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 10, 2012

Tango - The Art of Love


One of the protocols in tango is not to blame, criticize or advise your dance partner unless you are given that responsibility. Milongueros follow this code strictly because they know the consequence. Recently, two of my students had a big fight. It started out of perhaps a very good intention to help. She said something about his leading. He defended himself and said something about her following. The conversation escalated to insults and ended up with two broken hearts. They perhaps will not dance with each other again.

Learning tango is like learning a language, and it takes just as long. (See Tango Is a Language (I).) Anyone less than five years in tango is a novice. Novices are the most frustrated people. They want to dance tango well but don’t know how. There are so many things they do not know, including how they should behave in the milongas. (See Milonga Codes.) Every one of them has loads of problems, and they all have opinions on each other. Experienced dancers don't dance with them, so they stick with their own kind and blame each other for their own problems. The irony of “the pot calls the kettle black” is that they are alike. When one blames the other for being stiff, the other is likely thinking the same. By the time they have learned the steps, feelings are hurt and relationships broken.

Beginners often don’t realize that, whether you like it or not, the people learning tango with you are the most important people in your tango life. You will likely dance with them for a long time. There are only limited people in each tango community. These are the people brought together by fate. It’s better to accept each other and allow each other time to grow. (See 惜缘.) In real life if you like someone, you tell her she is beautiful. If you say she is ugly, chances are that she will not go out with you. It is same if you want to dance with someone. Always say good things about one’s dance even if you are asked for an honest opinion. How many husbands are kicked out of the bed after giving their wives their honest opinion? Remember, tango is not just a dance. It is a relationship and an art of love. (See Tango Is a Relationship.)

Robert Farris Thompson said in his book, Tango, the Art History of Love, that tango "is the dance that teaches the world to love." The idea of tango is to welcome another person into your personal space, to accept that person, to surrender, to let go your ego, to be one with that person, to be considerate, cooperative, yielding and accommodating, to listen to the inner voice and feelings of that person, to enjoy the intimacy, to give love and comfort, and to bring pleasure and contentment to him/her. It is a different idea from what our culture stands for, that is, individualism, independence, self-interest and aggression. Hopefully, tango will make us a better person who treats others with respect, appreciation and love, accepts others as who they are and puts others instead of oneself at the center of one's life and dance. Until then, we are not qualified as tango dancers and cannot dance tango well anyway. (See A Dance that Teaches People to Love.)