Ismael Choreography

Ismael Heljalil (1929-2018) was a revered figure within the milonguero community, known for his kind nature and gentle demeanor. Though details about his life remain scarce, his legacy endures through the dance videos he left behind, offering glimpses into his gentle character and profound love for tango. (Please click the link to watch on YouTube.)

What distinguishes Ismael Heljalil from his peers is his distinctive choreography, characterized by a seamless fusion of rock, retreats and rotations. A hallmark of his style is the rock steps with the left leg as the fulcrum to place his right leg behind, culminating in a graceful pivoting to the right.

This movement can be mirrored with the left leg by stepping back with his left leg and pivoting to the left. Ismael often combines walking forward in a circle and walking backward in a circle, either to the right or to the left. No one can alternate these circular movements with forward and backward steps as seamlessly as Ismael does. This remarkable ability hinges on his unparalleled musicality.

In essence, Ismael's dance style is characterized by a continuous rotation anchored in backward motion, skillfully blending elements of rock, back steps, and turns. This unique approach sets him apart, inspiring many to emulate his technique, yet few can truly replicate his finesse. What is difficult to copy is not his footwork, of course, but his comprehension of music, underscoring the depth of skill possessed by the master himself.

"If God could dance, he would dance like Ismael. He masterfully improvises what he feels in the moment. He walks, and oh…how he walks with intimate knowledge of every phrase and nuance of the music from his soul." - Jantango

Making Your Leading Stand Out

When leading tango, it is important to avoid cookie-cutter routines. Here are some tips to help you be a distinctive leader:

1. Embrace variety in your dance route: Instead of moving straight forward along the line of dance, dare to explore different directions and patterns, break away from monotony, frequent the change of direction, interweave different steps, and lead your partner in unexpected move patterns.

2. Incorporate backward steps: In tango, men mostly move forward and women move backward. If men could break the pattern and dance backwards, it would be a change for both parties and make the dance stand out.

3. Simplify your movements: In a world where complexity often reigns supreme, dare to stand out by embracing simplicity. Remember, less is often more when it comes to making a lasting impression.

4. Master the art of pivoting: In tango, it's customary for men to navigate the dance floor while women dance around men, often resulting in men relying on static steps. However, by integrating pivots into your movements to enable agile and fluid turns around the woman, your lead will truly shine.

5. Engage your torso and hips: Most men don't rotate their torso and hips very much when dancing. If you can engage your torso and hips more, your leading will reach a higher level. The rule of tango is that your torso must always face your partner, no matter which side of you she is on or moving to. The competence to swivel the torso and hips helps the man to maintain good connection with the woman and enhances his ability to use his torso to lead her.

6. Use a variety of rhythms：Most men dance too fast and in a monotonous speed. If you slow down the pace and use a variety of rhythms, your dance will stand out. Pause and slow motion are to dance what punctuation is to writing. They make the dance more expressive and interesting.

7. Lead her to turn in slow motion：Most women turn too hastily, either forced by men or due to their own habit of chasing the beat. But women's feminine beauty is, in fact, better revealed in slow motion. When leading steps that involve turns, such as molinete, ocho and planeo, if you can slow down her pace, that will make her movements look more appealing.

8. Dance to express, not to impress: Above all, remember that tango is a dance of connection and feelings. Instead of focusing on showcasing your technical prowess, dance with genuine emotion and feeling. Let the music guide you and inspire your movements. By dancing to express the music and feelings, you'll create a profound and unforgettable experience for both you and your partner.

Philosophies that Separate Two Worlds

Chinese philosophy embraces a holistic perspective, viewing the world as an integrated whole rather than disparate fragments. It posits that despite the existence of contradictions, harmony prevails, with seemingly opposite elements interconnected, interdependent and complementing each other. Humanity is perceived not as isolated individuals but as a collective, wherein success hinges on collaborative efforts. Central to this worldview is the pursuit of unity, balance and harmony, eschewing conflict escalation and adversary elimination (see Understanding China: Yellow River and the Character of the Chinese Nation).

Rooted in collectivist humanism, Chinese philosophy prioritizes the well-being of humanity and society as a whole over individual concerns, and values social harmony grounded in public morality. In this context, human rights extend beyond personal entitlements to include the collective welfare, emphasizing peaceful coexistence and a secure living condition for all, free from injustice, inequality, exploitation, and crime. Chinese law protects personal freedoms within legal boundaries, including the right to pursue wealth, while placing restrictions on special interests to safeguard the interests of all people (see Understanding China: Geography, Confucianism, and Chinese-Style Modernization).

Economically, China advocates for common prosperity through a mixed model combining state-owned enterprises, private businesses, and market mechanisms. This system harnesses individual initiative while balancing the interests of both the successful and the general population, blending market-driven growth with social equality. The state maintains oversight of capital to ensure it does not infringe on broader societal well-being.

Politically, China's system emphasizes the role of the state in fostering unity, managing differences, protecting the vulnerable, providing infrastructure, and promoting the common good. It champions national unity and democratic centralism, rejecting decentralization and partisanship. China's democracy is described as a "people's democracy," focusing on building consensus through consultation (as opposed to Western electoral democracy, focusing on divisive partisan competition), and "whole-process democracy," ensuring people's participation from policymaking to implementation. All decisions related to people's livelihood are made through careful investigation and deliberation with the public, and are implemented under the supervision of the people. By avoiding partisan strife, Chinese politics operates without catering to special interests, aiming to build an egalitarian and harmonious society and guide the people toward shared prosperity and happiness.

In international relations, China adheres to five guiding principles: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. It advocates for international cooperation, peaceful development, global common prosperity, and the creation of a community with a shared future for humanity.

By contrast, Western thought is grounded in atomism, which deconstructs the world into discrete, competing entities. Western individualism views humans as independent actors with conflicting self-interest, subscribing to the Darwinian concepts of the "struggle for existence" and "survival of the fittest" that embrace a "law of the jungle" mentality, wherein suppressing or eliminating opponents is seen as essential for self-preservation (see Darwinism and Eastern Philosophies). Western culture emphasizes self-reliance, individual achievement, and personal success. People often focus more on their own needs and strategies than on moral considerations and collective well-being. The Western human rights rhetoric is highly deceptive. While ostensibly promoting universal freedom, it in fact only serves a privileged minority, enabling them to exploit competitive advantages to defeat the disadvantaged majority, thereby controlling legislation, the economy, media, military affairs, and foreign policy to benefit themselves. The result is that the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and for most people, freedom has become an illusion (see The Freedom in Tango).

Economically, Western ideology champions self-interest, private ownership, capitalism, and competition. While this neoliberal approach, driven entirely by market forces, may spur initial economic growth, it fosters unchecked greed, inequality and social injustice, allows capital to dominate national interests to serve only the privileged few at the expense of broader society, ultimately hollowing out the economy and triggering systemic failures (see America Is in Big Trouble).

Politically, Western elites employ Machiavellian tactics and engage in partisan fights, fostering social fragmentation, division, conflicts and polarization. Western democracy is merely a formal form of democracy, driven by partisan interests, sensationalism, empty promises and ideological nonsense. Politicians funded by special interests work primarily for their donors rather than for the people, leaving the average voter with little influence on what matters to them other than casting a ballot every few years. (See Democracy vs. Plutocracy.)

In international affairs, Western elites adhere to hegemonic thinking, adopt the geopolitical strategy of divide and conquer, provoke regional conflicts, engage in cliques and camp confrontations, impose unilateral sanctions, incite color revolution, and waging wars. These approaches disrupt global equilibrium, and sow turmoil worldwide. The success of the West historically hinges on the conquest, colonization, genocide, exploitation, and plunder of weaker nations.

For a long time, the Chinese struggled to comprehend Western behaviors, yet they have now come to understand its underlying logic. Unless Western plutocrats alter their philosophical outlook, global peace remains elusive. This sentiment was succinctly expressed by the Chinese delegation during the Sino-US talks in Alaska: "We overestimated you and assumed you would adhere to basic diplomatic norms. We must clarify our stance: You lack the authority to assert dominance over China." Despite the potential dangers inherent in this worldview, Western plutocrats are unlikely to relinquish it. It may require the collapse of the existing paradigm before humanity can aspire to construct a new world.

Fortunately, which of the philosophies can lead to a brighter future for mankind is becoming increasingly evident. Humanity is amidst unprecedented global transformations. The ascent of China and the decline of the West have given countries in the Global South new hope, allowing them to glimpse a possible new world order characterized by civilized values, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, equality, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation, in contrast to the current landscape dominated by self-interest, inequality, bullying, exploitation, aggression and war (see Pluralism vs. Monism).