Being tango social dancing, a dancing on an impromptu basis, it has to be given a space to the feelings and perceptions, that the movement in circles counterclockwise , within the dancing floor, produces to the dancing couple, that are dancing in a shared space , with other couples.
To have a perception, will mean, not an unique view, not an ultimate truth, but, as De Quincey once wrote “A mode of truth, not of truth coherent and central, but angular and splintered” , that will give way to a personal experience to oneself , to explore and perceive, as in apprenticeship-
The proposal of tango as social dancing, is something that brings the need to suspend the mind , and awaken the intuition on the body language, to overcome new movements or ways to walk and go onwards.
The head / the mind, looks the steps and routines taught, there is a learning. And also, the body of the pupil receives the proposal from the teacher, and could decide not to produce the same movement, or to postpone the step until some day, when it appears in the middle of a dance , without explanation.
There will be intution on the woman, when she learn to have his body weight, on her left or right foot, depending the “marca” she receives from the man.
For the man, the intuition will be, on the practice of this “marca”, as leader of the movement made to the follower., If the woman doesn`t understand , the man ought not to explain verbally what he is intending to do , but to persevere on the “marca” until the woman receives in her body, the motion that is coming from the body of the man.
Once and again, with tender decision, they will practive this “marca”, until they manage to understand each other, within their body language , so for the leader, so for the follower.
The perfect is an enemy of the good enough, so , a little improvement, will produce a better understanding.
It is good for the woman and the man, to rotate dancing partners, within the tango lesson, so they try different “marcas “, within different persons.
I believe that the sharing of this dancing space, on the meeting at a “milonga”, when both parties of the dancing couple ( dancing as equals ) , learn to perceive the “marca” , from the intention of the movement of the man to the reception by the woman, is what makes tango social dancing in embrace, an unique space for a meeting.
Alberto Gesualdi
Tango pupil since 1999, at different places and teachers, in Buenos Aires.
1/74/2014