Simple Is Beautiful

In societies of scarcity, simplicity and frugality are necessities. In contrast, in societies of abundance like ours, luxury and waste have become the norm. Tasks others complete with a simple kitchen knife are, for us, delegated to a myriad of specialized tools: one for chopping eggs, another cutting meats, another slicing tomatoes, another peeling apples, another shredding cucumbers. Our kitchens overflow with clutter, as do our houses, shopping malls, governments, and tax codes. Our national debt has soared past $14 trillion, with $350 billion paid annually in interest alone, yet we spend as if resources are infinite. Our commercial culture relentlessly vies for attention, resulting in increasingly bizarre advertisements. It’s no coincidence that many young people conflate eccentricity with beauty. Consider the prevalence of punk hairstyles, tattoos, nose rings, lip and eyelid piercings, and sagging pants—these trends are more about grabbing attention than embodying genuine beauty.

The way we dance tango mirrors this cultural excess. Tango is actually a simple dance, but we insist on complicating it. In Argentina, tango is danced with natural, unpretentious, and fluid steps. By contrast, our version is burdened with exaggerated, showy, and awkward movements. Simplicity and naturalness are acquired tastes that we frequently overlook, favoring instead a view that equates complexity and peculiarity with beauty. In Argentina, tango celebrates music, feeling, harmony, and physical connection. Here, it is dominated by flashy footwork, dramatic figures, revealing costumes, opulent venues, and extravagant festivals. We’re too focused on superficiality over substance.

Let me champion an aesthetic that values simplicity and naturalness. Nature's beauty lies in its simple elegance. A light touch of makeup appears far more comfortable and authentic than heavy, artificial layers. A home with simple, uncluttered decor is more inviting than one overrun with ostentatious ornaments. Concise writing is more effective than redundant prose. Silence often communicates more than words. Excess can detract rather than enhance, and this holds true for tango. Simple steps radiate elegance, allowing dancers to connect deeply with the music and each other, fostering meaningful, inward-focused communication. As I’ve elaborated elsewhere (see The Advantages of Simplicity over Flashy Movements), artistic simplicity unlocks unexpected, often superior, outcomes. The dance video that recreates a classic Chinese painting is a striking example of this principle in action.

The same aesthetic applies to tango. A master dancer can convey profound beauty through simplicity, embodying the ideal that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This subtle artistry eludes those fixated on surface appearances. Tango should not be an extravagant luxury, but a simple pleasure—an intimate, personal experience that doesn’t demand exorbitant expenses. As dancers, we must resist the tide of commercialism and frivolity, shifting our focus from the superficial to the essential. Just as a seemingly ordinary woman with inner refinement captivates more than mere outward beauty, so too does authentic tango. It is a dance for feeling, not for show. When we strip tango of its performative elements, it becomes simpler, deeper, better, and more fulfilling (see The Conceptional Beauty of Tango).