Tango Philosophy

The Inner World of Tango: Finding your flow

Indeed, one of the highest pleasures is to be more or less unconscious of one’s own existence, to be absorbed in interesting sights, sounds, places, and people. Conversely, one of the greatest pains is to be self-conscious, to feel unabsorbed and cut off from the community and the surrounding world.

Alan Watts, The Wisdom of Insecurity

Tango is a gateway to a state of consciousness where mind and body are fully engrossed in the present moment. It is a world filled with senses—the sounds of the music, the sight of our partner and the ronda, the smell of perfume, the inner senses of balance, acceleration, and stretch. It is a world filled with feelings—the pressure of our feet on the floor, our partner’s hand on our back, the warmth of connection, the texture of their movements. We feel curiosity, suspense, excitement, pride, nostalgia, safety, gratitude, joy, happiness, love. Our mind is fully active, but we are resensitized to the world so that our thoughts are saturated by the experiences of the moment leaving no room for regrets about the past or concerns about the future. This world of flow, once discovered, brings tango dancers back night after night in search of the opportunity to reenter. For many, access to this inner world of tango is THE point of the dance and the meaning behind the movements.

The journey to the inner world of tango can be a frustrating one. The trail is difficult to find and there are many ways to lose the path. And when we do arrive, we can be taken away at any moment. We can’t think our way there because those thoughts take up the space in our mind that is needed to fully experience the moment. I can’t tell you how to find your inner world of tango, but I can offer a guide to help you find the path, and help you reorient when you lose the trail. I can offer some reminders that can act as a catalyst to reconnect to sensations and allow them to engulf our thoughts.    

Comfort, excitement, and safety are the keys to the inner world of tango while pain, boredom, distraction, and fear bar entry. You begin preparing for your journey to the inner world of tango well before getting on the dance floor. Your state of being before the dance will affect how you show up in the dance. Did you get enough sleep? Are you fed and hydrated? Have you warmed your body up and taken care of any aches or pains that may distract you from the present moment? You make choices that allow the experience to occur. What milonga are we going to? What tanda are you dancing to? Who are we dancing in front of and behind? Who will be your companion on this journey?

When I was young in tango, I thought that everyone should dance with everyone, and that people were just being “snobs” and being too selective. This was because I still thought of the dance in terms of its steps and movements. Later I realized that the journey to the inner world of tango requires comfort and safety in your partner. We can practice with and experience joy dancing with a wide range of people, but the truth is that there is a much smaller group with whom we are able to travel deeper. Each dancer finds their own path to the inner world. I will share mine in case it is of help. I begin by putting my focus on my partner’s spine. The thread of connection to our partner’s center is fragile but

powerful. It contains information about their positioning and preparedness, their breath and heartbeat, their thoughts, and their feelings. Fully committing to the extrospection of my partner’s state of being can be enough to bring me into the inner world.

We need our eyes open for balance, to navigate, and to better read our partner.[*] But the milonga is filled with distractions for the eye. The sparkly clothes shoes of someone, the elegant movements of another, our friend who just walked in, the person taking photos of the dance floor.[†] I use what the great magician Juan Tamariz describes as the pianist’s inward gaze.

The pianist’s gaze is the gaze of someone who is concentrated on his own action, and on the instrument. This is the inward gaze…If it is intense, honest and strong, it may be very attractive too. It is as if we opened a door into ourselves and invited the spectator to come in.

Juan Tamariz, The Five Points in Magic

Use your eyes for the information you need without allowing the extraneous sights to distract you on your journey.

I bring my attention to the contact of my feet with the floor. To the contact of the embrace. To the feelings of my hand in theirs, their hand in mine, my hand on their back and their hand on my back, and the connection and intention of our bodies. I breathe life into these connection points, feeling the air flow into my feet, hands, arms, and chest. I allow the breath to bring with it the sensation of the present moment. I allow thoughts to calmly come and go without judgement, trusting that wherever I am in the moment is where I should be.

We seldom stay in our inner world for long. There are plenty of moments of distraction, boredom, fear, and pain to bring us back to earth. I am constantly entering and exiting my inner world. I often recheck where my focus is, remind myself of the inward gaze, reconnect with my feet and with the connection, and reconnect to my breath. I sometimes find myself focusing too much on these guides, which itself pulls me away from the inner world. I then feel the flash of self-judgement for thinking too much about ways to not think so much. This process is natural. It is a blessing that our internal thoughts are as complex as they are. I slowly find my way back. I ask you to come join me in this inner world of tango, if even for just a moment.

This article was greatly enhanced by the experiences and thoughts shared by Jacqueline Pham, Gabriel Gaumond, and David Zuckerman. Thank you all for your wisdom.

[*] I believe that it is best for both leaders and followers to keep their eyes open but maintain the inward gaze towards their partner.

[†] Still the biggest distraction I have experienced was the one case where a person decided to film me for the entire tanda. Needless to say, I was well removed from the inner world of tango for that tanda.

By sericson0, ago

Learn 11,664 Tango Sequences in Under Two Pages

The simplest of movements in tango can be complex. And not just complex in the legs intertwining and heels flying every which way kind of way, but complex in the number of variations, big and subtle, which can occur. The beauty of tango is that every movement contains an inner world of depth and richness. We need not look further than the ways two basic tango steps can be put together to create a basic sequence to see the endless creative possibilities that tango has to offer.  

The follower can step forward, side, or back, and they can step with the right or left foot. They can also start the step with their hips neutral (squared) to their shoulders, or they can start with the free hip close or far. The basic walk is repeated back steps with the hip neutral; back ochos are repeated back steps with a far free hip, and front ochos are repeated forward steps with a close free hip. The basic follower step choices are:

  • Follower direction:forward side, back
  • Follower leg: left, right.
  • Follower hip position: close, neutral, far.

For 3 × 2 × 3 = 18 total possibilities.

The leader can step forward, side, or back, and they can also step with the right or left foot. We tend to relate the leader steps to the follower steps and talk about parallel and crossed system. Parallel system is when the couple steps with opposite feet (leader left to follower right), and crossed system is when the couple steps with the same foot (leader left to follower left). The basic leader step choices are:

  • Leader direction:forward side, back
  • System: parallel, crossed.

For 3 × 2 = 6 possibilities.

The follower choices can be paired with the leader choices for 18 × 6 = 108 possible steps. These are few enough steps that it can be a nice exercise to take a practice to iterate through each. We can link two steps together to create a sequence. Any two steps can be linked, so we have 108 × 108 = 11,664 possible sequences of just two steps!

There are all sorts of interesting possibilities within these two steps to explore. We tend to do ochos in crossed system, but leading ochos in parallel system is possible, and produces a nice dynamic effect. We usually do ochos with the leader taking side steps, but why not with forward and back steps? Why not do ochos at the same time? Or why not be cheeky and have the follower do side steps while the leader does their own ochos? What if you lead the first half of a back ocho (say follower back left with away hip and then pivot hips), but instead of completing the second back step you lead a side step? Or a back ocho to a forward step? Or what if you did the first half of a front ocho but after the pivot, instead of leading the second front step, you led a side sacada? Maybe as a follower embellishment for the ocho cortado, instead of doing two side steps before the cross you convert them to two forward steps? This adds more hip movement and gives a different feeling to the movement. Or maybe as the leader you play with leading the ocho cortado this way? There is a whole world of possibilities to explore. Even if you don’t like 10,000 of the possibilities, that still leaves 1,664 sequences to play with!   

Some options may seem to not work, such as stepping with the same leg twice. But you could always do a quick weight change or do one step to your partner’s two. What at first seems like an impossibility is just an excuse for creativity. It can be good to play with combinations of steps that may at first seem unusual. You may find that leading and following unusual sequences of simple movements are not easy, but are a lot of fun. And if you have trouble coming up with sequences to try, then randomly pick a few and see what happens. If you are computer minded (as many of us tango dancers are), then you can always get the computer to generate random sequences of steps to try for you. Or you play around with my very simple app here https://sericson0.shinyapps.io/TangoStepGenerator/ (Yay couple of hours learning R Shiny on a weekend 😉). Whatever works for you to explore new movements and new possibilities.

And we have just talked about the possibilities for what the steps themselves are—the what questions. We can also ask the where questions of direction and navigation. We also have the how questions—the size, timing, style, and dynamics. Do we go toe first or heel first?  Are we smooth or staccato? Do we accent the beginning, middle, or end, or not accent any part? Maybe the most important question to answer is the why of the step. Are we expressing confidence, doubt, gentleness, compassion, connectedness, dissonance, sensuality, sexuality, joy, anger, hurt, hope, happiness, love? Are we telling a story or sharing a joke? Or maybe we are feeling the metaphorical wind through our hair as we move in space? Or maybe our attention is on appreciating the sensations of moving and connecting to another human being; Sharing some precious moments of our precious time on this earth.

Once all these dimensions are considered, there surely must be more than a million ways we can take two steps. And by the time we get to the combinations of steps that can be done in a single phrase of the music, then the number of atoms in the universe are small in comparison. So the next time you find yourself repeating the same patterns in the same way you did in the last song, in the last milonga, maybe for the last ten years, take a moment to stop. Remember the world of possibilities in just two steps. Take a moment to dive into that world of possibilities and see what you come up with. I promise it will be worth it.  

By sericson0, ago

Driver and Navigator: A Metaphor for the Roles in Tango

Each dancer in a tango partnership has their own distinct role and responsibilities. We give them the names leader and follower, but how should we think about these two roles? The metaphors we use to describe our roles play an important role in how we think about our dance and our interaction with our partner. What do we need to provide our partner, and what can we expect from them? Hopefully the next few paragraphs can provide some new insights to these questions.

I find the following metaphor a helpful guide for thinking about the roles in Tango. Imagine we are in a car together driving to a new destination. The follower takes the role of driver, and the leader takes the role of the navigator. Both roles are important for a safe and enjoyable trip. As a navigator, we remember the route, provide timely directions of where to turn, give information on the speed limit, and calmly recalculate the route when we miss an exit. As a driver, we take care of all the details to smoothly transport us to where we are going; putting on turn signals, checking mirrors, and providing steering, braking, and acceleration.

Something the driver-navigator metaphor particularly helps with is the timing of the dance. When we take an exit, the navigator gives the directions ahead of time. The driver then prepares to change lanes. Finally, the driver changes lanes and the navigator goes along for the ride. The same sequencing occurs in tango: (1) the leader gives the directions for a movement, (2) the follower prepares their body for the movement, (3) the follower executes the movement, and (4) the leader follows along behind the follow.

The metaphor of driver and navigator also solves some seeming tango paradoxes. Navigators need to give clear directions, but we don’t grab the wheel. This is the metaphorical difference between a clear lead and a forceful lead. We show the route in advance but then go along for the ride, the meaning behind the saying “you first lead, and then you follow your lead” As a driver, we let someone else navigate—giving up control—but it is so that we can better focus on the road—allowing for greater control. We follow the directions the navigator gives and generally avoid taking exits that aren’t on the route, but we don’t just shut our eyes and wait until we arrive at our destination. We actively take control of driving. This is the metaphorical difference between not following, passive following, and active following.

A final concept the metaphor exposes: if we are taking a trip together, then where are we going? Are we going to a fancy dinner? A cool café? A night with friends? The navigator gives the directions, and the driver controls the wheel, but we both choose the destination ahead of time. In tango, there is a conversation about the step that occurs before the step. As a leader, I choose the steps and the timing. But why did I choose those steps and why did I pick that timing? Surely I consider how my follower prepared their body, the energy and feelings they are expressing, and what they are hearing in the music. And as a follower, I choose how to execute the movements. But surely I consider the broader idea and effect we are going for. I fill in the details of the story that we are both telling.

We both have a say into the energy, texture, musical composition, and end effect of our movement. We have a conversation about where we are going to go. Maybe this conversation occurs at the beginning of the phrase or at the end of the previous phrase.  Maybe it occurs in the pauses between individual movements. But the conversation is always there to have, whether we speak up and listen or not. The conversation before the step opens a new world of interaction and collaboration. After all, where are we going is a more important question than how do we get there. Sure, it is nice if occasionally our driver shows us a more scenic route, or our navigator helps take the wheel—the metaphorical equivalents of how embellishments and two-way communication in tango tends to be taught—but this is different from having a conversation about where we want to go. I still have much to learn about how we have this conversation in the dance. Maybe I can share additional insights once I gain more clarity, or maybe you have insights that you can teach me. Regardless of how this conversation occurs, we can still have it together in our dance, and enjoy going on some exciting trips together.

By sericson0, ago