Musings on Tango, Sensuality and Spirituality
A spiritual take on dance. Dance is a moving mindfulness meditation, an embodied prayer, a self-emptying surrender to the eternity of the moment, a deep bow to the bewildering grandeur of what is. We are all participants in this dance. We are all dancers. We are all moving in response to the primal thrumming of … Read more
I am happy before I have a reason. I am full of light even before the sky Can greet the sky or the moon. Dear companions, We have been in love with the Divine For so very, very long. What can we now do but Forever Dance! Hafiz “We can … through dance … discover … Read more
Why the knees? Yes, focusing on how we move our knees when dancing is a little peculiar but I think there are at least a dozen good reasons. Typically emphasis in Tango movement is placed on the feet and the chest. The feet define the step and the chest communicates lead and follow. Both are … Read more
Remembrance Day. The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can and The wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr How do I write, today? A dullness, a paralysis of body and spirit has settled in like a heavy fog. How … Read more
(No, not too much communion wine. And we seldom drink at milongas. Read on.) The hangover. Reflections on the night before the morning after … I took time to revisit the previous night’s dancing. What stuck with me, what I cared to hold on to, what opened me up emotionally and stretched my heart, was quite … Read more
The first time I was invited to breathe in unison with my dance partner in a close embrace, I froze. My gut twisted into a knot. I felt deeply vulnerable. What could it be about breathing in unison – in close embrace (Tango) or even generally in a hug – that would make one feel … Read more
Exploring the calesita and volcada. (A tip of the hat to Vera and Daniel, Casa Tango Edmonton.) Vera: “Remember guys, no violence here.” Really? No violence? How rough can things get? This is a dance class, after all. Vera’s caution is simply about the lead. Last class the boleo, this class the calesita. But it … Read more
It is a stroke of genius that the Tango ritualized eye contact – the cabeceo – as the first and critical element of the dance proposal. This is where it all begins: Eyes connecting from across the room with an affirming nod, raised eyebrows, a look of permission, acceptance, expectation.
How do I nurture an appreciation for the magic and mystery of tango?
(even when I am screwing up the steps or dancing with my least favourite partner)
Answer: Breathe in the WONDER.
(3 minute read. This blog is part two of a post from about a decade ago. Still relevant and fascinating.) Session #2 with Jean-Sebastien, Studio Ten. Tango is communication. Learning tango is like learning a language. The only difference is that with each tango lesson, I seem to have to relearn the alphabet. Case in … Read more