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.