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, physicality, 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 cohesive 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).)