About the embrace (Basel)

 In each tango embrace, there is a whole Universe. A microcosm of sounds, sensations, scents and sights only to be found in that unique combination of two people coming together from their respective life situations, personal tragedies, triumphs or challenges.

What happens within a tango embrace is sometimes pleasantly familiar, like seeing an old friend and picking up the conversation from where you left it. It presents you with the wonderful sensation of feeling totally accepted, of knowing with absolute certainty that those tens of times you have danced in the past will carry you through any eventual bumps on the road.

Or, it can be a delightful journey of discovery with a total stranger, starting with caution that quickly gives room to the joy of connection and exchange of silly ideas. This reminds me of those days in your childhood when you made a new friend at the playground with whom it was easy to play from the start.

Just like some interactions outside the dance floor, some embrace universes start off tense and reserved. It is a bit like two shy forest animals meeting in an open field, tentatively testing the ground, ready to flee back to the safety of the undergrowth at the slightest sign of danger. But if things go well and both partners manage to convince each other of their good intentions, even these encounters can develop into a beautiful, trusting coexistence.

But what fascinates me the most are those embrace universes that evolve with time. They may start off with any of the above, but each time you enter them, you find yourself in a new environment. At first, you are not quite sure what it is that has changed, for the sensation is familiar yet curiously new. It may be because you yourself feel more relaxed, more enthusiastic or more confident, or because something that happened since the last time you danced has changed either one of you.

Often, in these instances you are faced with a more complete picture of yourself, of your dancing partner - and of life. Sometimes, this new knowledge takes your dance to new levels, opening up new vistas to what it means to experience life through tango.

And sometimes, in this new, unforeseen Universe, you suddenly feel as if you were the only two people on Earth. Like Adam and Eve, just before taking a bite of that proverbial apple. Like two children yet to discover the true dimensions of human life.

In those moments, everything is possible and nothing is excluded, for every step is a new beginning.

Kaikki reaktiot:

59Heli Anneli, Hanna-Kaisa Häyrinen ja 57 muuta