By Anja Vukalovic (young mentor from Buena Vista Dance School Podgorica)

There’s a funny thing about long-distance projects: for months, we send videos, share ideas, give feedback and imagine how it all looks on the other side of the screen. It’s a kind of digital tango in itself with careful steps, hopeful signals, and lots of wondering: Is this landing? Are we in sync?

Then we arrived in Skopje and from the first moment, it was clear: no video can prepare you for the energy of being in the same room.

Suddenly, people I’d only seen through a screen were giving me hugs, sharing snacks, correcting my steps, and cracking jokes mid-rehearsal. There was warmth, chaos, and the kind of laughter that comes when nobody really knows what’s going on but everyone’s happy to be there.

Practices were long, lively and a bit of a beautiful mess: we’d dance, rewind, improvise, stumble, laugh, and somehow, day by day, we started moving like a real group. That is how tango teaches us life, not just through technique and a lot of repetition but through presence, trust and a subtle smile that says ‘You’ve got this’ even when you doubt yourself.

Off the dance floor, I did what I usually do when I travel: wander around half-lost, very curious, and always looking for something to eat. Skopje surprised me. It’s a mix of big, dramatic statues and quiet little streets with cafés that make you want to stay a while. I got lost more than once (sometimes on purpose, sometimes not), but honestly, it was the best way to stumble onto things like a street musician playing something so good I wished I had a dance partner, a cozy bookstore selling both manga and vinyls, or a completely unexpected salsa party happening in Cuba Café. Skopje really knows how to surprise you.

On the last day, we danced right in the center of Skopje surrounded by people, traffic, noise, and life. I have no idea if the choreography went perfectly (probably not), but it definitely felt real. There were nerves, excitement, a little chaos, and a lot of heart. It didn’t feel like just a performance but more like a celebration of everything we’d been through together. All the practice, all the learning and all the connections we built along the way.

And maybe that’s what made this trip special. It wasn’t just about tango mentoring or learning, it was about people, places, shared stories, and showing up, even when things are unpredictable.

Skopje wasn’t just a stop on the map. It felt like the start of something bigger, and I’m already looking forward to whatever comes next.