Tango’s Closed Embrace: An Introverted Dance
Tango was born from a melting pot of ethnicities residing in the lower-class districts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay, in the late nineteenth century. Thousands of European immigrants longing for a lost homeland, and many from other diverse cultural backgrounds, all intermixed their musical heritages with each other. So, it's not surprising that when you compare the nostalgic Tango to Salsa or Swing, it appears to be more introverted, melancholic, and less social.
Tango’s nature is reverent, subdued, and structured. It allows dancers to focus on internalizing one’s experience of the music, engaging in the meditation of movement, and concentrating on their partnership rather than vying for attention. This sharply contrasts with Salsa, which is characterized by periods of solo dancing and moments where partners can show off their footwork - it's an extrovert’s dance - loud and exciting, and demanding personal expression.
Drawing on this comparison, we can see why people with introverted personalities are particularly drawn to Tango. According to the theories of the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, an introvert is defined as a person whose interest is generally directed inward, towards his own feelings and thoughts, in contrast to an extravert, whose attention is directed towards the outside world.
So, let’s break this down. What makes Tango an introverted dance, and why does this dictate which people it attracts?
Tango’s notorious closed embrace
Much of Tango is danced in a closed embrace where the “upper torsos are pressed against one another, close enough that the rhythms of one’s heart and breath are easily discernible”. Outer expression matters less, and this closed embrace offers a physically intimate and inwardly oriented space for the dance conversation between a couple to begin - this is where Tango gets its name for being the most introverted of all dances.
The aim is for the embrace to be a source of non-verbal communication for the couple through muscles, breath, and gestures while making them vulnerable to share with one another. It is flexible to allow movement; el abrazo can be closed, allowing for faster footwork and a heightened sensitivity to your partner, or an open embrace encouraging more flamboyant gestures and embellished footwork.
This intimate and highly sensual dance performance and conversation really starts at a milonga with la mirada (intense eye contact with someone to capture their attention). Once the lady nods in approval of the leader's cabeceo, she waits for her partner to approach her. Once he is right in front of her, she gets up to immerse herself in his embrace, and to dance. The idea is not to ask directly, which causes the other to feel obligated to dance; it is all in the eyes. In other words, non-verbal communication is key.
The music which accompanies this movement and embrace, has elements of nostalgia, desperation, and sadness, too, and it is Tango’s penchant for these feelings of absence that attract tangueros/as who are seeking deep connections with others, along with transcendence or spiritual practice.
Tango attracts those seeking deep connection
Now, introverts can be deep, analytical, divergent thinkers, highly sensitive, and empathetic and therefore many find relief through this intimate, quiet, and personal genre.
Many tangueros/as also study maths, engineering, or have maths-heavy science jobs that are sedentary, isolated, and involve unemotional expression and linear thought. The complexity of Tango’s technique really intrigues a mathematical mind, from the geometry of the moving body to the topology of links between dancers.
Therefore, Tango’s serenity can enable these people with introverted jobs to gain emotional balance, relieve stress, and to connect with what is missing from their day-to-day work regarding their mind, body and spirit. It is a chance to be expressive… and to debate about how many sacadas are possible in Tango, or dance a whole tanda with the same person.
Introverts can typically find it difficult to find community, adjust to social situations, and to interact with the opposite sex if they are not naturally gregarious, but dance can be used to develop more confidence and to ease awkward interactions. Firstly, Tango consists of mainly small local scenes and communities, helping people overcome limitations, stage fright, and their fears of intimacy.
Also, Tango’s culture has developed an etiquette; the rules help to invite others to dance, to refuse politely, and to be rejected. It requires you to be silent when asking for a dance, to avoid teaching moves at the milonga, and not to talk while dancing. Finally, some may struggle to obtain intimacy with a partner but, as Tango is danced in tandas, a set of three or four songs, it gives new partners this opportunity to bond.
The kind of connection created through Tango’s closed embrace is physically intimate with a partner but also deeply personal, allowing for self-reflection and stress relief, among many other benefits. Therefore, Tango seems particularly appealing for those who are naturally more introverted: typically contemplative, reserved, and yearning to engage in excessive introspection.
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