Remember these? Wish you didn’t? Did you ever try to dance with a mask on? It definitely ruined the moment.
There was an upside. Apart from supposedly keeping us from catching COVID, they taught us all to notice and value our breathing. It made us acutely aware of the need to breathe deeply and frequently, even while dancing.
Typically, breathing happens unconsciously. It rises and falls with our regular rhythms, adapting to our expending of energy. Breathwork can be overlooked while dancing Tango because it is not a highly aerobic dance. Often we finish a dance and think, “I forgot to breathe.”
Not true, of course, just that we weren’t aware of our breathing. Enter the need for conscious breathing.
Conscious breathwork brings an incredible richness and depth to whatever our practice. Consider the attention that is given to breathing deeply in yoga, meditation, Tai Chi or any aerobic exercise, including many other styles of dancing.
The place of conscious breathing in Tango is not so much that it infuses us with energy, but that it intensifies the dance.
The effects of conscious breathing.
1) It centers us. It pulls us into our own bodies. It intensifies self-awareness. It invokes “the power of now.” (Thanks Eckhart.) It addresses the questions, “Who am I, where am I, in this moment?”
2) It relaxes. Tension is the enemy. It deadens. It kills our creativity, fluidity, our ability to learn, our responsiveness, receptivity, and sensitivity. Breathe in bliss and relaxation, breathe out tension.
4) It deepens connection. There are few ways to feel closer to someone than to share a breath. It creates a very vulnerable, soft and intimate space – which is why I suspect we avoid doing so.
5) It co-regulates. Mirroring your partner’s breath has the added effect of syncing the energy and rhythm of you dancing with your partner. (Co-regulation goes much deeper. To be explored in another blog post.)
6) It strengthens the lead. Raising or dropping the chest cues steps, settles your partner on their axis, and identifies the speed of the walk. The lead is much richer, more ergonomic and more sensual if we communicate with our whole body through conscious breathing.
7) It changes the timing of the dance. Breathing in pauses the dance. Breathing out initiates a step. Tango is unique among dances in that it encourages us to pause frequently, choose which beat to step on and regulate the timing of the dance.
How does this translate into actually dancing?
Consider our first step, the salida: We rock softly to coordinate our weight shift with our partner while at the same time mirroring our breathing. We breathe in deeply, our chests rising. We sink our weight into our standing leg and exhale as we step out to the side. As we position our sidestep, we pause again. We renew our embrace. We breathe in, settle, then exhale as we step forward.
What a rich, sensual engagement! It is in these moments of decision, hesitation, and waiting for the right moment that conscious breathing can bring a rich texture, sensuality, power and definition to our dancing.
This same dynamic can happen throughout the dance, anytime we collect, pause, and breathe for whatever reason: the music, the floor, changing step style, or just to enjoy the comfort of holding your partner next to you.
This is such an interesting topic. I love your title: Did you remember to breathe? My first thought was, “I hope I am still breathing!”
When I think about breathing, I find that a held breath can create distance, even when two bodies are close. A soft exhale can dissolve tension and create space for connection. We begin to listen not only with our ears, but with our whole body.
I was a yoga instructor for a number of years, and yoga continually brought me back to this simple wisdom: the breath is a bridge between body, mind, and presence. When we bring our attention to the breath and allow it to slow and deepen, the nervous system can settle, our thoughts can become quieter, and we become more available to the moment.
Breath is not simply something the body does. It is a pathway into presence.
And something beautiful can happen when two people begin to breathe together. The embrace softens. We become more attuned to one another. Sometimes it can feel as though two bodies are becoming one body moving through space. That magical unicorn feeling that some of us long for in dance.
I am grateful to you, Aydan, and to all the instructors who remind us to breathe.
PS. Eckhart Tolle’s book ‘The Power of Now” is also a favourite on my bookshelf