The Best Pandemic Tango Ever

 

What is pandemic tango? 

Or even what is endemic tango?

Endemic and pandemic are not words only meant for disease!  In fact, these words have nothing to do with disease directly.  They have the same base meaning: -demic means "population."  En-demic is in-the-population and pan-demic is throughout-the-population from the original Greek. 

For those who follow this blog, I have suggested the four endemic M's in tango--Music, Motion, eMbrace, and Mindfulness.  Some friends even have suggested Manners (etiquette), and eMotion to make it six M's.  These "Ms" are pandemic to tango--present in the tango community no matter where you go.  Some of these M's may be really a lot more important to you now that you have not been dancing much.

So be mindful of what you miss during this time of being separated from your love of dance.  That defines what your body and mind seek out the most essential elements of tango.

The Element We Most Miss
Endemic to tango, at least for social tango, is the embrace, and many tango dancers miss the embrace the most during our physical distancing during this pandemic phase of our lives.  A colleague at work was the first person to touch me. We worried that she would die, and she was in the intensive care unit. I really didn't know her very well, but when she came back to work, I told her that I had prayed for her every day.  She wanted to embrace me, but she settled on a handshake. It felt so amazing to have social contact again. 

Let's be positive and proactive
Using the word "endemic"--prevalent or characteristic--helps us get back to basics to what dance really means.  Maybe it is not the social touch for you.  But what is the positive pandemic element in tango for you? What is always present and important to you?

A Prediction
At least for me, I think that I have also found what is endemic to a healthy life. This forced break from tango has brought me to see some of the positive things that have sprung up:  More reading, more deep sleep, more important projects that have been neglected, more conversations with my partner--these are also endemic to a healthy life.  As horrible as COVID-19 has been--as with all its tragedies--we humans can also find ways of surviving and being better. It is not a normal outcome of tragedies, but it can and does often happen.  I predict that many will transform their tango to be more regulated with earlier milongas and better sleep, and certainly, we will all be much better huggers when this is all over.

If you wish to contact me:  mark.word1@gmail.com .

Definition of pandemic is from Webster's

Photo credit:  https://danielcameronmd.com/time-to-designate-lyme-disease-as-a-pandemic/

Tango and Reincarnation

Reincarnation means something different in tango. 

Juan D'Arienzo's orchestra plays and you embody the music in a totally different way than if Troilo's orchestra is playing.  When your body changes so much, I would argue that this is a type of new "incarnation."  A new tanda starts, and then the next orchestra is Di Sarli. Now your incarnation of the music transforms you yet again.

So this sort of "reincarnation" is possible when we dancers let go of all the steps we have learned.  Reincarnation happens by listening to the music rather than nervously trying to knit one' "moves" all together during a tanda.  Let that go!  Breathe. Reincarnate as the music guides you to a new embodiment, moving uniquely through this present tanda.

Really it's bad karma to dance the same way to no matter what music is playing.

Why wait to die to be reincarnated the old way?  Each tanda, each orchestra, really each song gives you the chance at reincarnation.  I do not want to be flippant about Hindews or others who truly believe in reincarnation, but isn't it sad to leave your partner behind in reincarnation? Tango offers reincarnation with a partner; nirvana with a partner; heaven-on-earth with a partner.  If we get to choose, I choose reincarnation with every tanda and with every partner.  During a pandemic, it may mean dancing with a broom, dancing alone, but whatever you do--experience reincarnation regularly.

Photo credit