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.



March 24, 2016

惜缘


A reader commented on my last post, The Spirit of Tango, "A ten minute tanda is a radical response to the dehumanizing reality of modern day-to-day living. It is an opportunity for two humans to embrace each other in the promotion of humanity. Don’t let the precious opportunity slip away because your partner isn’t a good enough dancer, tall enough, young enough, old enough, attractive enough, friendly enough, …whatever enough. Every embrace has a story - dance with it." I pondered on the comment, because it reminded me of a Chinese motto "惜缘" (pronounces shee-yuan).

惜缘 means cherishing the luck by which people are brought together. On the wall of my office is a script written in beautiful penmanship by a Chinese calligrapher: "Cherish those who are brought to you by fate. They enrich your life. They are the footprints to your destiny." It's an unfamiliar philosophy in America where human connections are not as appreciated as in some other cultures like China and Argentina. Many Americans value individualism, personal freedom, independence and autonomy. They live alone, act alone, work alone, die alone, are fierce fighters for gun right, but quite ignorant of communal life and relationships, and they often let the opportunity of affinity with people slip away.

Life, however, is not a solo-dance even for Robinson Crusoe. If you think about it, your life is defined by the people associated with you: parents who raised you, siblings who grew up together, teachers who have influenced you, classmates who study together, colleagues working in the same place, and friends who sung together for warmth, etc. Fortune only brings a limited number of people into each person's life. These are the precious resources granted to us by fate. Those who cherish such resources can build great companies and achieve lofty goals. Those who don't, their life tends to be lonely, friendless and unfruitful.

What is true in life is true in tango also. There are only a limited number of people dancing tango in every city. These people, despite their differences, share something in common: their longing for human connection, their belief in fraternity and love, their nostalgia, romanticism, sentimentalism and life attitude, their passion for tango... Those who cherish each other can form a great tango community. Those who tear down the bridge and build walls, their community suffers. Unfortunately, the latter is often the reality in our tango. Many of us do not appreciate enough the lot that brings us together. They are haughty and prejudicial. They see others as rivals and are indifferent and cold towards others. They turn a blind eye to those they deemed unworthy of them. They dance not to enjoy the affinity but to display their ego. They form cliques, fight for dominance and squeeze out competitions, etc.

Individualism is incompatible with tango. I hope we can learn from the philosophy of 惜缘 and cherish the luck that brings us together as a community, because that is what makes tango fascinating. Tango is not just a personal skill. It is a fellowship, a connection with other human beings, and a philosophy of restoring humanity through cooperation and sharing. (See Tango Is a Fellowship.) Instead of trying to reinvent tango, I think we should let tango change us and turn us into a better connected and cooperative people. (See The Lessons of Tango.)



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