Close Embrace and Open Embrace (III)

The feeling of dancing close embrace tango is completely different from that of dancing open embrace tango. The enchanting music, comforting embrace, and rhythmic motion of the two intimately connected bodies have a hypnotic effect to the dancers, causing them to fall into a state of dreaming, so heavenly that they don't want to wake up when the tanda ends. (See Cradle Effect.) In close embrace tango, the male partner feels his female partner’s soft, springy, flexible, sensitive and responsive body. She snuggles in his arms, surrenders herself to him and becomes an integral part of him. As they dance, her body twists in his arms, her muscles relax and tense, her torso trundles on his torso and breasts rub his chest, and her whole body adapts ingeniously and femininely to his changing posture. All these generate a pleasant sensation. He feels a real flesh-and-blood woman. The beauty of her body and her femininity excite him. He enjoys dancing with her because only she as a woman can stir the feelings within him that make him a man - strong, needed, in charge, dependable, and protective, just as only he can stir within her the feelings that she enjoys as a woman: his masculinity, strength, support, care and protection make her feel safe, loved and beautiful. In his embrace she returns to her womanhood again. Only in that moment can she fully enjoy being a woman, as in real life she has to be independent. Tango is known as a refuge and it has to be danced by the opposite sexes to have that effect. When tango is danced by the same-sex partners, something mysterious and magic is missing, and to me that is anti-tango. I know some people will argue with me about this. But, hey, that’s me. I like women and enjoy a dance that contains the beauty of both masculinity and femininity. (See Tango and Gender Interdependence.)

But that is not all. If close embrace tango is sensual and physical, it is also romantic and soulful. No one has depicted this aspect of close embrace tango better than Eugene Grigoryev in his short essay What Is Tango?. Here I want to quote his essay in its entirety because I myself cannot say any better, and the narrative of close embrace tango would not be complete without this depiction of its romantic, poetic, dreamy and heavenly feelings. The following is Eugene’s masterpiece.

“Tango is more than just a dance or a sequence of steps. It is an expression of our emotions, an inner reflection of who we are and what we experience, a way to channel what we feel through movement. Tango is a language of expressing what we feel through motion, stirred in us by music, in unison with our partner. It comes into your lives in many different ways, as simple interest, a hobby, or a fascination… and ever so slowly it becomes an addiction.

A simple look, a gesture, a smile, an eye contact, his askance to lead, her acceptance to be led, all done without any need of verbal communication. As the music compels them, she comes close to him, they embrace… they feel each other breathe, they feel the passionate song unfold, it flows through their bodies, invigorating them, stirring emotions, which they both share… They can be strangers in real life, but as long as they are in this tango moment, they can be anyone they want… You don't have to know the person or even want to know them. Time ceases to exist during this moment. Both dancers are moving to the music, listening for it to tell them what to do… They slow down, pause, accelerate, suspend, all in the moment… almost as being possessed by the music. Outside of this moment is the real world, with its everyday problems, solutions, responsibilities, deadlines… but not here, not now… Now it is only tango, a refuge, a moment of surreal experience of desire, longing… words are not meant to describe it.

The social aspect of milonga is fascinating. It holds anticipation, surprise, heavenly music, moments of contact and separation. The challenge and satisfaction of rhythmically moving in unison with another person is what lures us to Tango. The experience is both physical and surreal. In three minutes of a song, you can experience a rollercoaster of emotions, but you will not experience them alone. For in those three minutes there will be a person embracing you, sharing what they are feeling with you… all without a single word being spoken… pure, raw emotions expressed through motion.”

Close Embrace and Open Embrace (II)

Close embrace tango and open embrace tango are actually two different dances. They have so little in common in their philosophies, structures, techniques, and feelings that people who have learned one dance are not able to dance the other dance without learning it. I knew this from personal experience. When I first tried to dance close embrace tango after three years of studying open embrace tango, I had no clue on how to do it because everything, including posture, connection, axis, balance, space, movements, and the way to lead and follow, changed. (See The Styles of Tango.)

In fact, open embrace tango has more in common with ballroom dances than Argentine tango. As in ballroom dances, in open embrace tango the two dancers are apart by an arm's length with no other physical contact other than the contact of the arms and hands. Each dancer is on his/her own axis independent of the partner, so the two do not rely on each other for balance and support. In case they need such support they resort to using their arms and hands, causing heaviness and discomfort. Theoretically the man is supposed to lead the woman with his torso, but since there is no torso contact, his lead is sent through his arms and hands, and the woman receives the lead through her extremities instead of her chest. The feeling of dancing open embrace tango is exactly like dancing a ballroom dance. No intimate physical contact between partners. No exchange of feelings through direct torso comminication. No comforting sensation of the two connected bodies moving together in sync to music. No physical surrender and emotional involvement. The fun of dancing open embrace tango mainly comes from a broader range of movement possibilities due to the increased space between the partners. Each dancer focuses on their own performance. They do not enjoy the physical presence of the other person.

I enjoy dancing open embrace tango no more than ballroom dances. Yes, it is spectacular, intricate, dazzling and showy, but that is not the reason I love tango. The reason I love tango lies in its closeness, intimacy, comfort, soulfulness, sentimentality, and romanticism. In close embrace tango the two partners lean into each other, chest against chest, and cheek touches cheek. His arm encircles her body. Her breasts press against his chest and arm hooks around his shoulder. In such closeness the two partners literally feel each other's body, hear each other’s breath, smell each other’s odor, and sense each other’s impulse. They rely on each other for balance and support and move as one coherent body. With no distance between them, their movements are much more compact, with intense physical interaction and emotional exchange. The man leads the woman with his torso against her torso so he does not need to use his arms and hands. The woman receives the lead with her chest. She closes her eyes, surrenders herself to him, relishes the caress of his body and enjoys his attentive ride. It is a very comfortable position in which to be and to dance. (See Close Embrace and Open Embrace (III).)