On communication, languages and tango (Hamburg)

At the park 'Planten und Blumen', contemplating life and love.

After  4 days of basically doing nothing else besides dancing in different milongas around Hamburg, I will be moving on tomorrow (Thursday). Not because I would be tired of this city, but because my curiosity about tango in Holland (an indeed, France!) is getting too much to bear. Even if by now I know that the experiences I have on the dance floor will be dictated by so many other things besides the nationality of dancers, I must admit that there really are differences in the tango culture of different countries.

Last year, I had the (admittedly very subjective) experience that my best dances would always be with immigrants, people who were to some extent 'outsiders', even if well and permanently integrated into the society in question. This time around too, I have been moved by the deep, speechless sense of understanding and connection that I have felt on the dance floor with people who represent some minority or another. Everywhere, ever since that first outdoor milonga in Stockholm, my most memorable dances have been with people of foreign origin to the county in question.

Of course, in order to make a point here, I will first need to define what a 'good dance' actually means to me. In my humble opinion and experience, establishing a sense of deep trust and respect that leads to feeling safe, accepted and appreciated whatever you do, sensing a mutual commitment to making the dance as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible, plus, to an extent, being able to test one's limits, to play on the edge so to speak, are the essentials. Not necessarily always in that order either, but if any of these is missing, then the dance will not touch or move me as much as my 'best dances' have. On the other hand, the 'level' of dancing, in terms of difficult combinations, fancy footwork etc, is NOT so important, as far as a few basic requirements are met; the embrace must allow me to stay on top of my own axis (and thus in charge of my own balance), and the lead must follow some recognisable component of the music (beat or melody of one of the instruments).

Strand Pauli, one of the venues where they hold milongas here. Unfortunately, yesterday's one was cancelled.

Why it should be that I find it easier to create this connection with immigrants, is a mystery to me. Perhaps, when you are amongst people who know you well and will still be around next week, month and year, you tend to become a little bit conservative, to play it safe and rely mostly on words for your communication? And on the other hand, when you are not yet fully integrated into the society and culture in question, you are forced to remain more sensitive to the non-verbal messages that tango relies on? After all, I am also an outsider to these cultures I visit, and for me too, dancing tango creates a window into the way people behave and how much they give of themselves.

Essentially, for me, the beauty of tango lies in the ease of communication and the mutual sense of gratification when that magical bond has been established. As a matter of fact, I see tango as a language among many, with the important exception that as with any other form of wordless communication, the chances of misinterpretation are actually significantly smaller than when semantics, intonation and context come into play. Being a lover of languages, not because of their different grammar and vocabulary but DESPITE of it, makes me appreciate the 'tango language' for its clarity, internationality and instinctive character. Here, at last, is a language that does not require memorising rules or word lists, as all you need is an understanding of how to carry yourself in order to best receive and react to the message from the person you are communicating with.

Having said that, I have also began to appreciate the richness and diversity of the languages I can use for communication. Even if my command of say Swedish or German is far from the ease with which I use English (itself still a far cry from how I can use my mother tongue), the fact that I can understand almost everything it says in the newspaper here, or pass hours in a bookstore browsing through the incredible variety of volumes on offer, is a constant source of delight to me. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon at the Zoological Museum of Hamburg, laborously reading through every single display explanation, marvelling at the beauty and logic of German. It does not even bother me that I cannot actively use more than a tiny share of the words I understand. (Probably, I would not have that much to say in the first place!) However, being able to read and follow both written and spoken German makes me feel strangely more alive here, it kind of confirms my existence as a person in this society.

Today, I managed to get my pedals replaced as they were making a funny noise when cycling. I was worried they might break somewhere on the way to Holland.

Similarly, my newly-gained ease of communication in the 'tango language' has made me feel much more accepted within the tango society. All of a sudden, I am being noticed much more than before, and I must admit it feels good. Still, I strive at remaining open and sensitive to anyone who wants to communicate with me through dance. That, to me, is the most accurate indication of how well I really master this language.