Yoga & Somatic Control

Nataraja is the incarnation of Shiva as the Lord of the Dance. Interestingly for tango dancers, the divine dance that Nataraja performs is called the "tandava". (AI pic by Ralph, used with permission)

What can yoga teach us, and how can it impact our tango? Chiefly, I have found that yoga can help us to be more aware of our body and to exercise greater control over it – greater somatic control. Yoga helps us to feel and move well.

Yoga asanas (what most of us think of as yoga, i.e. the physical postures) is just one of the Eight Limbs of yoga. These combine with moral disciplines, breathing exercises, meditation and other practices. Asanas tone the muscles, lubricate the joints, align the spine and improve flexibility.  

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (2.46) advise, sthira sukham asanam,  “steadiness and ease in all the postures”. Yoga helps to exercise this steadiness and ease. Our mind becomes quieter and more still. And in that mental stillness, we become more attune to our body and to its capabilities and more aware of whatever (and whoever) surrounds us on the dance floor. 

In addition to greater mental awareness, we also become more physically capable. Yoga trains our posture and exercises our strength and balance. We are better able to respond physically to the challenges that present themselves every moment on the dance floor. We dance more attentively and skillfully. We are better able to put into practice our tango knowledge and also meet the various mental and physical demands of daily life. 

Muhammad Ali famously described his “dance” in the boxing ring as to “Float like a butterfly and …” (well, never mind about the “sting like a bee” part for most of us). In having the mind aware and the body responsive, the experience can be quite sublime and very much like floating effortlessly across the floor. 

And then there’s grace – the heart and elegance of the dance. Yoga trains the heart and helps us become more attune to the love and beauty that is our nature. As tango artists, we move artfully and gracefully to some of the most inspiring music in the world. Our bodies are our instruments, and while they make no sound, we play them just as the members of the tango orchestra play their bandoneóns, violins, piano and other instruments. 

Finally, and most importantly, is the connection. By being more mentally aware, physically capable, and heart fully attune to the dance, we are better able to maintain connections with our partner and with the music. We are better able to float beautifully and gracefully together as one body across the floor. 

If yoga is not already your practice, I highly recommend finding a good teacher and giving it a try. Remember though, as with everything, it’s a good idea to make a commitment. It is said that 90% of the practice is just getting yourself to the mat. 

Namaste! 

Buenos Aires – October 4 - 27, 2022

 El Beso (located just three blocks from my AirBnB in Buenos Aires)

I just got back from three weeks dancing tango (and practicing Spanish) in Buenos Aires. Long on my bucket list, it was my first trip to the birthplace of tango. I was traveling alone, but I was very fortunate that my AirBnB hostess, Liliana Perez, happened to be a tango dancer! She introduced me to the dance community, showed me around town, and helped me with practical concerns.

Liliana and I attending a practica at Salon Canning

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Numerous milongas and practicas happen each day and night. Some are quite crowded (milonguero style only), and the quality of dance varies from person to person as it does here in the States. A helpful resource is Hoy Milonga where you can view each day's scheduled events. 

La Cachivachería at Libario

Los Sensibleros at Plaza Perón y Gallo

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Tango schools abound too. My school of choice was Escuela Mundial de Tango, directed by Gabriela Elias, centrally located on the pedestrian street, Florida. They offer high quality, yet affordable, group and private lessons. 

Gabriela Elias and Escuela Mundial de Tango

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My private instruction was through Alejandro (Turco) Suaya, a master of tango dance and music. He also generously gifted me a copy of his marvelous book which he co-wrote with Loreen Leong – Talk Tango: A Dancer’s Guide to the Language of Argentine Tango  

Talk Tango was co-written by Alejandro (Turco) Suaya. Liliana was my regular dance partner.

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Speaking of Florida (the street where the school is located) this is where you will want to exchange your money. If you use your credit card, you will pay the official rate. But if you bring cash dollars and exchange them for pesos with a money changer, your money will go much further. Walking down Florida, you’ll hear, “¡Cambio, cambio!” The more you exchange (up to $200) the better deal you will get. Note that given Argentina’s nearly 100% inflation, exchange rates change every few days. 

Eva Perón is on the 100 peso note (worth about $0.35 at the time).

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Beyond tango there is much to discover in Buenos Aires, beginning with the friendly “porteños” (residents of the city). These are just some of the folks (all dudes, as it turned out) that I met on my travels through the city.

Left to right: Daniel, Martin, Maximiliano, Owen,

Evelio, José, Sabastian #1, Sabastian #2 (final cab ride to airport)

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Be sure to visit the barrios of San Telmo and La Boca, especially on the weekends when the markets are teaming with artists, vendors, and street performers. 

Marcela, my cartoon dance partner; El Caminito in La Boca; street market in San Telmo

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Highlights for me included the swanky neighborhood of Polermo known especially for its beautiful city parks. 

Jardín Botánico, Jardín Japonés, Choza congoleña - Ecoparque de Buenos Aires,

Floralis Genérica - Plaza de Naciones Unidas

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Recoleta is an affluent Paris-style neighborhood that includes its historic cemetery of the rich and famous. 

Recoleta Cemetery

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Puerto Madero is a refurbished industrial dockside with restaurants overlooking the Rio de Dique. 

Puente de la Mujer "Woman's Bridge" - Puerto Madero

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Galerías Pacífico is a gorgeous beaux-arts style building built in 1889 and is now a shopping mall. El Ateneo Grand Splendid was built in 1919 as a theater and is now a beautifully ornate bookstore. And the famed Teatro Colón is considered one of the most important opera houses in the world. 

Galerías Pacífico, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Orquesta Filarmónica de Buenos Aires - Teatro Colón

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Lastly, I attended a contact improvisation "jam" at the Centro Cultural Kirchner. Limited to only 75 people, the lucky few (like myself) had to wait in line for up to an hour. It was well worth it though!

Contact improvisation at the beautiful Centro Cultural Kirchner

Contact Improvisation

 

Illustration by Lew Lott (used with permission)

More than any other dance, contact improvisation – a meditative, partnered dance form – has informed my tango. But most haven't even heard of it, much less practiced this amazing dance. 

What is it? The "contact" part of CI means that two (or more) people remain in physical contact with at least one portion of their body. The "improvisation" part means that there are no patterns, that the dance is entirely improvisational and free in the movements. Those are the two "rules", though because the dance is potentially so intimate (like tango), honoring each other's physical and psychological space is, of course, also necessary. 

Unlike most dances, CI is not danced to any music or rhythms. Although sometimes ambient tunes are played in the background (I sometimes play my native American flute). Also unlike traditional social dances, CI is danced without reference to gender. Women dance with women, men with men, and men and women together; it makes no difference. Similarly, CI has no leader and no follower. Each one leans in to meet the other where they are; no one dictates the other's movements. And those movements? They are so wonderfully varied! There is running and rolling, jumping and catching, balancing on shoulders or on the bottoms of feet. And, of course, there's resting … sometimes even in the famed "puppy pile"! 

So what's the connection to tango? Contact improvisation exercises all the elements of good tango: connection, attention and intention, creative expression, and somatic awareness and control. Through CI, I have learned to focus on where my and my partner's bodies are in space, so we can most effortlessly and effectively stay in contact as we move across the floor as one. I highly recommend it.

Check out a "jam", if you have one in your area. In the mean time, here's a lovely little video: What is Contact Improvisation?

Who Is Raj?

Raj is my yogi name, short for Nataraja (king dancer, an incarnation of the Hindu god Shiva). He’s my playful, creative, dancing, musical self. And Raj is my sometimes hippie, cannabis inspired, alter ego who definitely thinks outside the box. I love it when he comes out to play. Raj has taught me to pay attention to my body, and to pay attention to my partner when we dance, becoming one as we do. When I have taught this thing I call ZenTango, it is Raj who has showed us how to be.

One of the first things I discovered early on is mindfulness. Through the practice of meditation I learned to quiet the “monkey mind”, the distracting chatter that goes on continually in our heads. Like still water on the surface of a pond, I could then see more clearly, looking into and seeing myself reflected. Or picturing a snow globe after the snow has settled, everything becomes more clear. So too in dance, as we focus on what is present and not allow the mind to wander, we see each other and where we are, moving better together. 

Interestingly, I really enjoy dancing with my eyes closed … being sure, of course, to mind my “floor craft” and not bump into others. But when safe and secure, dancing while blind affords a real benefit. With the eyes closed, we can more readily see with the “mind’s eye”, seeing where the other is, where we are, and what our somatic relationship is to our partner. It is really quite sublime! Try it … but be careful, especially if you’re the leader, the “responsible” partner. The last thing you want to do is disturb someone else’s mindfulness when they’re trying to be present. 

(ツ)

The Pivot

Tango is a traveling dance, and we move across the floor by walking. The Walk is half of tango. And the Pivot, a  change of direction upon the ball of the foot, is the other half. (The rest, figures and adornments, are just icing on the proverbial cake, in my opinion – sweet to the taste, but not essential to the dance). Like Cupid with his bow, the pivot is to take aim in one direction or another, and the walk is to let the arrow fly. 

For beginners, a nice little exercise is to isolate the upper body from the lower. Position the arms in Cactus Pose (like a goal post) and rotate the upper body only (arms included), moving from the waist (NOT the knees), leaving the lower body in position. 

Next time, keep the upper body stationary and rotate the lower, again moving from the waist. First, do this on the balls of BOTH feet (knees are slightly flexed). If necessary, begin by placing the hands against a wall or counter top for added support, then try without support.

Then pivot on one foot only (as we do in tango), keeping the sole of the other foot resting lightly against the heel of the first (in collection). Remember what our momma told us: "Always keep your legs together!" 

Finally, pivot with a partner. When pivoting, it is true that some support is offered by the partner through the embrace, but largely we are responsible for maintaining our own axis and balance. For an added challenge, try to pivot together at the same time. 

The upper body is typically kept to a degree in disassociation (or isolation) with the lower; it is the lower body that pivots and changes direction. We usually like to stay facing and connected with our partner with our upper half as much as possible. 

A final thought: While the lead of the pivot is communicated through the embrace, and while some support is available, it is largely the dancer's own energy and momentum which empowers their pivot. Both leader and follower are responsible to maintain their own axis and energy. Remember that any lead given is an invitation only – no push, no pull, no demands of any kind. Tango is never forced, but is simply a beautiful and equitable conversation between two partners.  

Photo source unknown.

The Axis

I believe everyone is responsible for their own axis. Unless, that is, when specifically invited to share. Typically, in that case, a leader invites a follower off their axis to join weight for a limited time and for a specific purpose. But generally speaking, we are each on our own axis. 

Having said that, there’s also (ideally) a little sharing of weight for the sake of the connection. This typically happens at the level of the heart. The two lean a little into each other and are connected. Even so, if one partner were to walk away, the other would not fall; wouldn’t even be particularly disrupted. Why? Because we are each on our own axis. 

What’s an axis? Picture the straight line that runs from north and south poles of our spinning planet. There is no wobble (or very little). The planet rotates as a gyroscope and is largely steady in its movement. We too are steady as we move together across the floor, strong and balanced on our axis. 

It matters little what we know in our heads, the right moves and all the rest, without also having some somatic awareness and control. With this somatic practice we call DANCE, we establish neural pathways from brain to muscle, in time perfecting our capacity to remain connected and move gracefully together. 

Key to this is a mental focus. In yoga it’s called a drishti (from the Sanskrit word dri, meaning “to hold”). A drishti is a non-moving spot on the floor or the wall in front of you. Picture an anchor thrown over the side of a boat. The line is held to keep the boat steady in the water. So with the mind’s eye focused on a drishti, we can more easily hold our bodies balanced and steady in space. 

Tango is different from yoga though in that tango is dynamic and partnered. Together we move, so the drishti moves with us as well. Make it a practice, therefore, to hold the mind’s eye focused, the axis steady, and mostly with the heart holding fast to our partner. 

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” 

The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Photo by Cedric Lim

Love

How much of tango is about LOVE? It's a good question to ask, especially on Valentine's Day. As mentioned in a previous post, “Tango is a three-minute love affair with a stranger.” 

But is it really? Well it certainly can be, and traditionally has been, and certainly it is with the right partner. Yes, tango is sometimes romantic, sometimes playful, sometimes flirtatious, sometimes sexy, but ideally enjoyable for both. 

However, and especially in our recently (and thankfully) discovered era of “Me Too” and permission-based sexuality, it is crucial to maintain honor and respect, with honest communication, at all times. Particularly as tango is so close and intimate, it may be tempting to forget that sometimes. 

Tango is a conversation, and therefore clear communication is paramount between partners. The essential “topic” of this conversation? A somatic connection – how that we who are two persons effectively and happily become one and move together across the floor. One body, four legs! 

For this reason – that tango is chiefly about a somatic relationship rather than firstly about romance – I prefer the gender-neutral terms “leader” and “follower” to “man” and “woman” (or even the traditional “gentleman” and “lady”). For it is becoming increasingly common (again thankfully, in my opinion) to see women leading men, men following, and same-sex couples dancing together. 

So, YES, on this Valentine’s Day let us come together, close and intimate (if BOTH desire that), and dance this “Dance of Love”. But let our somatic connection be in place first and kept primary. Even if welcome, I would suggest not allowing a "personal romance" to compromise what is essential in the connection. It's not necessary and it would NOT be tango, at least not tango danced well. Let there always be LOVE, of course, but love in the TRUEST sense – kindness and consideration and mutual respect – on the dance floor and in ALL our relationships.

Thoughts?

Photo by Tyler Nix

The Embrace

Tango is first and foremost about connection, the connection between you and your partner. “It takes two to tango,” as everyone knows! And the connection between partners happens with the embrace.


The embrace is intimate certainly (tango has been called a “3-minute love affair with a stranger”), but the main purpose of the embrace (or the frame as it is also called) is to communicate information so as to maintain connection. This enables the two to move together as one.


One way to think of the embrace is in terms of container. The container is solid (though never strained), and within it two bodies move together as one. Imagine the two partners are the single body of a deer or a fox moving gracefully across an open field – one body with four legs.


Or picture yourselves together in the front seat of a car or riding on a motorcycle. You both lean and move together as the vehicle (the container) moves and changes direction. The container which allows that in tango is the embrace.


Imagine small pressure sensors and gauges at each point of physical contact. The idea is to keep those little dials still, the pressures consistent. No push, no pull. Just steady and relaxed pressures between the two partners as you move together.


If you were to count them, there are four main points of contact in open embrace – gently clasped hands, arm on shoulder, hand around back, and forearms overlapped. These contact points allow somatic information to be transferred back and forth between partners. Then add to that two more points of contact – chest to chest and cheek to cheek – and the oneness is deepened and becomes truly sublime in close embrace.

Photo from pxhere.com

The Posture

But before the walk is the posture, how we stand. We stand upright as though floating toward the sky, yet we are grounded to the earth. A correct posture is essential in tango, as well of course throughout our life. 

Tadasana (or Mountain Pose) is how we stand firm, strong and upright in yoga. Knees slightly flexed, weight gently over the balls of the feet, a nice neutral expression of the pelvis, shoulders up and then rolled lightly back (smiling clavicles!), the neck in line with the rest of the spine and the head resting comfortably. 

Picture yourself as a helium balloon tethered by a string to a child’s hand. You naturally rise as high as gravity allows. But, of course, our bodies are not inflated with helium. Therefore it is a combination of intention, muscle and a correctly aligned spine that provides lift and support.

The skeletal structure is designed to be in a state of “intrinsic equilibrium”. This means that when properly aligned, the vertebrae, along with their connective tissues, rest easily one over the other. There is no strain. 

Picture a cairn, an intentionally stacked pile of stones placed along a trail or on the beach. These seem to defy gravity. No force is required to keep the stones in position because they are optimally arranged. So too with us. It is NOT largely the job of the muscles to support the weight of the body; the muscles mostly align the frame. It is the job of the spine, and of the rest of our skeletal structure, to provide support and keep us upright. And this is done easily when properly aligned. 

However, standing in tango is slightly different than in yoga. This is because we have a partner with whom we desire to connect. Therefore in addition to an upward lift, there is also some forward projection of the chest, a projection of the heart. It is here where our connection in the dance especially happens. Our hearts are projected forward like two beams of intense light, our two bright streams intersecting. Hearts are aligned and our dance becomes one. (More about that in subsequent posts.)

Photo source unknown.

The Walk

“Tango is the easiest dance in the world, but it has a learning curve that goes on forever.” 

Why so easy? Because tango is a walking dance, and you learned to walk when you were a year old. In a sense, you already know how to tango. You’ve done it for years. You just need to get better at it.

So why is it so intimidating for so many? Because people make it complicated. It’s not. It’s simply a matter of paying attention to what is and walking with intention. It’s walking, yes, but it’s not about the steps. It’s about the connection.

Imagine yourself and a partner on a date. You’re holding hands and walking together through an art museum enjoying yourselves. You’re happily paying attention to the beautiful paintings and sculptures as you turn here and there and pause to observe. But most of all you’re enjoying and paying attention to each other. Are you paying attention to your steps? Of course not! And neither should you in tango. 

Sure, there is a definite tango quality to the steps (more about that later). The walk is minimal in its movement, soft and easy, staying connected and walking as one. Knees are flexed like little shock absorbers, and the feet slide silently across the floor as though approaching a sleeping baby. 

The tango walk is meditative. It’s a walking meditation similar to that practiced in a Zen temple. Slowly and mindfully placing one foot in front of the other, smoothly transferring the weight of the body as though rolling on wheels or floating through space. And we do this together.

Try it. I think you’ll like it. Questions/comments?

Photo by Sarah Cervantes

ZenTango

I am Michael (aka Raj*) and this is my first post.

I'm an Argentine tango dancer, and I teach something I call ZenTango. That's because this dance is a mindfulness-based movement. We are present and still, moving together as one across the floor.

My tango is informed by contact improvisation (a dance form that is gender-neutral, not led and not danced to music, where two or more people maintain physical contact with at least one part of our body as we move together as one). CI has taught me to maintain a connection, a shared oneness, as we move as one through space.

My tango is also informed by meditation. There are many ways to meditate, but for me I focus on the breath. Thoughts will come and go, and when they do I simply return to the breath. When the mind is focused on a single thing it tends to become still. And a still mind is a happy, relaxed and refreshed mind, one that we may then easily govern and utilize for our benefit. I have found that where my mind goes so goes my body, and so goes my life.

My tango is also informed by yoga. I am a certified Integral yoga teacher, and I affirm that there is no perfect pose but that which is perfect for each one of us. Listen to our body, for our body is our best ally. Be still and present wherever we are and wherever we are going. Sthira sukham asanam – “Steadiness and ease in all our positions.” (Sutra 2:46)

Stay tuned for more about ZenTango in subsequent posts.

*Oh, and stay tuned for more about Raj.

Photo by Joe Ring