Argentine Tango is unlike every other partner dance
Argentine Tango is the only partner dance, where both dancers
- do not need physical force (e.g. push or pull) to communicate with each other (e.g. like in Salsa, Ballroom etc..)
- do not have set (pre-learned) sequences of steps and set rhythm (e.g. like in Salsa, Ballroom etc.)
- can move in any direction, at any time, at any speed (e.g. like in ….Argentine Tango only)
To many dancers this sounds and feels a lot like a Jedi’s invisible power (the Force!), or real-life magic!
To dance comfortably together, the dancers rely solely on their ability to recognize (or perform clear but subtle) weight-changes and other small body-language signals. This requires not only good posture and technique but – most of all – an unmatched degree of awareness of each other`s bodies and the music. This awareness is often visible to others as it requires a high degree of concentration, often accompanied by a rather serious looking face! It is possible to relax and enjoy the flow though, after some practice 🙂
Many proven social and health benefits
Because of these unique features of the dance, dancers often experience:
- an intense mental connection with each other, often interpreted as passionate
- an intense mental connection with the music and their own bodies
- the sensation of flow, effortlessly combined motion to any music they like
The life-enhancing benefits of movement, and dancing in particular, with its low risk, are well known. Tango dancers, who dance a whole evening may walk the equivalent of a quarter marathon (10km) and do not even notice the enormous extent of this “workout”. Our mind is simply too busy making sure the communication works while enjoying the spontaneously created motions embedded in captivating music. Two students of mine attended such a marathon in Sydney, dancing all the way in under 5 hours. The couple told us afterwards that the physical demand was similar to “just” a regular (5 hour long) dance night.
These fantastic Tango-specific benefits made the dance a global phenomenon for people of all ages and all backgrounds. This became possible even though that the core benefits cannot be conveyed and advertised like other dances using video or even language. Most of the beauty of Tango can only be experienced – not observed!
Because of the many social and health-improving benefits, without negative side-effects or risks, medical researchers and therapists have studied Argentine Tango since about 2006. Today, the unique dance-form helps even people with Parkinson-Disease. Some professionals use it for couple therapy, or recommend it to distract from depression or simply a bad day at work. Because the level of complexity/speed and physical challenge is up to the individual, it works for people of all ages, shapes, and fitness levels.
Perfect for travelers, singles, and martial artists
In our experience, Argentine Tango is particularly popular with people who:
- like getting to know new people in a safe environment in most cities in the world. This is great for travelers.
- like doing something healthy for body and mind that is fun and inexpensive
- enjoy other dance forms like Salsa, Ceroc, Ballroom, Swing, or martial arts like Judo, Tai Chi, and Systema.
- think they are not very coordinated, or that they are not good at learning step sequences. Anyone, who can walk can enjoy most aspects of Tango. You do not need sequences to learn it. I was a passionate non-dancer myself!
