Mari Travels with Tango

About 10 years ago, upon returning from some milonga, i wrote a post about the somatic pleasures of tango. Then, I had suddenly become aware of the sensual pleasure that the movement of the silky, smooth, swirling fabric of your own garment can produce on your skin. Although most of the reactions were positive, some people seemed to think it was somehow inappropriate to admit to be enjoying something so unashamedly hedonistic. Years have passed, and like most maturing women, I nowadays care even less about what other people consider to be an appropriate source of pleasure for me. Having devoted a lot of time to improving my technique under the tight supervision of my inspiring teachers in the previous 4-5 years, I realise that I am now entering another sphere of somatic pleasures. The smooth, swirling, spiralling movements of a well-executed tango turn now give me a deeper sense of somatic satisfaction than ever before. Moreover, sharing the prolonged sensation of a slow, controlled - ...

Riga Airport, 10 pm. Another tango journey behind me, I sit at almost exactly the same spot as three days ago and marvel at the way these trips always manage to reveal something new to me. How, at the same time, one can feel so drained - and yet so fulfilled - by this madness we have chosen as our hobby. The secret lies somewhere in the inexplicable, fleeting moments of deep human connection, of reaching across the divide of geography, history, language and culture. Of sharing your joys, sorrows, dreams and disappointments in the wordless communication of a full tango embrace. Of two people becoming one in the spiraling, continuously evolving movement to music that touches the deepest reaches of your soul. The unpredictability of it all is probably what keeps us so hooked. No matter how many attendees you know in advance or what kind of marvelous dances you had with them in the past, there can never be any guarantees that this time, you will be granted even a fleeting sensation of unit...

  Riga Airport, 7:25 am. After miraculously managing to sleep for full 3,5 hours and catching my first flight well before sunrise, now already killing time at this very familiar hub. The fact that it has been several years since I last flew into Riga only brings the memories closer. It is good to sometimes be reminded of all the choices made in order to sustain this travelling tanguera lifestyle. Looking at all these "normal" people, on their way to a romantic getaway or a beach resort with their extended family, I become very aware of the years devoted to tango - and the toll they have taken. Certainly, these have been intense, emotion-filled, deeply meaningful years. Although they didn't leave me with much to show for (if the frightening quantities of tango dresses and shoes aren't considered), they did store in me such wealth of experiences, such a reservoir of emotions at their fullest scale, that it simply must count for something. Tango as a lifestyle is often e...

  In tango, each embrace is a unique combination of two life histories, cultures and world views. Even when re-embracing someone you've danced with dozens of times in the past, some part of the embrace and the emotions it carries is always different. There are those embraces that fill you with clarity and calm, cleansing your mind of stress and unnecessary clatter. Their effect reminds me of drinking cool, refreshing mint tea or eating simple but nourishing meals, for they remind you of the simple joys of a healthy, non-excessive lifestyle. They also re-establish your faith in your abilities as a social dancer. Then, there are the flirtatious embraces. They are filled with play, suggestions and counter-suggestions, a constant ping-pong of ideas, gentle but intentional provocations, laughter caused by trial and error. They are also riskier than the former kind, for at any moment, they can be misinterpreted, go too far or lead to loss of meaningful contact. They could maybe be descri...