It’s not easy to embrace Argentine tango at the start—literally. In order to understand the graceful dance, a dancer has to embody a sophisticated posture, to lean in elegantly, to allow another person to move her and to be smoothly guided.
He should at least buy the girl dinner first, right?
Last weekend, I attended a milonga practice at The Sunday Social Milonga in Scottsdale led by Steve and Diane (a milonga being a place or an event where tango is danced).
Interestingly enough, the intimate dance form is said to contain elements of strong African rhythms due to the African community in Buenos Aires during the time it was developed in the 1890s. Though the movements have African origins, it was the European immigrants in Buenos Aires who inspired the composition by bringing their traditional musical instruments, techniques, and methods to the country. The combination of African and European influences created the definition of what tango is today.
Tango experience cannot be described without touching upon gender (actually, there’s a lot of touching in general). My feminist instinct would usually kick at the mention of a man’s role and woman’s role.
As the woman in the dance, I felt that I was moving both actively and passively. There was an initial impulse to try to predict what would happen next or match the very rhythmic, strong beats of d’Arienzo or the melody of di Sarli, both orchestras from the Golden Age of Tango (1940s). I realized quickly I’d be better off being attentive instead of anticipating.
Having taken an Argentine tango class before, I was able to somewhat follow the pivots, ochos, cruzadas, and molinetes that the instructor led. All of these steps, patterns, and formations are fluid if the leader communicates clearly with his posture and subtle movements. If he doesn’t, well, that’s awkward.
Though there are distinct gender roles, I didn’t sense that there was any disrespect or imbalance of power with the use of these terms. Yes, the dance form physically embodies the idea of a leading man and following woman, however, the partnership is equal. There isn’t one role that is more valued than the other because both are important in the final creation.
After the milonga, I contacted Daniela Borgialli, the Argentine tango instructor at ASU, to ask what it is that draws people to tango. She explained that it’s the type of connection people vie for.
Though it’s difficult to define, Daniela described that when two dancers are in tune to each other, “It's like having the best conversation with someone that you have ever had - that makes you feel good inside, energized, inspired and thus ‘connected.’” A strong and mutual connection creates “a fantastic dialogue within the dance partnership.”
It’s true, there’s something very attractive about the dance. From the embrace to the music, Argentine tango is hard to resist.
