The art of tango is infectious. What begins as admiration when witnessing the dance can quickly turn into a pursuit of its moves and evolve into an absolute infatuation.

Just ask master dancer and Tango performer Karman, one-half of the Seattle duo Tango Elegance.

“I did a little bit of ballroom, a little bit of salsa, and quite a bit of club dancing back when I was more into that sort of thing,” Karman said. “Now I wouldn’t even look back on that … now all we do is tango.

“For better or for worse, we’ve been in love with this dance,” he added. “It kind of changed my life.”

His partner, the other half of Tango Elegance, Colleen first came into contact with the dance when she saw the 1990s film — “The Tango Lesson.”

“I think there are quite a few people who are introduced to tango through that movie,” she said. “I liked it so much that I went out to take lessons.”

Since meeting each other on the Emerald City dance floor in 1997 Colleen and Kamran have been dancing the tango together, performing at special events and fundraisers at a host of prestigious venues like the Seattle Art Museum, Tacoma’s Museum of Glass and the Folklife Festival. They’ve also competed in international competitions regularly tripping to South America to the birthplace of tango — Argentina.

This weekend, they’ll be traveling the comparably short trip to Bainbridge to perform, instruct and have fun at an event hosted by Bainbridge Performing Arts called “A Night in Buenos Aires.” Tickets are $20 per person which includes the entertainment and dance lesson while food and drink will also be available.

Keep in mind, not often does one get the chance to tango on the island.

“It’s just one of those perfect date nights,” said BPA musical director Steven Fogell. “There’s not that many forums to go hear some great music and also learn some basic steps of tango.”

The island band Blue Fish Tango — featuring Bonnie Murphy, Patti Beasley, Alan Francescutti and Rich McAllister will also be there singing and swinging its 1940s-, ‘50s- and ‘60s-era tango and nuevo tango tunes. Plus, Tango Elegance will be showing off and teaching and few tango and nuevo tango steps.

For those who may be wondering, the difference between tango and nuevo tango is marked considerably by one man’s work — Argentine composer and bandoneonist Astor Piazzolla. He is considered to be the man who brought tango to the West, transforming traditional tango into nuevo tango by adding classical and jazz elements.

It was that classically jazzed up style that introduced and eventually left “Blue Fish” Murphy infatuated with tango.

“Listening with a jazz ear, it was so interesting to me the sound he had,” Murphy said. “It’s just amazingly passionate.”

So she set out to form a band that could play Piazzola, and she created somewhat of an all-star lineup in Blue Fish Tango.

Murphy, herself, is a storied accompanist at BPA playing in the orchestra for last spring’s “Last Poem On Earth” serving as musical director for the 2006 show “Gypsy” and conductor and piano player for 2004’s “Cabaret.” While one might have seen Beasley and Francescutti at the Bainbridge Symphony Hall — also coincidentally BPA.

“Rich has more of a rock, bluegrass, folk background,” Murphy added.

On Saturday, they’ll be cranking out pure tango.

“It’s upbeat but it’s always got that sense of … oh, I don’t know what to call it … passion … angst … it’s intense,” Murphy said.

The evening’s concert will segue from a darker, eerie-style of “listening Piazzolla,” she said, to some more danceable numbers which the group has added in anticipation for the event.

Sometime in between, Tango Elegance will be giving a performance to 1930s/1940s Argentine orchestration on CD, followed by the 15-30-minute lesson.

“It’s very complex … in my opinion, it’s even difficult to get a little bit of comfort going for the men,” Kamran said. “For women it’s a little bit different because they just need to be a follow for their lead … Anybody can pick it up in a few months.”

But in the short timeframe which Tango Elegance will have with the group, Kamran said he hopes to give the men an idea mentally of where there feet are taking them, while the duo will also demonstrate a short sequence of steps for people to try out.

For those who don’t want to be steppin’ out, there will be room in the auditorium seats for onlookers, Fogell said.

But how much fun can you have at a dance party if you’re sitting down? Besides there’ll be a bar at the back of the theater to ease those inhibitions. The evening is appropriate for those 18 and older, BPA said.