How You Dance Matters

The drive to realize our potential, push boundaries, conquer the unknown, and possess more is deeply human. This same impulse has fueled extraordinary achievements—but also profound abuses. Our society is marked by extremes: unrestrained personal freedom, selfish individualism, ruthless capitalism, militant feminism, ultraconservatism, neoliberalism, religious fundamentalism, terrorism, radical technologies, monopolistic practices, lavish lifestyles, violent entertainment and sports, financial fraud, the gun lobby, reckless spending, over-taxation, environmental depletion, and man-made climate change.

Such excesses do not foster a cohesive or harmonious society. Instead, they breed conflict, inequality, division, hostility, and war. We swing from one extreme to another, failing to see that all forms of extremism stem from the same core flaws: greed, selfishness, ignorance, intolerance, and aggression. We are unwilling—or unable—to consider perspectives beyond our own. We lose sight of the broader context, forgetting that each individual is but a tiny dot in the grand mosaic. In our reliance on power and dominance, we ignore the consequences of imbalance. This relentless pursuit of self-interest will only escalate social conflicts, eventually leading to the collapse of civilization. This is not alarmism. Given the radical and rapid transformations since World War II, how much longer can Mother Nature endure our excesses? How much longer can humanity preserve peace?

I am not alone in these concerns. Whether consciously or not, the enduring appeal of tango reflects a deep nostalgia for lost humanity—a quiet rebellion against the dehumanizing forces of modern life. Tango captivates because it offers an alternative reality—one of connection, togetherness, interdependence, fraternity, and shared purpose. It revives the joy of supporting, comforting, and sharing, rather than competing and clashing. In tango, we find a refuge from animosity, a shoulder to lean on, a language of communication, cooperation, reconciliation, and compromise. Within its embrace, we rediscover the wisdom of Jesus, who preached love; Gandhi, who upheld nonviolence; Lao Tzu, who taught simplicity and harmony; and Confucius, who valued the Golden Mean. Tango embodies love, intimacy, equality, peace—and a vision of the world we yearn to build.

This is why tango draws so many into its embrace. And this is why it is heartbreaking to see tango distorted—reduced to spectacle, turned into a vehicle for ego, exploited for profit, or shaped by the demands of political correctness. These distortions strip tango of its soul and betray its ideals. They turn a dance that teaches love into one that feeds vanity, an art that uplifts humanity into one that diminishes it, a symbol of the world we aspire to build into a mirror of the very world we wish to transcend.

Just as more people now recognize the urgency of protecting our planet—our only home—we must also take responsibility for nurturing a more compassionate and harmonious human world. Those new to tango must understand that how they perceive it shapes how they learn and dance it. One can approach tango as mere entertainment, or as a dance that nurtures love. One can focus only on steps, or strive to connect deeply with another. One can dance to showcase ego, or to express care. One can seek to reinvent tango, or allow tango to transform them—and through that transformation, help transform the world.

How we dance matters. It leaves an impact, one way or another. (See Beauty Will Save the World.)