PASSIONATE RATIONS

I’ve said before that mixing food and dance would be my version of heaven. Well, if so, then heaven’s in the Berkshires.

After an hour+ drive through the foggy and slick ravages of a not-long-past ice storm to Lenox, Massachusetts, we arrived at Rhythms for a beginning tango lesson.

Yes, there is tango to be found closer to my home base, but this particular class had been talked up by some respectable dance buddies. This was important to me, as my first and only experience with tango some years ago had been, well, let’s just say “too close for comfort.”

The studio was very welcoming and, after an hour or so of instruction, I was feeling pretty good about things when a roar went up. Looking to see what had caused such a clamor, I noted a youngish-looking man who had entered the studio.

“Joshua,” the dance students cried.

“Joshua,” the instructors greeted with glee.

Who is this Joshua, I wondered, as strains of the “Cheers” theme song began in my head (sing with me: “where everybody knows your name…”). And how does one get to be so popular?

Chocolate.

Turns out Joshua is Joshua Needleman, owner, proprietor and chocolatier at Chocolate Springs a chocolate shop across the parking lot from the dance studio. Though they’d mentioned the shop, my dance buddies had neglected to mention that the chocolatier himself was a dancer who might actually show up at the studio. On this night, he came bearing a little bag of chocolates, which he proceeded to distribute to everyone in attendance prior to joining the intermediate dancing.

Chocolate.

There are countless fine chocolates on earth and I’ve had (and seek out) many, even given rave reviews to some of them here. But the little square of magic I popped in my mouth that evening overtook them all.

Maybe it was the tango. Maybe it was the long drive. Maybe it was the presence of the chocolate alchemist himself. But the velvety smoothness and rich flavor melded into a taste-bud tango the likes of which I have never before experienced. It was everything all chocolate should aspire to be and more.

My new year’s resolution: learn tango, and stop at Chocolate Springs every time.

Happy New Year!