Musings on Tango, Sensuality and Spirituality
“The body is porous and is an open membrane to receiving and expressing affect.” E. Kelly McMaster University At his celebration of life, my brother was remembered for many striking attributes, not least of which were his legendary marathon hugs. 20 seconds! When was the last time you had a 20-second hug? You would remember. … Read more
A guest blog by Shar, member of the YEGTango Community. Apapachar is an old word carried up from Nahuatl, meaning to touch with the soul. It does not arrive loudly. It is a hand on the forehead, a bowl of soup placed into waiting hands, a quiet knowing that care can soften the body. In … Read more
Except for the point, the still point, There would be no dance, and there is only the dance. I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where. And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time. (No. 1 of ‘Four Quartets’) by T.S. Eliot. In the … Read more
The secret of tango is in this moment of improvisation that happens between step and step. It is to make the impossible thing possible: to dance silence. Carlos Gavito Tango attracts attention with its flashes and flares. But (as was shared recently in our Tango Sensations session, see below)*, there is a big dance and … Read more
Dance naturally promotes health; we all notice the improved posture, circulation, balance, and muscle tone that dancing brings us. But the growing practice of Argentine Tango has led medical researchers to discover added health benefits specifically linked to this particular dance practice: Parkinson patients, for example, responded better to tango than to standard physiotherapy (Hackney, … Read more
What to do? My daughter phoned me the other day, asking the question that is troubling many of us, “What can I do of consequence with my life to counter this rising tide of madness around us?” Her chosen craft of musical theatre seems socially irrelevant. In such times of political and social upheaval and … Read more
Changes I notice as I age: One is slowing down. Slowing down is not necessarily a drawback. In fact, in this age of frenzied lifestyles, it could quite well be considered a desirable adaptation. Some of this slowing down is of necessity, with my body stiffening or energy failing.But another part of it is choice. … Read more
Let’s play the tango improve game next milonga by responding to whatever dance step our partner makes with a “yes, and.” If it is not the response we were expecting or desiring, we can chose to welcome it as an invitation to be creative.
My hunch is that Einstein’s thinking, certainly his imagination, was affected more by his musicianship than his experiments. In truth, his theory of special relativity, that time and space are not absolute but relative to one’s perspective, was imagined long before it could ever be proven, perhaps while playing his violin or out on his … Read more
