Curing the Body

On the market today there are a variety of homeopathic remedies available to help you return to a state of natural health: ayurvedic something, cranio-sacral therapy, massage therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, body talk (the newest I have heard of yet), rolphing or deep tissue massage, and special diets targeted toward different blood types, chakras, and energies.

Despite all of these natural therapies, there is one that has yet to be touted as bringing measurable results: Argentine Tango. Everyone and anyone who dances it knows its emotional, psychological and somatic health benefits. But, we don't necessarily tell everyone, because that would mean that tight, eclectic, and diverse group of people who dance with each other regardless of single or married status would suddenly have to share with others who may not be so sharing or caring.

I am running the risk of sharing, knowing that most people will either A. Not believe me B. don't like dancing, so therefore disagree with the whole premise of my thesis anyhow or C. don't want to invest the money into learning a very complicated dance that will make you literally kick ass at every other dance you ever learn in the future, and perhaps may make you the Mambo King or Queen of your next high school reunion. Who wants to do that?

Regardless of believing or not, those who dance Argentine tango worldwide are able to share a common and rather complicated dance language which is four basic steps in which all other steps stem off of. Then you have the four different styles of tango (which can further be broken down, but will be simplified for this treatise): tango nuevo, vals, regular tango and milonga. Each of these requires in-depth study as well.

Somehow the intricate study involved, the need to literally turn off your brain and let your body feel how it should weigh on the floor, react to your partner, and turn your whole being over to interpreting the music makes whatever happened earlier in the day a small speck in the universe of possible foot patterns, embraces, kicks, boleos, sacadas, etc... You feel, as you hold your head high, perhaps for the first time that day, that even though you couldn't conquer the jerks at work, or the endless piles of to-dos on your desk, that you have conquered the floor and surrendered to becoming one with what could be a practical stranger, your wife or someone new to your dance studio.

In addition, if you find that people hated you all day long, almost everyone at your Friday milonga loves you, even if they can't speak the same language as you. They kiss you on the cheek, ask you how your day was, and will want to sit down to have some bubbly water or wine. The body says "thank you for seeing I'm a human being like you, needing to have the platonic affection of others. The mind says, "thank you for not overusing me and letting the body take over for awhile."

And, when you wake up the next morning, after dancing for five straight hours on a Friday night, you don't look in the mirror and say "Oh do I look fat." You think, "I've been dancing, I have to look good, my tired muscles are telling me I have worked hard."

Perhaps there is a new cure for the body asking us to pay attention to it (and thus go through various homeopathic remedies which may or may not work). There is an old tried and true method to the blues, the not-so-feeling-fantastic body, and the "work sucks attitude": Argentine Tango. Its adherents will tell you, once you are hooked, you can't get enough of it. Anywhere you go in the world, there they are, ready to receive you and dance the night away: regardless of race, religion or creed.