Tango is not only a fascinating dance but also a fascinating philosophy, culture and lifestyle. The search of tango is the search of connection, love, fellowship, unity, harmony and beauty, i.e., an idealism that is not consistent with the dehumanizing reality of the modern world. The world divides us into individuals, but tango unites us into a team, community and species. In tango we are not individualists, feminists, nationalists, Democrats, Republicans, etc., but interconnected and interdependent members of the human family. Tango calls us to tear down the walls, to build bridges, and to regain humanity through affinity, altruism, cooperation, and accommodation. It is a dance that teaches the world to love.



July 14, 2011

Tango Is a Relationship


Tango is an intimate dance. It allows your partner to touch your body, enjoy your snug embrace, gentle obedience, attentive leading, accommodating following, and loving protection. It also allows your partner to access and listen to the inner voice of you. In fact, your partner can learn a lot about you in dancing. How you connect, move, communicate, respond and adapt tells a lot about the somatic, psychological, ethical, artistic and aesthetic qualities in you. The way you dance unreservedly reveals who you are: refined or rough, musical or unmusical, sensitive or sluggish, calm or irascible, coordinated or clumsy, sentimental or indifferent, agreeable or disagreeable, compassionate or arrogant, yielding or demanding... all are exposed in the dance.

Tango is a relationship. Like any relationship in which the well-being of the two involved individuals are related and interdependent, you have to be and do your best in order to bring out the best of your partner. In tango, as in any relationship, your ego is your worst enemy. It’s the ego that makes you self-centered, arrogant, controlling, inflexible, irascible, rude and counteractive. Tango is fully enjoyed only when the two partners act as one in complete agreement and harmony. You need to let go your ego, surrender yourself to your partner, listen to his/her inner voice, follow his/her intention, accommodate yourself to him/her, tacitly complement him/her to make up his/her weakness and bring out his/her strength, and let him/her feel totally comfortable and enjoy dancing with you. If you focus on yourself and neglect your partner, you will fail the dance even if you can do all the fancy steps in the world. After all, tango is a social activity that requires good manner. Learning tango is much more than learning steps. It is, among other things such as acquiring a taste, value system, and culture, learning to be one with another person. Unfortunately, this very important perspective is often being overlooked.