Abrazos

Sallycat posted recently about something she calls 'the gift', and the '6 classic bliss-seeking behaviours' of all the men she enjoys dancing with. I think it's a very inspiring analysis of the embrace that goes (literally) to the heart of it.

In the UK the embrace is hardly taught at all, and it's largely ignored in tango here. But then I've never found it taught anywhere, even in my brief visits to Buenos Aires. That is to say, the mechanics are discussed; this hand should be a bit higher or lower, firmer or a bit more relaxed, the contact and centre of gravity should be lower, the weight further forwards... But I've not heard anything until now about how the embrace functions between two nervous systems, what they might individually expect or need of it, what it might feel like, how we should approach it, all the things Sallycat draws attention to, which seem so basic that they are crying out to be discussed!

Sallycat talks of the embrace as if it IS tango, almost to the exclusion of music, the floor, the steps... That's very interesting, the thought of tango as AN EMBRACE, between partners who may or may not know each other, who hold each other close for a dance, enjoy the warmth and movement of each other's bodies, and then step away from each other with courtesy and humour. It seems to be such an ultimately civilised and civilising thing to do. I'd prefer to think of a trinity, of dance, embrace and music, but it's so good to focus on the experience of the embrace for a change.

Sallycat asks about our experience of the embrace, so if you haven't already found her post, follow the link. I think it's very illuminating, and it's well worth helping to define the human experience of dancing in embrace.