TAKES TWO TO TANGO

We have listened to this expression in repeated situations, and it makes complete sense. What does Tango mean, and where it comes from?

Definition:

-Certain actions or activities cannot be performed alone; they need two people to participate.

-Both people involved in a situation are equally responsible for it.

Voilá, the phrase refers to the South American dance “Tango” which requires two to perform. That’s it, an activity needs two people who are willing to take part for it to happen, and this couldn’t be truer than the truth in a couple’s dance.

Tango is a sensual ballroom dance that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the early twentieth century. It is known for being a passionate, emotional form of dance in which the dancing couple hold each other closely and make abrupt — yet graceful — movements.

Perhaps the main reason for its widespread popularity is that it is danced close to the partner.

Unlike other dances, tango is an improvisational dance based on the four building blocks of walking, turning, stopping, and embellishments. The dance is like a puzzle that gets put together differently each time.

FEWER STEPS AND MORE CONNECTIONS

It’s all about fewer steps and more connections. Tango is more about connecting with oneself, one’s partner, the music, and the world around them. The focus is less on steps, and more on the sense of partnership and connection fostered within the dance.

You can take all the classes and the best workshops and learn the best patterns and techniques, but it takes much more than that spiritually to feel and to make feel.

Of course, there are still the technical aspects of tango, such as the figures, embellishments, the steadiness of the embrace, etc. But all these are simply vehicles in manifesting the connection that marks the partnership between two dancers.

The dance is like a puzzle that gets put together differently each time. Women and men bring not only their styles and embellishments to the dance, but also they bring out their mood, their daily experiences, their joys or worries, and all of this contributes significantly to the excitement and unpredictability of the experience. Even though dancers follow specific conventions, they never quite know how someone will construct a dance, add an embellishment or interpret the music.

RAISING FROM MISTAKES AND DISCONNECTIONS

The struggle is real; professionals and social dancers, are all exposed to mistakes and disconnections. The difference is how we rise from them. Those surprises within the dance are what makes the dance so addicting.

The dance isn’t just about the man leading and the woman following. Both partners have important things to contribute — like all good conversations. This requires more of a mental posture that enhances creativity, complicity, and partnership.

Recovering gracefully can also be practiced; drills and determination can make the whole difference between feeling uncomfortable and making a mistake more noticeable or blending it to the point that visually you would think it was meant that way. This would be translated into “we have each other’s back.”

It is no sin to make mistakes in dancing tango. If we avoid denial and we awaken our inner observer or manager, we can learn a lot from the errors and mishaps that inevitably happen while dancing. It takes a certain intimacy with mistakes to remedy them. We can even learn to turn these potential “clumsy moments” into a graceful decision of improvisation that makes learning tango one of the greatest challenges two humans can rise to together and accomplish

PARTNERSHIP

Without this partnership, one would find it difficult to fully appreciate what makes the Argentine tango a physical, emotional, and even spiritual experience.

“Beyond the sense of community, what is enriching and satisfying about tango is the experience of partnership.”
“Partnership is personal. It’s about knowing, seeing, valuing, paying close attention, listening, appreciating, and desiring one another. We are ‘in it together, and we share the responsibility for what we do.

When people watch any type of couple dance, most watch the feet, I watch the faces, and I notice a lot on the face of either partner. I frequently see one partner with a look of bliss – maybe the woman has her eyes closed, looking so serene and present, while the man looks miserable and confused. Or I see the man going about his next pattern or sequence, unaware of the confused and frightened woman trying to find her way around him while maintaining some sense of grace and rhythm.

But I can often witness the magic that happens when I see two people focused on one another as they negotiate and ensure the person in their arms is comfortable and having a good time. That is the attainable goal.

If you read this blog, remember, it takes TWO to tango, TWO to bachata, TWO to salsa, and TWO to whatever activity you engage yourself with someone else. Creating this kind of awareness can change how you dance and the experiences you get from it.

We want to invite you to experience the connection that tango can create! Here is our series of tango dance lessons in our StepFlix YouTube channel.