Artistic Sublimation and Vulgarism in Tango

Humans have the unique ability to identify the common nature or essence of things and set aside individual and non-essential properties to form transcendental concepts. For example, in human thought, the word "woman" refers not to a specific female individual but to an abstract idea. As Carlos Gavito expressed it, "She's a dream of something I want in real life, but that ideal does not have a face." Abstract thinking is one of the qualities that distinguishes humans from animals. While it can lead to generalized biases such as racism, it is also the foundation of art. Beauty, after all, is an abstract concept. By taking the shared attributes of all women, we construct the image of a goddess—perfect in face, figure, curves, hips, legs, softness, flexibility, character, temperament, intelligence, sexuality, fertility, and more—an ideal lover, companion, partner, friend, wife, and mother of human offspring (see The Conceptional Beauty of Tango).

In fact, desirable traits are often emphasized. Statues of women typically exaggerate curves, with fuller breasts, narrower waists, wider hips, and longer legs. This form of abstraction is present in nearly all artistic expressions. Even in the Bible, we find verses like: "Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle" (Song of Songs 7:3) and "How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights! Your stature is like that of a palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit" (Song of Songs 7:6-7). The woman herself echoes this sentiment: "I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. Thus I have become in his eyes like one bringing contentment" (Song of Songs 8:10).

Tango, as an art form, aligns with the holy words, which elevate our shared humanity rather than diminish it. A culture that distinguishes decent humanity from vulgarity and upholds the former, I believe, is more civilized than one that equates the two and condemns both. Innocent intimacy between the sexes is human, moral, and beautiful. This idea has been embraced by the public, as evidenced by tango's enduring popularity around the world. Tango women should understand that using their femininity to attract, please, and bring contentment to their male partners is part of their role in tango (see Close Embrace and Open Embrace (I)).

The same principle applies to men. As Perri Lezzoni wrote in his essay A Little Machismo Goes a Long Way: "One of the most difficult things leaders have to learn is how to put some machismo into the tango connection. The tiniest amount will do but exuding it without offense is not easy. It is the most important spice in the stew; without it there are no women and without women there is no tango... Machismo is the expression of a person’s inner warrior and it is not solely manufactured by men. It is the fighter inside of us that the follower finds so alluring."

Men must understand that what makes us attractive to women lies in the essence of our manhood, masculinity, and machismo—not political correctness. Women naturally desire to rely on our broad shoulders, melt in our strong arms, feel our muscles, admire our strength, and enjoy our protection. It is in their nature to seduce us, capture our attention, awaken our desire for them, and ultimately submit, surrender, and follow our lead. Harnessing our masculinity to support, protect, lead, comfort, and bring contentment to them is an essential aspect of our role in tango (see The Gender Expression in Tango).

The innocent intimacy and playfulness of tango celebrate our shared humanity, fulfilling the innate human desire for connection, quenching our thirst for affinity and affection, and strengthening the bond between the sexes. Despite criticisms that tango is a politically incorrect dance by those who advocate for a "sanitized version" featuring open embrace and gender neutrality, their claim that tango promotes gender inequality and sexual harassment contradicts reality. Tango dancers worldwide can attest that, although intimate, tango is not sexual. Like ballet, figure skating, and other similar art forms, tango represents an artistic sublimation. Instead of blaming tango, they should get to know the dance first. They should understand that good manners are paramount in tango. No one will dance with you if you show disrespect to others. Thus, the "sanitized version" is superfluous. (See Tango and Gender Interdependence.)