Dear friends,
Since February 2005 I am dancing Argentine Tango and since January 2006 I am teaching it. May be many of you didn’t know that I was a professional ballet dancer in the 70’s and beginning 80ties. Dance has always been a large part of my life and a deep love. In my groups I have always used music to bring about certain energies and moods in order to affect a deeper contact with oneself and our true nature. Then the beginning of last year I connected with the Tango and have been loving it ever since. I am including an article that I wrote about it to give more of an idea why it has moved me so much.

The allure of Tango:
Tango is a dance that imbues many people with its magic. It is the only dance I know of, where old, young, tall, short, big and small, are dancing with each other in the same room to the same music.
Tango can reward you with experiences like no other dance. The word Tango itself evokes for almost everyone all kinds of ideas, feelings, images and sensations. There is the image of a couple fused together, moving in unison through space in perfect harmony while at the same time the dance and the connection convey an intense passion and intensity.
Tango arose in Argentina during the 19th century. It emerged through a dance that the black people of that time danced: The Milonga. Later the Milonga evolved into what is now known as Tango, although the original Milonga is still being danced today. It was initially danced by the men teaching each other and then they taught the women the dance by dancing with them during social dance events. So in the beginning there were no formal dance classes. From that early tradition on the man leads the dance and the woman follows.
Women often have their eyes closed while following intense, intricate and complex patterns with their feet and legs. That is really astonishing since the dance is mostly improvised. Often the woman can have an expression of rapture and bliss on her face as she and her partner move through space and at other times it can look deeply internal, quiet and meditative.

Besides its deep sophistication, the dance evokes a primal energy between men and women. Traditional tango, in which the man leads and the woman follows, can be a challenge for men. The leader must lead the dance, choreographs the steps moment by moment and at the same time needs to be aware of traffic when one dances in a crowded room with many other couples.

For the women she learns how to follow and that can bring her to a deep surrender, a fluid yielding and opening while at the same time she is on her own balance, meaning she chooses to give herself to the dance. A lot of women, who have danced for a while, report how beautiful it can be for them to surrender in this dance to their dance partner. There are not many places in contemporary culture where a woman can allow herself to surrender deeply to her partner and at the same time retain her own autonomy.

Dancing Tango is as if you are entering another universe with the person that you are dancing with. Listening to the music together while one is dancing, feeling for the weight and dynamic movement changes (that one needs to listen to since it is improvised and in the moment) creates an attentive presence that can bring forth a silent, nourishing intimacy.
Tango is not easy to learn, compared to other social dances and, like in all arts, one needs the ability to tolerate frustration every so often in order to become proficient at it. But if you get taken by this wonderful dance, then there are just not many things in the dance world that can provide you with such deep contact-full, nourishing experiences and rewards.


So this is part of my ever evolving personal experience and insight about Tango. In my personal life a large shift has also occurred that can be described with the words: The rehearsal for my life is over. Most of my life I have spent attempting to reach some elusive goal or state. The unconscious motivation was that once I had reached my goal I would be happy and fulfilled and be loved and respected by my environment. This whole approach has collapsed over the last few years. Obviously that process wasn’t easy since it brings up the unfelt experiences that get to you to look to the future in order to not experience them. When you no longer are involved in that approach, these feelings and experiences arise and only then can they be digested and metabolized and integrated.
The result for me personally is a lot more personal fulfillment in the moment when nothing special needs to be going on. There is nothing to shoot for in order to change the state that I am in this moment. The moment is OK no matter if it is pleasurable or difficult. Of course there are still moments when I am future oriented, but mostly this whole drive has relaxed: that is why: The rehearsals are over.

With regard to Tango these are some of the fun projects that I have created and am creating: The Tangofests on Mau: www.tangofestmaui.com, and a three week Tango intensive for people new to Tango coming in July to Maui. For more info go to the program page. That is it for now, much love to all of you
Gawain