The Moment When Argentine Tango turns into a Soulless Theater!

Last week, I discussed the conversation between Pablo Veron and Sall Potter after their tango performance in The Tango Lessons. I tried to explain how the role of women should be through an exercise that I use in my lessons.

This week, I will talk about what a Tanguero’s role in a Tango Dance should be, taking into account Sally’s words. Let’s first remember what Sally said:

And you Pablo. You danced like I wasn’t there Like a soloist. It was meeting with a stranger on the stage. I couldnt Find you any more. You weren’t with me. You out there.Wtih them.

It is easy to see that loneliness is the dominant feeling in Sally’s words. How can a woman feel lonely in a dance where partners are close, like in the Argentine Tango? I am sure that women can easily give this answer to this question: It does not mean anything if the man is physically with the woman. The important thing is for the man to make the woman feel that he is with her.

So how does a man make the woman feel that he is with her in Argentine Tango?

As per the roles in tango, the man leads the woman. This is often confusing. It is a matter of debate how much man will lead and how much space he will leave for women. One thing is certain to me that if a couple is going to walk together in tango, this couple can see their way with the man lighting the way. Therefore, if we use this illumination with the term tango, this lead is no longer a preference after the dance begins, it becomes a necessity. Man should make women feel his presence by staying in constant communication with women. If he stops this communication, that is, leading, the relationship and dance will end. It is no longer Tango performed, but a soulless theater. Hence, the Man no longer has a choice not to light the way.

If the man begins to light the way in front of him, the woman is now doomed to follow the man’s steps to find her way. She tries to find her way by following the places that the man has pressed in order not to get stuck. Here we can talk about the footprints of the man, not the presence of the man. This is exactly what Sally feels when she complains to Pablo about leaving her alone. Pablo is physically there. But he deprived Sally of his light and returned to himself, forgot about her. She was left alone dancing with Pablo in a huge crowded hall.

Dear Tango fans, I know you have already technically heard a lot of things, how is the role of men in tango. Therefore, in this article I tried to explain the role of men in tango using some metaphors. I hope you enjoyed this post. Please share your comments with me. This way, I can continue to write, making sure that my voice reaches you. Everything for Tango 🙂

Oguzhan