Tango is not just a dance. It's a philosophy of life. Tango to exercise your brain, to embrace someone close, to Carpe Diem, to meditate through walking, and be late to be on time.
Only five. To simply get you started in the right direction. But honestly – you already know us – we think Tango has answers to everything. For us, Tango is not just a dance. It's a philosophy of life. It's a world within a world. A little tiny safe space for you, for your thoughts, for your doubts, for your longings, for your dreams, for your goals, and for so much more.
It challenges the brain with complicated structures, patterns, and elements. Make you aware of the state of your body as you are searching for the right movement. Awakens your self-image care in a constant quest to become more feminine, more masculine, and more desirable. But that is just physicality. There is more – the social part: friendships, relationships, community, mentorship. Physical contact – embrace, sharing of the moment, giving, and receiving. And time.
Thing 1 – The brain can and shall be exercised
My 80 years old student just wrote me an email saying – I fell and got a head concussion and was told – the brain is not a muscle, it cannot be exercised, so stay at home and take it easy. Well – although it is true, the brain is not a muscle, it certainly can be exercised, so can we meet and discuss again what's the difference between giro and molinete? How do I use 'change of direction' versus 'alteration' so I can implement it correctly once I do not have to 'take it easy' anymore…
When you reach a certain level of the dance, you can think of the movement. You can guide it within your imagination. It even has a name – mental practice. When you analyze the movement through discussion or even simply thinking about it, you can easily find out where you are losing it. Where is the point that you no longer know what's happening next? But if you can walk through your movement in your thoughts, rewind them or modify them, and you still KNOW what the predictable response is – you are talking Tango.
Thing 2 - Embrace - holding someone closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection
A long time ago, in a faraway land, there lived people who were not wearing masks and can talk to each other from far less than 6 feet distance, appeared this unusual(?) 'free hugs' movement. Suddenly, people in that land had discovered that apparently starting from the first minute of our life – we need the human touch. Remember the first 5 minutes of 'bonding' with your baby when it just came out of your (your wife's) belly? That.
Tango is walking in the embrace. Embrace - holding someone closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection – is the main characteristic of dancing Argentine Tango. It differs significantly from the so-called 'frame' named so by other partner dances. The embrace takes you both in and unites you in the movement. It takes the other person's feelings and sensations into consideration and makes them yours too. There are so many beautiful stories about what one can feel – even in a stranger's arms.
Thing 3 – Carpe diem – create the moment and live in it while non-verbally communicating with your partner
Since Tango is an improvised dance born and created on the spot to illustrate the music played, communication with one's partner becomes of utter importance. To capture the beauty of the moment in the music and emphasize it with your partner's body movement – that leg swinging up in the high boleo just at the pick of the orchestra's musical culmination point.
But It's not just elements of serious difficulty that we can execute together that make Tango dance feel simply 'right'. It is the music that carries us through the dance floor, and through the air, and through time. There are so many nuisances in it that we can dance to. As Joaquin Amenabar explained – Tango belongs to classical music and, as such, does not have a repetitive pattern (the exceptions would be Vals and Milonga – two separate genres of Tango) – that frees us to interpret it the way we hear it. And it can be different – every time, with every Leader.
Thing 4 – Walking mediation
Meditation allows one to clear the mind and focus on Higher Energy. But many find it boring because the right state, and thus understanding of it, is hard to achieve. Tango will take you to that higher state with no particular effort from your side. If you are a leader – you will only have music and your partner to guide you. If you are a follower, you will only have music and your partner to guide you. Tango is walking meditation. The mental focus will exhaust you and exhilarate you, all at the same time.
Thing 5 - 'Leader is always second’
There is nothing wrong with the overpowering dominance of online communication. Yes, we have our heads stuck in phones and other electronic devices, but then maybe not the apparent truth is that we communicate more, not less, as those little gadgets enable us to do so.
So, the problem at hand is not lack of communication, but rather – the timing and environment. Sometimes it becomes necessary to lift your eyes and communicate face to face with the person that happens to be right next to you. Now – you have to tweak your face muscles to bring up the right facial expression instead of the right emoji. Something other than 'meh'. Variety is preferred. Find your voice, find the right gestures, and… read the other person's body language, intentions, fears, desires, their purpose.
Tango teaches you all about being a great communicator, great partnership creator, great Leader by introducing the concept of 'leader is always second'. Ask me – I tell you more about how and where to start.
If you wish to learn Argentine Tango, we put our methodology in the book. You can reserve yours HERE.
