TANGO EMBRACETango Embrace
The Embrace Experience: Argentine Tango Perth
Our first encounter with the Argentine Tango began in 1995 at the Quatro Cultural Centre in Fremantle. After few classes, Cecil and I were however left eager to discover more about this seemingly passionate and romantic dance.
In 1998, after many more classes and dances, we were presented with a new tango experience and style of dance under the teachings of an Argentine instructor, Gaston Valdes. Slowly the tango took over our lives at a time when most couples in their mid-forties would complacently sit down, sipping a glass of wine while watching TV. What was it about this dance style that enticed people of all walks of life and of all age groups, to take up the challenge?
For a challenge it was for both of us. More so though for Cecil who had no prior experience of rhythm and musicality. Our first cultural and confronting challenge was the “embrace”. Our dance instructor taught mainly the close embrace or milenguero style. “Embracing” someone you do not know for the duration of a dance or two, can be extremely daunting and embarrassing. Moreover, the ‘embrace’ as perceived by onlookers, can evoke sensual connotations and innuendos may follow. However when one understands the ‘embrace’ and executes it properly, it is a perfect way to dance the Argentine Tango.
Briefly stated, the ‘close embrace’ is a dance posture where both partners, facing each other squarely, connect at their upper torsos in an ‘A’ frame pose, holding in their stomach and posterior, with shoulders relaxed, keeping their own balance. The lady’s head can be either held straight on the right of the man’s head or turned towards the man’s right cheek. The man holds the lady comfortably but firmly with his right arm under her arm level, maintaining the connection at the torso. In this posture, the man communicates his intended movement to the lady. The lady feels the man’s direction and responds immediately by executing the movement.
It took Cecil and I few years to perfect our posture and embrace and understand that the tango is not about a set of figures or routines, but rather about the creation of a unique dance between two people, sharing a space and communication, while responding to the music. Our tango journey so far has led us to new and exciting levels of living, creating wonderful experiences and friendships. Where challenges develop they extend us further in that sharing. Regular workshops and milongas in Perth, Interstates and especially Buenos Aires, with some of the great masters of the milonguero style have enriched our dance and our life. Our mind and body, social and emotional state are in perfect balance bringing us greater inner freedom. Our embrace is one that connects us as one to the music, where one starts a dream and the other completes it. Our tango is a dance of our life.
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This article was pulished in DanceWest magazine March 2006.