Musings on Tango, Sensuality and Spirituality
“We search for something that will seem like truth to us; we search for understanding; we search for that principle which keys us deeply into the pattern of all life; we search for the relations of things.” The Log from the Sea of Cortez, John Steinbeck (February 27, 1902–December 20, 1968) “Blessed are those with … Read more
My daughter and I are sitting at an outdoor patio cafe overlooking Kitsilano Beach, downtown Vancouver, idyllic. Two young gentlemen (I use that term in the broadest sense of the word) sit down at the next table and begin spewing mouthfuls of sexist slurs. My daughter, straight out, calls them on it. “I’m gay and … Read more
We are haunted by the spectre that we are alone, islands unto ourselves, neither belonging nor beloved. Our entire lives, we strive to bridge that gulf, to find belonging in a community, to claim a special place in someone’s heart, someone’s arms. We are social creatures. Our sense of self comes from being in relation, seeing … Read more
“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. Attention, taken to its highest degree, is the same thing as prayer. It presupposes faith and love.” Simone Weil “Love is the quality of attention we pay to things.” J.D. McClatchy. Attentiveness Deep attention is one of the most precious treasures we can share. Attentiveness is … Read more
“We practice technique to get to know our own bodies. And then we take what we know of ourselves, our movements and musicality onto the dance floor to join up with our partner.” Carolina Bonaventura, milonguera y profesora. Me First Who knew? Sure, there was always the airline stewardess reviewing the safety pamphlet before takeoff, … Read more
“Sometimes we are doing what seems impossible, dancing the silence.” Carlos Gavito. The deliciousness of the Tango, its enticement, its enchantment, is that each step, each moment, each movement is complete unto itself. It is a hologram that holds within it an entire universe of feelings and sensations. The essence of the dance, its tension, … Read more
The cartoon depicts a family of three sitting in cross-legged meditation. The caption reads, “On the road to Nirvana.” The blissful silence is broken by the child’s impatient query, “Are we there yet?” Do we ever arrive? Do we ever let ourselves off the incessant self-improvement hook? Do we ever get to the place where … Read more
To everything there is a season, … A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance… The Book of Ecclesiastes. It seems almost shameful to speak of grief or sadness this time of year, like we are undermining the good cheer or betraying a dark secret. … Read more
A Christmas wish courtesy of your dance community. Dancing the Silence Remembrance Day Milonga. We danced to Lovers in Paris, (Jacob Gurevitsch) as our song for peace. In the middle of the song, the music was silenced while everyone continued to dance. For one minute there was just the soft shuffle of shoes and rustling … Read more
November 11, 2023. Remembering… A Tango instructor of mine compared Tango to Aikido, which he also instructed. His comment: “There is a core similarity between Tango and Aikido. Both seek to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the other’s positioning. The difference is, that Aikido uses this to take advantage of and overpower the other. … Read more