Tango dancers slide across the floor in long sweeping steps, keeping pace with the rhythmic music, occasionally pausing to strike intricate poses. Beautiful, even mesmerizing to watch and to perform, Argentine tango is more than dance, said Christina Johnson, a psychotherapist who has fallen in love with tango and spends time teaching others the exotic dance. &uot;It’s a culture, a way of life, much like American jazz,&uot; Johnson said.

Hoping to increase the number of tango aficionados in Natchez &045;&045; and sometime in the future planning to bring visiting tango enthusiasts to Natchez on one of her &uot;Exotic Tango Vacations,&uot; Johnson has organized a weekend of dance Sept. 17-19, featuring two live music groups and classes not only in tango but also in swing and salsa.

&uot;I know people in Natchez don’t know a lot about Argentine dance, but they do know about swing, Glenn Miller and all; so they can do something familiar and learn something new, too,&uot; she said.

Sweet South Swango Weekend will include history and dance lessons, exhibitions and food. The weekend ticket for all events plus one Saturday class is $40 per person and for all events plus three classes on Saturday, $45, for those registering before Sept. 1. For those registering after Sept. 1, tickets are $55, including one Saturday class.

Registration by phone is at 601-442-5355; by e-mail at

kikibri@earthlink.net

.

The weekend will begin with a free event, with a $5 donation suggested, at the Historic Natchez Foundation headquarters, 108 S. Commerce St., 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 17.

Uruguay native and musical performer Gerardo Perez will give an illustrated program on the history of Argentine tango, paralleling the era of the birth of American jazz. The Perez trio, also including John Lutz, bass, and Patrick Farrell, pianist, will perform during the weekend.

Later on Sept. 17, there will be dancing in the Burgundy Room at the Isle of Capri Casino, with live music from the trio; on Saturday, classes in tango, swing and salsa with teachers Louie Bianco of Little Rock, Ark., and Sarah Vizer and Srini of New Orleans at the Prentiss Club, 211 N. Pearl St. And the two live musical groups, the Gerardo Perez Trio and the St. Joseph Orchestra Jazzers of St. Joseph, La., will play for the Sept. 18 special event, which will include dancing and dance exhibitions, also at the Prentiss Club.

A late-night buffet at Biscuits & Blues and an afternoon tea with dancing at Morris Gallery are other highlights of the weekend.

The weekend is about more than just tango, Johnson said. However, she hopes many couples will step up to try tango if they never have done so before.

She recalled her own introduction to the dance when she saw the show &uot;Forever Tango&uot; in San Francisco. &uot;I said, ‘that’s it; I’m going to learn that dance,’&uot; she said. She went home to Santa Fe, N.M., where she lived then and &uot;found tango teachers and spent every penny on learning that dance. I fell in love with it.&uot;

That is what happens to many people who let themselves fall under the spell of tango, she said.

Yet her motive was more than simply enjoying a challenging and beautiful dance. &uot;I saw tango as the perfect metaphor for the relationship between a man and woman,&uot; she said, explaining that she had begun couples counseling as part of her work at that time. &uot;I developed the tango dance as therapy. I started a course and, the more I taught it, the more I studied tango. It became a passion.&uot;

With forebears in Natchez, Johnson moved to town to look after some family property and to see how Natchez worked as a home base for her several businesses.

Her profession as a licensed psychotherapist was a natural progression from interests that began early in life. &uot;My mother was extremely adventurous. We moved to Mexico when I was 8. I didn’t go to traditional schools. We traveled and lived a kind of bohemian lifestyle,&uot; she said.

&uot;I grew up internationally. When other kids my age went to college, I knew that was not for me.&uot;

Time came later, however, when she has reached a point in her career as an alternate healer that she wanted the degree and the license to ensure her future in the field.

Johnson spent 24 years in Santa Fe, founding three schools that were successful in teaching transpersonal psychology. About 1990, she laid out a strict plan for getting both bachelor and master degrees in psychology.

&uot;I went to three schools in three years, and got the B.A. and the master’s,&uot; she said. &uot;I got those degrees so I could see people for hands-on therapy and counseling.&uot;

Therapeutic massage is an important element of her work as a healer, she said. The kind of therapy she offers was ahead of its time when she began years ago. &uot;Now it’s becoming a field,&uot; she said. &uot;Now there are body-mind conferences being held.&uot;

A central theme of her teaching and living has been that &uot;living one’s personal passion takes focus, discipline and cooperation on different levels. Ignoring it can result in disease, depression and addictive behavior.&uot;

That is why tango took hold of her. &uot;I realized so many people want to do something that other people tell them they can’t do. But with encouragement, anyone can follow their soul’s passion.&uot;

Further, she teaches a small-group seminar that has been successful, &uot;Living Your Dream,&uot; a 30-hour course that helps participants to unlock hidden talents and purpose.

&uot;People must transcend their fears and find a place in the world where they can do the most good,&uot; she said. &uot;People should follow a calling, not a job, but a calling.&uot;