In Search of Tango: July 2011

Tango is not just a fascinating dance—it is a rich philosophy, culture, and way of life. The search of tango is the search of connection, love, fellowship, unity, harmony, and beauty—an idealism that is not consistent with the dehumanizing reality of the modern world. The world divides us into individuals, but tango brings us together as a team. In tango we are not individualists, feminists, nationalists, Democrats, or Republicans—we are simply human, intertwined and interdependent. Tango invites us to tear down walls, build bridges, and rediscover our shared humanity through connection, cooperation, accommodation, and compromise. It is a dance that reminds the world how to love.

July 14, 2011

Tango Is a Relationship

Tango is an intimate dance. It invites your partner into your space—touching your body, feeling your response, enjoying your obedience, experiencing your protection, and sharing your cooperation. It opens a path to your inner self, allowing your partner to hear your unspoken voice. Indeed, much can be learned about a person through dancing with them. The way you connect, move, communicate, respond, and adapt reveals your somatic, psychological, ethical, artistic, and aesthetic sensibilities. Your dance is a mirror of who you are—whether you are warm or distant, shy or open, expressive or restrained, spontaneous or rigid, musical or tone-deaf, sensitive or sluggish, serene or restless, accommodating or contentious, graceful or awkward, yielding or assertive. In tango, nothing is hidden.

Tango is a relationship. Like any relationship where the well-being of the involved parties is linked, you must strive to be your best self to bring out the best in your partner. In tango, as in life, the greatest obstacle is the ego. It is the ego that fosters self-centeredness, arrogance, control, rigidity, irritability, rudeness, and resistance. True enjoyment of tango arises only when two people move as one in complete agreement and harmony. This unity requires letting go of ego, surrendering to your partner, attuning to their inner rhythm, and keeping your movements in sync with theirs. You must accommodate yourself to them, subtly complementing their strengths and compensating for their weaknesses, ensuring they feel entirely comfortable and able to enjoy the dance with you. If you focus only on yourself and neglect your partner, the dance will fail—no matter how precise your steps are.

Ultimately, tango as a social act demands good manners. Learning tango is far more than mastering steps. It is, among other things such as acquiring a taste, a new set of values, and a different culture, learning to be one with another person. Unfortunately, this perspective is frequently overlooked. Too often, people get caught up in their own egos and forget what really matters. Don’t make that mistake. Tango isn’t about show—it’s about connection.