I often talk about Argentine Tango and what makes it different from every other dance. When I do, people look at me and stare or listen patiently but obviously not understanding what I am talking about.
Why is it different? Putting aside the history, the technical details of the dance, the style, the technique, even the music. Argentine Tango, for me, is defined in those special moments when a single breath of time stretches into eternity.
There are moments, while dancing Argentine Tango, when everything around me fades into the background. Time seems to almost stop and all I am aware of is the music and my partner. When these special moments occur, the outside world disappears and that moment feels like forever. For just a few minutes a single dance becomes art.
When those moments are over, and the dance has ended, one or both partners will often exhale as if we had been holding our breath realizing both have experienced something that cannot be described. I have never experienced this in any other form of dance.
I believe this happens because of the innocent intimate connection that exists between two dance partners, the close embrace and the intensity of the movements. It doesn’t matter if they have known each other for years, or just met for the first time. When it happens, it is at once beautiful and profound.
I know I have not described this well at all, but I also know that there are no words to describe this experience. Just maybe, these pictures will tell a story that cannot be told with words alone.
An excellent collection of words. I’m glad you’re back on our Tango Team and wanted to say, “Argentine Tango must be understood which only happens when you’ve acquired tango fever and experienced the passion of the dance.”