🇬🇧Relationship with Oneself and Argentine Tango
Expectations and relationship often come as a pair. When these expectations remain unfulfilled, they often lead to disappointment, a loss of the desire to communicate, and eventually even a loss of motivation to master the skill we have chosen to learn. The result is often withdrawal.
What matters most is the “development and creation” of a relationship with oneself and with the thing, activity, or person with whom we have chosen to establish contact. In this case, it is the creative skill of Argentine tango, which encompasses not only dance and music, but also a social phenomenon.
Entering the world of Argentine tango should reflect a need and desire to discover and master a new creative skill while exploring its benefits—benefits that do not arise automatically, but rather through developing one's own relationship with the dance and learning to navigate various situations. The value of these benefits grows as we further develop our relationship with ourselves and with Argentine tango.
A wonderful and strong woman once said how glad she was that she had come to tango without a partner. That way, if he was unable to attend a class, she did not have to stay at home or feel like an extra. She was perfectly comfortable being part of a group in which dancers constantly changed partners, as this allowed her to be fully present in class, to learn, and to develop her own relationship with this beautiful dance, independently of the presence of any particular person.
All of the above are common questions and justifications that can slow down our progress.
Will they come?
Will they be in the mood?
How am I supposed to manage now that this person understands it and is working in a different way?
Do I have the right shoes?
I didn't get enough sleep. I can't “connect” today.
The people around me are nervous.
I don't have a regular partner.
I'm not used to listening.
I need a more advanced group.
I need a different floor...
... ... ...
What is indisputable, beyond doubt, and impossible to refute is that, regardless of all real obstacles (temporary physical limitations) and unreal obstacles (those we impose upon ourselves or that are imposed upon us), we need to become familiar with our bodies and their responses.
Proper body alignment should not be something to fear or something we believe we cannot—or do not want to—master. It is something we need for life itself.
Proper alignment and awareness of our bodies enable better communication with ourselves and with the world around us. They make us not only more present, but also more stable in every sense.
The next step is to develop a relationship with movement. Becoming familiar with movements and with our mental and physical responses to them is already a second step toward a dance in which the movements and body alignment feel completely natural.
By developing our own relationship with ourselves, we become stronger and more open to relationships with others—with people with whom we share and create movement, or simply share a conversation. We become more accepting of differences and learn not to step over obstacles, but to overcome them.
A relationship can be defined as repeated interaction, emotional attachment, and the fulfillment of needs.
At milongas, we encounter people who share their presence, their dance, and their creative expression with us, and during the cortinas, our verbal communication. With them, we travel far, near, or remain right where we are.
Argentine tango itself is music and dance of the entire world. Something truly wonderful. A world within the world, whose secret lies in its mystery.
“The great challenge is not in changing the sound, but in connecting with the music and creating something special.”
— Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez
“It is a dance that offers you a range of answers to the problems of modern life ... and it is a guide to communication that goes beyond language and culture.”
— Gustavo Naveira
“Tango is a journey, not a destination.”
— Alicia Pons
“Tango begins when the movement stops.”
— Carlos Gavito
“The secret of tango lies in the moment of improvisation between steps and movements. Making the impossible possible: dancing with silence.”
— Carlos Gavito
“The music of Argentine tango is the music of the whole world. You don't need a passport for it, only feeling.”
— Carlos Gavito
🔗 Our Relationship with Ourselves, Others, and Argentine Tango
Thank you for reading
Thank you for taking the time to read and explore these reflections on Argentine tango, our relationship with ourselves, movement, and others.
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