…at least it is less sticky and sweaty, and you are not as likely to get pregnant. Another advantage: you can be promiscuous without any problems.
In any case, last weekend I experienced the joys of tango again.
I went to Tango 11, a tango marathon in Siegen, Germany. It had been a long time since I went last to a big festival like this (there were 100 participants). It was intoxicating to be submerged in tango again.
To hold my dance partners so close, so intimately, so cuddly, especially after having been deprived of hugs for a year and a half was a delight.
Argentine tango is improvised. The dancing arises from the subtle interplay between leader and follower1. You and your partner try to express the beat, the rhythm, melody, countermelody, general mood of the music, etc. The mood of the follower and leader, the amount of physical intimacy they prefer, the situation on the dance floor: all these elements and more combine to make every dance different, even while dancing to the same song with the same person.
A leader’s most important task is to make sure the follower is safe. This is quite a challenge because there are many other couples on the dance floor. Hitting a wall can cause serious injury and pain and is not much appreciated. Other couples have a general preference not to get hurt either. Imagine a high heel penetrating your foot!
Then he has to be listening to the music all the time. He has to be aware of his follower every moment to notice whether she is following his lead or not and if not adjust, of her interpretation and embellishments and be aware of her level of dancing. For example with a beginner to lead clearer and more directive and simpler, with a firmer embrace. He has to maintain a nice embrace: not too tight, nor too weak. And of course he has to lead: the steps, the speed, the direction on the dance floor: straight ahead, straight back, in different kinds of circles, etc.
I wonder how anyone is able to do all of this!
The follower on the other hand has to be completely tuned in to the leader and be present in the moment all the time because she never knows what the next move is going to be. At the best of times, this feels like telepathy, and the couple moves in complete synchronicity. She has to maintain a connection to the leader all the time (mainly heart to heart) and keep her own balance on her high heels, and she has to be easy to lead while not being a push-over, etc etc.
When I say “He” for the leader and “She” for the follower I am not implying that the leader is always male and the follower always female. Actually, often the roles are reversed. I love to change roles myself!
Once I was dancing in Buenos Aires. It was three o’clock at night. The lady I was dancing with was 84, it was her birthday. She told me this:”YOung man, a leader has to age for at least ten years to be any good, like a good wine, to become suave. I have danced for 15 years now, so hopefully…
Anyway, all this to explain the joys and challenges of tango to non-tango dancers as best I can. I hope you will be inspired to start dancing tango yourself and hopefully I didn’t scare you off.
Let me end with a link to a dance by one of my all-time favorite tango-couples, Noelia and Carlitos. Notice how they express the music. Even the sound of Noelia's foot on the floor in their last move coincides perfectly with the last chord! They are so good...
Okay, maybe tango is not better than sex, but it can come pretty close.
I found this beautiful expression on the website of Tango Entero.
In fact, you are pretty much expected to dance with anyone who asks nicely!