[TANGO-L] Feelings and tango

[Sergio <cachafaz @ADELPHIA.NET>]

This last weekend we had a very interesting  workshop "Tango Milonguero
Style" organized by Timmy Tango in Cleveland.
The visiting instructor was Cacho Dante who flew from Buenos Aires for the
occasion.

The event had many interesting aspects but I want to discuss a particular
experience.
It is well known that one of the characteristics that sets tango apart from
the other ballroom dances is the "feeling component".


At certain moment of the workshop Cacho invited the men to form an external
circle and the ladies to gather in the center.
The men closed their eyes.  The ladies chose a male partner by placing
themselves in front of him. Using a tango embrace they were to make an
interpretation of the music with motion of the upper body only, without
moving the feet.

Robert Hauk (one of two DJs) who came from Portland played "Leonora's Love
Theme" by Astor Piazzolla.

I kept my eyes closed. Some long instants went by;  since I was there in my
character of translator, most people already had a partner and there were
more men than women, I decided that nobody was going to embrace me. :( .I
kept my eyes closed...   all of a sudden somebody came, got close to me,
embraced me softly and tenderly, and started to move with the music. This
particular composition was very beautiful, and the lady had an extraordinary
way of moving her torso  in perfect synchronism with the beat and the
melody. After a moment of surprise I started to move my upper chest
corresponding to her vibrations.
The more I answered her moves the more she expressed her feelings of the
music.
At certain moment an immense feeling of tenderness invaded my whole body and
spirit, I felt some tears running on my cheeks, this only lasted some short
sublime moments.

The music stopped. We kept our eyes closed, the ladies went away back to the
center.

Cacho asked as to express what had happened. I was the first to share my
experience. I said that I had had one of the most thrilling  sensations of
my life.
 Several women on the other hand , expressed that the men had been
irresponsive or even antagonistic.

Cacho explained that this is common as men try to resist surrendering to
women and to their leads but that with training this changes rapidly.

The circle was broken and we continued to discuss our respective
experiences.  Cacho joined  Robert and me, he said that this type of
exercise can be done only with   groups that are sensitive and receptive. "I
avoid using it with 'very mental' groups as it certainly would fail".

-he continued - " the most important part of this comes next, you will
see" - ...The music was began and everyone started to dance. The mood was
totally different, it was like magic, everyone was highly concentrated in
his partner, the music and the space. I noticed the expression of intense
satisfaction on Cachos's face, his eyes glassy with emotion.

There was an "old milonguero" in the group, I do not know his name. I had
observed him before because he had very good sense of the music and danced
with a lot of feeling.-  - I thought he looked like one of those old
milongueros from Buenos Aires - He came close to me and said :  "you know -
sometimes when I listen to tango music or I see couples dancing tango, tears
run on my cheeks, I thought this must be a sign that I am getting too old,
but now I know that it is not so....

The good part of tango is that these intense emotions can be enjoyed at any
age.

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