Are we dancing alone?
Ok, no. Obviously, in Tango we dance ‘together’. Two people meet, embrace, and move in the same direction, on the music. Two-gether.
But there is together and together. Two people can have excellent technique and bodies that ‘like each other’ (let’s not call body compatibility ‘connection’), they can dance similar moves next to each other….yet not dance together.
I’m guilty of this. Sometimes I get lost into my head – I focus on my body, my legs, on listening to the music… of course, I follow the lead but I almost forget that I am dancing with someone, and that the joy of tango is dancing together. And let’s face it… in the embrace, you feel everything, so if you’re not connecting, your partner will feel it.
Thinking volumes
We took a class with Silvina Valz* recently, a wonderful dancer and amazing teacher, and she spoke a lot about this. As we discussed this topic, she had a good trick. She advised us to think that when we dance our volume is not our individual volume (the volume that we see when we look at ourselves in the mirror and carry around every day in the train, at work…) but the couple’s volume – including our partner’s. We get much bigger, at every moment of the dance and throughout the whole tanda.
Better feelings
Seriously. Try it. It takes you beyond Tango.
It’s amazing to realize that together is more than technique or connection, it is a state of mind… Suddenly the movements become more fluid, more precise and connection takes on a bigger meaning than two compatible bodies meeting.
Most importantly, it makes dancing much more enjoyable for both dancers. You realize you are dancing with someone with a heart, a personality, a way of listening to the music that you want to hear and feel (how could I forget??). Dancer’s secret: It feels like flying.
As Pablo says: Juntos es mejor…
*Silvina Valz: She lives in Buenos Aires, but it turns out that she spends a lot of time in Paris – she’s amazing and just a short train ride away. Tip of the summer to lead a happy life: spend a weekend of croissant and tango in Paris…