[The following wonderful article was kindly shared with us by Happy Cow's marvellous friend Kori Fitch. This is Kori's first contribution to Happy Cow. If you like Kori's work, please show your appreciation and encouragement by clicking on the 'Like' button at the bottom and sharing the article with friends.]
"Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky"
Rainer Maria Rilke
What is the tango? Just a dance? No the tango is an expression of a dance. It contains music and two individuals performing a particular form with passion. It may seem that it is the same dance everywhere, but it is not. It is a particular dance that requires unique steps with form, but can be expressed originally, creatively and soulfully. Two separate destinies collide and meet in form on the dance floor (in life). They must submit to the form, there must be a leader and a follower, traditionally it has been male and female combination, but these days we have all varieties of partners. It is really two souls dressed in a particular gender to dance here on Earth. You know instinctively that each dance is original. There can be no identical dance. Why? The reason why there is never an identical expression of the dance is because each individual is changing, expressing some mood that is never the same. It is really a celebration of life and the endless dance we have together.
Some people pick their tango partner young and some work individually on their own unique style alone for a long time, and finally meet the right partner later. Some tango dancers can never find the right partner, but they still dance. The reason, the one who never seems to fit with the right partner, doesn't get too upset is because they love the Tango. Everyone knows this Tango dancer - his steps are amazing and she really gives her best because she/he is completely in love with the tango itself. They sometimes become teachers and help so many people understand the nature of the tango, and how to create new steps and rhythms.
Some tango dancers will have more than one serious tangoship - they will meet the right partner at the right time, for the dance they have developed so far. In these moments their dance is grand and everyone thinks they are a great pair They may even give birth to a beautiful child. They may help each other in those moments to develop something unique that only that one partner could help him or her create, but these dancers often do not stay together for their entire dancing lives.
Some tango dancers find the right partner right from the beginning. Grace and divinity express itself in their version of the tango. They compete and win some and lose some. The dance seems to seep into every avenue of their existence. They welcome it and go out to find different competitions in different lands and meet different dancers just for the thrill of seeing other dances, like the Samba, Mambo and many others. They have to practice alone sometimes and they do, but when their arms lock and the music begins- magic happens.
Some dancers are so worried about their partners performance they miss their own steps and get out of rhythm. The Worried- partner is always concerned with the correct steps or the wrong steps her partner is making. The Easy-Going partner has been doing the dance for eons and always makes an impression on the crowd. He just lets the dance take him, smiles and goes with it. Sometimes he lets his Worried partner have it, not ever during a performance but sometimes in the dressing room later. The Worried-partner is never satisfied with her costume, steps or music. These two dancers have a grand ball-room style dance floor home and have taught many people to tango there. The music and dance that happens on their floor is supreme and lovely, but it is never enough for the Worried-partner who is constantly worried about right and wrong.
We can never forget that we are each a unique tango dancer. We bring our own grace and expression to each dance we perform. We should never forget our own destiny and or will to dance. The Dance is our purpose, we are individuals coming onto the floor to dance with another. We should never become the other dancer. We should never expect the other dancer to conform to our style either. We should never forget all the dancers before that taught us something so that our dance expresses itself in the highest form.
There is one natural dancer of long ago. He was superb, born with unique rhythm and moves. The tango took him as much as he took the tango. He decided to find his perfect tango partner. He did find her a while later, after he had won many performances and created quite the following. It was a special day for the tango dancer when he saw her dancing the Samba. When they met it was magic. Since the Natural tango dancer was well known and successful with his life as a tango dancer, the Samba dancer decided to learn the Tango. She was a good dancer so she learned fairly fast. She proved that she was devoted to the Tango. The Natural Tango dancer and the Samba dancer began to compete and won many competitions. They were a sight to see. Slowly but surely the Samba dancer began to sneak in Samba steps and started to change the Natural Tango dancers moves, rhythms and most everything. The Natural Tango dancer had his favorite competitions, one was the Latin Argentina Invitational with his mother every year, it was the mother-son Tango Dancers competition, but he no longer went. Another one was the New Mexico Brother and Sister Championship but he was too busy competing or practicing for the world finals in Spain. The good thing is that the Natural and his partner were winning a lot of championships and winning a lot of money. Their routine was good. Some people say the passion is gone from the Natural. It is a strange event to devote yourself to one partner and begin a life this way.
Dancing is an art and has many expressions. Many believe the highest form is the dancing with the opposite sex or the lover, but really the dance can be expressed on so many levels and one should not limit oneself to one partner for every expression of the dance.
For all those tango dancers looking for a permanent partner, always remember your tangoness that speaks to your heart. For those who are trying to find new partners do not think your dance is any less than those who have permanent partners. There are some tango dancers who are lone dancers, and decide they have danced such a brilliant dance with one great partner that no other dance could match. Just remember when the music finishes it is the rhythm, grace and excitement you both created together that is important.
We get messed up because we think the partner should save you, fix you, take care of you, secure you in an ever chaotic world. In the world of Latin dance there is space for each, arms are locked and steps intertwine, rhythm moves your body, you must be aware and know your partner, but you do not control them or ignore them in the dance. Never in the dance do the partners invade another’s space- or step on the foot of the other dancer. It goes for both physical and psychological space. If you were devoted to the union-the dance and worked on your own steps as much as creating new ones with your partner then you would have a great expression of the tango.
The dance and or life is ever changing, you and your partner are growing, thus your dance should change as you do. The dance should be the greatest expression of yourself, maybe even a higher one if you become the best creative dancer because of the relationship with the other dancer.
"And each person is such an infinite mystery, inexhaustible, unfathomable, that it is not possible that ever you can say that "I have known her," or, "I have known him." At the most you can say, "I have tried my best, but the mystery remains a mystery." In fact the more you know, the more mysterious the other becomes. Then love is a constant adventure."
Osho
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