My New Year's tango resolutions are simple as a-b-c.
- Dance simply. . .
- ...but not too much.
- Nurture my dance relationship with my partner.
1. Dance simply. Grace feels good and dancing (responding) to the music feels good. I plan to combine them as best I can without giving up the embrace. Now that I am back in the US, I see and feel the lure of doing cool steps, opening the embrace. Let the Force be with me. The Dark Side of tango gymnastics has corrupted so many Jedi Dancers. Let it not be me!
2. Dance a lot, but not too much. I am excited as a little kid. I want to discover more about grace and the Eight Elements of Movement and how they help with psychological resiliency. In 2015, with the help of great private lessons by master teacher, Michelle Lamb, I learned more about grace and how to appreciate grace on its own merits in tango. It goes along with what I have been learning for two years in Tai Chi. Learning about the power of grace has opened a lot for me. Because of this I want to explore gracefulness in the Eight Elements of Movement for myself and the trauma patients I serve. I plan to use Tai Chi movement in therapy this year for PTSD patients. All eight elements are my goal for my own fitness. In tango it is easy to have it as the only pill in one's RMMC (resiliency movement medicine cabinet). Each of the Eight Elements of Movement, when done with grace, help our resiliency and survival in a stressful world, I believe. And what are these elements? Think of the eight elements in the order in which we learn them as children:
- Swim (in the womb and later too!)
- Crawl (up from the ocean or across the carpeted floor)
- Climb (shown to clear the mind or help us with our first walk)
- Social movements of communication (includes self-and-other-care)
- Walk (including the amazing "tango walk" and our first steps as humans)
- Survival movements (playful fighting, self-defense, hunting, etc.)
- Run (fit enough for even the fastest DiArienzo milonga)
- Dance (the response to music with symbolic movements of all of the other seven)
3. Nurture my dance relationship with my life partner. Lastly, I want to keep expanding with the newness and wonder of dancing with my wife. Dancing with one's partner can get old. It takes a lot of honesty, openness and kindness to reach new horizons. But wow, it only gets better and better with her. Did you ever see partners that have been dancing together for long years and it is so amazing? This phenomenon is not automatic or easy. Jealousy ruins progress or stagnation of one's own dance and ruins the fun. For those without a life-partner, I would say you can still practice this with any of your favorite dance partners; so I share with you the challenge: Be exciting to your partners of many years!
As far as resolutions go, a-b-c tango will keep me very busy and happy.
Comments? Go to my page on Facebook: Tango Therapist or send me a message at Mark.Word1@gmail.com.
Photo credit: http://www.top10base.com/best-tips-achieving-new-year-resolutions-list/
