to learn how to do that.&8217;&8221;

At the end of the month, she is bringing in three top teachers from Argentina and two from California for five days of dancing to ring in the new year. The program runs Dec. 28 through Jan. 1. Classes for all level of tango dancers are offered. Admission to a set of five beginner classes can be booked for $120. Individually, classes cost $35 and require exact change. You don&8217;t need a partner to join, but walk-ins may be refused if there is too great a gender imbalance.

While tango is a difficult dance, the teachers Johnson has assembled will make learning easy and fun, she said. Each night a special dance event gives students a chance to practice their moves alongside the professionals. Dance events will be upstairs at Different Accents and is open to anyone who wants to either dance or watch.

Tango is a seductive, sexy dance. And that&8217;s no accident. Working men, desperate for attention from the few women in early 19th century Argentina, had to sell themselves on the dance floor in order to get noticed.

So the men practiced with each other while waiting in line at the brothels &8212; and got pretty darned good at it.

Prem Vidhana, who has been coming to Tuesday night classes for two years, said he first saw the dance when Johnson last brought a group to the city.

&8220;I watched them dance and I said, &8216;It&8217;s so beautiful,&8217;&8221; he said. &8220;I had to learn it. I fell in love with the dance.&8221;

Special events will include dinner on New Year&8217;s Eve will be at Dunleith, the cost is $50 and reservations are required. Dancing will follow at Different Accents. A private dinner and dance for the participants will be held Jan. 1 at Centre City Grill.

Aside from classes and dancing, a presentation tracing the parallel histories of jazz and tango is scheduled at the Historic Natchez Foundation and a hot chocolate and tango &8220;happening&8221; will take place at Sligo Plantation. Both events are Dec. 30.

While this is a tango affair, any style of dance is welcome at the nightly milongas, so long as the counter-clockwise flow of dance is followed. To learn more, contact Johnson at (601) 442-5355 or

kikibri@earthlink.net

. For pictures and links to tango websites, go to www.beyondtango.com.