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