Untitled

An approach to
TANGO THERAPY
2nd Edition - Research and Practice
An approach to
2nd Edition - Research and Practice
Karen Woodley - Martin Sotelano
Prologue by Dott. Massimo Habib
Contributors: Tamara Di Tella, Massimo Habib, Anthony Howell, Graciela

Pesce, Adriana Pegorer, Marius Poliac, Greta Polo, Hiroko Uenishi
Tango Creations Publishers

United Kingdom
Tango Creations Publishers - Wales - UK
www.tangocreations.co.uk
First published in the UK by Tango Creations Publishers , Cardiff, Wales, UK, 2009
Second published in the UK by Tango Creations Publishers, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 2010
© 2009 Karen Woodley & Martin Sotelano

© 2010 Karen Woodley & Martin Sotelano
© 2010 Individual chapters: the contributors.
Printed and bound by Lulu

Cover illustration by Raul Delavy
Interior illustrations by Liliana Esperanza and Raquel Sarangello.
Photography by Martin Sotelano, PDS UK and contributors
Karen Woodley and Martin Sotelano assert the moral right to be identified as the authors
of this work
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or others means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
ISBN: 978-1-4467-2418-7
This book is also available in PDF format at

www.tangotherapy.co.uk
First Electronic Edition published in the UK by Tango Creations Publishers ,

Wales. Jan - 2009
Second Electronic Edition published in the UK by Tango Creations Publishers ,
Wales. Dec - 2010
Thanks to
Rosa Pinniger, Nicolas Delavy, Liliana Esperanza,

Raquel Sarangello and contributors (Tamara Di Tella,
Massimo Habib, Anthony Howell, Graciela Pesce,
Adriana Pegorer, Marius Poliac,
Greta Polo, Hiroko Uenishi)
for their support.
This book is for therapists, future therapists,

health professionals, tango teachers, tango lovers
and everyone who wishes to explore the power of this dance
and its applications in order to improve the human well-being.
It is dedicated to Llawdden
who danced Tango with Mummy and Papi
for nine months,
who blessed our lives on
December 11th 2008.
You teach us everyday about life.

We love you darling and dance with you
forever in our hearts.
C An approach to Tango Therapy
Disclaimer
This book is wholly produced by Tango Therapy UK , which

is established to encourage and support researches and
treatments in order to improve the quality of life
The main purpose of this book is to provide information on tango

use as a therapy and related issues to the general public.
All the health information in this book has been written in

consultation with a team of medical experts and therapists.
The information provided in this book should not be used as a

substitute for professional advice.
You should not act on any advice given in this book without first
referring to your family doctor or another medically qualified
adviser. The advice here is meant to complement but not replace
any advice or information given to you by a health professional.
The authors and contributors.
H 6h
Introduction
An approach to “TANGO THERAPY” 2nd Edition
By Karen Woodley and Martin Sotelano
A lot of things have happened since the first edition of this book.
We cannot believe that it was only two years ago.
We want to say “Thank you!” to all who support and have helped in the
realization of the first one and, of course with this one.
Tango, as a therapy, is a child, and this one is growing up very quickly.

Many people, all over the world,have started to use this technique. Many
new researches, studies, applications have been done.
It is our intention, in this second edition, to update the information, in
order to encourage and support the new practitioners of Tango Therapy.
If you are working on one of the many applications of Tango Therapy and
you are not already mentioned in this book, apologies. We tried contacting
everybody. But don’t worry, you can contact us and send your information
to [email protected], we will add it in the next edition. If it is
possible we will publish new editions every two or three years.
And, if the economic situation helps us, we will continue with the same
policy that we started with now with this second edition: every buyer
of the paperback edition will receive the next edition for free in PDF
(electronic book).
Please, remember to register your paperback copy of “An approach to
TANGO THERAPY” and we will keep in touch and you will receive the next
edition in PDF for free.
Tango Therapy is a therapeutic technique that uses the Argentinian tango

dance and its music integrated with special exercises as an alternative
therapy in palliative care.
“An approach to Tango Therapy” is a concise and practical introduction in

order to help the formation of Tango Therapists.
This updated edition is a reply to the increased interest in the use of the
tango dance as a therapy.
We bring together contributions from experts in the field to offer the
reader a valuable insight into the practice of Tango Therapy.
Subjects covered include:
Why Tango as a therapy ?

Tango as an exercise
Tango Therapy with people with Parkinson’s
Tango Therapy with people with Alzheimer’s
Tango and children with disabilities.
Tango Therapy and social phobias
Personal development through Tango
Embodiment in Tango Therapy training and practice
Tango to improve relationships
An approach to Tango Therapy will be welcomed by students and

practitioners in arts therapies, dance and movement therapies,
psychotherapy, counselling, and other health and social care professions.
Karen Woodley and Martin Sotelano are the directors of Tango Therapy UK
and founders of the International Association of Tango Therapy.
Contributors: Tamara Di Tella, Massimo Habib, Anthony Howell, Graciela

Pesce, Adriana Pegorer, Marius Poliac, Greta Polo, Hiroko Uenishi.
Karen & Martin

December 2010
Karen Woodley - Martin Sotelano 1
Prologue
By Massimo Habib
Tango or Tangotherapy?
Why should you decide to attend a Tango Therapy course or try a Tango
therapy experience?
Let’s try to answer this question.
If you want to learn Argentine Tango, well, the solution is simple. You have
to subscribe to some lessons, learn technique and that's all.
Many “Tangueros” react to the idea of Tango Therapy in a skeptical way.

And, in the first instance, they are right. “Why should I participate in a
Tango Therapy experience when to me it's normal and gratifying to dance
Tango?”
The solution to this question could be simple: The real difference between
Tango and Tango Therapy is the goal we want to reach. In the first
case the goal is to learn Tango, in the second the goal is to understand
something new about me through Tango, if we intend Tango therapy in a
psychological way, or to improve the wellness and the health of my body,
if we intend Tango Therapy in a physical way.
So, why tango lessons are not enough to reach these goals?
Because in Tango therapy we use specific Tango tools to achieve goals.
Let’s make examples.
If you have a problem about relationships, we’ll concentrate in contact

and roles. Contact in Tango is very particular. We touch mostly on breast
level lighting up heart sensations. When we touch in this way something
particular happens: it reveals the mood you are. But if we want to make
effective this tool we have to understand what happens when we touch.
The Tango Therapist knows what is happening and knows what to do to
make it useful for your problem. If you have a problem with your masculine
part and for example you don’t succeed in solving life problems, work out
pragmatic problems and so on, may be you need to rebalance your energy
and Tango Therapy, playing with female and masculine roles can help you
to find a solution.
H 9h
If you have an anxiety problem we will use the female part of Tango to
relax you dancing in a particular way embraced with the therapist taking
advantage of his ability to feel you and to treat your kind of anxiety.
If you have identity problems, the therapist will concentrate in your

relation with ego boundaries using contact, measure and distance.
If you are a Parkinsonian you will take advantage from exercises about
synchronization, coordination and rhythm.
As you see, tango has plenty of tools available for different diseases. This
book talks about these.
But the real contribution of Tango Therapy is to integrate the use of these
tools, for these tools are enlaced in the nature of Tango itself.
So, Tango frameworks act like a support and a set of tools in the mean
time. Tango therapy studies the ways these tools and this framework can
help people to feel better in different ways, for different problems.
Sometimes, when I give simple Tango classes, my students tell me about
personal problems and diseases and feel curious about Tango Therapy,
knowing well that they are not doing Tango Therapy with me in that
setting.
Sometimes they ask me for a Tango Therapy experience so that they can
feel the difference.
Dot. Massimo Habib
H 10 h
S TANGO s
H 11 h
uu Picture: Raquel Sarangello - “Gardel”
TANGO, a little history
Tango is a music and a dance from the cities at both sides of the Rio
de la Plata river: Montevideo, Uruguay and Buenos Aires and Rosario,
Argentina; and in time, Tango was recognized as the characteristic music
of that geographical area.
From the Africans rhythms, with the slaves in Haiti, Central America, a
very popular rhythm appeared, the Tango, from the name of one of the
typical instruments, a drum called tamtamngo.
In 1793 a slave rebellion pushed many slave owners, with his slaves, to
emigrate to Cuba.
In Cuba, the slaves started to play the “tangeadas contra dances” but
Cuban people just called it a Tango.
The Spanish sailors, from Cadiz, took the rhythm to their country
and there it was called “Tango Andaluz” (Tango de los Tirabuzones,
circa 1810). Many types of Tangos appear and one of them, the Tango
for Theatre (Tango to be played in the Zarzuelas (traditional Spanish
operetta), arrived to Buenos Aires, with a zarzuela company, in 1854.
One of the members of that company, Santiago Ramos, composed the

first tango with a lyric inspired in the customs of Buenos Aires, “Toma
Mate”, a typical herb drink from the pampas.
Tango started from a combination of the different musics that the

immigrants in Argentina brought from their countries in the nineteenth
century: people with very low income, “compadritos” (braggart, arrogant
boaster, show off; bully, intimidator) and black people met together to
dance. It is a combination of Rio de la Plata folkloric music and European
music, with the rhythm of the Candombe (Africa) and the Habanera (Cuba,
Central America), it is a mixture of cultures.
At the beginning, the musical instruments in the tango orchestra was

the drums, the guitar and the flute, but later the piano and the violin
were incorporated. The most characteristic instrument of tango is the
Bandoneon, but it was added two decades later.
Most of their lyrics are in “Lunfardo” that it is a slang from the prisons.
H T13 h
In the beginning, the Tango was a dance only for men, danced in the
suburbs, but at the beginning of the twentieth century women started
to dance tango but in cabarets, in a very sensual way. This way to dance
tango was not accepted by the common people but, because the tango
start to be an emergent phenomenon it left the suburbs to grow.
When the tango started it was mainly music only, but it began to be tango
songs, with lyrics, but, because of its origin, the lyrics were rude and
obscene with plenty of “double meanings”.
The tango dance was a play of the relations between a night walker and
her customer. Some titles of the early tangos make allusions to that
world. As an example, one of the most known tangos called “El Choclo”
( The maize) is an allusion to the feminine organ, in Argentinean Spanish
“chocho”. Those songs are without lyrics, and was danced in an erotic and
improvised way.
In the early times of the twentieth century, the lower classes started to
impose some of their culture, and tango was part of that. But when tango
was known to the whole society, it lost some of it’s spirit, but its dance
structure remained.
Another change was in the rhythm, from quick, agile and snappy it started
to be slow and melancholic following the style of life of the high class.
In 1913 the tango triumphed in Paris and Rudolph Valentino danced it in

one of the scenes of the movie “The four horsemen of the Apocalypse”
(1921).
The common people understand Tango as only one rhythm/musical style,

but it is a combination of several rhythms and melodies, with a relation of
continuity: Habanera - Candombe - Milonga - Tango, each one is danced in
different ways.
This summary of their origins is not complete, but we consider that it will
be enough to understand the application of each dance in the process of
Tango Therapy.
The Candombe:
The origin of candombe was in Africa and was developed in Uruguay
because of the slaves brought from Africa during the seventeenth century.
At the beginning it wasn’t called candombe, the black dance had two
names, calenda or tangos. After 1830 it start to be called candombe.
H T14 h
The candombe is focusing in the rhythms of the drums (Tamboril), it is
much more than a musical style, it is a way of life, a culture.
The candombe was taken to Brazil where it evolved in a different way
(Candomble - Samba).
The candombe is like an emblem of the negritude.
We can see its typical characters, La Mama Vieja (the old mama/mother),
El escobero (the broomstick man) and others in the “Comparsa”
The Milonga:
The milonga was the meeting place were the Bantus (Africans) made a
circle and in the centre of that a couple showed a fertilization dance, in
thanksgiving to the harvest. Another origin of the Milonga word, also
African, is trouble.
By Horacio Ferrer[1] is the European contra-dance of the Rio de la Plata
blended with the candombe drums.
Its musical structure is 2/4 and was introduced in 1870 in the meetings of
the lower classes in both sides of the Rio de la Plata.
Its origin is from Candombe and some researches say the people from
Rio de la Plata (Compadritos) tried to copy the candombe rhythm
exaggeratedly and with “cortes” and “quebradas”.
The milonga went along with the beginning of the dance with embraces
and was a choreographic revolution among the tango.
The milonga has a notorious influence in the development of the tango, it

has evolved itself and is an independent style.
The Tango:
Some theories say that the word “Tango” comes from “tang” from one of
Africa’s languages and means touch, feel, approach, come close.
Tango was the name, also, of the place where the “negros bozales”
(African black people) met each other to dance with the drums.
But the tango, as a typical Argentinean dance, started in the lower classes
[1] Horacio Ferrer: Uruguayan poet, author of the lyrics (with Astor Piazzolla) of Balada para
un loco, Chiquilin de bachin (Wikipedia)
H T15 h
of Buenos Aires society and other harbours of the Rio de la Plata.
The tango comes from the milonga, a dance created by the contributions
of the African and European inmigrants.
In 1907 Alfredo Gobbi and Enrique Saborido (Uruguayans dancers and

composers) introduced the tango in Paris and it was a success. From there
to all Europe and USA.
1917: an humble singer from Rio de la Plata sang “Mi noche triste” (My
blue night) and from there the legend began, the singer was Carlos Gardel
who died tragically in Medellin, Colombia in 1935.
Just to mention some of the most recognized figures related to tango:
Enrique Saborido, Angel Villodo, Manuel Campoamor, Pascual

Contursi, Julio de Caro, Celedonio Esteban Flores, Enrique Santos
Dicepolo, Catulo Castillo, Alberto Castillo, Piazzolla, Pugliese, Julio
Sosa, Tita Merello, Canaro, Goyeneche and more than this it is
impossible to mention here.
The Criollo Waltz:

The origin of the waltz is from Germany, and it is accomplished by couples
with gyratory movements and translations. Its music is with ternary
rhythms with sixteen times.
During 1810 the waltz started to be danced in Buenos Aires, in the high
society events and coexisted with polkas, shotis and habaneras.
As in other places, the waltz assumes some special characteristics relative

to the countries it is danced in.
The criollo waltz or tango waltz used the typical bands from the Rio de la
Plata and began to be listened to in the common peoples social events.
The immigrants from Italy, Spain and other countries also contributed
with this transformation and the tango musicians and authors
incorporated it in their own repertoires.
H T16 h
In 1980 a Tango Renaissance began in Buenos Aires. Some of the first

teachers were not experienced in the traditional ways of Tango and these
new teachers presented a different style to the dance.
Gradually, the people who had been dancing in the Golden Age began to
dance again.
A desire to pass on to the younger generation the dance they loved.
H T17 h
TANGO STYLES
Tango is the image of Buenos Aires but, circa 1910, it was introduced in
Europe by Argentinean musicians and dancers.
The success was amazing, and from Europe to EEUU.

From the beginning, tango dance and the music of tango too, evolved.
There exists different styles to dance the tango.

we will mention a few of them:
Argentinean Tango:
The most important thing in this style is the improvisation. There are
several steps, sequences and figures but every dancer has the freedom to
use them as they wish.
It is a dance with a close embrace, chest to chest, and sometimes, head to
head (Cheek to cheek).
Legs lightly separated, the couples look like as inverted “v”.
Walking is an important element, the dancers keep their feet on the floor,
every time that one leg passes over the other, the ankles and knees graze.
The man can do one figure and ask the woman to do another.
Canyengue Tango:
Was danced up to 1920. The fashion of the women’s dress was long,
tight skirts and it was not possible to do long steps. For this reason, it is a
style with short steps, with the knees lightly turned and with the couples
slightly separated but in a close embrace.
It was a street dance with a jumping style that is also possible to observe
in the Milonga rhythm.
Plain (Liso) Tango:

Developed for small saloons full of people. The dancers have space only
for a few steps.
They need to try not to stop the dance line (contra-clockwise circle).
H T18 h
The position of the bodies of the dancers is straight and a little open to
the right side of their couple. If they use the close embrace, they need to
separate it when they do turns.
The basic steps and decorative figures are used in this style. But “voleos“,
“ganchos” and “sentadas” usually are not.
Lounge / Saloon (Salon) Tango:

This style can be danced in big dancing saloons or places not too full. It is
an open embrace style with “voleos“, “ganchos” and “sentadas”.
It is also known as “Villa Urquiza” style.
Milonguero Tango:
Was developed in 1940 for tearooms or little spaces.
It is with a close embrace, chest to chest and bodies lightly bent down in
order to allow foot movements.
The woman’s “voleos” are down, without putting the leg up. The
decorative figures are tiny because of the space.
Tango Show:
It is used in shows and events usually. It is the most exaggerated and
theatrical way to dance tango, with many decorative figures, and
movements where the embrace can be broken
As an opposite of the other styles, this is not improvised, it is with a
previous choreography and to special music.
Ballroom Tango:
When the tango dance arrived to Europe and EEUU it was simplified
and adapted to the preferences of the ballroom dancers. Also, it was
incorporated into international ballroom contests.
The music is instrumental tango only (4/4), the posture of the head is
straight and the bodies separated. All movements are exaggerated and
the head movement does not belong, as we know, to the Argentinean
tango.
There are two Ballroom styles, American and International.
H T19 h
S DANCE THERAPY s
H 21 h
Picture: Liliana Esperanza
THE PIONEERS OF THERAPEUTIC DANCE
Therapeutic movement exists worldwide and from its history we can

see how it has been influenced and changed by many “artists”. Artists
because movement is an art and starts with the person feeling from their
interiority.
Movement Is life, is everything and when we move, when we dance
with movement that has meaning, that has connection with another,
connection with the stars, movement with another, we are living life,
loving and creating.
Moving in relationships, creating relationships is essential for us to survive.
Isadora Duncan (1877 - 1927)

The revolutionary contemporary dancers work influenced all subsequent
western concert dance. One of her primary goals as a dancer was to
create: “A dance that would be a subtle translation of the light and the
whiteness. So pure, so strong, that people would say: it is a soul we see
moving, a soul that has reached the light and the whiteness.” Further,
movement inspired by nature was at the core of her technique. She wrote:
“The dancer of the future will be one whose body and soul have grown so
harmoniously together that the natural language of that soul will become
the movement of the body. She will dance the changing life of nature,
showing how each part is transformed into the other.
Isadora placed the dance in the solar plexus, the wellspring and centre of
movement located in the body between the heart and lungs, at the locus
of emotion and breath.
Martha Graham (1894 - 1991)

An American dancer and choreographer, one of foremost pioneers of
modern dance whose influence on dance is comparable to Stravinsky on
music and Picasso on the visual arts.
Graham invented a new language of movement and used it to reveal the
passion, the rage and the ecstasy common to human experience.
H DT23 h
Doris Humphreys (1895 - 1958)
Was interested in the fundamental importance of tension and relaxation
in the body as Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham and used it as the
foundation of her own system of movement principles.
She called her version of the contraction and release of muscles and of
the breath cycle “fall and recovery.” Underlying her teaching method was
Frederick Nietzsche’s idea about the split in the human psyche between
ones Apollonian ( rational ) side and the Dionysian (emotional, instinctive)
side.
The true essence of modern dance was the movement that happened
in between these extremes which she labelled “the arc between two
deaths”.
Katherine Mary Dunham (1909 - 2006)

An American dancer, songwriter and anthropologist had one of the most
successful careers in American and European theatre of the 20th century
and was called the Queen of Black Dance. Her Dance technique, “The
Dunham Technique” she described as modern with an African base.
Black writer Arthur Todd described her as “one of our national treasures.”
Regarding her impact and effect he wrote: “The rise of American
Negro dance commenced ... when Katherine Dunham and her company
skyrocketed into the Windsor Theatre in New York, from Chicago in 1940,
and made an indelible stamp on the dance world... Miss Dunham opened
the doors that made possible the rapid upswing of this dance for the
present generation.” “What Dunham gave modern dance was a coherent
lexicon of African and Caribbean styles of movement -- a flexible torso and
spine, articulated pelvis and isolation of the limbs, a polyrhythmic strategy
of moving -- which she integrated with techniques of ballet and modern
dance.” “Her mastery of body movement was considered ‘phenomenal.’
She was hailed for her smooth and fluent choreography and dominated
a stage with what has been described as ‘an unmitigating radiant force
providing beauty with a feminine touch full of variety and nuance.”
She also talked about the Indian Chakra points using these with the
African foundation where the dance is based on animals, plants, the
elements of the universe, giving you a sense of release by letting the body
go.
H DT24 h
Carl Gustav Jung (1875 - 1961)
The Swiss psychiatrist who spoke of the “collective unconscious” and

developed his own school of “analytical psychology”. Jung was a student
of Sigmund Freud and developed a technique whilst working with his
patients which he called “Active imagination allowing the patients to
express what is in their subconscious, their dreams through movement.
The unconscious appears not just in dreams but also in feelings, in the
sensations of the body. Jung’s work and understanding of the emotions
gave a big jump into dance movement therapy.
And in his last book before his death he mentions that the psychology of
the future needs to have a corporal dimension.
Laban (1879 - 1958)

Rudolf Laban was a great influence in dance movement therapy in both
America and in Britain. He said that “The movements of dance are the
movements of life”
He used a system called “effort-shape” in order to analyse how a dancer
moves. He worked with the inner motivation of movement and the outer
functioning of the body and taught about the relationship between the
body and spatial tensions. By the 1930’s in Britain especially the dance
therapy movement was strongly founded on the principles established by
Laban.
H DT25 h
PHYSIOLOGY RELATED TO DANCE

“There is no learning without movement”
Jean Piaget
The Dance
Movement gives us contact with reality.
The dance, the movement that comes from inner impulses born from
the heart moves all our physiology. Physiological movements that are
connected to life. Dance is good for the body, good for the mind, good for
the soul, and gives a spiritual dimension to our lives that is rooted within
the body.
When we dance into the rhythm, we are dancing in direct connection

with our instincts; we are dancing in direct connection with the reality.
Dancing in connection with our natural forces is the archaic wisdom that
lives within us and often is asleep. This wisdom is essential for a healthy
life. This wisdom is what is educated out of us and through our dance,
we can re-educate it back into our life. When we dance the melody, the
romanticism, we are dancing in a communication through our feelings. We
are allowing our hearts to speak, our feelings to flow through us not being
afraid of who we are. It is something very beautiful opening your heart as
you dance.
When we dance endorphins are released into the body, these are
neurotransmitters produced in the brain that reduce pain and as a result
our thoughts become more positive as well. Endorphins are like a natural
euphoria that give us a natural high, we don’t have to take drugs we just
need to dance together!
Dance activates and directly influences the neurovegetative system,

which is also called the nervous autonomous system. The autonomous
nervous system governs the involuntary visceral processes of the body
and is seen as a barometer of emotional intensity and internal conflict;
it acts as a homeostatic regulator of emotional intensity. This system is
divided into two sub-systems if you like the sympathetic and the para-
sympathetic system. The sympathetic system is related to the fight or
H DT26 h
flight mechanism within the body and the para-sympathetic to resting
and organic respiration and digestion. When we dance slowly with
soft movements, we are activating the para-sympathetic system. Our
heartbeat decreases and we are able to rest and experience peace.
When we dance with our whole physiology in action to euphorising music,

we are stimulating the sympathetic system. We are alert, fully awake with
an increase in heart rate.
The neurovegetative system in babies is very strong. From birth to 3

yrs the baby is communicating from inside to outside. In 3 months if the
baby is in a warm, safe, loving environment all the connections from the
hypophysis and pituitary gland are made in the brain. The centre of the
emotions have two movements:
uu The action mechanism fight or flight

uu The internal movement mechanism - rest.
LOVE: Love is nutrition, when we are connected to the centre of our

emotions we can feel ourselves and connect with the world continually
from our heart. The dance of love, the Tango facilitates this connection
with the world!
Poets say, “Love can change the world”
If everybody danced from his or her love centre then what the poets say is
scientifically true!!
Why exercise, why dance?

Because Physical activity can prevent many major illnesses and much
evidence shows, that regular exercise can be a prophylaxis to:
uu Diabetes
uu Osteoporosis
uu Cancer
uu Heart disease by lowering the blood pressure
uu Obesity.
Dancing also boosts the immune system and the self-confidence thus
beating depression, dancing away the blues and is a chanel for creativity
to emerge. In a combination with a balanced diet, dancing can help one
H DT27 h
maintain a healthy weight.
It is a great form of communication and enhances posture, balance and

timing, which boosts the self-esteem, the healthy body awareness and
confidence.
The Tango dance is way to experience, express and embody our creative
and sensual energies. It is to be moved by the emotions and guided by
another.
Each new movement is a new circuit in the brain that appears like fresh air
giving you the opportunity to realise something new, to create something
new, to change the old habits and beliefs about yourself and to dance your
desires. Eroticism is the healing force of the century!
The energy centres of the body

Aslo known as Chakras (sanskrit for wheel)
The first wheel is the foundation of emotional and mental health. It is

about feeling at home and standing up for you. Some physical ailments
related to this wheel are back pain, depression, addictions, and sciatica.
The base of the spine, legs, bones, feet and immune system are some of
the organs related to this area in your body.
The second wheel of the body is the centre of personal power, creativity,
sexuality and personal finances All disease related to this area can be
healed by finding your power again
The third wheel is where we hold our self esteem and maintain strong
boundaries, to have high self esteem and confidence in oneself is
beautiful. The organs are the stomach, adrenal glands, kidneys all behind
the solar plexus
The fourth wheel of the body is the powerhouse of the human energy
system, the heart. Related to love. If you have breast pain, upper back
pain, shoulder pain this is the wheel we will exercise. The centre of your
chest, heart, arms, hands, thymus gland are all organs of this wheel.
The fifth wheel is the throat, parathyroid, mouth, jaw, teeth, gums and is
the energy centre of having faith in life, in divine guidance.
The sixth wheel of the body is the centre of ‘intuition‘, the third eye that is
H DT28 h
1
related to the pineal and pituitary glands, the nervous system, eyes, ears,
nose and the brain. To see the difference between truth and illusion.
The seventh wheel of the body is our connection with our spiritual nature.
Finding your personal relationship with the divine. Energy disorders,
depression, exhaustion can be related to our ability to trust life. The
skeletal and muscular systems and skin are related to this centre.
Dancing is a natural way to access our energy centres, to be guided by

them and at the same time to stimulate their healthy expressions.
H DT29 h
The Psychological aspects of Dance and

movement as a therapy
Introduction:
Dance has many benefits physically as we are all aware of but it possesses
many psychological benefits too. And benefits I feel that that one cannot
experience or realise through verbal analysis alone. We are our bodies, if
we are sad our body shows this, if we are inspired it shows in our face, our
walking; when we are confident it shows, when we are angry it definitely
shows. The body cannot lie which tells us that it has a wisdom and
intelligence born from the instincts.
When we dance and move an energy awakens within us that is
spontaneous even if we are simply focusing on a particular form, it
awakens and is available to explore. If we explore it we can recover many
latent emotions, potentials that need expression in order to live happily
and healthily. For example a woman may be in analysis for yrs with the
belief in herself that she has no energy, that she is not good enough to
succeed in life, she is not intelligent but when she moves her body she is
like the sunshine, so alive, vital and very intelligent.
Movement and dance are an art and we cannot separate the art from the
creator, so you are the art. Being spontaneous, playing, recovering the
first impulses of movement are what is essential in the creative process
and if we are the art then we are the creative process too!
We are our emotions:

Movement and dance are ways to access our emotional, feeling self to
discover that the culture did not entirely destroy our ability to love and
create. Realising that we are not just made up of muscles that need
exercises to stay in shape! We are our emotions and when we dance we
discover the beauty of who we are again and again. Another example
would be a man who learnt as a child that it was not safe to touch people,
that he was dirty and had to keep his distance. This man may be an adult
who lives alone to be safe but, inside is bleeding to death because he has
no human contact. Through dance he may be able to hold hands with
others, dance together and eventually over time move his body in direct
contact with other dancers. He has learnt a new psychology of being.
The effects of emotions on our health:
H DT30 h
Fear of losing love and a lack of love in ones life as well as rage that is
internalised all have serious consequences on the organs. Emotions not
expressed stay stagnant in all the vital organs of the body. Many people
especially in our society do not know how to express themselves and so
the emotions that are inside of them end up attacking the immune and
neurovegetative system like a rebel who says, ‘look im here’. Thus, many
psychosomatic and more serious diseases take over a persons life. For
example Asthma which is about dependance and submission, it is a lack
of love from significant people and a repression of crying in a child. In an
adult it is about difficulty in communicating intimacy. High blood pressure
or hypertension is an inhibition of rage, repressed hostility and a fear
of rejection. A person with rheumatoid arthritis expresses his emotions
through his musculature as oppose to his organs, emotions, real feelings
“Instinct never acts like a momentary impulsive source, but always like a
constant force. Not coming from the external world but the inside of the
body, it is useless to try to escape it.”
Sigmund Freud
Wilhelm Reich
A disciple of Sigmund Freud said the unconsciousness is the body and
the organs and localized the repression of instincts and emotions in
muscular tensions, muscular armour. According to Reich the repression is
not something that just happens in our psyche, it has social and political
dimensions too. Repression in the body known as the rings of tension
are possible to dissolve through music and dance. Giving the body a new
experience, a new memory in order for the natural impulses and instincts
to flow again. Healthy people spontaneously express their emotions, while
sick people hide them or put them onto innocent victims. The dissociation
of expression always shows a degree of pathology. The expressive
integration of the face and the body is a sign of health.
Carl Jung
Spoke of the active imagination as something best expressed through
movement, through rhythm. I feel dance movement is essential as it puts
us back in our bodies and encourages us to listen to its sweet language.
In his final work Jung relates active imagination to the entire process of
alchemy, that is transformation, to the development of self knowledge
H DT31 h
and the process of individuation which is in short becoming aware of
oneself, discovering the diamond within, Of what we are in essence as
oppose to our egos.
Conclusion:
The world of the emotions is less understood by psychotherapy and
explored more in literature, art, poetry and dance. The repression in our
bodies has been created by the dissociation of the culture perpetuated
throughout the history that shows anti-life values. When there is no
smile, happiness, touch, self-expression there is no change, no trust and
we don’t feel. If our identity is corporal, the body is what is each person
is then there does not exist identity outside of the body. Neurologically
the identity grows from the love the child receives in the first years of life.
So, if we enter dances and movements that connect us with life we have a
chance to find the essential energies again.
H DT32 h
S TANGO THERAPY s
H 33 h
Picture: Raquel Sarangelo “Pareja”
WHAT IS TANGO THERAPY

“The term Alternative Medicine has existed for centuries. It implies
a category of treatment options that are non conventional. In part,
Alternative Medicine rests on the assumption that a holistic component
of healing exists within the human body and psyche and that treatments
can be derived from natural influences that exist within”.[1]
Alternative treatments increased during the late 20 th century, and
efforts to mainstream remedies into conventional remedy evolved many
practitioners thinking into becoming more accepting and inclusive of
non-conventional medicine. The compromise seemed to be that patients
would not have to choose between use of either natural medicine or
pharmacological agents, for instance, but could complement one practice
with another.
Music, Movement and Dance Therapy are powerful and recognized

alternative techniques that can help to improve your health and also be
applied as palliative care.
The physical benefits of movement therapy include greater ease and

range of movement, increased balance, strength and flexibility, improved
muscle tone and coordination, joint resiliency, cardiovascular conditioning,
enhanced athletic performance, stimulation of circulation, prevention
of injuries, greater longevity, pain relief, and relief of rheumatic,
neurological, spinal, stress, and respiratory disorders. Movement therapy
can also be used as a meditation practice to quiet the mind, foster self-
knowledge, and increase awareness. In addition, movement therapy
is beneficial in alleviating emotional distress that is expressed through
the body. These conditions include eating disorders, excessive clinging,
and anxiety attacks. Since movements are related to thoughts and
feelings, movement therapy can also bring about changes in attitude
and emotions. People report an increase in self-esteem and self-image.
Communication skills can be enhanced and tolerance of others increased.
The physical openness facilitated by movement therapy leads to greater
emotional openness and creativity.
Another important benefit of movement therapy that is increasingly

recognized by mainstream as well as alternative practitioners is social
[1] Music and Medicine, Vol 1, 1st of July 2009 Sage Publications.
H TT35 h
support. Many people, particularly those suffering from depression
related to physical illness or other forms of stress, find that taking a
yoga class or other group form of movement therapy relieves feelings of
loneliness and isolation. People who have taken therapeutic riding have
reported that the positive relationship they developed with their horse
helps them relate better to other animals and to people.[2]
“Tango Therapy is a therapeutic technique that uses the Tango

dance and Tango music (such as candombe, milonga, tango and
criollo waltz) integrated and/or combined with special exercises as
a palliative therapy or to prevent diseases framed in a particular
methodology and delivered by a trained expert with special skills.”
It is also a powerful technique that explores the personal resources and,

at the same time, maximizes the aptitudes of the human being. Tango
Therapy needs to be led by a Teacher / Therapist with experience in
understanding the meaning of communications between the participants.
Because of the combination of this particular music, the capacity

of creation in the tango dance, the tango dance as an exercise, and
the philosophy of the encounters in Tango it is possible to apply this
technique:
To help people to live a more joyful life in connetion with

themselves, as a part of a society and with its interactions in a
couple.
To discover and resolve some conflicts.
To increase self esteem
To improve the body image.
To overpass anxieties and fears
To enhance the relationship between partners.
To improve body postures and balance
[2] Movement Therapy, 2008 The Gale Group

H TT36 h
To improve aerobic capacity and coordination
To help in the treatment of some cardiac diseases, hypertension,

also Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
To help in the treatment of depression, anxiety and social phobias.
To prevent physiological deficiencies and to delay the natural

process of ageing
To maintain a healthy brain in old age and healthy body feelings
Dance has existed in every human culture and is used in ritual, rites of
passage and as a cathartic healing tool. In early civilizations dancing,
religion, music and medicine were linked. Modern dance/movement
therapists use the power of dance and movement to help individuals
access their own natural ability to heal and grow.
From there, a basic definition of Tango Therapy is: The application

of the Argentinian Tango Dance and its music as an alternative or
complementary therapy in palliative care.
One important thing in this definition is “Argentinian” tango dance.

We will explain later that tango therapy does not work with only one
tango style, up to its application we will see that the style of that dance
may change, sometimes traditional, sometimes more free, sometimes
more “by steps”. But Tango is not just a dance, the Argentinian Tango
Style includes in itself a philosophy, a code of conduct that will be a very
important part of the treatment.
Another characteristic of the Argentinian style is the embrace. The “Tango
Embrace” is more than just hold your partner. It is a strong connection
between the participants. We must consider the hug not as a way of
controlling your own body and your partner’s, however, as a way of a kind
of communication between different constellations in tension.
This connection through the embrace exists even if we choose to dance
in an “open embrace”. It is part of the responsibility of the leaders to keep
their followers safe at all times. This safety zone starts with the embrace.
Tango Therapy moves away from the medicalisation of mental or physical

illness and addiction. It brings together and energises the connection
between body, mind and spirit, providing a creative outlet for the
H TT37 h
emotions and for the self.
Applications of Tango as a therapy:

Talking about the biological structure, tango improves mobility and
physical abilities, its practice improves several aspects of health. Also, it
develops the superior cognitive functions because it is necessary to pay
attention to the steps.
The embrace and code of conduct of the Tango dance makes it perfect to
analyse and improve relationships.
Cardiovascular diseases:
Tango is an exercise of slight to moderate intensity, similar to that which
is recommended to prevent cardiovascular diseases. This was a study
made by a scientist of the Favaloro Foundation (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
A measurement that, according to the World Wide Organization of
Health, improves the cardiovascular activity and prevents ill health, if one
practices in regular form.
Keep your body fit:

Even if you want just
to keep your body fit
Tango is an alternative.
Tamara Di Tella
designed a method of
conscious, mind-body
exercises based in
certain characteristics of Tango session at Cardiff City Hall January 2010 - Health Mela
Event - MEWN Cymru - Changing Lifestyles Project - People with
Pilates and Tango called sedentarism - Wales (Tango Therapy UK)
Tangolates or Tango-
Pilates. It combines the
core stability of Pilates with the concentration, coordination and fluid
movement of Tango music. It is unique in that it utilizes a partner method
rather than individual exercises and it incorporates the aerobic or cardio
element of music.
Tangolates (Tango-Pilates) is usually performed on a specially designed

apparatus called T-Ditella but it also may be performed on a mat, or on
H TT38 h
the Pilates apparatus.
Originally a rehabilitation technique conceived for patients with severe
dysfunctions of the nervous system, Tangolates (Tango-Pilates)
has transcended the hospital environment to become a fashionable
workout for healthy people. Today, celebrities and stage professionals
like the famous American Ballet Theatre dancer Julio Bocca, and the
internationally known musician Sting enjoy performing this new method
.
The elderly:
Tango dancing is beneficial
to the elderly because it
incorporates elements found
in standard neurological
rehabilitation programs:
forward, backward and side
to side weight shift; one Tango session at St David’s Hospital, Cardiff , Wales
Elderly People.(Tango Therapy UK)
leg stance; walking on a
straight line both backwards
and forwards; increasing step length in all directions; and turning within
a narrow space, says Patricia Mc Kinley. An added benefit to tango is
that its movements are performed to music, which is known to facilitate
performance of ambulatory activities. Recent research has shown that
dance, specifically tango, may be an appropriate and effective strategy
for ameliorating functional mobility deficits in people who are frail and
elderly.
Alzheimer’s
Dancing tango also can benefit
patients with Alzheimer’s disease
who already participate in “tango
therapy” sessions in different
centres around the country,
precisely because the dance is
an activity with an emphasis
on coordination that forces the
patient to use his or her memory
Tango session at Alzheimer’s Society, Cardiff , Wales to remember the steps
(Tango Therapy UK)
H TT39 h
Depression:
Research in Australia suggests that tango
may help people fight depression.
A University of New England researcher has
been running a trial to see if concentrating on
dance steps keeps negative thoughts away.
Psychologists use it to try to help people
fight negative thoughts and see situations
more positively.
Ms Pinniger says many studies have shown
that meditation can be helpful in learning to
do this.
While studying the benefits of meditation Tango session at MInds (for better
she realised the brain works in a similar way mental health), Cardiff branch
Wales (Tango Therapy UK)
when dancing the tango.
“While you’re doing tango you can only be
in the present - you really have to focus, concentrate, and it doesn’t allow
your thoughts to drive into your mind,” she said.
“The same with the tango - everyone walks and as long as you can walk
you can tango, and this is the truth.
Ms Pinniger says the participants in her trial have kept coming back to the
tango classes because they can see results.
“If people can have a break from their negative thoughts for three minutes
- which is the time of the tango - they can realise that it is possible,” she
said.
Parkinson’s:
As we mentioned before, a research has shown that dance, specifically
tango, may be an appropriate and effective strategy for ameliorating
functional mobility deficits in people who are frail and elderly. Individuals
with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience declines in functional mobility
that may be even more pronounced than those experienced by frail
elderly individuals without PD. (Effects of Tango on Functional Mobility in
Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Study / Journal of Neurologic Physical
Therapy, Dec. 2007 by Hackney, Madeleine E, Kantorovich, Svetlana,
Levin, Rebecca, Earhart, Gammon M)
The first study to systematically investigate and compare the effects of
H TT40 h
dance and strength/flexibility exercise
on functional mobility in people with PD
was made in the Washington University,
in St. Louis, USA, in 2007 by Hackney,
Madeleine E, Kantorovich, Svetlana,
Levin, Rebecca and Earhart, Gammon M.
They had demonstrated the feasibility of
tango movement sessions for individuals
with PD. While some significant changes
in measures were noted. This work may
ultimately lead to improved therapeutic
movement approaches employing dance
as an enjoyable and effective strategy for
addressing functional mobility deficits in
individuals with PD. These preliminary data
suggest that dance may be a beneficial
Tango session at Parkinson’s UK group activity to address balance and gait
Younger People Event in Yorkshire,
England (Tango Therapy UK) problems specific to PD.
(Picture © PDS UK)
Downs Syndrome and children with special needs:

For downs syndrome and disabled children we can observe a clear motor
response to rhythms. One way of rehabilitation of these children is
through the sensory motor adaptation to different types of rhythm and
seeing when they are able to pass from rhythm towards the melody, which
is a great evolution. The Tango music with its particular rhythms and
sweet melodies helps this rehabilitation ,also, the process of learning the
steps and figures with a partner is a nice challenge. The strong rhythm can
give them a sense of identity, of feeling good and the softer melodies a
creative push. The AMAR association dance group of Argentina say that
downs syndrome people can absolutely be devoted tango dancers.
It is important to mention the experience of the tango dance and music
and its application with children realized by Graciela Pesce (Tango para
Chicos). She works with children with special needs in Argentina too.
“ Even if the experience was not developed only to dance, it includes
tango songs and plays too, the dance become natural. And this rhythmic
movement allows an intense connection from the emotions and through
the embrace with their parents.
Based on Graciela Pesce’s tango for children songs, Karen Woodley is
developing tango workshops for children with special needs in the UK.
H TT41 h
Relationships:
Federico Trossero (Argentinian psychiatrist, author of the book “Tango
Terapia”[3]) said that Tango is a communicational resource that allows us
to a diagnose situations and moments through the signs and expressions
of the body. It can help people to live a better life, from the connection
with their interior world, as a couple or in society.
Greta Polo, movement therapist and counsellor from Chicago, USA also
mentioned that the connection between the partners is just as important,
if not more so, as the technique. The emphasis of Argentine tango lies not
in performing or mastering steps but instead in mastering the relationship
between the partners and in their vital expression of emotion.
Back in Argentina, Monica Peri and Ignacio Lavalle Cobo, psychologists
and directors of Psicotango work with exercises that look for sensitization,
the possibility of recovering sensations, opening the way of the senses
for the emotional thing. “As a psychoanalytic tool, we can liken the tango
to a game. As a game, the dance of tango allows us to put ourselves in
touch with our unconscious: bodies that speak, and bodies that are heard”.
(Monica Peri: A Psychoanalytic Approach to Tango)
Tango session in Milan (Tango Terapia Italia)

(Picture © Tangoterapia Italy)
[3] Tango Terapia – Federico Trossero – Coquena Ediciones, Argentina 2006

H TT42 h
Inner development.
Tango dance is also applied in inner development and self growth
therapies. It is one of the most popular applications of Tango as a
Therapy.
It is very well known the work with Tango and Polarities in Italy by
Massimo Habib who works focusing in the emotions and contact/embrace
that this dance awakens.
Also in Argentina, Monica Peri and Ignacio Lavalle Cobo developed a

technique called Psicotango which combines the benefits of Tango, a
dance of physical connection, with psychology, and explores the ways in
which our moving bodies express themselves.
In the UK Karen Woodley also works with Biotango in where she proposes
dances of communication through the warm, sweet erotic fires of your
soul. She work into a deep exploration and connection in our relationship
with ourselves, with our partner and with the world. Discovering and
awakening the femininity and masculinity through the music of Tango.
Her workshops are focused more in the power of Tango music than in the
dance itself.
H TT43 h
WHY TANGO?
Tango as a dance
“ The essential freedom of the human being is, in definition, the

unquestionable leitmotiv of the tango”
R. Dinzel
One of the most popular questions is why Tango Therapy?
...why not ballet or salsa therapy?
Tamara Di Tella , creator of Tangolates, said that “other dances do not put
a strong emphasis on the control aspect of the movement the way Tango
does”. Gaciela Pesce, from Tango for Children, thinks that the Tango
embrace is the key,. She said “ the embrace in Tango con be the most
valued proposal to work with children”.
It is very important to explain that, when we are talking about tango,

we are referring to many styles of tango at the same time, based on the
Argentinian tango, not international or European tango. European tango
came from the Argentinian tango, but it is a simplified version.
From all dances that use the embrace, tango is the most elaborated style
with a wide range of choreographic possibilities and improvisations.
In the context of the tango practice, the body is affected immediately by

its music, its strength.
The Tango dancer accepts an invitation, accepts the provocation and the
challenge.
In the dance of tango our body is sensitive to and presumes the body of
our partner in each movement.
In the creation and, in the practice, the most important is the conflict
between the desire of dance and its complete expression.
In tango the emphasis must be in improvisation and in its aesthetics.
In couples dances, particularly tango, with our body we can recognize,

know the body of our partner, we can know our partner, his soul, and,
H TT44 h
through the perception of the differences and similitude we know
ourselves.
As Waldo Frank[1] said “Tango, the most profound dance in the history of
humanity”
The freedom, the possibility of the free action, or no action at all (pauses)
is one of the characteristics that the tango has. The dancer, stimulated by
the music and its melodies, will create his own choreography with actions
that represent his frame of mind, his soul, and that is what we are looking
for in order to start to understand, to reveal aspects of our personality ?
The tango, as an improvised dance, has the creative power to allow the
dancers / participants / individuals to have an approach with himself. An
intimate approach.
As Rodolfo Dinzel[2] said in his article “Tango dance and the

improvisation”, some of the elements that make this dance very special
are:
a) The free usage of the space
b) The pause as a choreographic element
c) The embrace as a position of the tango dance
d) The overrun of the space
e) The unification of the universal mechanics of the dances in

couples
f) The mechanics of the dance
Tango never was identified as just a combination of figures and

steps, as other dances. Tango, from the beginning, was a special way
to communicate, to give responsibility and freedom to build new
choreographies.
[1] Waldo Frank (August 25, 1889, Long Branch, New Jersey - 1967) was a prolific novelist,
historian, literary and social critic
[2] Gloria & Rodolfo Dinzel are legendary teachers with over fifty years experience. Rodolfo
currently teaches at the University of Tango in Buenos Aires.
H TT45 h
“ Each couple to their tango, that it is the way to dance”
That it is not, and never was, a general rule at couples dances. We are
the choreographers of our own dance. We can see this situation in the
milongas, every couple is dancing their own tango, different speeds,
different choreographies in different versions of the same tango, in some
way they are playing their own interpretation of the same tango… “ this is
the freedom relative to each internal universe”.
This freedom does not mean that to dance an improvised tango we need
to forget the rules and conventions. We need to know the steps and the
figures, and when we have mastered this we will have a communication
with our partner.
In the improvised tango we can see that the couples as one unit and also
the individuals within these couples, have no cares but to express their
feelings and creativity.
As R. Dinzel asked:
“What are we doing when we do this mechanical creation and

what’s happening with our spirituality?
Is this a dynamic spatial movement game that lets us try out our
playful awareness?
Is this a relating apprenticeship from the experience in a process of

constant readjustment in the face of reality?
Is this being comfortable into our skin, in contact with our partner,
from our partner?
Is this a subtle confrontation between the individual and his actions?
Is this the desire to feel free in the face of becoming in order to do

what you want?
Is this an experience of a total conscience of our body when it moves

into the soundless language of signs?”
There is not an emotion that cannot be expressed by tango through

the embrace of the bodies, the happiness, sadness, love, the anger, the
loneliness… The embrace reminds us of our childhood. Because of this,
H TT46 h
the embrace is tenderness, is the protective side, always there, in tango.
Tango is a complete experience that gives us the power to understand

ourselves and our partner in a total and gentle way. But also tango is
communication, it is the relationship and interaction between one man
and one woman. In the “Milonga” they are not alone as it is a social event.
The communication in the tango must be genuine, the embrace induces
this situation, and sometimes, this position produces some nervousness
and we react with bad manners, being rude. Only the tango can help us,
teaching us, in a nice way, the sincerity of the embrace.
The beauty of tango is not possible without the complete and open
communication.
We cannot force our partner to do any choreography or figure, we need
to ask her. Also the magnificence of the man in the dance is not in his
physical skill, it is in the way that he can communicate with his partner.
The confidence from his partner is part of that communication and with
the embrace that confidence needs to be strong, but, of course, we cannot
generate that confidence if we do not have self confidence first.
The dance of tango is love, we need to live it deeply, and only in time, with
practice and enthusiasm can we can start to know its secrets.
Another thing that the tango dance will teach us is to take care of our
partner. It is necessary to pay attention around us, we need to look after
them, to see where we can go in the dance, to not bump into or touch
other dancers, obstacles on the dance floor, basically we need to protect
our partner.
This protection needs to be beyond the physical obstructions, our dance
needs to gratify our relationship. The woman needs to enjoy dancing with
the man, it is not wise to do complicated figures if that means annoying
her. Our dance must be simple. Because we are dancing together the man
needs to invite the woman to do the figures that they like to do as a couple
But we need to remember always that a wonderful dance is the dance that
can show a couple in perfect harmony.
The tango embrace

The embrace is the key in the tango dance.
This embrace is different than in other dances. It is a powerful instrument

between us and our environment. The stimulation on the skin with the
H TT47 h
embrace increases the cytosine. The embrace and the caress are a very
strong social encouragement and can help with the mutual recognition,
and, with tango, through the embrace and the movements of the dance,
we can remember our childhood and the satisfaction of affective desires.
Because of the characteristics and magnitude of the embrace, we have an

intimate contact with our partner in a non verbal communication.
The embrace is gentle, possessive and a protector at the same time.
The social and biological utility
As a connection/link dance, tango is an art and an expression of skills that

permit the encounter and synchronism of movement between a man and
a woman.
This encounter can give to us information that is not possible to get in
other situations.
This physical approach lets us know:
The emotional condition of the participants
Their physical skills and characteristics.
Their level of adequacy in order to do some complex tasks
Their intellectual characteristics.
Their character.
We can see their chances and opportunities of human interaction,

individual strategies in order to find a couple in their life, mainly in groups
or places where the social interaction is limited and possibilities of long
term interaction and different social performances that the participant
can play.
“Nowadays, the dance it not only to meet people, it is a physical and

psychological development, a self expression, art expression and a
cultural research” (Participants of tango classes)
Tango as an exercise
Talking about the biological structure, tango improves mobility and
H TT48 h
physical abilities, its practice improves several aspects of health.
Also, it develops the superior cognitive functions because it is necessary to
pay attention to the steps.
Tango is an exercise of slight to moderate intensity, similar to that which

is recommended to prevent cardiovascular diseases. This was a study
made by Dr. Roberto Peidro, chief of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Ward
at the Favaloro Foundation (Buenos Aires, Argentina). A measurement
that, according to the World Wide Organization of Health, improves the
cardiovascular activity and prevents ill health, if one practices in regular
form.
Tango dancing is beneficial to the elderly because it incorporates elements

found in standard neurological rehabilitation programs: forward,
backward and side to side weight shift; one leg stance; walking on a
straight line both backwards and forwards; increasing step length in all
directions; and turning within a narrow space, says Patricia Mc Kinley[3].
An added benefit to tango is that its movements are performed to music,
which is known to facilitate performance of ambulatory activities.
Dancing Tango also can benefit patients with Alzheimer’s disease,

precisely because the dance is an activity with an emphasis on
coordination that forces the patients to use their memory in order to
remember the steps
A research in Australia suggests that tango may help people fight

depression.
An University of New England researcher, Rosa Pinniger[4], has been
running a trial to see if concentrating on dance steps keeps negative
thoughts away.
Psychologists use it to try to help people fight negative thoughts and see
situations more positively.
Ms Pinniger says many studies have shown that meditation can be helpful
in learning to do this.
While studying the benefits of meditation she realised the brain works in a
similar way when dancing the tango.
“While you’re doing tango you can only be in the present - you really have
to focus, concentrate, and it doesn’t allow your thoughts to drive into your
[3] Dr McKinley has a primary focus in the development of leisure based activities for vulnerable
populations as well as age-dependent changes in balance and skill acquisition in both children
and the elderly in McGill University, school of physical and occupational therapy in Canada
[4] Rosa Pinniger is an honours student at the University of New England (Sydney - Australia),
where she is studying cognitive and behavioural therapy.
H TT49 h
mind,” she said.
“The same with the tango - everyone walks and as long as you can walk
you can tango, and this is the truth.
Ms Pinniger says the participants in her trial have kept coming back to the
tango classes because they can see results.
“If people can have a break from their negative thoughts for three
minutes - which is the time of the tango - they can realise that it is
possible,” she said.
Research has shown that dance, specifically tango, may be an appropriate

and effective strategy for ameliorating functional mobility deficits in
people who are frail and elderly.
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience declines in functional

mobility that may be even more pronounced than those experienced by
frail elderly individuals without PD.
This is the first study[1] to systematically investigate and compare the

effects of dance and strength/flexibility exercises on functional mobility in
people with PD.
“We have demonstrated the feasibility of tango movement sessions for
individuals with PD. While some significant changes in measures were
noted, these changes were small and may not be clinically meaningful.
Future studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm and
extend the present results. This work may ultimately lead to improved
therapeutic movement approaches employing dance as an enjoyable and
effective strategy for addressing functional mobility deficits in individuals
with PD. These preliminary data suggest that dance may be a beneficial
group activity to address balance and gait problems specific to PD”.
For downs syndrome and disabled children we can observe a clear motor
response to rhythms. One way of rehabilitation of these children is
through the sensory motor adaptation to different types of rhythm and
seeing when they are able to pass from rhythm towards the melody, which
is a great evolution. The Tango music with its particular rhythms and
sweet melodies helps this rehabilitation ,also, the process of learning the
steps and figures with a partner is a nice challenge. The strong rhythm can
[1] Madeleine E. Hackney, BFA, Svetlana Kantorovich, BS, Rebecca Levin, DPT, and Gammon
M. Earhart, PT, PhD - Program in Physical Therapy (M.E.H., R.L., G.M.E.), Department of
Biology (S.K.), Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (G.M.E.), and Department of
Neurology (G.M.E.), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
H TT50 h
give them a sense of identity, of feeling good and the softer melodies a
creative push.
The AMAR[1] (Association Dance Group of Argentina), say that
downs syndrome people can absolutely be devoted tango dancers. It
is absolutely true, it just takes patience and passion on the part of the
teacher!
The therapeutic force of dance
“You use the floor as earth, the pelvis as centre, holding torso and legs
together. You work for fluidity, moving like a goddess, undulations like
water, like the ocean. High leaps for men. You elongate the muscles,
creating a hidden strength”.
Katherine Mary Dunham
Dance therapy was developed through the genre of modern dance.
The modern dance pioneers known as Martha Graham, Doris Humphreys,

Isadora Duncan and also Katherine Dunham broke away from the
traditional ballet repertoire and created movement that encouraged
creativity, spontaneity, individuality and personal expression.
The psychoanalytical philosophy movement developed by thinkers such

as Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Carl Gustav Jung encouraged using dance
for therapeutic purposes. In fact Carl Jung in one of his last books said that
the psychotherapy of the future needed to be of the body, needed to have
a corporal dimension. The therapeutic benefits of dance that is authentic,
free, that encourages opening and interjection from the emotions from
the heart are many:
- Self esteem and confidence in oneself, in ones body
- Proprioceptive awareness
- Greater awareness of how our bodies reflect our lives
- Intense sensation of feeling alive
[1] www.asociacionamar.org.ar/
H TT51 h
- Integration of mind, body and spirit
- Musical sensibility
- A sensitive connection with ourselves, our couple, our world
- Balancing of the nervous system
- Boosting of health of the immune system
- Improved posture
- Awareness of universal gestures
- Courage to create
Dance is movement and movement is created by the human body. In order

to understand our body we need to move it. Our whole life is encased
within our cells, our bodies hold our life, express our life.
We have the gift of a mortal, tangible body that makes our lives on earth
a physical experience yet many people spend so much time focusing on
their intellectual and emotional needs that they forget to experience life
physically.
This is something so ingrained into our culture that people have become
so disconnected from others, from themselves, from the mystery of living
itself. We have become a culture of consumerism and we need to enter
into the culture of the body.
Used throughout time to connect with the inner life force, evoke higher
power, lead one back to one’s self and to invoke deep truth and wisdom
dance integrates the mind, body and spirit. The physical, emotional and
spiritual in a joyous celebration of life.
Through the unity of mind, body and spirit, dance as a therapy provides
wholeness, a sense of integration and balance.
H TT52 h
S TANGO MUSIC s
H 53 h
Picture: Liliana Esperanza “Milonguita”
Tango Music - Meaning and Analysis

by Hiroko Uenishi
What is music?
“The word music comes from the Greek mousikê (tekhnê) by way of the
Latin musica. It is ultimately derived from mousa, the Greek word for
muse . In ancient Greece, the word mousike was used to mean any of the
arts or sciences governed by the Muses.” [1]
Music in Chinese character consists of two main words, sound and

enjoyment.
What you recognise as ‘music’ can be a very different experience to other

individuals. Your favourite music can be a piece of classical music, birds’
sounds, or extreme noise, which reflects your emotional existence. In a
way, experience of listening to music is very subjective and deeply rooted
in your cultural and personal background.
Music allows us to recognise and differentiate all the sounds around us,
which triggers emotional and physical experience from the past and may
affect us in the present and the future.
In a recent study, it is said that the development of hearing starts when

the ears of a foetus develop between the 13th and 16th week after
conception.
A 1998 study demonstrates five to six months after gestation, the foetus
will first respond to sounds, mainly created by its mother. [2]
What is ‘music to one’s ears’ stems from ones experience with the mother,
families and your social surroundings and how you enjoy music reflects
your whole personality.
Music lies within you and grows with you.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_music data accessed 26/08/2010

[2] http://www.ehow.com/about_5312868_development-hearing-human-fetus.html data
accessed 26/08/2010
H TM55 h
A brief Introduction to Psychotherapeutically oriented

Music Therapy
There are many approaches to Music Therapy but currently
psychological and psychotherapeutically oriented Music Therapy is
the most commonly practised form in the UK. The theoretical basis
for this type of Music Therapy lies within the Object Relations theories
(British development of Freudian psychoanalytic theories) and other
psychological and psychoanalytic theories. ‘Music-making’ forms the
basis for communication in this therapeutic relationship. A detailed
attention is paid to the development of a relationship between the client
and therapist, which can be typically reflected and analysed within the
psychological/cognitive theories of mother-infant relationship. Music
Therapist uses them to encourage and enhance client’s development in
differently identified needs. All Music Therapists practicing in the UK are
registered and regulated by the HPC- Health Professions Council.
‘Music’ used in music therapy can be any type of sounds made by the
client (therefore client does not have to be musical), pre-composed / semi-
composed music, and/or freely improvised music between therapists and
clients. Improvised music is widely used and often encouraged as it offers
a unique opportunity for both verbal and non-verbal client to explore their
emotions in music freely.
Analysis of music in Tango Therapy
As I explained above, music itself changes its meanings depending on

its context. Therefore, four different types of Tango music (Candombe,
Milonga, Tango, Criollo Waltz) can be danced, felt and used differently
according to your personal motivation, cultural background and
therapeutic context. However, one important thing which needs to be
considered is ‘who is playing for whom?’ In the initial tango therapy
sessions, music may be chosen by the Tango Therapist so the music
takes the role of the therapeutic musical boundaries. In other words,
music chosen for sessions has its own original meanings (eg. historical
background, lyrics and styles) which the therapists understand in detail
and the clients can follow and explore their own way of approaching to
the music in the safe boundaries. For example, dancing using the Milonga
H TM56 h
1
music can reflect your own sexuality, but for those who are not used to the
idea, a resistance or some relationship related complex issues may arise
to explore within the therapy. Some people may enjoy the Candombe,
rhythmical music using drumming instruments, and liberate their healthy
aggression or release and ease their energies in their way of displacement.
Some may simply fall in love with the romantic dance of Tango and Criollo
Waltz and use this opportunity to energize their love and passion in their
lives. All of this can be explored with the guidance of the therapist and any
un-healthy attachment may be carefully monitored.
Music may also help putting themselves in different roles; dancing as men
and women’s roles would help them to become in touch with their anima
and animus, discovering their rich resource of the unconscious.
I also believe that the ‘creativity’ in music (and may be in dance) plays a
great part in therapy when it emerges spontaneously and freely by the
client.
Creativity can be specifically identified when it comes out of the

therapeutic frames. These frames can be a pre-composed music itself,
or may be the steps of particular dance and other carefully arranged
therapeutic boundaries. When the client steps out of that frame, for
instance, just by adding some extra notes to the song, she/he is actually
starting to improvise, ‘moving on’ from their past and ‘stepping out’ for
the future. Improvisation in any form is significant, however small it may
be. It does not have to be musical but has to come out of your own heart,
from a real self that is truthful to your feelings.
The role of therapy is to allow anybody to feel safe enough to create your
own version of songs and dance, exploring creativity wherein discovering a
deeper meaning in lives.
H TM57 h
TANGO, MILONGA, WALTZ, THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.
The importance in understanding the music in Tango

Therapy
In order to get satisfactory results in the application of the Tango Therapy
it is necessary to understand that our tool, the musical stimulus that
we use to move / awaken the emotions / feelings of our participants is,
obviously, the tango.
But it is understandable that for Argentinian people there is a confusion, a
distortion about that.
When we go to Milongas[1] and the dancers are Argentinian, it is very

usual to observe that the couples dance the Milonga, Tangos and also the
Tango Waltz, in the same way.
Once, in Cardiff, we saw a DJ playing a “Chacarera” (a typical folkloric

rhythm from the Argentinian province called “Corrientes”), we supposed,
that this was because in the Chacarera one of the musical instruments
is the “acordeon”, its sound is similar to the “bandoneon” (The typical
musical instrument of tango) and the rhythm of the Chacarera is similar to
the Milonga, they have the same roots.
But, of course, it is a mistake, Chacarera and Milonga are not the same,
they need to be danced in different ways as they have different meanings.
In this situation, the DJ made a mistake.

However, the dancers did not recognize the differences between Milonga
and Chacarera and this is because when they learn the tango they do not
do any exercises to help them understand the music. Of course, in this
situation the dancers just dance another “tango”.
Another confusion that started to appear in the tango music world is the
Neo-Tango.
Neo-tango is a mixture or a fusion of tango and electronic music,
sometimes based in traditional tangos or milongas sometimes as new
songs.
One advantage of the Neo-Tango music is that you can find a lot of
[1] Another natural confusion is thing the is the same Milonga, as the place where the dancers
go to dance, and Milonga, the rhythm.
H TM58 h
different rhythms and styles, some of them may not sound like tango
music but with a tango underneath.
These songs cannot be used in most of the Tango Therapy exercises as
we need a clear identification with tango identity but, it is possible to use
them in some other exercises like breathing or walking because of their
rhythm or melody.
If we want to be successful in the application of Tango Therapy we need to

understand which songs are best in order to reach our goals. Remember
that Tango Therapy uses tango dance as a pathway, it is not our intention
to create tango dancers. For us music is the trigger in order to help people
be more in connection with their feelings.
Of course we believe that with a better understanding of the tango music

in your body you will dance tango better too, for this reason some tango
dancers like to participate in the Biotango or Tango Therapy sessions that
are for self development and inner growth.
Independent of the style of tango that you like to dance the tango music is
very expressive and can awaken different feelings and emotions. The way
you express those feelings is the way that you will dance.
So, depending on the intention of the exercise that we propose, the right
music needs to be played.
We cannot use a tango music when the exercise needs the playfulness of a
Milonga.
Of course, as we see in the history of tango, the Milonga music and the
Tango music are from the same family, but they are not the same.
Usually, when somebody mentions the tango they mention it as 2 x 4
(dos por cuatro), but the timings 2 x 4 are for Milonga and Candombe. It is
not hard to recognize, when you hear a tango (4 times) and a milonga (2
times). The tango is 4/8 and 4/4.
It is necessary to clarify that the 2 x 4 it is a wrong musical expression
too. The correct way to write the tango music is two quarters and four
quarters.
Two quarters timing is for the Milonga and the Tango needs to be in four
quarters, four eights, four half or similar.
The lyrics of the Milonga, which we understand will be impossible to

recognize if we are working with a non-Spanish speaking group, are,
usually “naughty”, funny. But this is something that the participants will
feel / know, in time.
H TM59 h
Also it is possible to recognize them by their particularly snappy rhythm
and marked time.
As a dance, the Milonga is faster than the tango and also has less figures,
the walking here is very important.
The dance of tango is decorated with more figures.
The feeling is common in both styles, for this reason people say:
“Tango is a 3 minute romance”.
The Tango-Waltz is more easy to recognize by its rhythm.

It is very similar to the original European waltz but with “some” of the
melody of tango, its time is 6/8.
On the contrary of the European waltz, the way to dance Tango-Waltz is
without the “up and down” but it is normally danced with more “giros”
(twirls) than the tango but not “too many” as in the European waltz.
In the Tango-Waltz dance the man can choose, as in tango, some easy
figures to dance. In this dance it is possible to see twirls, half twirls,
changes of directions. It is a relaxed, dreamy and stirring dance. Some
people say that the Tango-Waltz is the love-side of the tango.
Tango-Waltz is also called as a “Criollo Argentinian waltz” in order not to
confuse it with the Criollo Waltz, the Peruvian traditional waltz.
If we go to a traditional Milonga we will notice that the way that the DJ

plays the music is very particular.
Usually, the sequence of the dances is Tango, Milonga and Tango-Waltz,
three or four of each of them called “tanda“, separated by a special song
or songs called “cortina”. The “cortina” cannot be a tango music because
the idea is that the people / dancers stop to dance and change partners (or
not).
It is like a pause!
In tango therapy sessions we do not use this system because the music is
related with the exercise - dance.
But we will use it during the “Milongas” recreations.
Integration of music and Tango Therapy

Music transforms people and we are all permeable to music. If you open,
H TM60 h
if you allow the music to enter into your body you cannot stop it entering
your identity. Identification with the music gives us an understanding into
the unification of mind, body and soul.
Relationships among humans have become lost, devoid of romanticism.

Couples stay married for twenty years waking up each day with a stranger
next to them as they have lost the romantic, loving, musical resonance
that they fell in love with from the beginning. They have lost the tender
language, the passion, the harmony of their encounter and the elegance of
sharing and creating a beautiful life together.
Our embraces / meetings move in a certain harmony, it is like our

relationships are ruled by a secret music and our bodies are full of internal
music which belongs to the stars, the cosmic song.
Tango Therapy works to find this internal resonance together.
The 18th-century German writer and philosopher Novalis wrote that
“Every illness is a musical problem”
“The cure consists in finding a musical resolution”
“The greater the medical musical talent, the more complete and quicker
the cure will be”
In Tango therapy we feel the totality through the music with all our
emotions and we believe in the power of co-creating life together.
We search for ways to dance Tango with a true therapeutic flavour where
we begin each moment anew, creating anew from the musical language of
our intimacy, from the rhythm, melody and harmony of each of our cells,
to realise that Grace is something we feel with another. Tango Therapy is a
way back to Grace.
Tango Therapy sessions also work towards the integration of musical

harmony through our bodies, integrating our thoughts, our feelings and
our movement in order to live a more vital, sensuous, creative and healthy
experience every day.
To integrate the sensitivity within our movement in order to feel and move
in harmony with another
Music has the power to awaken our emotions, sensations and behaviours.
H TM61 h
It has an amazing capacity to stimulate our human potentials and amplify
our consciousness. Music is an invitation to dance our emotions and
find ourselves, it is in our heartbeats as a primal, tender rhythm in deep
connection with the sea, the earth, the elements and wisdoms of life.
Don Campbell, a classical musician and former music critic, is a recognized

authority on the transformative power of music, listening, and on the
Mozart effect.
He expanded the definition of the Mozart effect to include the influence

of music on intelligence, health, emotions, and creativity.
It was first described by French researcher, Dr Alfred Tomatis, in his

1991 book Pourquoi Mozart?. He used the music of Mozart in his efforts
to retrain the ear, and believed that listening to the music at different
frequencies helped the ear and promoted healing and development of the
brain.
He recommends playing specially selected classical music to infants, in the

expectation that it will benefit their mental development.
His belief is that music can be used to reduce stress, depression, or

anxiety; induce relaxation or sleep; activate the body; and improve
memory or awareness, anxiety, insomnia, pregnancy and labour,
menopause, stroke rehabilitation, diabetes and cancer.
Choosing the right music

Each Tango Therapist will have their own method for finding the music for
the exercises, but here we can give some starting points for the ones who
do not know where start.
In every exercise we have an intention, a goal that we have for the group.
From here we need to identify basically two things: the feeling that we
want them to discover / explore /express/ feel and the structure of the
dance (rhythm).
It is clear that if we are working with a group of people with a strong

tendency to depression we will choose a Milonga, but if the group also is
new or we are starting with the first steps of the Tango-Milonga dance,
then, the Milonga needs to be a slow one and with the compasses easy to
follow, with a strong but not fast rhythm.
H TM62 h
1
It is not possible for us to give titles of the songs because each interpreter
or director of the tango orchestra can play the same song in a very
different way.
Just an example, if you have the opportunity to listen “Taquito Militar”
from the Orchestra of Mariano Mores it is very different than the same
song played by Andreas Ardojan y Jorge de la Vega, even Mariano Mores
recorded the same Milonga in different times and they are not the same.
We usually start our sessions with a warm up and breathing exercises. In

the case, where the participant needs to be focused on the relaxation and
they are not going to dance, we can choose from the Neo-Tango style.
Some of the songs are not with strong rhythm and also are into whats
called the “chilly-out” style.
Neo-Tango is very good when we need to place emphasis on the rhythm

in order to make our group “move” in exercises where aerobic movements
are the goal, such as warm up exercises for sedentary people. Of course
we are not talking about the same songs as before, but remember that
Neo-Tango is the fusion of the tango with electronic music, they have a lot
of drums making the songs very rhythmic.
Some tango schools using Neo-Tango in their classes “where the dancers
can dance with an open embrace, try wide figures and everything that
they wish or feel to try out because it is a space of corporal investigation”
[1].
So Neo-Tango music can be used too in order to provide an impulse for
new experiences in Tango Therapy for self and inner growth (Biotango).
When we work with physical problems such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s

we prefer to use a more traditional approach in the music.
First of all because it is more easy for the participants to identify with in
relation to ‘Tango’.
Second because the rhythms are more easy to follow and this is very
important at the beginning of the sessions.
Juan D’Arienzo Orchestra or Francisco Canaro is a clear example of these
type of songs.
The understanding and comprehension of the tango music is a key in

Tango Therapy, so it will be necessary to incorporate into the session
special exercises that give the group a chance to incorporate the music.
[1] Liska, María Mercedes. “Cultura popular y nuevas tecnologías: El baile del Neo-tango”. La
revista del CCC [en línea]. Enero / Abril 2008, n° 2. [citado 2010-11-25]. Disponible en Internet:
http://www.centrocultural.coop/revista/articulo/32/. ISSN 1851-3263.
H TM63 h
Tango music gives the participants a rare opportunity - the introduction.
Usually, the dancing music does not give us that chance, the possibility
to hear some compasses before we decide what we are going to do, how
we are going to express ourselves. And if we are talking about expression
through the music, again we are working with a type of music that
participants can not follow because they will not understand.
Of course we are talking about exercises where the expression, creativity
and improvisation are necessary.
As Christine Denniston said:
“Most dances are defined by a rhythm. […] That is not the case of Tango.
There is no rhythm section in an orquesta tipica – the Argentinian
Tango band. Instead, the interweaving melodic lines of the different
instruments offer the dancers a variety of possibilities at any moment.
Each piece of music has a rhythmic structure subtly different from the
next. […] The music become the third member of the couple, drawing
out of the couple choreographic shapes they would otherwise never have
created, and deepening the communication between the dancers.”[1]
[1] The Meaning of Tango, the story of the Argentinian dance - Christine Denniston – Page
48
H TM64 h
S archetypes s
H 65 h
Picture: Raquel Sarangelo
HUMAN MOVEMENT
The importance of walk
Our human movement consists of many categories and qualities.
Emotions organise our movements.
Only when corporal movements are corrected by inner impulses charged

with emotion and at the same time controlled and formalised sensitively
by cortical impulses that a creative dance emerges, where balance,
harmony and unity of movement are integrated.
During a creative dance we bring to the outside our inner emotions in an

act of enlightenment and thus a transformation takes place in the dancer
The majority of “corporal disciplines” do not have a theory of movement

that gives them a coherent mode of operation.
We are living in a renaissance if you like of Corporal Disciplines. People are

realizing that the body holds the key to health, well-being, intelligence,
the key for a better quality of life. Our movement is an expression of our
life. Our walking, gestures, holding show if we are open, closed towards
life, towards the others.
Many corporal disciplines are very limited in their representation of what a

human being is.
Techniques and theories such as Feldenkrais® ’ movement awareness,
Martha Graham’s pulsation[1] (tension and relaxation), Gerda
Alexander’s[2] Eutony, Therese de Bertherat’s Anti-gymnastics, Ballet,
Tap Dancing, Jazz all represent partial aspects of human movement and
are specialisations of a small set of Kinesis.
These disciplines are not integrative; they do not include ways of deeply
integrating and regulating movement, of integrating and regulating our
relationships.
[1] Martha Graham (May 1894 – April 1991) was an American dancer and choreographer
regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance, whose influence on dance can be
compared to the influence Stravinsky had on music (Wikipedia)
[2] Gerda Alexander (February 15, 1908 – February 21, 1994) was a Danish teacher who
devised a method of self-development called Eutony. She was born in Wuppertal, Germany,
but moved to Denmark in 1929
H A67 h
Tango Movement
Tango Therapy offers new ways to reintegrate with and enjoy life in a
process of exercising our creativity together.
In a culture of solitude, of unhealthy, depressive, negative lifestyles where

people live in boxes always doing and thinking the same things, afraid of
their feelings, emotions, of their own intimacies and desires afraid of being
different, of being too much, too beautiful, too happy, too successful for
example, to dance Tango together brings back the sweet fire of life .
The movement of the Tango starts with the walk
“The Tango is a way of walking in an embrace with another person,

always looking to the steps together to understand each other and have a
conversation in this way of walking. It is the understanding of two people
who walk as one”
Carlos Gavito
Development of the Tango walk takes effort and concentration but once
mastered enhances ones natural walking, posture and gait raising the self-
esteem and confidence within the body
An existential expression
Walking is how we express who we are, it shows our attitude towards life.
A person does not only walk with his or her legs but with the whole body.
Hundreds of muscles contract or relax to create this most complex action
that constitutes walking. The movements of the legs are achieved in
perfect synergy with the arms.
The position and harmony of the face, the vitality in the walk and in the
movement, length of step and strength of the propelling thrust from the
backward leg, fluidity, walking from the chest (heart), motor elasticity
etc. are all expressions of the total personality structure and in the
phenomenological language we could say that the way we walk represents
“our way of walking in life”
Walking can give you a sense of well being and feeling good as endorphins
are released in the bloodstream, a natural painkiller and relaxant and
H A68 h
walking with another coordinating movements influences the muscular-
skeletal system.
To walk with another coordinating and synchronising movements is a
sign of motor evolution and of affective-motor evolution. It obliges you
to listen to the body of your partner, to be connected so, from the inertia
of “I” you enter into the relationship of “Us” and gently overcome the
rigidities.
Dance is the movement of life

Through each persons movement it is possible to read the theme/story, if
you like the argument of ones life, the “life script of the body”.
The body has its own rhythms that are guaranteed by the neurological and
endocrine feedback systems and it has the capacity to synchronise with
other rhythms that come from outside.
To dance with another person is very important, to adjust one’s rhythm to

another one’s synchronising together requires that a person stops the ego
from being the control centre and starts to be receptive to the information
of human movement that is coming from the outside. It is to move as one
body together, creating together.
One has to have a level of empathy within the body where the awareness
of individuality is lost, to be in a double body moving within a single
rhythmic model.
What psychological implication does the act of dancing with another

person have, synchronising with another? It forces the person to listen
to the other person’s body, to connect him/herself with the movement of
the other and to let go of the inertia of “I” of “Me”. Through these dances,
motor compulsions and rigidities are overcome.
Dancing in synchronisation with another person is a sign of motor
evolution and as well a high level of empathic motor integration.
The movements of our dance are the movements of our life; the gestures
of life give us a big clue in to ourselves into our relationships and our
existence. To move, flowing with grace is something that happens when
we lose control of the cortex, when we stop moving from the rational
thinking brain and start to move into the irrational feeling body in order to
discover more of ourselves or to rediscover again.
Sometimes life has caused us to survive by being alert, on guard to protect

ourselves all the time. In the body, this is tightness, stress, rigidity, being
H A69 h
closed and not using the full range of our human movement.
To discover each time within ourselves within the other the dance together
our whole life changes and energy emerges to reintegrate all the forces of
love and health within us, an energy that comes from our physicality not
from an unseen, imaginary force. To move with authentic feeling produces
great well-being, with authentic movement and authentic connection to
life, this is movement from the heart.
Tango Therapy and the elements of movement

A few examples that Tango Therapy works with are:
From rhythm, which is our first original connection with life, order,
heartbeat, we work through a series of movement and exercises towards
the sensitive, graceful movements.
Rhythm
The most primitive connection with life, the most primitive musical
manifestation before Melody and harmony. It is possible to overcome
any difficulty in dancing to rhythm with learning and practice.
In neurological terms passing from rhythmic movement to melodic
movement means passing from instinct to emotion.
Melody
Is a horizontal movement that is the warm, affective communication.
Melody is the river of sweetness that runs from your heart to another,
to the world
Fluidity
Is a category of movement that is completely opposite to rigidity. Its
aspects are being able to avoid collision with another, to dance at the
same time with another and to be in feedback. Fluidity is an ancient
movement that deals with the search for a dynamic balancing, a
pulsating harmony, and a flowing movement without obstacles.
Agility
To move flexible with lightness and ease. In addition, dexterity, agility
is a way to move totally opposite to clumsiness.
Lightness
As in the waltz, dancing the inner Prince and princess, a light
movement, using little weight, using lots of energy and is very delicate.
H A70 h
When you dance with levity, you feel like you are losing weight, soft,
rising without suffering from the loss of gravity.
Flexibility
The ability of the body to bend, we work with the flexibility with
segmentary exercises and special dances
Expression
Expressive movements from ones interiority that are interjected from
the emotions
Eurhythmy
This is motor syntonization with the group
Potential
Energy available and the force of the muscular movement, the
effectiveness of action and the influence made on situations or people
Intentional movements
Offer a strong awareness of the corporal structure with its bones,
muscles and joints.
The result is a widespread sensation of power and corporal consistency,
without rigidity.
Resistance
The capacity to maintain one’s own position, to be opposed to external
forces. It is tied to the control of fatigue and to the appropriate use of
energy.
Coordination
The syntonization and synchronisation of all movements.
The brain is the organ that completes the regulatory central function,
modulating and controlling both coordination and muscular tone.
Equilibrium
The capacity to remain dynamically or statically in a natural posture
without deviations or oscillations.
Orientation / balance depends on the receptors of the middle ear, but
visual information is also very important.
The middle ear is a complex sensorial organ and the reflexes that
contribute to the maintenance of the normal / natural posture
originate here.
H A71 h
Eutony
The balance of the muscular tone
Extension with harmony
A continuation of movement that increases the angle between body
parts with a movement that gives pleasure
Sensuality and elegance in movement

The Sensuality, sensitivity and elegance coupled with a good practice
of motor movements enables us to enter into the beauty of Tango.
To dance the Tango is to dance ones sensuality and elegance.
Moving our body from our interiority thus creating health on many levels
as moving from inside oneself can become an indescribable source of
pleasure.
Sensuality is the secret key that connects us with life In tango we learn to
flow gracefully, with sensitivity, with lightness to dance with force of eros.
In a culture that represses the sensual instinct, where we are taught that
our bodies are dirty and inferior to our cortex, where we are taught to not
be too much of anything the dance of love can make you feel as a woman,
as a man in your own bodies together alive.
Sensuality, creativity and love are part of who we are and to deny this is
tantamount to not living.
So let’s dance!
H A72 h
IDENTITY AND TANGO THERAPY

Our identity has its roots in the genetic structure, it is biological. The
biological expression is the immune system. However, it does not only
manifest at the biological level but also at the psychological existential
level. When we are sick there is a dissociated perception of the body and of
the things around us, so a healthy diagnosis would be to look at our whole
life as we dance
Our identity is unique, there is only one of you on the planet, only you
have your DNA, your characteristics, your expressions, your dreams, your
feelings, your personality, gestures, your movement.
The identity of ones own body begins in infancy and has been studied by
numerous people. Carl Jung and Martin Buber being two of whom the
Tango therapy is built upon.
“The symbols of the self arise in the depths of the body”
Carl Jung
Jung’s[1] concept of the identity the process of individuation and the
search for the Self through the labyrinth of existential options was guided
towards the profound study of the archetypal psyche and the eternal
referentials of the human soul
Jung gave us the collective unconscious which are made up of archetypes
and that belong to the whole of humanity. Like a psychic knowledge that
we are all born with that influences all of our emotional experiences and
behaviours.
We work with the archetypes in Tango therapy in order to be more
yourself and connect with the forces that bring you to life.
[1] Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist, an influential thinker and the
founder of analytical psychology. Jung’s approach to psychology has been influential in the field
of depth psychology and in counter cultural movements across the globe. Jung is considered
as the first modern psychologist to state that the human psyche is “by nature religious” and to
explore it in depth. He emphasized understanding the psyche through exploring the worlds of
dreams, art, mythology, religion and philosophy. Although he was a theoretical psychologist
and practicing clinician, much of his life’s work was spent exploring other areas, including
Eastern and Western philosophy, alchemy, astrology, sociology, as well as literature and the
arts. His most notable ideas include the concept of psychological archetypes, the collective
unconscious and synchronicity. Jung emphasized the importance of balance and harmony.
(Wikipedia - Date: 22/10/08)
H A73 h
Martin Buber
The integration of the “I-You” and the appearance of Martin Buber’s[1]
concept of “we” implies the concept of identity. According to this author
the “I” doesn’t exist, only the “we”. “Us” he said “What happens to the
other happens to me”.
Buber’s philosophy of dialogue views the human existence in relations,
and that in two fundamentally different kinds of relations: I-It and I-Thou
relations.
The Life of dialogue is the sphere surrounding, in between two people
(couple). The identity is not in one or the other but in the interchange of
the two. So, it is to feel yourself, your identity in the presence of the other.
For Buber, inter human meetings are only a reflection of the human
meeting with God. The essence of the biblical religion consists for Buber
of the fact that - regardless of the infinite abyss between them - a dialogue
between man and God is possible.
The first years of life

In the first years of life the psychological expression of identity is initiated.
This process of expansion lasts a lifetime. The basic sensation of ones

identity is the sensation of being alive. Being alive and coming together
with another, with others enables our identity to grow, to integrate, to
evolve. To feel more and more oneself in the presence of the other.
It reveals itself in the presence of the other. Through the other we find
ourself, our essence blooms. Some people experience and feel life through
suffering, it is their only way sadly they have had no other choices or
experiences.
The structure of our emotional world consolidates in the first years of

childhood and has been established by many psychologists / psychiatrists.
A few examples are:
Spitz: René Spitz[2] sustains that identity begins with the affective
[1] Martin Buber (1878 – 1965) was an Austrian-Israeli-Jewish philosopher, translator, and
educator, whose work centered on theistic ideals of religious consciousness, interpersonal
relations, and community. (Wikipedia - Date: 22/10/08)
[2] René Árpád Spitz (1887 – 1974) was an American psychoanalyst of Hungarian origin.
(Wikipedia - Date: 22/10/08)
H A74 h
contact with the mother.
Lacan[3]: The importance of language in the structuring of identity, said

that “words are the foundation of reality”.
Gesell: According to Arnold Gesell[4], the child begins to perceive his

body as independent and separate from the world at about 28 weeks,
when he sucks his big toe .
Children who receive love and nourishing containment in their early

childhood myelinization have perfectly developed cortical-hypothalamic
pathways.
On the other hand, children abandoned by their mothers are not able to
complete that stage of maturity due to the organic effort that is displaced
to the telencephalus, the neurological region of external communication.
The neurological structuring of identity depends on the love that the child
receives in its first years of life.
Experience Of Being Alive

Dancing with another
The fundamental experience of identity arises as the endogenous

sensation of being alive. The primordial experience of identity is the
moving and intense sensation of being alive, generated within oneself.
Dancing with another with surrender, grace and sensuality raises the self
esteem which builds itself on the positive echo / qualification / presence
of the other. It has a mystical route and we can say that love is the
fundamental building block of our identity.
The experience of one’s own value and self-acceptance comes from the
intense sensation of being alive, of feeling oneself, of feeling the body as a
[3] Jacques-Marie-Émile Lacan (1901 – 1981) was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist
who made prominent contributions to psychoanalysis, philosophy, and literary theory. His
interdisciplinary work is Freudian, featuring the unconscious, the castration complex, the ego;
identification; and language as subjective perception, and thus he figures in critical theory,
literary studies, twentieth-century French philosophy, and clinical psychoanalysis. (Wikipedia
- Date: 22/10/08)
[4] Dr. Arnold Lucius Gesell (1880 - 1961) was a psychologist and paediatrician who was a
pioneer in the field of child development. (Wikipedia - Date: 22/10/08)
H A75 h
source of pleasure and knowing what one wants. It is based on the loving
qualifications we received in our first infancy from our parents / caregivers
/those people who were close to us.
Clinical research has already researched and investigated all the different
results of identity. For example, in mental patients the body is felt
differently, the objects too. A normal identity is perception of ourself with
feedback with reality, which means to respond on the same level. Identity
is related with movement and health and with the capacity for intimacy.
To open the heart, to love.
Love can be seen as the drama of two identities struggling for union
and continuity within a larger identity. To dance together leading and
surrendering to the movement of the other whilst being centred, rooted
into the earth and open from your heart, listening, feeling, flowing into
a third energy which is the creative act of both of you is to feel life being
born, new moments, new movements, new discoveries, dancing into the
mystery
To be happy you need passion. Passion strengthens our identity. Love
strengthens our identity which is what this culture needs the most
We need strong emotions to have a strong identity and one of the aims of
Tango therapy and indeed Biotango is is to evoke the positive emotions
that live in the universe of the body.
“The universe unfolds in the body, which is its mirror and its creature”.
(Octavio Paz)
Identity and dance

Movement is the expression of who we are, the expression of our identity
and the only way to modify it is through dancing. Dancing together is a
beautiful way to live your life, to understand the other, to be a woman, to
be a man.
To feel and move into the rhythm together, the sensory-motor

integration.
To begin to move and live from your heart, the affective-motor integration
And to move with pleasure, the sensitive-motor integration.
H A76 h
The pleasure to dance, the pleasure to be in the presence of the other,
the pleasure to feel yourself as unique and vital, the pleasure to live, the
pleasure to feel Movement with balance, energy and synergism in dancing
with another from your intimacy expressing and exploring creative
movements that are born from the impetus of your heart.
Whilst we are dancing from our hearts we are truly alive, we are living
in the fullness of each moment and discovering through the sensitive
relationship with the other a new and at the same time very ancestral
part of ourselves that remembers without thinking how to move, how to
live, to love to be happy. We fall in love when we dance with another, we
can learn to love ourselves again through the other. This is so therapeutic
because the understanding that many people have these days is that they
must love themselves first before loving another. But, what if for example
you have never experienced love, how do you know what it is if you stay
dancing alone, living alone, dreaming alone ? How can you understand
what your body is trying to tell you ?
Repression
Is created by dissociation, the culture dissociation that has been
perpetuated throughout history. The culture is built on anti-life values, no
smile, no happiness, no touch, no self expression, no change, no trust, and
don’t feel
In Tango Therapy we see the body as the unconscious, the body and the
organs and that the emotions repressed into our bodies can find ways
towards creative expression
Wilhem Reich[5] gave the unconscious a corporal dimension and localized

the repression of instincts and emotions in muscular tension (muscular
armour). This repression was considered by Reich to be the cause of
psycho-somatic illnesses and muscular tension. He said that the repression
caused by the culture and experiences of life is not just something that
happens in our psyche, it is something that has a social and political
dimension and that the failure of the ego creates a characterological
armour.
Reich separated the psychological aspect from the physical - visceral

tension generates psychosomatic diseases and proposed massage and
[5] Wilhelm Reich (1897 - 1957) a disciple of Freud spoke about the corporal physiological
dimension of desire.
H A77 h
physical exercise and he also proposed in a very clear way that people have
to have orgasms as only orgasms are able to dissolve character logical
armour and tensions of the body.
Reich formulated the Rings of Tension which are blocks where muscular
contraction prevents the free flow of energy. In Tango therapy we work
with exercises and dances in a very beautiful way to release the tensions in
these areas thus healing our bodies.
He identified 7 of these rings in the body:
Ocular - forehead, eyes, cheekbones, tear duct glands - inability to

open eyes wide
Oral - lips, chin, throat - may find it hard to cry, grin, or grimace
Neck - holding back of crying, and anger.
Chest - self-control, and restraint - holding back of anger
Diaphragm
Abdomen
Pelvis - pleasure turns into anger - muscular spasms.
Affection, love and tenderness fortify our identity and when integrated
into our movement we flow like the sea with all the channels of our body
open.
We can liberate from the tensions we have carried for so long and find a
new way. Through dancing together we are born again and with love we
feel again.
H A78 h
Male and Female polarities in Tangotherapy

By Dr. Massimo Habib
When I started to give Tangotherapy classes I soon discovered that there

was often something wrong in the way men led women.
In a particular case a woman told us that she didn’t “feel” her man. Like
other men in the group he was able to execute simple steps but when
he danced something strange happened in the couple: they seemed
disconnected as if there was a wall between them.
I was curious to discover the reason of such a phenomenon and I wanted
him to dance with me (I played the role of the woman). Yes! It was true!
I didn’t feel him, exactly the same sensation she had. So, I asked him to
dance with me but in the woman’s role. The first sensation I had while we
were dancing was that I liked what was happening and he liked it too. At
the end of the tango he told me “It’s incredible! I like playing the woman
role in Tango! What does it mean??”
So, if a man has a problem with leading other people in life he will
probably enjoy being led. What can we do with this attitude? Where is the
chance to change the behaviour?
The man in the example told me he was enthusiastic of the experience so

I asked him to lead me this time, changing roles again, and something else
happened. He looked stronger and more defined in his movements and
the same steps of before were now clearer. His chest was finally “alive”
and I was really moved by his new approach.
What happened?
When we can really touch a part of ourselves in a clear and defined way
and in a precise polarity (the female one in this case) something happens
in our body and in our mind and we “understand” the way we feel being
that part. If then we change the roles and try to do the same but in the
other polarity we might see that way of being in a new, defined, clear way,
and we can act with a new awareness of ourselves.
Something similar happened with a woman who really liked to play the
role of man. She led men or women in tangos with no problem at all. And
she liked it very much! So, I asked her to continue like that until she was
really tired. I was waiting to see something different in her way of dancing.
She was too much “up” too strong, too lighted in her body. Nothing in her
attitude gave any indication of the female polarity. But nothing different
H A79 h
happened.
Finally she was really tired and felt blue, her eyes suggested that she was
trying to understand what was happening inside. I invited her to dance
two tangos with me. She started crying and experienced dancing with
complete abandon.
What are we talking about?

Nowadays I spend much time during my workshops working with the
gender polarities of my participants. Depending on their wants or
resistances I decide which role, man or woman, to let them play. And they
all learn the different Tango steps.
The objectives are clear to me:
First, let people really touch two different ways of being: an active,
purposeful, executive, leading way on one side and a still, sensitive,
coenaesthesic, lunar, waiting way on the other.
Secondly, I give a chance to experiment in deep one of the two parts
depending on what I see in their behaviour
Finally, I try to rebalance with special exercises the female and male
parts of each person so they can experience both parts and decide by
themselves which one to use, when and, above all, how.
So, let’s focus on both gender parts in Tango.
The male part, in Tango, can be divided in two different but enlaced sub-
parts:
In the first we see the will of the goal, i.e. to dance around the
Picture © Tango Terapia Italia
H A80 h
1
“milonga” with the lady in his arms, to decide where, when and how
to lead her. The man keeps open his eyes and think always tabout
different steps. He communicates to the woman his strength, his
awareness of what she is doing in that moment and so on. We can
call this part the “macho” one. Women like this strength because
they want to feel the way the man leads them. In Tango, women
never have different chances when they dance. Every time the man
leads a step, that is the right step. No other is admitted!
So, woman lives the “simplicity” of the leading: Nothing to talk
about, no discussion.
But, there is another sub-part in male part absolutely necessary to
lead a woman.
No man can constrict a woman to make steps or to move in a
particular direction. The only way to do it is to persuade her, make
her happy. This is the reason that the man holds the woman with
his right arm. It is the lovely part of the man, the way he does it, his
“mood”, his embrace, will determine the way the couple dances. We
call this sub-part the “holding” part.
So, Macho and holding sub-parts together make a man a leading
tango dancer.
Let’s now explain the female part in Tango.
I believe that even in this part we can discriminate between two sub-
parts.
The first, is the “feeling” one. The woman does nothing, lest the
man lead her, behaves without a will, switches off thoughts and
sharpens her body and skins sensibility. She closes her eyes and
looses the cognition of the space (the external one).
The second, quite different, is the “standing” one. If we can imagine

two different spaces: one internal and the other external, well, in
this case, the internal space must be clear to the woman. In Tango
the woman is always waiting for a leader and to get this goal she
must be ready to move. The only way to be ready is to be able to
change her balance and to do it she has to know very well where her
balance is.
In a, few words we can say that women in tango have to be aware
of their body and balance, of their internal space in spite of the
external one that is in men’s hands.
You all can think about these parts and sub-parts in your lives. How
do you behave, the way you feel in relationships and even in your
own self.
So, Tangotherapy becomes a way of discovering something new
about us or something we already know but that we can focus on.
H A81 h
Using tango to extrapolate gender polarities, we aim at helping
people to find their missing (or, better, hidden) parts whatever they
are.
Let’s see some ways to make these parts significant.
The contact
The real working factor, the real ignition is the contact at breast level.
Whatever your problem, we can see it, understand it, when you keep in
a Tango contact. The first reason is that a heart-to heart contact reveals
your emotions as if you where in front of a mirror. But that mirror lives.
This means that you feel yourself even through the other body. The
more you are confused with yourself, the more you will feel confusion in
the embrace with the other. In the same way you can learn to see your
differences and identity separating what you feel and what the others
feel. This is only an example but the issue is that Tango contact amplifies
and reveals the way you feel inside. And the wonderful thing is that this
happens on the surface of our body, on our skin.
Skin allows us to contact the environment. Is the most important organ
we have to communicate with people. We discover ourselves when we
touch the other, and in Tangotherapy we can do it continuously all along
the treatment.
The other way in which we can consider the power of contact is the
contagion between dancers. Like in a beneficent infection, the energy
passes through the skin of dancers and it happens mostly in the direction
from the one who is more adequate in its own part to the other person.
Let’s make an example. If I’m leading very well a Tango, independently
from my gender, I’ll be able to transmit my wellness to the other person.
But it will not be true if I have a problem interpreting the part, and it is true
for man and woman in every combination.
The “good contagion” is a great weapon in Tangotherapy.
The breathing
In Tango, especially in the female part, the more you are able to breathe
out the more you dance well.
In Tangotherapy, the therapist can help the one who is leading and is
experimenting the female part, to feel better during the dance. Through
a particular sensibility, we can feel in deapth the way the person breaths,
and then cautiously we can try to change her or his breath toward a
H A82 h
movement more relaxed and
less automatic. It is a classical
exercise even between dancers.
The most important thing
is that the parts have to be
interpreted in the best way
possible. Every time we are
not able to interpret a part,
we neutralize the effect of the
Therapy. So, breathing can help
us to define parts but can be
also the cause of confusion and
misunderstanding. This is the
reason during my seminars, I
work a lot on the breath control
and decontrol.
Identification
Often, when we dance during a Picture © Tango Terapia Italia
Tangotherapy experience, the
following can happen:
I am dancing, leading for example, and I’m feeling very well, entire, like
in heaven. If I try to read the situation I’ll find out that the person dancing
with me is performing her or his part in a way that I appreciate.
The idea is that this is the way I would like to perform my female polarity.
May be I’m not able to dance in that way but I would do it If only I could.
The same can happen if I’m led in a Tango, enjoying the care and strength
of my man or woman. I like that polarity in the way it’s happening in this
moment. Could I do the same?
This is a real important issue in Tangotherapy when we study polarities
dynamic.
The real goal, in this discipline, is to became whole, entire. To be able to
use different energies, the active one, the sensitive one. Every way or tool,
we can use to define more and more these parts, allows us to reach this
freedom and happiness of consciousness.
This can happen identifying our opposite polarities dancing with other
human beings.
H A83 h
S PSYCHO-TANGO s
H 85 h
Picture: Liliana Esperanza “Colgada”
BIOTANGO
By Karen Woodley
“The Tango is a direct expression of what poets have often tried to state
in words the belief that a fight may be a celebration.”
Jorge Luis Borges
What is Biotango
Biotango is a dance movement technique that works with life and passion.
Bio: life and Tango: passion. This means it stimulates the essential
creativity. The creative impulse that lies within each person and which
emerges spontaneously and organically through the movements of the
body, bringing a new energy with which to live our lives. To love, to work,
to play, to create.
Tango is a dance where two become one, where you feel yourself within
the presence of the other. A dance where the Eroticism merges with the
Tenderness, the Sensitivity of the heart in a spiritual link through the body.
How does it work

Biotango works by finding again our natural healthy posture, on finding
our authentic movement from simply walking around the space from the
centre of the heart. It works by allowing yourself and opening yourself up
to the possibility to be moved by music which in itself is a great medicine
capable to heal disease and bring life again in to our cells through which
we can explore our feelings and relationships with the world. Biotango
works by inviting participants to dance the many passions of the body, of
ourselves. Finding again your own unique movements and emotions and
feelings which as they emerge will surprise you. Biotango takes place at
the level of the heart, the centre of life in each and every person.
“The soul is not really united unless all the bodily energies, all the limbs of
the body are united.”
Martin Buber
H Psy87 h
Communication through the Tango
Tango from the beginning was a special way to communicate, to give
responsibility and freedom to build new choreographies. This freedom
does not mean that to dance Tango we need to forget the rules. We need
to know the steps and the figures and when we have mastered this we will
have a communication with our partner.
There is not an emotion that cannot be expressed by the Tango through

the embrace of the bodies, the happiness, sadness, love, the anger, the
loneliness…… the embrace reminds us of our childhood and because of
this it is tenderness, it is protection. These positive life affirming qualities
and emotions are fortified in each session bringing a deep sense of
meaning and joy to our existence.
Picture ©Karenn Woodley - biotango.co.uk
Talking about the biological structure, Tango improves mobility and

physical abilities, its practice improves several aspects of health. Also, it
develops the superior cognitive functions because we pay attention to
the steps! Tango is an exercise of slight to moderate intensity, similar to
that which is recommended to prevent cardiovascular diseases, this was
a study made by a scientist of the Favaloro Foundation, Buenos Aires,
Argentina.
Tango is beneficial to the elderly because it incorporates elements found
in standard neurological rehabilitation programmes, for people with
Alzheimer’s as we work with the remembering of steps with coordination.
For people who suffer with depression, Parkinson’s disease, couples and
children too! For ‘Downs Syndrome’ and children with disabilities we can
see a clear motor response to rhythms. One way of rehabilitation of theses
H Psy88 h
children is through the sensory motor adaptation to different types of
rhythm and seeing when they are able to pass from rhythm towards the
melody, which is a great evolution. The Tango music with its particular
rhythms and sweet melodies helps this rehabilitation, also, the process of
learning the steps with a partner is a nice challenge. The strong rhythm
can give them a sense of identity, of feeling good in themselves and the
softer melodies a creative push.
The AMAR association dance group of Argentina[1] say that downs
syndrome people can absolutely be devoted Tango dancers. It is
absolutely true, it just takes patience and passion on the part of the
teacher!
What are the benefits ?

uu Improved communication on all levels.
uu Stress and anxiety lessen.
uu More Confidence.
uu A healthy self esteem starts to grow.
uu Strengthening of the immune system.
uu Integration of body, mind and spirit - thoughts, feelings and
desires.
uu Development of sensitivity and love.
uu Healthy body happiness.
uu Expression of emotions.
uu To dance the Tango with passion
What makes Biotango interesting to you and me?

It addresses our primal human need to dance together with another as
one. And as Sally Potter....... the creator of the movie ‘The Tango lesson’
points out:
“The body is closer, more intimate than any other dance form, it is the
combination of sensual, meditative, relaxed contact and communication
in the upper body and swift, almost martial art like repartee in the lower
body that gives the Tango its unique identity. Add to this the vibrant
music you have the ingredients for something more than craze. You
have a participatory art form which can express the most profound and
complex longings that people can have about their lives, about each ther,
about the nature of existence itself.”[2]
[1] www.asociacionamar.org.ar
[2] SALLY POTTER is the creator of “THE TANGO LESSON”, a joint British-French-Argentine
H Psy89 h
Biotango is interesting because it is a mixture of beautiful, profoundly
healing dances for oneself and the intensely exquisite dance of the Tango.
We dance alone, we dance together, sometimes the energy of the classes
are electric, sometimes more fluid and calming but always filling your
body with the universal connection and energy you need to live a more
integrated passionate life through your bodies.
It is also interesting as it can be used in rehabilitation (and is being used)

of certain diseases and conditions. It can be used in many disabilities,
in groups to facilitate the healthy expression and very definitely with
children with the emphasis on creativity, stories, musical sensitivity, play
and communication.
“The Tango began in the middle of the nineteenth century, mixing

elements of music and dance brought to Argentina by the many small
immigrant communities. It was one of the first dances to use the shocking
new, popularised by the Viennese waltz, in which a man and a woman
stood in front of each other and put their arms around each other. A
true street dance, it was not created by dancers and taught to people,
as so many European dances have been. It was thrown together by
people who might not have shared a common verbal language, but who
wanted to move together to the pretty new music being made around
them, and who were searching for a moment of joy in their often hard
lives. To dance with the women in Buenos Aires the immigrants had to
learn their dance - and learn to do it in a way that pleased the women,
or the women would not dance with them. The unique pressures of this
extraordinary city, in this extraordinary moment of its history, formed
the evolving Tango, and made it into something more than just a dance.
The Tango became an expression of a fundamental human need: the
hunger of the soul to contact with another soul[3].”
Some of the exercises that we do

uu Movements to recover the physiological, integrated walk
uu Movements to enforce synergism (integration of right and left
hemisphere of the brain)
uu Rhythmic dances (e.g. candombe)
production, which was awarded the best film of the year award at the 1997 Mar Del Plata
(Argentina) International Film Festival. (http://www.tangodynamics.com)
[3] Denniston, C. The meaning of Tango: the story of the Argentinian dance. 2007. London.
Portico publishers
H Psy90 h
1
uu Movements of co-ordination and synchronization in pairs and in
the group.
uu Dances of vitality.
uu Dances of creativity.
uu Dances of love.
uu Dances of the archetypes.
uu Dances of sensitivity and tenderness with ourselves and with
others.
uu Slow dances to dissolve the body armour that lies within the
three centres of the body, the neck, the shoulders and the hips.
uu Learning following and leading.
What is the philosophy of Biotango

We dance to feel, we dance to express and we dance because we want to
dance!
To make heartfelt connections with yourself and with other people
through movement, dance and gentle contact.
A Biotango class is a safe space to FEEL your body, your life and to explore
this rather than thinking about and analysing everything in our lives.
We live in a chaotic world, full of unrest, stress, threats of some sort the
results of this are that people are out of touch with their bodies, they have
no spirituality and they have become rigid with fear and anxiety, unwell
and diseased.
Biotango is a way to uncover, discover and recover love. When our

movements come from inner impulses that are interjected from the
emotions and feelings and at the same time controlled and managed
sensitively by cortical impulses a creative dance can emerge, where
balance, harmony and unity of movement are integrated.
During a creative dance like the Tango we bring to the outside our inner
emotions in an act of enlightenment and thus a transformation takes place
in the dancer. We dance in order to connect, to express, to give and receive
with life, to come alive again. In the Tango as the follower we need to be
able to trust the leader as says:
“To shut down the left brain activity that normally keeps us safe through
our daily lives, and shut down the mechanism of self preservation that
prevent us from getting run over as we cross the street. In this way you
allow the leader to lead entering into a kind of active meditative state.”[4]
[4] Denniston, C. The meaning of Tango: the story of the Argentinian dance. 2007. London.
Portico publishers
H Psy91 h
When the follower is concerned for their own safety when dancing, rather
than being able to trust the leader, there is a great deal of pressure on
the follower to anticipate. To the people who learned to dance during the
golden age, this was not tango.
The leaders first priority is to keep the follower safe, respecting their
balance and caring for them completely.
The principle that one receives most pleasure by abandoning thoughts of

one’s own pleasure, and concentrating on giving pleasure to one’s partner
instead, is one that is familiar to Yogic and Taoist theories of relationships.
With no apparent knowledge of these ancient spiritual traditions, Tango
dancers discovered in the practicas and milongas of Buenos Aires that the
best dance came not from focusing on one’s own dancing pleasure, but
from abandoning oneself into one’s partner.
Brings balance to inner and outer worlds

Tai-Chi movements to integrate the Yin and Yang energies are proposed
to harmonise our movements in a very deep way. The Yin is the feminine
aspect of who we are and the Yang the male. Over time you start
to rebalance yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. In a fun
way these classes are for you to awaken a new spark of life into your
movement, a new spark of life into your communication.
As well as Tai -Chi floating movements, posture organization and balance

where the Ki-energy of the body is activated, activating directly the health
levels and life quality of each person, Yoga exercises can be applied in
Tango dance too.
Both techniques respond to the nature of the body and its movements
They develop profound and useful knowledge of the body in movement
Both search for the origin of energy and its direction

They use breathing as support for movement and dynamic changes
When someone is looking at a couple dancing Tango they can say that
they are dancing beautifully. This is because they can see the harmony of
and in the couple and that harmony is that quality of movement, the same
as in Tai-Chi.
H Psy92 h
Why Biotango can help you
Because it works on the healthy part of people.
Traditional psychology seems to work with the shadow part of the person
rather than stimulating what is healthy, and perhaps through working with
the shadow the obscure part of the person can only increase. What would
happen if we worked with all the sources of health and creativity within
that person?, Life would happen, movement, relationship. Tango is the
dance of love and love is life too.
Biotango works on stimulating the healthy expression, through healthy

movements that connect us into our bodies, connect us with our partners
as we dance and also with the whole group.
The sessions are about awakening the positive energy that may get
trapped by depression. The desire from our cells. Awakening the unique
creativity of each person. Our passion and our spirituality.
Positive thinking and affirming through the power of Tango and the rise in
endorphins puts life back into our cells.
Picture ©Karenn Woodley - biotango.co.uk
H Psy93 h
Tango and depression

A collaborative work between the University of New England, in Australia
and the McGill University in Quebec, Canada was made regarding the
application of Argentinean Tango in patients with depression
This study was made by R. Pinniger, R. Brown and E. Thorsteinsson from
the University of New England and P. Mckinley from the McGill University.
The following is an explanation of that study, called ‘Turning emotion into

motion’.
For this study the Argentine Tango was proposed as an intervention, a

mindfulness intervention such as meditation for frequently generating
positive effects on psychological wellbeing. Mindfulness has been defined
as the awareness that emerges from focusing and concentrating on
the present moment. It involves paying attention on purpose and non-
judgementally.
Argentinean Tango promotes attention as it demands a strong connection

with ones dance partner also, it incorporates self acceptance and
mindfulness, touch and connection along with music and exercise.
As a physical exercise Tango improves mood though it is generally focused

on fitness and wellbeing, anyone who can walk can learn the Tango, it
can enhance a sense of self efficacy and achievement, also boosting self
esteem.
Participants of Tango and of meditation were expected to respond similarly

after the intervention
The objectives of this study carried out in Australia were to determine:
If the participants in the Tango and meditation groups experienced

a greater reduction in psychological distress (I.e. anxiety, depression
and stress) after completing 6 weekly sessions relative to the control
group.
If participants in the two groups experienced a greater increase in

self esteem, satisfaction with life and mindfulness after completing
6 weekly sessions relative to the control group.
H Psy94 h
Whether the above effects increased in the Tango and Meditation groups
throughout the programme and throughout the following month.
In order for this study to have gone ahead:
Participants needed to be 18yrs or over
Participants needed to have recently experienced symptoms of

depression, anxiety or stress
Participants could not be accepted if pregnant
Participants needed to have no problem at all with walking or with

their balance.
All of the participants were recruited through advertisements in 6

local newspapers to the area, also through posters and leaflets that
were displayed in relevant places.
The Programme:
This actual programme consisted of classes for one and half hours once a
week for a six week period. This included ten minutes of welcoming and
relaxation prior to each class. Ten minutes of warm up. One hour of actual
teaching, introducing new concepts in each one and ten minutes of warm
down and closure with an option for the participants to share and ask
questions.
The Tango part of the programme included the following

elements:
Consciousness of walking
Awareness of ones / other body
Resistance / transference of weight
Change of roles
The Meditation part of the programme included:
Breathing
Mindfulness of eating
Body scan
H Psy95 h
Walking meditation
Music meditation
The results of the study showed in two separated analysis:
The first analysis:

Depression, anxiety and stress:
The results showed an interaction indicating that the programme was
effective in significantly reducing levels of depression for participants in
both the Tango and meditation groups in comparison to participants in
the control group who did not engage in the programme. There was also a
decrease in anxiety and stress levels for participants in either groups while
control participants retained similar levels.
Self-esteem, satisfaction with life and mindfulness:

A noted increase in these aspects for both groups.
The second analysis:

One month follow-up.
While Tango and meditation showed a decrease in depression, anxiety and
stress there is an interaction indicating that the meditation group showed a
greater increase in self-esteem.
This may imply that tango and meditation each treat different aspects of
depression.
Conclusion of the study:

Tango dancing may be an excellent method for reducing depression in those
with mild to moderate depression, thus providing those who find it difficult
to meditate with an alternative.
Data trends at that time also indicated that the prospect of being given
meditation or tango lessons may also be sufficient to enhance self-esteem,
satisfaction with life and mindfulness to some degree.
The group of people who carried out the study believe that future studies
should explore this by increasing sample size as well as examining different
populations
H Psy96 h
This article was created from the information sent to us by Rosa Pinniger:
Turning Emotion into Motion: Use of Argentine Tango Dancing to Ameliorate Depression
R. Pinniger1, R. Brown1, E. Thorsteinsson1 & P. McKinley2
1University of New England, N.S.W., AUSTRALIA. 2McGill University, Quebec, CANADA.
Image provided by Rosa Pinniger
H Psy97 h
The Phenomenon of Relationship

in the Argentine Tango
by Greta Polo, MA, R-DMT
Columbia College Chicago, Dance
Movement Therapy and Counseling
“It takes two to know one”. (Gregory Bateson)
The Argentine tango is an improvisational social dance that consists of

two people—possibly strangers or acquaintances—joining in an embrace,
and engaging in an intimate, nonverbal conversation. The connection
between the partners is just as important, if not more so, as the technique.
The emphasis of Argentine tango lies not in performing or mastering steps
but instead in mastering the relationship between the partners and in their
vital expression of emotion.
This dynamic dance draws a steady steam of new worldwide devotees
who are transformed by its benefits—many of whom begin to use tango
as a philosophy of life and tool for self-discovery. Some of those who have
experienced the power of tango in their own lives have proceeded to move
tango out of the social setting and have begun utilizing it as a therapeutic
intervention to assist others.
My attempt to bring this exploration into the therapeutic realm begins by

understanding the phenomenological experience of relationship in tango
by asking the question: How is relationship experienced while dancing the
Argentine tango?
Argentine tango as a form of dance/movement therapy

Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is a psycho-therapeutic tool that uses
body movement as the modality for both assessment and treatment.
The premise of DMT is that outer movement reflects inner mental and
emotional states, and therefore changing movement behavior can lead
to change in the psyche and spirit (Levy, 2005). DMT aims to reconnect
people with their own bodies—as the body is the most direct vehicle of
expression and connection to others and to our environment.
As I entered the world of Argentine tango, I realized that elements of
H Psy98 h
dance therapy were already present, although they were not being
identified as such. As I started my own journey of learning tango, I also
started researching the concept of tango as a form of DMT.
While DMT itself is young as a profession and area of research, tango
as a form of therapy is in its infancy. Certain studies on the benefits of
tango are getting visible recognition, but research on the capacity for
psychological growth and interpersonal relating is lagging behind. While
many DMTs or psychotherapists may be using tango in their clinical work,
little has been written on it, and even less has been systematically studied.
This thesis project aims to add to the scant pool of research on the psycho-
therapeutic aspects of the Argentine tango.
Argentine tango therapy as a psycho-therapeutic tool

for relationships
Since the Argentine tango is considered the dance of relationship, it serves
as a learning tool for people to understand how they relate to others. The
improvisational nature of tango requires keen attention to the partner’s
subtle shifts in movement. In order to dance the highly interdependent
tango, the dancers must have clear communication, sensitivity, trust, and
balance—all of which are also the foundations of intimate relationships.
Not only does tango serve as a metaphor for relationship, but also it
allows the neuromuscular patterns to be formed that allow for healthy
psychological and physical connections. In order to perform the tango
technique, physical and emotional states must be in alignment. Concepts
can be explored in the mind endlessly but are often not truly understood
until they are experienced in the body. Conversely, often the body shows
evidence of feelings before the mind is fully conscious of them. It is in this
way that DMT is such a powerful modality—tango therapy in particular—
as a way to move through relational issues.
In dancing tango as a social dance, the participants work to move through

emotional blocks in order to increase in skill level. Dancing tango for
psycho-therapeutic purposes changes the emphasis: the aim is to explore
the deeper psychological roots of the physical and emotional blocks that
emerge while learning and dancing tango. The ultimate goal becomes to
align body and mind on and off the dance floor. Helping people to become
aware of how their bodies respond in this relational dance can result in
insights about their behavior in the larger world. The addition of verbal
processing with the therapist brings the implicit realm of experience
forward so that it can be worked through actively.
H Psy99 h
This study was an exploration of how average, social tango dancers
experienced the dance and if relational concepts entered into their
consciousnesses. Without imposing my own views or interventions, I
gently assessed how inclined the participants were to discussing the
psychological experiences of dancing the tango.
Research Participants:
The participants consisted of three male tango “leaders” and three

female “followers” whose relationship status was single and lived in
the Chicago area. The participants’ ages ranged from 30 to 65 and their
experience level ranged from five months to nine years of dancing tango.
The participants were chosen individually and were neither formal dance
partners nor romantic partners. Some had previously danced with each
other through their involvement with the local Chicago tango community.
The selection of participants was based on availability, matching criteria,
and level of interest.
Methods:
The research was conducted by first video-recording the participants

dancing tango socially for one two-hour session. As per usual in tango,
the dancers rotated partners. In a separate meeting, each participant
was interviewed and audio-recorded individually. During this interview,
each participant was shown portions of their documented dancing and
asked to describe the somatic and psychological experience of each dance
relationship.
The data was collected, analyzed, and examined for psychological

relevancy and essential meaning through phenomenological research
methods in an attempt to fully understand the participants’ experiences.
Artistic inquiry was used to express, as accurately as possible, the lived
experience of the participants by presenting the findings in part through
a multimedia performance piece—produced and performed by the
researcher—containing portions of the video and audio data and the
researcher’s kinesthetic response. The results are summarized here for the
purpose of this article but do not serve as a replacement for the original
presentation. To fully understand the phenomenological experience of the
participants as it is intended it is necessary to view the full multisensory
performance, which included the nuances of the participants’ voices and
the subtleties of their interaction and movement.
H Psy100 h
Summary of Results:
The research question was purposefully so open ended and the topic at
hand so multilayered that what resulted was the emergence of themes
too numerous for the scope of this project. Regardless, what developed
was a conceptualization of four major phenomena. These were four parent
themes into which all of the content could be identified: experience of self,
experience of other, experience of relationship, and experience of tango.
Self
“Self” statements were categorized as such when the participants spoke

about themselves independently. These were self-concepts, reflections,
perceptions, or experiences that existed regardless of others, including
reflections on preexisting personality traits, thought or behavior patterns,
or personal philosophies. One participant remarked on how tango
amplified his own personality traits: “I knew I was like this before I started
tango; it’s just that tango makes it come out in more obvious ways.”
Self-statements also included present-moment reflections but were still
distinct from reflections on the other person or the relationship. These
statements could be labeled “self-talk”—intrusive thoughts that tend to
judge or critique ourselves. At times the participants were also responding
to the experience of seeing themselves on video. Some of the major topics
discussed concerning the self included self-criticism, perception, image,
body awareness, comfort with own skill level, emotional vulnerability, and
insecurity about being seen by others. A few examples include:
-“I’m not comfortable flaunting my incapacity.”
-“I’m in my head, and I’m not really breathing deeply.”
-“It’s really hard for me to be really vulnerable and get really close and
that’s why tango has been so hard for me.”
The participants ranged from having poorer self-concepts to very

healthy ones and at times discussed ways in which they work through
maladaptive thought patterns. The participants also describe moments of
transcendence in the dance:
-“During the time that I dance, I disconnect everything else that’s going
on in life.”
H Psy101 h
-“Really the confidence that allows me to be vulnerable … comes down to
me and my own confidence, which I think then can radiate out.”
Other
Statements about “other” involved perceptions of the other person

distinct from the participants themselves or the relationship dynamic.
These included assumptions, opinions, or projections of preexisting
personality traits, thought or behavior patterns, physical characteristics,
or personal philosophies concerning the other person. The participants
spoke mostly about the personality of the other person using words such
as gentle, loving, playful, engaging, curious, introverted, bitter, passive,
and conscientious. They also remarked on the other person’s perceived
technical skill and approach or philosophy in dancing tango. This included
commenting on the others competency, rigidity or flexibility in approach
toward dancing, and assumptions concerning the other person’s mental
and emotional states and processes. Examples of quotes concerning the
other include:
-“I feel him in his head creating, and he just stays present there.”
-“I actually feel he’s judging himself more.”
Relationship
When the participants spoke about the dyad as a unit, the statements
were determined to be about “relationship.” The “relationship” category
was split into two sections: The first section included discussion solely of
the relationships within the research study. The participants were asked
to reflect on the relational dynamic within each of the nine pairings while
watching a video recording of their dancing with one another.
One of the major themes revealed by the moment-by-moment dance

relationships in the study was ways in which the participants coped with
the differences between them. If there was a disparity in experience level,
some participants used it as an opportunity to take a mentor-ship role
while others experienced it as primarily a hindrance to dancing. Connected
to this was the importance of receptivity in hearing feedback. Differences
in dance styles—more improvisational versus more structured—also
needed to be reconciled in the dance partnerships.
The participants also discussed what allowed for a sense of comfort or
H Psy102 h
connection in the dance: primarily familiarity, rapport, and attitude or
personality traits of the other person, such as forgiveness, curiosity, and
receptiveness.
The following quotes give a sampling of the range of relational dynamics

in the study:
-“ I’m just being distant here. I’m trying to insulate myself from further
pain.”
-“ I really believe he’s just completely forgiving, and I can be completely

transformed into such a playful, curious person with him.”
-“It wasn’t so much about the connection with him; it was more about
‘let’s see what you can do.’ ”
The second section of the relationship category extended into

discussion about the participants’ experiences of relationships in tango
at large, beyond the scope of the filming. The participants described
the experiences of nonverbal communication, intimacy, collaboration,
bonding, leading and following, mentoring, giving and receiving verbal
feedback, and feeling connected or disconnected within the tango dance.
A few anecdotes concerning the experience of relationship include:
-“It is funny, sometimes I don’t even know my partner’s name and here
we are plastered against each other dancing.”
-“I don’t know what makes a connection, what breaks it … but they can
be intense; they can be completely insignificant … They can be god-awful
…One person can have an epiphany and the other could be completely
oblivious that it took place.”
-“Verbal feedback is very important … It’s hard to contain. You know

when you’re having a good time dancing … It would be hard not to say
something. But even just the look in their eyes is enough.”
Tango
The final category documents statements made regarding tango as

the vehicle or container of the relationship. This included discussion of
H Psy103 h
the experiences of learning and practicing tango, participants’ personal
interests in tango and how it serves them in their lives, the “addictive”
nature of the dance, and the love of tango music. Another important
topic that was placed into this category involved relationships outside of
the dyad—that of the larger tango community. The sense of camaraderie
experienced—deep friendships formed over time through dancing with
one another and sharing a common passion—was an important part of the
participants’ experiences and enjoyment of tango. A few thoughts about
the tango vehicle include:
-“[It’s] something that’s so fulfilling on every level: mental, spiritual,

emotional, physical.”
-“It’s about that music, and moving it, and you’re just in another world.
I think that’s why a lot of people keep dancing tango—to get there. It
doesn’t happen all the time, and it’s really amazing when it does.”
Discussion and Future Implications

Participants’ responses to the study
The participants have shown both enthusiasm and gratitude for their
involvement in this research project. The project has sparked an interest
in discussing the research further with one another. Moreover participants
have attempted to do so on their own volition. The fact that the group
has taken initiative to verbally process their thoughts and feelings with
one another presents a strong case for the merging of the worlds of tango
and psychotherapy. While the primary goal of this thesis project was to
understand the experience of relationship while dancing tango, there was
also an underlying exploration of the feasibility of using the Argentine
tango as a form of DMT. The forming of this discussion group affirmed
that there is an interest in verbally processing internal experiences in a
group setting, at least with these particular tango dancers.
The impulse to discuss with one another occurred after the individual
interviews. After the participants had seen the final results in which they
heard the reflections of others, there was even more discussion sparked.
One participant came to me and was remorseful about the way he spoke
about others during the interviews. He expanded on this by telling me that
he is highly self-critical and that he tends to extend this toward others as
well. He told me that for him “there is a fine line between an inferiority
complex and a superiority complex.” While some other participants were
H Psy104 h
very self-disclosing during the interviews, this particular participant’s
self-disclosure happened mostly after hearing the feedback from the
others presented in the research. I perceived that he was eager to speak
to me about his internal process at this point as opposed to his previous
external focus on the other person or on tango technique. Had we been in
a therapeutic setting, this would have been a rich topic to explore.
He also remarked that he could identify with the range of experiences
that everyone else had described. This was a testament to the power of
group disclosure in creating a sense of connectedness and universality
of experience. It allowed him to feel connected to the group through the
realization that they had all shared similar experiences at some point.
This participant took the process a step further by initiating a discussion
with one of the followers in the study with whom he had had difficulty.
He expressed to her that he had some major insights after hearing the
reflections of others. This leader told her that if she “had better dances
with the other two men then [he] must be doing something very wrong
and something major had to change.” He remarked that it saddened
him that she might not want to dance with him again. These were all
important shifts for this particular participant whose behavior often
seemed to alienate him from other dancers. Through the facilitation of a
mediator—that of a tango therapist—these group and couple dynamics
could be richly explored and worked through.
Response from attendees of the research performance
The aim of the research presentation was to bridge the disciplines of

tango and dance therapy: introducing the richness of tango to the DMT
community and emphasizing the psychological component to the tango
community. Consequently, the attendees did represent a cross section
of people from various backgrounds: tango dancers, dancers with other
backgrounds, dance therapists, academics, psychologists, friends, and
family.
The second half of the presentation consisted of an informal question-
and-answer session, giving the audience an opportunity to ask questions
about and comment on the research and performance. A head faculty
member of the DMT and Counseling program at Columbia College
Chicago remarked that although she had seen tango countless times in
the media, she never truly understood its subtleties and complexities until
seeing this presentation. The performance was regarded as a powerful,
intimate reflection of the tango experience. Just as a therapist aims to
be a poignant mirror of the clients’ experiences, so did this presentation
effectively reflect the inner lives of these six tango dancers.
After the performance I had several tango dancers approach me wanting
H Psy105 h
to share their personal experiences. One leader from the community told
me that the presentation gave him a lot to think about, which is the aim
of any successful work of art or research. A female “follower” gave an
account of a recent private tango lesson during which a floodgate of tears
was released after being asked by her male teacher to simply surrender to
him. It was a powerful thing to share to with me in passing. It leads to the
assumption that these experiences are likely on the minds of many tango
dancers, and the ground is fertile for discussion. In addition, perhaps
that teacher was able to hold his student emotionally and physically as
she released these emotions, but a much deeper understanding of this
experience could come from the addition of grounded therapeutic skills.
Conclusion and Implications for Future Research

The experience of relationship within the Argentine tango is rich, dynamic,
complex, and varied. As this study was primarily phenomenological, its
main aim was to illuminate the lived experience of the participants and
effectively accomplished this through a multimedia performance. The
result of this study is that is has increased awareness, created empathy
among participants and the larger tango audience alike, sparked an
interest, connected disciplines, initiated dialogues, and opened doors
for future explorations concerning the relational and psycho-therapeutic
aspects of tango.
The next step involves developing a grounded method of practice for use
with both groups and couples. Therapeutic goals could include increasing
interpersonal communication skills, emotional expression, personal
responsibility in relationship, and personal insight and development.
Other potential investigations include the incorporation of psychological
theories, such as analytical, existential, and self psychology, emotion-
focused, or internal family systems therapy, to further develop the
concepts of self, other, and relationship in tango. Most important, just as
one of the research participants remarked, “I hope we all keep dancing.”
H Psy106 h
S TANGO & children s
H 107 h
Picture: Raquel Sarangelo
On Tango and children

By Graciela Pesce
Tango, as a dance music, has a fabulous condition: The embrace.

The embrace, as it is present in special situations in our life.
Complicated or happy situations, situations of fear or anxiety, love...
intensive experiences most of them unforgettable.
The embrace helps us to reinforce links with someone else because there
is another person with us when we embrace each other, another person
who is sharing that situation, at the same moment.
If the situation is sad, the embrace relieves, if the situation is happy it will
make it happier. Some other embraces bring confidence, or increase our
self esteem. All of these situations of embraces, and a lot more of them,
are experiences from our childhood through our family and closest friends.
For that reason, Tango and its embrace can be a very valuable proposal
and significant to be re-created in children.
My most significant experience that I had, dancing tango in a recreational

manner but with the proposal to improve the quality of life of the
participants of those encounters, was in a workshop for children with
special needs (from 0 to 5 years old) that came along with their parents
and, some of them, also with their therapists.
The workshop was not with the aim to dance tango only but in the
moment when the tango music started we noticed the movements and
rhythm of the participants increasing from their emotions and their
contact with their parents. It is the tango that emerges as a musical
expression to share.
A dancing embrace intensifies the sensation of well-being and the mutual

understanding of the participants. But who are the ones embracing?
Everyone, parents with their sons, brothers and sisters, therapists with
their patients, everybody.
All those wonderful combinations dancing with the music that organizes
and guides our bodies into that common space.
I remember seeing a mother with her autistic son dancing a tango with
a close embrace in a very touching way. And a grandfather, who went to
that scholar activity for the first time, dancing with his granddaughter the
music from his teenage-years.
H TCh109 h
Tango as a show
It is important to mention the project called “Mundo Alas”, from the
Argentinian musician Leon Gieco, where children and teenagers with
Down Syndrome performed the tango in a proud and professional
manner. Their fancy dresses, hair styles and dance techniques show that
they tried very hard and they are concentrated in their performance.
All of this, despite the big smiles on their faces, and the love that they
receive from the audience.
Many things can happen when children feel that they are included in a
tango dance.
They feel inspired to try the embrace in the dance, they feel free and lose
the fear to be ridiculous.
They start to create new steps and create different ways to coordinate
the dance with their partners, enjoy the new melodies, tones, musical
arrangements, rhythms and discover new experiences.
If the aim of this activity is to dance the Tango, the children feel
embarrassed connecting with the dance.
This is a pity, because tango can contribute to the release of aggressive

behaviour, as well as helping with coordination. This has been proved in
some scholarly experiences.
It will be important to mention the experience of the Tango Ballet,
directed by Olga Besio and her daughter Adriana and her son Federico
Naviera. The methodology to learn tango is followed respecting the
different steps of the psychomotor coordination of the children.
This includes some tangos specially created for children that is made up
of some elements that belong to their world such as toys, clothes, teddy
bears...
It is a common belief that tango lyrics are sad and melancholic. This is
true, especially some tangos that belong to a certain era. But, at the
beginning of the history of tango we will find a lot of them with more
happy and fancy lyrics. Also, the melody is more quick and less dramatic.
We need to remember that the beloved “Bandoneon” was incorporated in
to the orchestra later and it was in the replacement of the flute.
There are many musical proposals at this moment that seduce people of
all ages. It is important, then, not to forget the children, we need to create
proposals for them that allow them to create strong links between each
other.
H TCh110 h
Tango: a passion
My passion for tango started several years ago, through its lyrics and my
chance to sing.
The tango lyrics touched me and helped me to connect to my own
feelings. Tango is, through its lyrics, a connection to the soul. It has an
unquestionable strength that is another very important property among
the embrace.
With tango we have the chance to feel and to identify with it projecting
ourselves through its stories. This is because the tango stories are in the
first person, and you can give a testimony, an interpretation of the lyrics.
You are, for a moment, into the soul of the author.
Pictures © Graciela Pesce - Tango Para Chicos
Tango lyrics talk about passion, disillusions, humour, friends, memories,

affections, every day life, the city.
When my son was eight years old he started to receive some tango lessons
at his school. In that moment he rejected those lessons because he said
the he did not understand the lyrics.
It is hard for a child to understand the tango lyrics, its meanings. This
is true also because in the tango lyrics we can find, very often, slang
(lunfardo) words, and children are not ready to understand it, also the
stories are regarding the adult life. So, it is understandable that they do
not like tango, they do not feel identified with it.
I felt sorry for him, he was also very shy if he needed to dance with
somebody. I felt sorry because he was living the tango as an expression.
For that reason I wanted to write and sing tango lyrics for him. After that,
inspired and emotionally involved, I continued writing some other tangos
H TCh111 h
and milongas, in time these became part of my first music CD, the first
CD of tango for children.
I wanted to give them the chance to express themselves through tango,
singing with love and respect.
My intention was to tell them stories more close to their life, being in their
places through tango.
Regarding the dialogue, there is an exchange of experiences of life

between all when we talk about the lyrics of tango.
I remember a child, a 13 year old student whose teachers said used to have
an aggressive behaviour and negative attitude to every play proposal. In
that show I sang a tango about the feeling of a child who had lost his ball.
After I finished the song he came to me and told me, in a very moving
way, that he had lost his one when somebody broke it on purpose. After
that several other children came too and holding each other, they told me
how they had lost their balls. “ A lorry crushed my ball...”, “My one was
stolen...” This was a unique and shocking moment for me but also one
that allowed me to explain to the children that tango lyrics talk about life,
tango is and will be a witness of the social life.
Days after, the teacher of the child with bad behaviour told me that he
brought to the class a lyric of the tango “El dia que me quieras” (Gardel
and Le Pera). He told his granddad about the “Tango of the ball” and his
granddad made him listen to his favourite tango. The child, on his own
initiative, wrote the lyrics down and took it to the class to share with his
friends and teachers.
The tango song and the children

Children have their own loses too, their own sad stories, and their happy
times that they live in their early years. All these moments must be
included in the tango if you want to incorporate the children fully.
You must be in their place, the communication with them will improve and
a better understanding regarding what they feel, what happens to them,
between them and us will appear.
The word, the song, understanding their stories will be the beginning of
the exploration of the genre.
To listen to the lyrics, and from it inspiration comes to start to paint, make
some drawings, it will be a great opportunity for them to relax.
H TCh112 h
From my experience also, I see how they laugh when they wait for the
last line of a chorus of the tango “Chan Chan”, because they must wait
and sing all together the expression: Chan Chan!, a typical way to finish a
tango song.
I have waited until the end a comment that is related with my compromise
from the art.
To share the art of tango with the children is the most marvellous
experience that I can have. The art of tango, its authors, its musicians,
dancers and artists.
I sing to the children because they are part of that art of tango. To be
involved with them means to learn with them, share sensations and
feelings that make us feel a genuine and mutual well being.
(Note: you can listen to the tango songs on www.tangotherapy.co.uk)
CHAN CHAN!
Tango. Music and Lyric by Graciela Pesce
Si me preguntan : ¿Porqué me gusta?,

saber de tango como papá
yo se las letras, las he estudiado,
escuchá esta parte que viene acá:
¡Chan chán!
Y ¡que emoción!, siento al cantarlo,

yo te lo digo, ¡Es así nomás!
Soy un tanguero, de puro palo,
oi la letra que viene acá:
¡Chan chán!
(Chorus)
Ya se que siempre estas,
al fondo y bién atrás.
¡Chan chán! no me dejés
que un tango empieza ya.
Que si no hay bandoneón,
H TCh113 h
te tengo que encajar...
Vení, vení...ponete aquí...
no! mejor acá :
¡Chan chán!
Mamá prepara mis papas fritas

y eso es motivo para cantar.
En la cocina, tenemos radio,
y el dos por cuatro viene a sonar:
¡Chan chán!
Hay mil chanchanes, por cada tango,

y el que yo canto, siempre es igual.
pero que importa, si lo que vale,
es esa forma de interpretar:
¡Chan chán!
CHAN CHAN
Music and Lyric by Graciela Pesce.
Adaptation and translation to English Karen Woodley.
Some people ask me, why I would like

to know the Tango, like my daddy.
I know the lyrics, because I study them
listen to the part, that comes now
Chan chán!
I am very touched, when I am singing

I tell you now, it is like that
I am “tanguero”, this is the truth
listen to the part, that comes now
Chan chán!
H TCh114 h
(Chorus)
I know that you always are
at the end, always there
CHAN CHAN don’t leave me alone
a tango starts now
if we don’t have “bandoneon”
somewhere you need to be
come in, come in
please, stay there... no
is better here
Mumy is cooking my fish and chips

and this makes me sing this song
cos in the kitchen, there is a radio
and from it the tango begins to play
Chan chán!
Millions CHAN CHANes, in each tango we can find

but the one that I sing, is always the same
but it doesn’t matter, cos the important thing
is my way to sing
Chan chán!
H TCh115 h
Tango for Special Children

By Karen Woodley
Tango, the dance from the warm sunny continent of South America that
encourages the heart to heart gesture of the human embrace.
Introduction:
Tango for children was inspired in me by an Argentinian woman named
Graciela Pesce who talks about the embrace being the aspect of
Tango that makes it so beautiful and healthy. Healthy is a good word
that suggests freedom, life, expression, love, understanding, creative
uniqueness and energy.
Graciela’s beautiful voice and way to impart the spirit of Tango to children
is a revolutionary idea because the lyrics of Tango tend to be melancholic
and depressive whilst the tunes, the music in itself inspires passion and
Graciela wanted to give children the experience of this beautiful dance
with lyrics they could understand / create with / sing along with. Helping
them to understand the movement through their own bodies without the
heavy weight of a life full of sadness.
I will explain why music and dance are so important to the well-being
of children. Why dance movement and how dance movement can help
children with special needs to feel good, express themselves, learn about
themselves and others through movement, integrate the brain, the feeling
and the movement. Why creativity is so important and how with dance
movement we are inviting the children into a space to explore and discover
their own unique creative movements and voice. Also, I will explain ‘The
Milonga of cuddles’ project that has as its aim the educational experience
of the senses through the Tango dance, songs for children to create a
choreography enabling them to share and show their genius. The Children
with special needs I believe teach us so much, this is why their need is
special.
Movement and Dance:

Is the most primitive expression of who we are. When we move we begin
to feel and when we feel we move in a way that shows who we and helps
H TCh116 h
us celebrate life. Dance is away to be alive moment by moment reaching,
extending, re-energizing, turning, retreating, inside, outside, flowing,
listening to our bodies,
meeting others in ways we
would not if we were on the
street for example. Re-igniting
the spark, the inner fire
essential for health in all its
aspects and most especially
for children to dance and
express this in themselves as
it is an essential ingredient of Picture ©Karen Woodley - Biotango.co.uk
the identity for expression,
creativity, love and happiness. In our educational system it is educated out
of us if you like. An angry child is not hyperactive, bad, unable to work or
relate, is simply angry. Dancing in way to keep our souls and spirits alive,
not to mention the body. The different qualities of our movement teach
us about the different qualities in our world and through dance we can
feel our world and our place in it in a very real way in harmony with nature,
with the earth, with the vibrations of life. The Tango Is a brilliant dance for
children to learn as it encourages relationship through the body, it works
on and improves the posture in a natural way, it improves and works with
balance from the central axis of the body, it facilitates body awareness and
coordination. The Tango music in itself promotes feeling, expression of
the creative energy which in itself is ‘Healthy’. Its a pity that instead of the
Dr giving your child a prescription for pills he doesn’t give one for creative
dance and expression, play, music and Tango.
Movement and dance for special children:

When I talk about special children I am talking about children on the
autistic spectrum, those with learning and behavioural difficulties,
children with emotional and cognitive problems. Children with disabilities
that cause them to withdraw into their own worlds without a world to
understand them. Movement and dance for these children is a way to
access and enhance their creativity, a way to understand others and
themselves and to be understood too in a way that is not possible through
speech.
Autistic children need to dance and connect with the freedom of being
able to move their bodies. They need to be able to feel music and allow
music to organise their sensitivity and understanding of the environment
around them in order to have a chance of living their lives in a manageable
H TCh117 h
way. When we withdraw from the world, we do this to feel safe because
for some reason or another we don’t trust, maybe have not developed
trust and this leads to many difficulties in our world. Sensitivity
(heightened or lack of), chaotic understanding and sensory processing
of information, maybe confusion of feelings and reality are some of the
traits we experience every second of the day that keep us in withdrawal
from people and the world around us. If we gently introduce these children
to movement through feelings concentrating on their sense of fun and
enjoyment they gradually begin to find a new order through their bodies
that gives them the confidence and trust to express, explore and be part
of this chaotic world.
Kanner (1995, p. 717)[1] writes that:
The common denominator in all these patients is a disability to relate

themselves in the ordinary way to people and situations from the
beginning of life... ...The case histories indicate... ...the presence from the
start of autistic aloneness which... ...shuts out anything that comes to the
child from the outside.
We propose sensorimotor activities

to build the body image and self
esteem and confidence in the child,
from here we work with the affect
motor activities / dances that are
about feeling and motion where
the child can experience his inner
world emotions in relationship
with himself and with others.
We cannot really learn about our
bodies unless we move them and
as we move them and dance we
integrate all the essential aspects
Picture ©Karen Woodley - Biotango.co.uk that make our bodies. And as Tina
Erfer explains (1995, P.197)[2]
Body image has a physiological
basis. Based on input from the vestibular, kinesthetic, proprioceptive,
tactile and visual systems. The development of body image parallels
sensorimotor development. This in turn forms the basis for the sense of
[1] Treating children with Autism in a public school system. Erfer. T in Levy. F J. Dance and
other expressive arts therapies. 1995. New York. Routledge (p.192)
[2] Dance and other expressive arts therapies ‘when words are not enough’. Levy. F.J. 1995.
Chapter 14. (p.197). New York. Routledge
H TCh118 h
self, cognitive development, self-help skills and many basic concepts.
Through dance the child has a chance to communicate in a way that is not
normally there through his autism. The relationship through the dance,
especially the Tango is what makes it so important to these children
– the interpersonal relationship but, of course we must work on their
relationship with themselves first. They need to have an effective and
affective sense of themselves. That is a sense of functioning well in their
own skin and sensations of their own feelings.
Children and Music:

Music when it is organic, that is with rhythms and harmonies and melodies
that move us from the inside can awaken the healthy creativity, the vital
health of the cells. For children to develop a musical sensibility enables
them to make sense of their world in a way that does not happen without
music. To me it is like medicine that we listen to with all our senses and
helps strengthen our identity. It is capable to heal disease and bring
people back to life. For children the instinct of the body and the heart is
not so damaged as us ‘civilized adults’ and as they are dancing from being
moved by the music in a moment to moment awareness they are keeping
alive and strengthening their intuitive abilities, the neural connections
in their brains, their body intelligence. Through music they are making
essential connections between brain and body thus integrating cognitive
intelligence with somatic intelligence. They are learning to listen and trust
the sensitive impulses that call to them through their bodies.
Music is an essential element in Tango for children – simple rhythmic
patterns provide the foundation on which we begin to dance.
The ‘Milonga of Cuddles’ project:

Is a project with the aim of awakening the spontaneous expression and
feeling within each child the creative movements and the intra personal
loving links with themselves and their friends through the Tango dance
and music. The creative expression is really being alive, exploring,
expressing, moving their bodies, being themselves moment by moment
in a space facilitated by music, dance, art, play and relationship, whether
that be with themselves, listening to and being listened to by the leader,
with the other children or with the whole group. Whatever it is the
relationship is where we start.
This is a project of dance and song for children on the Autistic spectrum,
H TCh119 h
children with Down’s Syndrome, with learning, emotional, behavioural
disabilities and difficulties.
The dance and the children’s tango songs provide the framework within
which we work stimulating the imagination and spontaneity to build
a dance piece / story that they live and experience all together. The
elements of this project are the body, the voice, the unique expression of
each child held within the safety and care of the group. Although we work
towards a choreographed show we emphasize the journey the children
take to get there. The movements and dances and songs they learn, the
relationships they make, the songs they sing, the special moments that are
shared miracles. The ‘Milonga of cuddles’ show is a space for the children
to show off and share a magical story.
Creativity:
The impulses of Creativity start from when the child is very young and
is able to make sounds and move his body. Creativity is renovation, is
innovation is creating in every moment of your life, putting your personal
touch, adding your flavours - not just following the crowd!!!!!! When the
baby is allowed to move freely and make sounds this is when it starts
to develop. For Autistic children the development of their creativity
is something beautiful that allows them to slowly come out of their
withdrawal from the world and everybody around them. The dances and
songs are fun and work with their worlds. Led by simple rhythms and
movements towards expressing elements of themselves (that are hidden
away) in a creative journey. Starting with rhythm, getting on to their
intellectual level and exploring through moving, through making sounds,
through music and communication of their energy and impulses towards
the world.
‘Feeling’ is what is important:
uu Feeling good in themselves

uu Feeling good with others
uu Feeling inspired to dance, sing, play
uu Feeling understood
uu Feeling listened to
uu Feeling the dance
The steps of the project:

H TCh120 h
Each session is structured and so routine is a very important aspect, we

are not free dancing without any aims, objectives or guidelines. We are
proposing movements and interactions that are full of meaning whether
that be exploring, creating, feeling, jumping, being still, holding hands,
relaxing, learning the Tango steps etc.
Some examples of movements we work

with in the classes
uu Physiological walk and

recovering the chest in the
walk
uu Reinforcement of synergistic
movement - integration of
the right and left hemispheres
of the brain
uu Rhythmic dances and
variations
uu Co-ordination and rhythmic
synchronization in two and in
group
uu Games of Vitality
uu Games of Creative
development Picture ©Karen Woodley - Biotango.co.uk
uu Creative dances
uu Slow movements targeting
the release of the tension in the neck, in the shoulders and in the
hips
uu Slow dances which stimulate the awakening of the sensitivity in
the encounter and with ourselves
Stages of each session:
uu Creating a safe welcoming space

uu Welcoming with music and praise
uu Warming up our bodies
uu Group exercises and dances
uu Individual exercises and dances
uu Communication dances
uu Creative exploration
uu Creative elaboration
H TCh121 h
uu Expressing ourselves
uu Relaxing together
The elements of the classes
uu Respecting where each child is

uu Body awareness for self esteem
uu Positive encouragement building self confidence
uu Organic music to facilitate authentic expression
uu Focus on the child’s feelings rather than analytical thought
uu Empathy and sensitivity
uu Fun and play building spontaneous creativity
uu Each child shows their natural talent through self worth
uu Working with the positive aspect of the child’s behaviour
uu Lots clapping for positive praise
The aim of the project:

The aim of the project is to produce a show called ‘The Milonga of
cuddles’. A Milonga is a special party where people go to in order to
dance Tango and cuddles are what makes us feel good. It is a story led
by a Wizard who visits all the children as they sleep and inspires them
to dance, to be safe and loved by the world. Poetry will be explored
and encouraged, spontaneity, imagination and dance. We will teach the
children’s tango songs using props and costumes The children have the
chance to dress up – to show their Tango experiencing Argentina for
themselves.
So a sensory experience starting with the body in movement. Education
and fun, learning more about themselves, about the world through this
dance encourage their natural talents and wonderful skills to emerge in an
interesting and welcoming atmosphere that they create together.
Every child is supported and integration happens through the happy body
feelings and fun of playing through the dance.
H TCh122 h
S TANGO AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIESs
H 123 h
Picture: Liliana Esperanza “Quieta”
TANGO FOR BALANCE ™

by Anthony Howell
Tango may be danced either in the embrace or in “the practise hold” –

one partner holding the other by supporting the upper arms. Working in
pairs like this increases balance security. Tango helps people who have
difficulty walking in dual-task conditions, since the partners are concerned
with executing a simple sequence in time to the music: the leader
instigating and the partner following. In Tango for Balance classes, these
roles are exchanged, encouraging both participants to think at the same
time as they move. Tango also helps alleviate panic problems, freezing
while turning and other gait troubles symptomatic of fear of falling down.
“Loss of functional mobility can lead to low self-esteem, poor mood,

withdrawing from activities, and decreased quality of life.”[1] The social
nature of partner dancing alleviates these effects. But it is not only the
elderly who suffer from balance problems: it is a problem which may
affect those injured in accidents, those with inner ear disorders, and many
others, so Tango for Balance is not only for the elderly. It is for anyone
who wishes to improve their ability to balance.
Why Tango?
Tango is exceptionally good for equilibrium – primarily because tango is
essentially a walking dance in partnership. This means that, at the level
relevant to Tango for Balance, two feet are on the floor at any one time.
One is your own, one is your partner’s. Essentially when one stands in the
practise hold with a partner, four feet are sustaining stability rather than
two – this is like using another person as a support frame. However, as
classes progress, couples are encouraged to move together without using
the partner for support.
Walking alone involves moving from one foot to another. There are three
crucial events involved in this: instigation of the move forward, passage
of one foot past the other – with pressure on one hip – and landing on
the other foot – transferring pressure to the other hip. Tango encourages
[1] Effects of Tango on Functional Mobility in Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Study

Madeleine E. Hackney, BFA, Svetlana Kantorovich, BS, Rebecca Levin, DPT, and Gammon M.
Earhart, PT, PhD
H TP125 h
dancers not to “dip” in the hip when walking forwards. Allowing the hip to
become displaced while transferring weight is a major cause of instability.
Three possibilities exist in moving from one foot to the other – or indeed in
rebounding back to the initial foot. You can walk forwards, backwards or
to the side. Tango works with all three of these movements, and with the
simple transference of weight from one foot to another “on the spot”. In a
conventional tango class, preliminary exercises will encourage participants
to move through these actions without a partner, developing “an axis” –
that is, an ability to balance collectedly (one foot without weight on it next
to the foot with weight on it) after forward steps, backsteps, sidesteps
or rebounds back onto the foot initiating the step. In Tango for Balance,
such exercises may be done later, where appropriate, once a measure of
balance security has been attained. Exercises may also be performed
seated to encourage strength in knee and ankle.
Picture © Anthony Howell
The second essential component to tango is the pivot, a rotation of the

ball of the foot achieved by releasing the heel. Fear of performing this
action, or indeed the functional inability to perform it, leads to freezing in
turns and is a key cause of falls. Participants in these balance workshops
are assessed for pivot ability and, where capable of pivots, taught how to
perform this action without losing their axis, or, where incapable, shown
how to develop a strategy for turning without pivoting.
Partners are encouraged to exchange lead and follow roles, so that they
learn how to instigate and how to respond to movement. They are also
H TP126 h
expected to swap partners, which creates a pleasant social ambiance –
raising morale. And all these issues are addressed to the accompaniment
of music, which stops them feeling like a chore.
While a vestigial unconditioned walking response can be observed in

babies, we learn to walk, unlike other animals. We learn to walk as we
learn to talk and to think. Walking is a conditioned activity that requires a
number of complex muscular co-ordinations. However, our ability to walk
in a confident balanced way may be improved as we bring walking closer
to its natural roots in the unconditioned response from which it evolved.
Tango encourages crossover coordination between the upper right and
the lower left parts of the body. Crossover coordination has implications
for autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, dyspraxia and dyslexia.
This was discovered by observing crawling patterns in babies. Freedland
and Bertenthal have stated that “crawling experience, and specifically
experience following the onset of hands-and-knees crawling, contributes
to the development and reorganization of a number of other skills, such as
spatial orientation, fear of heights, and postural stability[2].
Significantly, some infants later diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome
have exhibited crawling patterns that deviate from the basic diagonally
opposing limb patterns. Diagonal coupling of the limbs “maintains the
most stable centre of gravity.” (ibid)
By encouraging crossover coordination, tango develops our ability to

maintain “the most stable centre of gravity” – for dancers are encouraged
to coordinate crossover rib rotation with walking, thus maintaining a
connection with their partner.
For all these reasons, tango is good for a confident walk, with diminished
fear of falling.
Tango for Memory

In addition, tango may well help dementia sufferers, since participants
are encouraged to memorise short choreographic sequences known as
“figures”. This encourages stimulation of memory linked to physical
action, which may be more effective than memory exercises which are
simply done in the head.
[2] Freedland, R. L. & Bertenthal, B. I. (1994) Psychol. Sci. 5, 26-32.

H TP127 h
Tango and Parkinsons Disease,

A Personal Approach
By Marius Poliac, Ph. D.
My name is Marius Poliac. I am a 58 years old male born in Targu Mures, a

city located in the centre of Transylvania. In 1982 I immigrated to the US.
In early 2002 I started to develop a very slight limp in the right foot and
my right shoulder became sensitive while rock climbing at the gym. In
2004 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester MN. My symptoms include rigidity on the right side, slowness
of movement, uneven gait, and for the last three years right hand resting
tremors.
I discovered Tango accidentally in 2005 through a group of Tango

enthusiasts in Reno and I quickly become addicted to the dance. I went
to various workshops in Denver, Portland, Ashland, Seattle, and London.
I spent most of 2008 in San Francisco dancing every night while I was
a subject in a clinical trial measuring the effects of weightless running
on people with Parkinson’s disease. In San Francisco I discovered the
importance of musicality, connection, and walking. I love to walk to the
music in a close embrace. It feels like magic.
One interesting thing happened. While I was developing resting tremor

in my right arm, I noticed that my tremors stopped as soon as I started
dancing and did not start until I finished with the dance. This is happening
consistently over the years. I do not shake while I dance as a leader. When
I dance as a follower my right hand has a tendency to shake after a few
minutes..
I suspect the shaking in the right hand is stopped by the act of leading.
The leader in Tango has to perform several tasks: establish the connection
with the follower, improvise a sequence of moves for the follower based
on the music, invite the follower to complete the sequence, assist the
follower during the completion process. The sequence of moves is usually
short: two to four steps and rarely as high as 8 steps after which the
process is repeated. The right hand of the leader has an important role in
the dynamics of the Tango embrace and to establish a proper connection
with the follower. In the most pure form of tango the right hand of the
H TP128 h
1
leader functions as an expression of the movement of the core body of the
leader. As such during the close embrace the right hand offers a dynamic
comfort to the follower dependent on music and the sequence of moves
the leader plans to initiate. At the same time the right hand being in close
contact with the follower’s body serves as a feedback loop to the leader
about the general mood, movement, and body position of the follower.
Tango is at its essence walking to the music in an embrace with a partner.

I experimented with walking to the music while embracing an exercise ball
or large pillow and the shaking reappeared. Walking in an embrace with a
partner without the music would keep me from shaking as well. Walking
next to my bicycle with the hands on the handles stops the shaking for
a long time. Pushing a shopping cart around has the same effect. Rock
climbing stops the shaking and keeps me from shaking as long as I am able
to climb. Nordic walking also stops the shaking and keeps it away until I
stop.
In general I feel much better the next day after an evening of dancing
Tango. From all the activities that keep me from shaking it appears that
Tango has the most impact on how I feel the next day. This might be due
to the fact that Tango is walking to the music and requires improvisation.
The social aspect of Tango might be also contributing to my feeling of well

being. Tango allows for the establishment of a close physical connection
between two human beings in a social setting. This kind of connection
might stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain and as such
contributing to the feeling of well being.
I am convinced Tango is helping me reverse the progression of Parkinson’s

disease.
H TP129 h
Tangolates™
The tango alternative for posture, tone,
strengthening flexibility, burn calories and lose weight.
By Tamara Di Tella
My name is Tamara Di Tella. I have created and patented a new method

called the Tamara Di Tella Method, but the public also calls it Tangolates or
Tango Pilates interchangeably. I am pleased and honoured to be invited as
a contributor to this book edited in England, for the world.
As a Pilates specialist, my choice of Tango was not arbitrary. I created

Tango Pilates or Tangolates because Tango has certain peculiarities that
are congruent with a mind-body method. And when I say mind body or
conscious-exercises, I am not talking about Pilates only. Mind body also
includes Yoga, Tai Chi, or any other system of exercises that emphasizes
the connection between the mind and the body.
So, to answer the question why Tangolates and not, for example,
“salsalates”, let me briefly tell you this: While most dances, such as rumba,
conga, cha-cha, swing, disco, salsa are fun and induce one to move, they
do not put a strong emphasis on the control aspect of movement the way
Tango does. These dances can be performed loosely and freely and what is
needed in a good fitness method is the capacity to control the movement,
to control the muscle.
Even in dances that are not so lose and that require an element of control,
this aspect is not its essence, but merely an additional trait. Take the
Waltz, for example. In dancing Waltz you certainly have to control your
movements. But, the element of control is not the main focus of Waltz as
it is in Tango. In Waltz the element of control is present indeed, but it is
not essential.
Only in Tango the element of control is fundamental and constitutes its

very essence.
There is an additional element that explains why I selected Tango

Pilates to update classic or traditional Pilates, and this is the element of
coordination inherent in Tango. “New Age” music is often used in Pilates
Studios. Although this type of soft music is good and it induces relaxation,
it does not promote coordinated movements the way Tango does. Tango
H TP130 h
1
Pilates is, in this sense, more congruent with Pilates that any other music.
The difference being the concept of coordination.
So, so far we have two important reasons as to why the choice of Tango
to complement mind-body exercises is an excellent choice: Control and
Coordination.
My Method --Tango Pilates or Tangolates-- introduces two more factors

which are congruent with pilates or any other kind of mind-body exercises:
Posture and core work. More than anything, Tangolates or Tango Pilates
emphasizes posture. Tango’s posture is the same as Pilates posture, that
is, tall and elegant. While other dancing like, say, rumba, puts emphasis
on the flexibility of the body and even on a kind of crunched, bent knees
position (at east the afro-version of rumba), Tangolates, on the contrary,
requires a tall and “elongated” stand. In my classes I say: “The crown of
your head must reach the ceiling”. This is the standard cue both in Pilates
and in Tango, and this is why we say that Tango and Pilates are made
for each other, or as the French would say, it is their “raison d’être” for
combing Tango with Pilates.
The second -- core work-- is one of the most important reasons for my
choosing Tango and for creating Tangolates, and not”Congalates” or
“chachalates”. Let’s makes this point perfectly clear: All the strength, all
the power and all the essence of the movement in Tango and in Pilates
comes from the core. When we say core, we are referring to the centre of
the body, the zone that lies between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor.
More than any other dance, Tangolates concentrates on “the core”.
So, to sum up, what does my method Tangolates or Tango Pilates have in
common with mind-body exercise methods; and why did I choose Tango
to create a new fusion method combing Pilates with tango and not any
other dance or music? The answer is simple. Because Tangolates or Tango
Pilates shares with Pilates some fundamental concepts or principles.
The four principles I have mentioned so far are: Core work; Posture;
Coordination and Control.
It’s Origins
Whether you call it Tangolates, Tango Pilates Tango -for- Pilates, or
Pilates-for-Tango, the fact is that Pilates exercises combined with Tango
lessons is a new wave to exercise.
It started in Buenos Aires (the birthplace of Tango), and is now growing

H TP131 h
in the United States, Asia and Europe. It has been created by Tamara Di
Tella, in the year 2004.
Tangolates and Pilates have common roots in human movement and

expression. One, Tango, older and established, the other, Pilates, more
recently acquired by the general public. They share certain basic concepts.
Yet, they are two very different manifestations of human movement.
Both are systems of excises but the differences are obvious: one is
performed with music, the other one is silent. One is performed by two
people (it takes two to Tango), while the other is performed singly or
individually. One, Tangolates, is concentrated plus aerobic workout; the
other, Pilates, is concentrated but not very aerobic.
One saw its origins at the port of Buenos Aires; the other, Pilates, had
its origins almost a century later, with wounded soldiers during the first
world war. More about Tangolates: It is performed on a special apparatus
called the T-DITELLA, while the other, Pilates, is performed on an entirely
different machine called The Reformer.
Tangolates develops core abdominal strength, keeps the skeleton

supported and the spine protected, lets the movement flow and focuses
on the energy that comes first from the core (and then flows outward).
Picture © Tamara Di Tella - Tangolates
H TP132 h
The Science Behind It
In order to assess the effects of these exercises on patients, a preliminary
test of efficacy was conducted at the Tamara Di Tella’s Pilates Room. The
results of this research were presented at the 10th International Congress
of Internal Medicine, held on the 24th-27th of August, 2004, at the
Sheraton Hotel of Buenos Aires.
Patients were convoked for 325 sessions, over a period of three months.
Afterwards, patients asserted that the exercises helped them “not only
to move better but also to feel better”. Their evaluations led to the
conclusion that Tangolates (Tango-Pilates) partner exercises help patients
improve, not only their movement but also their quality of life.
Julie Robichaud, Ph.D., argues that “the conundrum for neurologists is

saying that it helps to do exercise, but they do not know exactly what kind
of exercise to prescribe”.
Further research should be done on the use of Tangolates (Tango-Pilates)

for patients with cerebral disorders, taking into account that Tango is
a highly concentrated music that has a strong focused beat. There is a
consensus among the academic community that these characteristics help
patients move.
Madeleine Hackney, while a doctoral student at Washington University in

St. Louis, United States, published an article in the Journal of Neurologic
Physical Therapy in which she presented results that showed that
Argentine Tango, as a dance based on balance, may have helped Parkinson
patients improve in measures of postural control.
Tangolates (Tango-Pilates) requires a rapport between two people and

that it is a very interesting subject of research. Partner work may help
stimulate the brain and could become an alternate pathway to successful
movement.
It is that internal ignition that may just work for some brain disorder
patients. Indeed, Tango’s strong and focused beat and the fact that it is
done in close coordination with a partner is an excellent stimulus to initiate
movement. Tango stimulates cooperation and creates bond like no other
dance, and this is an extraordinary motivator for some patients.
It all started in the year 2004 when my company donated a rehabilitation

ward to the largest public hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the free
H TP133 h
of charge attendance of low-income patients with severe dysfunctions of
the nervous system.
“This is going to be a challenge for you, Tamara”, I said to myself when the
Director of the Parkinson’s Program of the hospital came to see me. And
he was not kidding. Parkinson’s patients alternate between involuntary
movement (tremors) and not being able to move at all. “They may freeze
on you and this may last quite some time”, he added, as he left the rehab
ward where my instructors and I had gone to receive the last instructions.
One thing he said had struck me as absolutely compelling and that was
the notion that Parkinson’s patients do not necessarily lose their capacity
to move, but rather the capacity to imagine movement. See, the absence
of dopamine works in strange ways, one of them being that the patient
knows he has to go from here to there, only that he has forgotten how to
do it. Actually, it is more complicated than that, but this is, in a nutshell,
what they told me time and again.
O.K., I said to my instructors. They may not be able to start moving, but
they probably can copy somebody else´s movement. “All we have to do is
to put ourselves right next to the patient and move together is if we were
one.” Let´s try. Each of you will choose a patient to do the exercise with,
and pretend you are his mirror. It worked. Next, we tried music. Not any
music, mind you, but a strong, and well marked beat rhythm, like tango.
That did it! When I saw the patients doing partner exercises to the rhythm
of tango, I remembered them saying: “it takes two to tango”, and knew I
had something going.
That´is how Tangolates started.
The Benefits of Tangolates

Tangolates consists of up to sixty different routines and more than a
thousand moves. Each class lasts approximately 50-60 minutes. Each 1-
hour routine has 5 to 6 different exercises, most of which are performed
with a partner. The ideal situation is for a client to work with an instructor
in a mirror-like manner, although Tangolates can also be performed by
two clients. The music is of utmost importance for both the rhythm and
the coordination.
Tangolates can be done both on mat and reformer. I have also designed
a Tangolates apparatus, a portable do-it yourself small machine that can
H TP134 h
1
be assembled and then put away after class. The Tangolates machine has
been especially designed for vertical partner routines to be performed in
an upright position and with another person.
Tangolates has three main advantages: in the first place, and as far as
coordination is concerned, Tangolates helps coordinate; in the second
place, it helps elongation much better when the stretching is assisted
by a partner, than when they are stretching by themselves; and, finally,
Tangolates helps them work their own resistance, for two are always
stronger than one.
It addition, it adds the cardio element, a most important factor in exercise.

Tangolates is excellent for posture, to tone, to strengthen, for flexibility
and, finally, to spend calories and lose weight.
H TP135 h
Close your eyes and… dance

by Adriana Pegorer
Adriana Pegorer explains how and why tangoing with visually

impaired people enriches her practice and research
Whether you’re dancing or teaching it, as I do, tango is overwhelmingly

led by a visual stimulus. The glittering drama of courtship that this form
of movement entails – with women in high heels and provocative dresses
and the dominant attitudes of their male partners – is often what draws
people in. But if all of that is removed it’s the kinesthetic sense of the
dance, its essential aroma, which still remains.
Tango is simply a walk that develops in a playful and harmonious duet with
your partner, the music and the couples around you. It could be argued
that the most difficult step is ‘the embrace,’ followed by ‘the walk.’ The
negotiation of legs required by a duo whose upper bodies are in close
proximity to each other can be challenging.
But once you’re in the arms of a competent and sympathetic leader, and
with a few basic steps under your belt, as a follower you don’t necessarily
need to engage visually with the space. Your partner will do that for you. In
recent years traditional roles have become more open, too, particularly in
relation to gender and possibly in response to the electronic tango music
which attracted younger people to a form more often associated with
their grandparents’ generation. In many popular tango salons all over the
world, including Buenos Aires, one can witness men following a woman’s
lead or same-sex dancing. (This isn’t something you’re likely to see on
Strictly Come Dancing just yet.)
Tango Argentino-style (1) (not the ballroom version with the swift head
turns) lends itself uniquely well to visually impaired people (VIP) who want
to enjoy both spatial activity and social interaction. They are sensitive and
accomplished followers to begin with, a skill that most tango beginners
find difficult to master. I’m still working on it after over ten years in the
field. According to Carlos Gavito, my late tango mentor, closing your eyes
when following is considered a sign of artistic maturity when it develops
from a subtle quality of trust and confidence.
My desire to teach tango to VIP came from a personal incident. In 1998 I

was on the first year of my dance degree course at Chichester University.
H TP136 h
One particularly windy morning some dust flew into my eyes. Even after
I’d rinsed them with water and put in drops my vision was less than half;
it was like trying to see through a thick net. Deciding that this blurriness
would go away pretty much as it came, with time, I somewhat tentatively
headed to the dance studio for my morning sessions. The level of focus
and attention I had to maintain during the technique class was exhausting,
and I remember the teacher calling me on it a few times.
At the end of the class I didn’t feel like leaving the studio and confronting
stairs, bodies, doors or anything that moved. Instead I sat down and
waited for the following class in contact improvisation to begin. Despite
my visual limitation I enjoyed immensely connecting with my partners in a
completely different way than I normally would (2).
After the classes, instead of going straight to a doctor (I had a test later
on), I preferred to just rest my eyes. As I lay on my bed, filled with a
mixture of fear and exhilaration, I gradually realised what an important
day this had been for me both as a dancer and a person. Closing your eyes,
or being blindfolded as an exercise, can give some idea of the powerful
rearranging of the senses that occurs. That, and the deep kinesthetic
perception of movement and spatial orientation arising from stimuli
within the body itself that you didn’t know you had.
The next morning my vision returned to what it was before, and how
different the world seemed. Some years later, when considering a
subject for my thesis, I thought that teaching tango to people with visual
impairment was just what I wished to explore in more depth. What
encouraged me further was meeting an American dancer who’d lost her
sight while training to be a ballet dancer.
She continued to dance and perform as much as she could, often using
objects such as a chair or table to help define the spaces for her dance.
Finding this a little limiting, she was keen on the concept of tango and its
spatially liberating yet safe embrace.
I tried, unsuccessfully, to find a blind or visually impaired dancer in the

UK with whom I could work. During my research, however, I’d contacted
Maria Oshodi. She is the founder of Extant, a UK performing arts
company managed by visually impaired arts professionals (3). After
exchanging numerous e-mails, phone calls and meetings, on March
2007 I delivered one tango session as part of her company’s educational
programme. This gave me important insights and feedback that I then
shared with Dominic Everett, the regional leisure service development
H TP137 h
officer at Action for Blind People, when I proposed doing more sessions
to him (4). Subsequently he and I organized two open taster sessions in
September and October 2009, adding one more in November because of
popular demand. Each session was about two hours long and attracted 26
blind and partially sighted people, some of whom attended more than one
session.
Volunteers who were mostly experienced and sighted tango dancers, in

turn, partnered them. After every two or three songs I encouraged people
to change partners just to enable everybody to meet and dance together.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) offered us a large
room in kind, and several of its employees attended the sessions.
Picture © Adriana Pegorer
H TP138 h
The feedback on this embryonic project showed that there seems to be a
keen interest for it to be repeated on an ongoing basis. As a teacher and a
practitioner of tango I like to draw from history, etiquette and technique,
but I’m also extremely open to searching out creative ways of moving in
partnership that are relevant in a new context (5). I’m not interested in
teaching complex steps and dramatic lunges.
My desire is to refine movement skills and develop interpersonal

connections in a supportive and integrated atmosphere where the
exchange is mutual. During one session a visually impaired woman asked
me, ‘Am I doing it right? It would be so much easier if I could see you.’ I
reassured her that her dancing was, for me, far more authentic than if she
were simply trying to copy me or anyone else.
I trust that the fresh, even aromatic approach to the tango that I teach
could become an interchangeable skill applicable to different kind
of dances, as well as to either sighted or non-sighted dancers. In the
meantime I’m happy with the various testimonials that participants in my
VIP tango classes offered later. As one man wrote, ‘I came to the session
for several reasons. One of these was because I’ve always had a fear of
dancing in public. This is such a shame because I recognise the social
and health benefits of dance. Now that I’ve tried it I realise that a couple
dancing the tango do so as one, and so one doesn’t have to worry about
not being able to see what other dancers are doing. In a word, it was
wonderful!’
I’ll finish by sharing two little facts. One is that another blind American
woman, not a dancer and someone I never met, had a guide dog called
Tango (6). The second is about Hugues de Montalembert, who lost his
sight in an attack in New York and tells his story in the documentary film
Black Sun (7).
In it he suggests that when living with sight loss it’s important to ‘find a
way to dance with people, to dance with life.’ I think this can be true for
everyone.
H TP139 h
1) Tango has recently been declared part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity by the United Nations
(2) Touchdown dance company has since 1986 researched and developed specialist
methods and processes using touch and sensory feedback techniques to involve people
with visual impairment in dance, in particular with Contact Improvisation www.
touchdowndance.co.uk
(3) www.extant.co.uk
(4) Action for the Blind now becomes a part of the RNIB Group after joining up with
Royal National Institute for the Blind
(5) For more information on my own work please visit www.adagioconbrio.co.uk and
www.tangorelease.blogspot.com
(6) http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename= stories_tango (accessed
November 2009)
(7) Dir: Gary Tarn UK 2005 http://secondrundvd.com/ release_bs.php (accessed
November 2009).
This article, first published in the Winter 2010 issue of Animated, was edited by Donald Hutera and is reproduced by permission of
Adriana Pegorer and The Foundation for Community Dance. All Rights Reserved.
H TP140 h
S METHODOLOGY s
H 141 h
Picture: Raquel Sarangelo “Pareja”
SESSIONS AND WORKSHOPS

In order to organize the delivery method of Tango Therapy we prefer to
separate the sessions / workshops into three categories:
Biotango or Tango Therapy for self-improvement,

personal growth and well being : “The changing point in your life”
This is the most popular application in Tango Therapy.

These sessions are a combination of tango classes and dance/
movement therapy sessions.
They are an option for the people who want to start to dance tango as
a beginner but with a real understanding of the meaning of the tango
and it codes.
These sessions/classes are delivered in a Workshop format, usually
between two to six sessions/days and they are open to everybody that
wants to experience the power and sensuality of the tango dance and
its music to explore new pathways.
Because these sessions work with the inner part of the individual
they are also taken by tango dancers who want to explore the
comprehension of the tango music, it influence in the expression and
the experience of the creativity.
Some of the themes they will explore with the participants in the
classes / sessions are:
uu What is their outlook on life ?

uu Are they alone ?
uu What do they like to do ?
uu What do they love about their lives ?
uu How to use the dance as a tool for understanding each other in
order to improve their relationship
Using the special embrace of the tango dance as a bridge for

exchanging feelings and needs with our partner. Using the sensuality of
tango music as the force to link our sensuality with the sensuality of our
partner
Tango, for the same reasons as Tai-Chi, can be used as a

communication and leadership model, because, with practice you
H M143 h
will train groups and individuals to work together, in an effective
collaboration. Tango can teach you how to listen, how to follow, and,
also, how to lead.
Tango dance is also a perpetual negotiation, going forwards and

backwards, looking for a new place, finding balance and holding it.
This is to learn how to dance the basic steps of tango focusing in the
constant negotiation on the dance floor.
Tango requires a constant fluidity, between couples and between the
other dancers on the dance floor.
In tango, as in life we need to solve conflicts, with our partner. To learn
how to dance tango and solve the typical problems / conflicts that the
dance shows us, we learn how to find the solution.
Tango Therapy is to start to connect with our bodies through the music
with the space and the connection with our partner. This is in order
to warm-up, to connect with the vital impetus, rhythm, the creative
fire, our hearts, to breathe, find our own sense of innocence and
wonder that is possible when we switch off our thinking and go into our
feelings. To feel ourselves in our movement, lose the inhibitions and
start to connect and move in special exercises with our partners that
have as their aim the healing of the relationship.
It is also to learn the different steps / figures / basic choreographies and

the “codes of tango” in relation with the negotiation and conflicts. The
work is specially focused in the relation of the partners to settle the
divergences that will appear during the dance, especially with some
tango figures (as “ochos” and “ganchos”) and also the relation with the
other dancers.
At the end of the sessions we need to relax and warm down our
bodies and to enter into group exercises as well that have a powerfully
therapeutic effect physiologically, psychologically and spiritually and
help us recover the lost unity within that is caused by living in such a
dissociated culture.
Tango Therapy for psychological disorders

These sessions are especially created for the purpose of helping people
with social phobias, stress, anxiety and improve relationship and are
applicable to institutions, clinics, hospitals, but also they can be run as
H M144 h
open classes.
In open classes, and because of the diversity of the problems of the
participants, it is necessary to explain from the proposal what the goal
of the sessions will be. It will be better, in order to reach our goal, to
deliver these sessions, in the same way as Biotango, as a workshop,
normally between two to six sessions, so we can focus on the content
of the class up to the subject.
A personal interview with the participants will be required to create
groups in order to deliver the right sessions for each group up to their
needs.
The sessions have three parts, plus one optional, up to the necessities
of the group.
1. The first one is to start to connect with the music / rhythm /

melodies and with our bodies and the connection with our partner,
in order to incorporate the music / feelings within the dance. This
is done through special exercises and dances to music that are
able to awaken the feelings. We dance the elements, exercises of
integration, extension, fluidity, intimacy. Dances to connect with
our centre, with the space and to develop a musical sensibility in
order to start to follow the sensations of the body.
2. The second part is to learn the different steps / figures / basic
choreographies (up to the theme of the class) and the “codes of
tango”. This will be more easy after understanding and feeling the
tango music and its rhythm/melody.
3. The third part it is the relaxation. Some special exercises will be
necessary to do after the main class
If you dance the tango from your heart it is very powerful. The initial
exercises facilitate this movement and connection in a process of
becoming a conscious dancer. After the main dances together we enter
into relaxation and harmonisation exercises in order to facilitate the
natural homoeostasis of the body and to boost the global health in a
powerful connection through the healing force of love.
Sometimes, again depending on the theme of the class, a feedback
and exchange of experiences is recommended. Normally this will take
place at the end of the session or at the beginning of the next class in
order for participants to speak about their feelings and any concerns or
future wishes they may have regarding their way with Tango therapy
Tango Therapy for physical disorders

The aim of these session are to help people that, for different reasons,
H M145 h
need to follow an exercise program. This makes these sessions
different from the others.
The diversity of styles in tango allows us to develop special “Tango

Classes” where the focus will be in helping the participants do the
exercises that they need in an enjoyable environment.
The combination of the right Tango steps/figures and complemented

with other exercises such as breathing, balance, relaxation,
concentration and meditation can improve the life of the participants
in a much better way than doing only the exercises. The “Tango
Codes” will also help them in the relationship with the group and each
participant, another advantage is that dancing will increase their self-
esteem and confidence.
So, dancing tango not only will affect them physically but also
psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.
Of course, it is necessary to develop the workshops according to
the needs of the group and we need to focus our attention on the
“exercise”.
Remember that we will try to replace the exercises with the tango
dance.
As we saw before, research shows that Tango can help people with
different physical disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s
disease, elderly people, some heart diseases or sedentary people, but
we need to develop a special program for each of them, based on their
needs.
It is not possible to deliver these type of sessions in open classes

because the improvement of the quality of life of the participants will
be linked with the advance of the whole group. This makes it almost
impossible to allow new participants to join after the second or the
third sessions.
We suggest organizing these sessions/workshops with the help of

institutions according with the disorder of the participants.
Also, because in these sessions it will be necessary to work with the
staff of the institution for the purpose of analysing and developing a
unique tango session for the people/patients needs.
A previous interview with the staff is necessary too to analyse the

requirements and goals.
H M146 h
During these meetings we would like to know a little about the
physical abilities as well as how each of the participants is mentally and
emotionally within themselves.
A meeting with the participants will be essential, sometimes as a

“taster session” in order to see the receptivity of the participants with
this type of therapy.
Only when these requirements are completed will we be ready to

develop a proposal.
The proposal needs to include:
uu A minimum quantity of sessions and the duration of the sessions

(Normally between 10 to 12 sessions, forty five minutes up to one
and a half hours each, up the participants needs).
uu Requirements of additional professionals / members of the regular
staff of the institution will be required in order to help with the
session. This is especially important, remember that tango is a
dance of couples, we need to make sure that each participant can
have a partner to dance with.
uu Requirements of space / place to deliver the sessions.
uu Technical requirements such as audio equipment / lights and
others.
uu In most of these sessions it will be necessary to provide
refreshments for the participants.
Additional interviews with the staff / directors will be crucial in order

to evaluate the progress of the participants and to decide if it will be
necessary to modify the theme or modality of the session
The methodology of the sessions needs to be predefined after the first

interviews and the taster session, but we need to be prepared / open to
change it if the group needs.
The Tango Therapist in charge of the session needs to be aware of the

complications that can appear during the sessions as well as to know
how to help in these situations, and, more importantly, to develop the
sessions to avoid these situations.
As a basic example if you are going to deliver a session to participants
with Parkinson’s disease you need to know that one of the main
problems can be the falls. If one of the participants falls down on the
floor, what do we need to do, as a therapist?
H M147 h
This example also can help you to understand why it is not possible to
allow new people to join the sessions at any time. If your group were
dancing tango for a couple of weeks, probably they will start to show
some improvements in their balance, a new participant, because he/
she is not going be in the same “level”, can slow down the group or he/
she will be more inclined to suffer falls because he/she will try to do the
same exercises as the group.
Another difference between these sessions and Biotango or

Tango Therapy for psychological disorders is the monitoring of the
participants after our workshop is finished.
In the other tango therapy workshops we will probably recommend

the participants to continue their practices in the local Milonga. But
people with physical disorders, even when we see improvements after
the sessions, still need special care and a regular Milonga maybe is not
the best option for them. As an example, if the local Milonga is located
in a premises that has stairs, or if in the local Milonga experienced
dancers go that like to “show” their abilities and make the dance floor
complicated for people less experienced or with mobility problems.
In this case we suggest talking to the staff of the institution that helped
you to organize the sessions and ask if they can organize a Milonga at
least every month.
Part of your job will be to help them and guide them as to which way
a Milonga needs to be, the organization of the music (How to make a
“Tanda”), etc.
What we need to prepare in order to deliver a class

In order to facilitate properly a tango therapy session, workshop or class,
which is very important in order to get concrete results, it is necessary to
prepare them.
These are some guidelines that all tango therapists will have to follow:
The participants
In the sessions it will be important for the participants to wear

comfortable clothing that allows them to move.
In tango dance it is normal to recommend that dancers wear dancing
shoes, in order to make the tango steps or figures more easy. But it
H M148 h
is a matter of safety of the participants the type of shoes that they
need, if, as an example, we are going to deliver a class for people with
Parkinson’s disease or any other disease with mobility impairment it
will be wise to recommend wearing shoes with rubber soles in order to
avoid falls.
The shoes in tango are very important, but this is not a normal tango
lesson. Some sessions like Biotango are done barefoot.
The place
The place needs to be big enough to allow the dancers / group to

move comfortably. For a tango session with a group of no more
than 14 people ( 7 couples), a place of 256 square meters ( 16 x 16
meters) should be enough - dance floor only. We are talking about
free area dedicated exclusively for the participants to use for dancing.
Remember also that it is necessary to have a rest and refreshment area
too, and space enough to set-up the sound system safely.
Also, some participants, such as people with Parkinson’s will need

more space.
Remember also that some participants will be assisted by staff
members, this means that we will need extra space for them.
The place also needs to be private, it is not possible to deliver a session

if we have people looking around or passing through.
The ambience
A Tango Therapy session, even if it is a therapy session, needs to have

special “tango atmosphere”. That will help the participants to enjoy
more the session.
The lights cannot be too bright. Of course, this is a therapy class, then,
also they must not be too dark. In this situation 80% or 85% percent of
full light is perfect.
If it is possible, decorate, even if it is only a couple of roses on a small

dressed table with champagne glasses and a tango picture portrait.
A tango therapy session should be a “special party” and the

participants the special guests.
Some candles to complete the room will be wonderful (the electrical /
batteries powered ones, we cannot use real fire- for safety reasons).
H M149 h
The music
The location of the sound system needs to be carefully selected. It

cannot be in any place where the participants can trip over it.
The speakers should not be at the same height of the peoples heads,
(between 1, 5 to 2, 3 meters high), if we do not have the opportunity
to set-up the speakers at the right height a very good “trick” is to point
them to the wall/corner.
The music needs to surround the place.
The volume high enough to enjoy the music and dance but not too
high. We are not running a disco.
We need to have the music that we will use during the session set-
up and ready. Even if we have prepared one theme and we need to
encourage certain situations during the session, maybe we will need to
change our original preparation, therefore, the music needs to be fluid
as we cannot stop the session because we are unable to find what we
originally prepared. Always have alternative music and ideas ready!
Prevent-ability
This it is not a minor issue. As the therapy, the sessions and workshops
are in the form if you like of a party, a special occasion where we need
to dress accordingly.
This is a very important part of the therapy, the tango therapy session,
for the participants, needs to start in their own homes, preparing
themselves for the class.
They will be in contact with the other participants in an embrace
situation, so it is important for them to look (and smell) nice. It is part
of their well - being, it is part of their self esteem.
That is part of the “Tango Code”
Of course the therapist will do the same.
The Milonga
If our intention is also to have a Milonga (“party”) after the session or the
institution wants to organize some for the group there are some start-
points that they can follow:
H M150 h
The place
If the place is big enough we can have chairs and tables around the
dance floor. This way the people who do not want to dance can sit
down
Also, and this is up to the group, they can bring some food and drinks
to share, and we can prepare a special buffet table.
The ambience
The lights after the class, need to be low, remember, not dark, a 60%
of the normal light will be enough. If it is possible to add some coloured
lights it will be better. But remember, it is a Milonga, not a disco.
Maybe it will be possible and it is just an idea to put little battery

powered candles on each table.
Typical “Tango Colours” are red and black. Keep this in mind when you
are going to choose table clothes or any other ornament.
The music
Now we need to prepare the music for the Milonga. As we said before,
the Milonga music needs to be prepared in “Tandas” ( 3 or 4 themes of
the same type of music, Tango, Milonga and Tango Waltz).
Of course we are going to introduce the variations of the type of
music as the participants start to dance them. At the beginning, we
will prepare the Tandas only with the music that our participants are
familiar with, then, maybe for example, we need to prepare Tandas
with only milongas.
Between the Tandas we need to have a “Cortina”, this is music that is
not Tango, Milonga or Tango Waltz. We will need to play this music
lower and to understand that it is the signal, in a Milonga, for the
dancers to stop and return to their tables, maybe to change partners
for the next Tanda.
The “Cortina” music needs to be no more than 2 minutes long.
Refreshments:
We now are in a party. Refreshments will be necessary, also some food.

H M151 h
If the Milonga is organized for a group with special needs be careful
with the food that they can eat.
They are dancing too (doing exercises), plenty of liquids and some
healthy food it is recommended.
We suggest that you can take some ideas from the book “Parkinson’s
Disease – Reducing Symptoms with nutrition and drugs” by Dr.
Geoffrey Leader and Lucille Leader. In it you will find some ideas
to prepare some snacks, even for people not suffering Parkinson’s
disease.
The purpose of the Milonga
To recreate the Milonga it is very important to allow the participants to

have a friendly place to practice and socialize.
We need to encourage the participants to respect the tango codes
during the Milonga
The Milonga is an important part of the course / workshop if it is
possible to do it.
It is the place for the participants to apply their new knowledge, to
practice the dance.
For us it is the moment to evaluate the class. But it is important not
to be a “teacher” in the Milonga. We need to leave our participants to
enjoy the dance in a free way. It will be the perfect time for them to
start to create their own choreographies, to allow them to explore their
creativity.
If you are organizing a Milonga after the session, then the break
between the class and the Milonga is important to allow them to
refresh themselves…
And go back to the Milonga as they go to a party!
H M152 h Picture ©Tango Therapy UK - PDS Bristol

THE “TANGO LESSONS”
Dance is movement, movement of the body normally to music in a

specific place to express one idea or feeling, release energy or just have
fun.
The aesthetics and the expressive aspects of dance are subordinated to

the amazing capacity of the human being to identify with special and
temporal movements, to remember them and to communicate them to
others.
We are therapists, not tango teachers, and, one more time, the tango
dance is a pathway, not the end, in our job, in order to make our
participants feel much better.
Maybe this phrase, because we say it again and again, sounds repetitive,
but we will not stop to saying it.
And now, more than ever, it is very important to remember it.
As we mentioned before, there are several styles of tango dance:

“Argentinean” tango, “Canyengue”, “Liso” (plain), “Salon”,
“Milonguero”..., but, which one is the one that we are going to use in ours
sessions?
The answer is simple:
None, and all of them.
This is the main reason why it can be complicated for a Tango Teacher to
become a Tango Therapist.
It is very common to read in the media that tango is good for this or that,
and also they used to mention researches about that. But they do not
mention the researches in full, just the bits that say: “Tango is good for...”.
It will be the same as saying that walking is a good exercise and we believe
that we go shopping and walk looking, stopping at every window, and
why not? having a coffee, we are doing exercise. You may think: well, if I
am sitting in my computer every day, all day, it is better than nothing, this
maybe is true, but you are not doing a real exercise.
H M153 h
One of the most “popular” researches is the one that the Washington
University, in St. Louis, USA made in 2007, “Effects of Tango on Functional
Mobility in Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Study”[1].
From the mention of this article in the media, several Tango Teachers
started to promote their classes as classes for people with Parkinson’s
disease, but if we read carefully the article from the Journal of Neurologic
Physical Therapy, we will find that the tango classes were given in a special
way, with predefined parameters and clear methodology. They did not
give to the participants a “traditional” tango class.
From the point of view of some Tango Teachers those classes were not
“Tango”. You can see an interview to Dr. Gammon Earhart in YouTube:
“Tango Parkinson’s Therapy (Washington U. in St. Louis)” ( http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=EajsKP-ARIE).[2]
In there you will see that the tango the participants are dancing is not the
“traditional” tango, but it is necessary to look beyond the style to discover
that tango is there. Of course, adapted to the needs and possibilities of the
participants.
A traditional embrace, as an example, will be very difficult for them as it is
not safe for their balance problems.
So, if somebody with Parkinson’s disease decides to go to a traditional

tango class probably they will fall trying to follow the indications of the
teacher.
The tango lessons, in a therapeutic frame, need to be adapted to the

needs of the participants and the goal of the class and given within a
specific methodology.
The Tango technique in Biotango or Tango Therapy for

self-improvement and Tango Therapy for psychological
disorders
These are sessions/classes focusing on the inner development and
creativity and to explore relationships.
One of the objectives in the tango classes can be to not teach
choreographies, but to teach how to create them.
[1] Madeleine E. Hackney, Svetlana Kantorovich, Rebecca Levin, and Gammon M. Earhart
- Copyright © 2007 Neurology Section, APTA - ISSN: 1557-0576/07/3104-0001 - (JNPT
2007;31: 173-179)
[2] Link confirmed on 07/12-2010
H M154 h
Then, we will teach the tango steps and figures as independent

movements in order to allow the students to develop their own
choreographies. However, sometimes, they do not know how to
improvise. This may be because they cannot understand the music and
meaning of tango, if so the process of creation will be hard.
Masters of tango say that one of the keys in the tango dance is to know
the dancers can make a pause. Normally, when we see a “Tango Show”,
the dancers make a complicated choreography, full of technique. Of
course, this style fascinates us from the beginning, but also causes some
ambiguity. Today, it is very common to see in some tango shows, a couple
start to dance tango, but only the first 8 steps… and then, they start to
make variations that really are not tango.
Definitely, this is because they do not know the characteristics of the
tango identity. Of course, it is a show.
We can help to introduce participants to part of this identity, for example,

showing them scenes of some movie (the Tango Lesson, from Sally Potter;
Tango, from Carlos Saura; Assassination Tango, from Robert Duvall; video
clips of Tita Merello, Carlos Gardel, Julio Sosa, …).
Another way to help participants make the process of creation easier is to

teach tango from its origin. We can start to connect the students with the
rhythm of the tango step by step.
From drumming and earth music, and then Candombe, where they can
dance separately and then start to dance in pairs. Of course, when we
start to dance Candombe we need to start to teach the typical steps of
this dance, also we can re-create a Uruguayan Murga, dancing separately
first and then in pairs.
When they can start to improvise with the Murga dancing in pairs in a
coordinated way, then we will introduce the basic steps of Milonga.
Once they feel comfortable with the Milonga, tango will be easier.
It is very important to introduce to the participants the rhythm and

melody of the Milonga and Tango music to the students. Exercises to
connect therewith, like walking with the rhythm of the music will be
necessary, not only in order to connect with the music, also to start to
connect with the space.
Remember we need to help people dance in an intuitive way, they need to

incorporate into their bodies the steps and the rhythm if they want to play
H M155 h
and to improvise, in tango.
The intuition is the opposite of the deduction, they need to be inspired to

create, not to have to remember what the next step is.
Of course, they will have trouble with the rhythm, the cadence of the
tango and the connection with the embrace. The first step of each
choreography will be to anticipate the music (and to know the right
moment to begin to improvise, this is very important). The phrasing of
the tango music is not easily recognizable. Exercises just to introduce the
music and rhythm of tango will be necessary, essential.
Embrace
We need to work in the embrace of tango slowly, we need to remember

always that we are working with cultures where the dances with the
embrace are with the same movements and we are going to teach a
dance were the choreography can change every time.
The embrace must be made in feedback, that is with clear signals of

being open to the embrace, of approximation, of nearness or of limit as
the case may be.
We are used to perceiving the other as strange in this culture more so
than in Latin American cultures and progressively we work with the
posture and gesture and movement of the embrace.
This not only facilitates a better and more natural dance but
strengthen’s ones identity.
The couple
In tango it is the man who leads the woman, it is the man who makes
decisions concerning the steps and figures. But, he cannot force
the woman, he needs to invite her, and she needs to be open to the
proposal, the woman needs to accept it, and she needs to let the man
guide her. When she does this and puts her own style into the dance,
the woman is a basic, a fundamental part of the dance.
Without this factor the dance is hopeless, the couple can repeat the
steps over and over again but there is no creation.
Some guidelines to dance tango
Tango is a social dance in couples, without a predetermined

H M156 h
choreography. The figures, the effects, the resources and the ways to
walk are infinite.
One must be elegant, with sensibility and play at the same time
(cadence/rhythm, posture and creativity). A real “milonguero” must
feel the power of the tango music, if he does a great “technical” dance,
full of skill, but without heart, most probably he will be bored and bore
the viewers too!
It is more difficult to dance a tango in a simple and long-winded way
with rhythm, keeping the harmony with the partner, than a dance
with complicated figures without any relation to the context (music -
rhythm - melody - environment).
In tango there are a group of non verbal communications, called

“Tango Codes” to use before, during and after the interaction
surrounding the dance itself.
Some of the most important ones are:
uu The woman waits until the man invites her to dance

uu To dance tango with a partner with ostensible physical disabilities
or with notorious height differences will bring some unexpected
difficulties.
uu To invite a busy or apparently busy woman to dance will bring a
higher chance of rejection.
uu The man (to invite a woman) must go where she is and invite her
with a smile.
uu The man, once his proposal is accepted, must go to the dance floor
with his partner and adopt the posture of embrace.
uu If, during the dance, some of the dancers, start to talk, the other
will understand that he/she it is not dancing. The quality of
concentration is very important in the quality of the dance.
uu In forward movements of the woman, when she uses the space left
by the man, she can understand that she has the time to decide
how to continue with the figure by choosing the next step.
uu If the man does not allow systematically the woman to make any
proposal, the woman can suppose that the man has not enough
domain of the tango dance, or he does not trust her, or he thinks
that he is superior.
uu If the man insists in doing some figures that are complicated for
the woman or she has some difficulties in following him, she can
understand that, for him, it is more important the skills than the
dance itself, or that for him it is more important his own pleasure
H M157 h
than the woman’s.
uu If the couple uses most of their time in doing complicated figures
than walking, the other participants or viewers will understand that
the couple, mainly the man (because he is the leader), wants to
show off their skills.
uu Normally, if the communication is good enough between the
couple, they will dance three or four tangos consecutively (Tanda).
uu If, after the first dance, one of the participants leaves the dance
floor, it is reasonable to understand the dance was not entirely
satisfactory to the other.
The signs of the tango dance and their interpretation.
During the dance, the couple exchanges different signs continuously,

most of them come from the man because, in the traditional way to
dance tango, he is the leader.
These signs must be recognised by the woman. If the signs are not clear
she will lose the synchronism in the dance.
The signs that the man sends to the woman will be:
uu The impulse of when and where to start to move (forward or

diagonal forward), with his torso and the superior arch of the
couple.
uu The impulse of when and where to start to move (backward or
diagonal backward), with the superior arch of the couple.
uu The impulse of when and where to start to move (lateral), with his
chest and the superior arch of the couple.
uu The impulse on the internal or external side of the movable
woman’s leg, by the man’s leg.
uu The gradual displacement of the movable woman’s leg, by the
man’s leg.
uu The increase or decrease of the strength on the woman’s extended
hand. That variation can, for example, modify her twirl, as in the
“boleas”
uu The increase or decrease of the strength of the man’s right hand on
her back, that variation can change her direction.
uu The change of the man’s body position with respect to her body,
that can be felt and seen by her and give to her the information
as to which kind of movements or displacement can or cannot be
H M158 h
possible.
uu The change of the man’s foot support, this can be felt by her in
the embrace and the position of the body, but this sign is not clear
most of the time.
The woman’s code:
The woman needs to be careful of the man’s sign and of her own feet
positions.
Based on that she can dance by these points:
uu She needs to keep her own balance, without using him as a

support.
uu When she feels the weight of him on one of his feet, she needs to
change her weight to the same side.
uu When he goes forward with one foot, she needs to recognise this
through the embrace, and not try to stop it. She needs to move her
free foot backwards so as to be on the opposite foot to the man.
uu When he goes backward with one foot, she goes forward with the
opposite foot.
uu When he starts to move one foot, the woman needs to change the
balance, slowly, to that foot, and then move the other foot, never
the same foot twice!
uu The woman tries to keep her torso faced to the torso of the man
and at the same distance during the dance, but in figures with
pivots it will be necessary to increase the distance. After the figure
she needs to restore the distance.
uu The woman tries to follow the mans torso (depending on the style
of tango they are dancing) in parallel with her torso, not to his feet,
in so far as her waist’s elasticity lets her do that.
uu The woman uses her superior arch, her torso and her waist in order
to follow the changes of direction of the man.
uu If the man moves forward or backwards his free foot until moving it
together with the other, the woman must do the same.
uu When her foot (in movement) finds his still foot, she must touch it,
lift up her foot and continue over his foot.
uu When, at the beginning of the backward “ocho”, the torso of the
man changes direction, the woman needs to go with his torso, but
the inferior part of her body continues with the initial movement
until the elasticity of her waist makes her bounce (“bolea”)
uu If one of her legs finds one of the man’s legs while she is making a
torsion of her body, she needs to try to catch it (“gancho”).
H M159 h
From time to time the couple needs to reset the original figure
(embrace figure with the feet together, beginning position of the
traditional choreography, step no: 0).
During the first steps in any first dance with a new partner, the man
needs to try and see if the woman can recognise his signs, he needs to
be sure that the signs are clear and precise.
If the man does not know how to dance tango, or he is a newcomer, the
woman’s codes allow them to dance something similar to tango, if their
dance is coordinated and synchronized.
In the tango dance, the man needs to put attention on the signals from
the music, the woman’s body position, the space on the dance floor
and his own repertory of movements. In the embrace position and
motionless he listens to the music and recognizes the rhythm, then he
puts his weight firmly on one of his feet and starts to walk. This first
step needs to be clear, in order to avoid any misunderstanding from his
partner.
If the man wants the woman to turn, he needs to start turning his
shoulders and his torso, then, when her shoulders and her feet start to
move, he can match her with his feet.
The man needs to start to invite the woman to do some simple figures
at the beginning in order to know if his signs are clear and if she knows
the steps.
Finally, in order to dance tango it is necessary to be oneself, conquer

the fears and not be ashamed of having fun.
The nice displacement with cadence, the finesse, the balance, are
things you will learn with practice. This practice can take your whole
life, and your life will be rich.
The man must understand that his own brilliance is up to how he makes
his partner shine, how he takes care of her, honours her, protects her
from the other dancers on the dance floor, measures her skills carefully
and does not expose her in to unlikely situations.
The figure you find most difficult will be because of a physical problem
or because of a memory problem, but, also it can be because of an
H M160 h
external problem.
As Gustavo Bezecry Saba[3] said:
“One of the great distinctions of the tango is the association established

between tango and life”.
Tango techniques for Tango Therapy for physical

disorders.
The technique of tango in this
situation needs to be focused
in the special needs for each
group.
A big difference is that in

Tango Therapy for physical
disorders we will use the dance
in order to try to replace the
exercises that the participants
Picture ©PDS Hertfordshire - Tango Therapy UK
need to do due of their
disorders.
So, we need to prepare carefully and up to their needs the specific set
of exercises-dances and we will probably add some other exercises as a
complement.
Creativity and improvisation, typical of tango, can be added with
advanced participants but from the beginning and in the future sessions
our main goal needs to be focusing in their physical needs.
Tango styles and embrace also must be modified according to the
participants needs.
Of course, as an exercise session, we need to start with a warm-up and
stretching exercises and finish then with stretching exercises.
Exercises to fight depression are almost always recommended as well
as affective exercises. Tango Codes will be welcome as they help to
encourage relationship.
Dancing tango can be a very good pathway to increase the interest in
physical activities. But it needs to be understood that it is not the same as
[3] Benzecry Saba was student in Dinzel Institute and with R. Herrera. He also was teacher
in the Tangodromo., Buenos Aires, Arg. - Embracing Tango - Techniques and Metaphors
between Tango and Life - Benzecry Saba – Abrazos Ed.
H M161 h
going from time to time to a Milonga than dancing every day.
A follow up program will be necessary to develop too as for them, the

sessions will be the starting-point but they need to continue with the
exercises as much as they can.
We need to encourage them to continue dancing in their homes. Support
from his/her families is essential as they need somebody to continue with
the practices at home.
We strongly suggest organising Milongas after we finish with the set of
sessions as they will be a very good opportunity to check their advances
and control, at the same time, if they are doing the dances-exersices
correctly and not to mention improve sociability.
As an example we can mention some of the characteristics of the sessions

according with some disorders:
Parkinson’s Disease:
“The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremor, rigidity and slowness

of movement. As well as affecting movement, people with Parkinson’s
can find that other issues, such as tiredness, pain, depression and
constipation, can have an impact on their day-to-day lives. The
symptoms someone has and how quickly the condition develops will
differ from one person to the next.”[4]
(Parkinson’s UK)
One of the main

problems for people with
Parkinson’s is that they
lose their balance.
As tango is balance that
will be our main goal in
order to help Parkinson’s
patients.
Picture ©Tango Therapy UK - PDS Oxford - England
Tango walk (forward and
backward), change of roles, forward “ochos” (trunk rotations) will be the
main tango exercises.
The figures that we can teach will be linked with the exercises that they
will normally need to do, as an example we mentioned the ochos, the
ocho figure is linked with the trunk rotation exercise and as we can see in
[4] www.parkinsons.org.uk – Extracted on 06/12-2010

H M162 h
“Keeping Moving” [5]:
“... Rotation is an important movement in activities such as walking,

turning and reaching. If the body is unable to rotate correctly the mind
will try to cheat with other movements, such as side leaning. This alters
the posture and prevents the body from working efficiently.”
Posture will be something that we need to focus very strongly on as it is

necessary to strengthen the balance.
We need to be very careful with the falls, it is better to not work with
the “tango embrace” at least until we are very sure that the group has
improved their balance. Instead with the “tango embrace” they can hold
each other by using their forearms. It will be better as in this way they will
feel more safe.
Alzheimer’s Disease (Dementia)
“Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting

around 465,000 people in the UK. The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe
the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases
and conditions. Alzheimer’s disease, first described by the German
neurologist Alois, Alzheimer’s is a physical disease affecting the brain.
During the course of the disease, ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’ develop in the
structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People with
Alzheimer’s also have a shortage of some important chemicals in their
brains. These chemicals are involved with the transmission of messages
within the brain. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, which means that
gradually, over time, more parts
of the brain are damaged. As this
happens, the symptoms become
more severe.”[6]
(Alzheimer’s Society UK)
They may become confused, lose

their memory, experience mood
swings amongst other symptoms.
Picture ©Tango Therapy UK - Alzheimer’s Society
Cardiff - Wales
[5] Keeping Moving – Exercise and Parkinson’s – By Richard Webber MCSP and Bhanu
Ramaswamy MCSP – Parkinson’s Disease Society UK - Page 30
[6] www.alzheimers.org.uk - Extracted on 06/12-2010
H M163 h
Our sessions must includes tango lessons with steps and pre-developed
choreography.
In this case we need to work to exercise their memory.
The traditional “eight steps” can be the best method in order to work with
their memory and, gradually we can add simple figures like “giros” and
“ochos”. It will be better to create a choreography for them, like two basic
steps, one forward ocho and two basic steps again.
Exercises to increase their confidence and to boost their self-esteem are
very important too.
Heart Disease
“Approximately 2.6 million people in the UK are living with coronary

heart disease (CHD). You, or someone you know, might be one of them.
CHD is the most common heart condition and the cause of most heart
attacks. There are many other heart conditions, such as congenital heart
disease, heart valve disease or cardiomyopathy.”[7]
(British Heart Foundation)
“The way to prevent these type of diseases are related with life style
changes and includes eating habits, increase the physical activity and
control of the risk factors that involve the called “Mental Stress”.”[8]
(Dr. Roberto Peidro)
Exercise and therapies to relieve anxiety and distress are recommended in

this situation.[9]
In 1999 , at the Favaloro Foundation in Buenos Aires, Argentina[10] a
research by Dr Roberto Peidro and Dr. Ricardo Comasco with Mayoral
and Elsa Maria (Tango Dancers) showed that dancing tango is an exercise
from mild to moderate intensity. Also showed that dancing Milonga will
increase the activity more than dancing Tango.[11]
[7] www.bhf.org.uk - Extracted on 07/12-2010

[8] “Con el Corazon en el Tango” – Guia para prevenir enfermedades cardiacas bailando
tango – Dr. Roberto Peidro – Introduccion
[9] “Keep your hear healthy” - Beating heart disease togherter – Booklet form British Heart
Foundation – Updated December 2007
[10] The Favaloro Foundation: Highly-specialized health care supported by teaching and
research - www.fundacionfavaloro.org/
[11] “Con el Corazon en el Tango” – Guia para prevenir enfermedades cardiacas bailando
H M164 h
From there it will be possible to develop a special set of exercises for
people with heart disease. Again we need to focus our attention in
the exercise but, at the same time we cannot forget the quality of the
embrace and connection that tango can give to us in order to improve the
quality of life and relieve distress.
The sessions must start with some breathing and stretching exercises,
slow walking and, in time, increase the velocity. Slow tangos at the
beginning of the dance, increasing to more rhythmic tangos and then
Milonga. It will be important too to decrease the intensity of the music at
the end of the session.
The music needs to be easy to follow, with a noticeable compass. We
suggest tangos and milongas from Juan D’Arienzo or Osvaldo Pugliese
orchestras.
The dance style can be the one with steps, eight or six, and some simple
figures. It is important too to introduce the differences between Tango
and Milonga.
We need to explain to the participants that a recommendable exercise
needs to be done at least 30 minutes per day. So, from the time that they
start the sessions we will need to encourage them to continue with the
practices at home.
After the set of sessions where we teach them to dance tango and the
exercises that they need to do before and after the dance they must
continue dancing at least 30 minutes every day, starting with tangos,
some milongas and finishing with tangos again.
Dancing Tangos and Milongas is an exercise from mild to moderate and
should not be harmful for the participants but, if they have any doubt a
consultation with the GP will be recommendable.
Tango and Elderly People
“Conditions & Illnesses: As you get older you may notice a number of
physical changes occur to your health or you may feel down about life...
(The most common illnesses are): Age-related macular degeneration
(AMD) damages your eyesight and around 500,000 people in the UK
have it to some degree. Dementia: as you get older, you may notice
your brain isn’t as agile and your memory not as sharp as it used to be.
Heart disease: Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death in the
UK. It has been the subject of extensive research so that we now know
more about what causes it and what can be done to prevent and treat
tango – Dr. Roberto Peidro – Resultados del Estudio
H M165 h
it. Relationships & Family: As we age the nature of our relationships
change, we may find ourselves alone as we lose close friends or gain the
responsibility of becoming a grandparent either way friends and family
will always be important relationships.”[12]
(Age Concern UK)
A study from the McGill School of Physical and Occupational Therapy

in Montreal suggests that learning to tango has all the elements seniors
need to remain physically and mentally healthy: physical activity, mental
stimulation and social connection. Kinesiologist Patricia McKinley enrolled
30 people, ages 62 to 91, in one of two groups: a walking class or a tango
class. All of the study participants were identified as being at risk for
falling. After 10 weeks of classes, which met for two hours twice a week,
the tango group had greater improvements in balance, posture, motor
coordination and cognitive gains than the walking group.[13]
Tango can help elderly people giving back confidence to do activities
without fear of falls, self confidence, balance and posture and motor
coordination.
It will be necessary to start slowly and work carefully with the participants.
As an exercise, the tango classes will include traditional tango steps but, in
order to increase the relationship between the dancers (and also with the
group) the creativity of the tango choreography is very important.
Once the group starts to show self confidence in the dance and the risk of
falls decrease we can start to add improvisation in the tango classes.
As well as in the session for people with heart disease, it will be wise to
start the sessions with breathing exercises, stretching and balance.
Posture and transfer of weight are important to pay attention to in the
sessions.
Researches shows that this group needs two hours two days a week as a
starting-point.
As we can see, it is up to the needs of the groups the style of the tango
the we will need to teach. Sometimes we will need to modify the styles in
order to introduce tango for vulnerable people.
Always we need, to warm up the group before starting to dance and
propose special exercises at the end of the class too.
During the sessions we need to focus our attention not only in the tango,
the participants and their well-being must be our priority.
[12] www.ageuk.org.uk - Extracted on 07/12-2010

[13] Effect of a community-based Argentine tango dance program on functional
balance and confidence in older adults. - McKinley P, Jacobson A, Leroux A, Bednarczyk V,
Rossignol M, Fung J. - Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal QC, Canada.
H M166 h
SOME GESTURES OF DANCE AND EXERCISES FOR

TANGO THERAPY
(Helping to understand tango music)
In this chapter you will find some proposals of exercises (and music) that
will help you to introduce and develop a better understanding of the tango
music.
To dance with another, to move with another is very different from

moving alone, isolated in your own rhythm, fluidity, extension, agility
e.t.c.
Other new components intervene to reach a state, a relationship, a

movement of communication. These components are embracing the
other, tenderness, eutony, reciprocal coordination, eroticism. Perceiving
the other with sensitivity, feeling the other as part of you and moving in
feedback.
Tango Therapy uses and works with the postures that bring our bodies
back to life.
During the sessions we work with the universal gestures that help us
connect with a specific essential physical energy that helps us realise and
transform old behaviours into alive, rich relationships.
We work using the different categories of movement and the sensitive

integration using specific exercises - here are a few examples:
Rhythm exercises
(And dances in the tempo of the music):
Earth dances, such as candombe (Morenada), moving your body into

the rhythm following the pull of gravity by first connecting from your
feet and tapping the ground, then moving up the body concentrating
on all the different parts with a movement that tends downwards.
Clapping hands together in pairs, one at a time or both together

(Alberto Castillo, Siga el Baile)
H M167 h
Synchronisation with another, (to feel the music, following the

rhythm and at the same time to perceive the movements of the other,
of your partner in a simple movement of connection):
Holding hands and moving into a rhythm together (Terapia de

Murga - Ruben Rada), this can be done walking or dancing. Facing your
partner and in a very simple gesture following their movement.
Dancing into the rhythm as a tribe using all the muscles of the body
from the head to the toes with a pulsation coming from the interiority
(Cuando yo me Muera - Ruben Rada). This is done by letting go of
the head and shoulders, concentrating on moving from the belly and
having the chest soft
Coordination exercises (firstly individually working with the

integration of different parts of the body with harmony. Coordination
with another, requires you to feel the other, their impulses):
Head exercise, to move slowly in a circle in order to let go of the

tensions and stress held. We do this by standing holding hands and
with eyes closed rotating the head and neck. (A. Piazzolla - Al Dimeola,
Poema Valseado)
Chest exercises, to breathe and dance slowly liberating oneself from

the centre of the heart area. This is done by breathing and moving your
body from your breath and not the other way around.(Astor Piazzolla -
Gerry Mulligan, Instrumental)
Pelvis exercises, to move slowly this area freeing the flow of energy
and integrating all three areas of the body together. Holding hands or
supporting your partner from the waist and moving the pelvis in a circle
forward, side, back and side (Gotan Project, Paris Texas)
Emotional connection exercises and dances. (After a series of

integration, these exercises are easy to do, ones inner tempo equalises
through the inner affection. The movements posses romantic,
emotional qualities):
Passing your inner light to your partner by walking towards each

other using your hands as guidance, then looking with sweetness into
their eyes until you have reached and communicated with them. (A.
Piazzolla - Kronos Quartet, Asleep)
H M168 h
Dance of romance in pairs where both partners communicate and

move in slow motion through the melody of the music, using eyes and
hands in romantic gestures.
(Nieblas del Riachuelo by Hernan Oliva)
Walking exercises (following the tempo of the music in a natural way,

in a synergistic way, the waist moving with the arms and legs, the
diaphragm relaxed, the natural walking appears):
Physiological walk uses the gluteus more; it lengthens the step and
unblocks the repression of the pelvis. (Otros Aires - Allerdings Otros
Aires)
Walking from the heart, from the chest as oppose to walking from
the head, or pelvis or legs. (Otros Aires - Amor que se Baila)
Also we do some rehabilitative exercises, this depends on the group or

the individual needs, to improve the body posture working from the inner
integration of ones identity.
How do we choose the music

The music that we use for the exercises is selected specifically for its ability
to awaken the emotions. Organic music that contains qualities of vital
energy, of romanticism, tenderness, eroticism, creativity, music that has
the ability to lead the dancer towards health, that facilitates the emotional
connection between the movement, the feeling and the expression. In
music therapy there have been tests about the influence of music rhythms
on heartbeat and on blood pressure.
As a therapist or workshop leader, part of your work consists in playing

and listening to different types of music that you will want to use in the
sessions.
One exercise that we do using a chart of emotional qualities and

categories such as passion, euphoria, tenderness, sensitivity is to play
different music and to select the quality that the music awakens. We do
this by entering into a state of receptivity and feeling noting what happens
inside of your body, this is the emotional content that the piece of music
conveys. The idea is to dance from feeling the music first, like allowing an
energetic vibration to initiate the movement which becomes a very natural
expression thus facilitating new sensations, new revelations
H M169 h
Music is an ancient art of healing, it has the capability to cure depression
and many psychosomatic diseases and is a universal way to express ones
emotions.
You can be trained to be sensitive to music
We perceive music with our sensitivity, our instincts, our emotions and
when we move our bodies expressing this universe that we have inside us
everything seems to flow. We suggest that you take classes in movement
and music and suggest a series of workshops for personal development in
musical sensibility and creativity.
Tango music and attitude exercises

Some exercises to start to understand not only the tango music, also the
meaning of the “Tango Codes” can be:
To learn about the differences between Tango and Milonga it is necessary

to prepare a special selection of music in order to train the dancers to
understand the difference of rhythms in Tango and Milonga.
A selection of Milongas will include:
La Puñalada (Francisco Canaro y su Orquesta)

Taquito Militar (Mariona Mores y su Orquesta)
Un Baile a Beneficio (Osvaldo Pugliese - Jorge Vidal)
Milonga de mi Amores (Juan D’Arienzo)
El Firulete (Julio Sosa)
Se Dice de Mi (Tita Merello)
Taquito Militar (Anibal Troilo y su Orquesta)
Milonga Sentimental (Carlos Gardel)
Tangos:
Cambalache (Julio Sosa)

Quejas de Bandoneon (Anibal Troilo y su Orquesta)
La Yumba (Osvaldo Pugliese y su Orquesta)
Sabado Ingles (Juan D’Arienzo y su Orquesta)
Bahia Blanca (Carlos Di Sarli)
Malena (Fransico Canaro)
C.T.V. (Baffa - Berlingeri)
Tomo y Obligo (Alberto Castillo)
These are a selection of tangos and Milongas easy to recognize, with a
H M170 h
clear type of melody and rhythm.
From here, we can create another selection where we will mix up some
Tangos and Milongas and invite the participants to recognize them.
We just need to be sure to make the selection from typical orchestras.
“Compadrito” attitude:
Another exercise, now in order to show some of the characteristics of the
“Malevo” or “Compadrito”[1] walk or attitude, as an interpretation, will
be to show some scenes from some old movies like Mercado Del Abasto
(Tita Merello “Se Dice de Mi).
Also we recommend watching some movies such as
Tango (Carlos Saura) and

Assassination Tango (Robert Duval).
Play role exercises:
It will be very interesting to add some play role exercises as

representations of some typical characters from the tango world, for
example to recreate a “Murga”[2] or also play “Compadrito” characters
[1] The name “compadrito” in the context of Tango History became known as a typical
character of the suburb, a bully and a braggart, words like “guapo”, “compadrito”, “malevo”,
“taura” were used to designate violent and fierce men. The “compadrito” or “guapo” is not
a nice person, is a tough braggart, a boaster, most likely a killer. In a time when political
rights were still to be conquered by the excluded social classes, the compadritos often worked
for politicians who hired them in order to sustain their strength in their constituencies, by
controlling the neighbourhood. The compadritos used to engage in knives duels between
them for whatever differences, that the tango mythology frequently wants to be the favours
of a woman. While synonyms, the word “guapo” refers more directly to bravery -- Even
today we say “hay que ser muy guapo”, “you got to be very brave”... Say, to go through that
situation -- And also it was used as a nickname -- “el guapo Ventarron”, the character of the
tango “Ventarron”.
[2] “Murga is a form of popular musical theatre performed primarily in Montevideo, Uruguay
during the Carnival season. Murga groups also operate in Argentina, mainly during the
Buenos Aires Carnival, though to a much lesser extent than in Uruguay; the Argentine
murga is more centred on dancing and less on vocals than the Uruguayan one... ....The
musical style or rhythmic structures of the murga is sometimes incorporated into Uruguayan
popular music. Examples of artists who have included murga in their arrangements are
Jaime Roos, Rubén Rada, Máximo Diego Pujol and Washington Canario Luna. It has also
been incorporated by some Argentine artists, such as Bersuit Vergarabat, Los Auténticos
Decadentes, Ariel Prat and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.” (From Wikipedia)
H M171 h
TANGO AND OTHER TECHNIQUES

There are several similarities between tango and other techniques.
This is because tango is not only a dance, it is a philosophy of approach
and communication between human beings.
In an article regarding Tai Chi and Tango, by Kenjiro Sato[1], we can

observe:
a) Movement, floating sense, walking, separation of the legs and hip.

The organization of the body posture it is very similar in asmuch as
collapsible tension, gradual elongation of each segment, change of the
weight of the body.
b) Balance
In order to practice tango it is necessary that each participant develops
their own personal balance in order not to break the other participants
balance.
c) Dissociation between torso and hip.

When we do varied translation movements and/or in the same place
there is a delicate dissociation between the torso and hip, because
we need to move these parts of the body in consecutive, rotational
movements but in separate periods of the dance.
d) Rotation around the axis.

This movement is complementary but necessary in connection to the
item “c”. Each movement is around our axis in order to facilitate the
collaboration with our partner and to keep our balance.
e) Several acupuncture points are activated.

In both disciplines the Ki-energy (life energy or the vitality) is activated
in two ways:
Internally by the rotation and dissociation, joint tension and relaxation.
Externally by the pressure and contact with the our partner body,
particularly in some figures like “ganchos” and “sacadas”
When you practice tango and/or Tai-Chi there is an action on the health
[1] Kenjiro Sato, born in Chile, he is professor of psychology and communication in Malmö
University in Sweden. Work with Tango and Tai-chi as a pedagogical models with social
carers.
H M172 h
levels and life quality.
Also in the explanation of the Yoga classes and their application in Tango,
Pablo Villarraza and Dana Frigoli, directors of DNI[2] said:
uu Both techniques respond to the nature of the body and its

movements and work with the same concepts of alienation
uu They develop profound and useful knowledge of the body in
movement
uu Both search for the origin of energy and its direction
uu They use breathing as support for movement and dynamic changes
A very important consideration from Sato is that the tango is an

improvisation dance, but some dancers will use a sequence of steps and
figures, as a patter. That will be possible to compare with Tai-Chi because
in Tai-Chi they follow a “choreography” and they need to memorize it.
They can replay it without thinking and, in time, they can abstract from
it and concentrate in the way as they do it. Then we can put our energy in
the quality of the dance.
Another point of view is the observer, when someone is looking at a

couple dancing tango they can say that they are dancing beautifully. This is
because they can see the harmony of and in the couple and that harmony
is the quality of movement, the same as in Tai-Chi practice.
Also, the similarities between Tango Therapy and Biodanza are related to
the embrace, to the encounter that happens in the couple. The aim of the
encounter is the fusion with another person which modifies ones inner
vision and also vision of the world. To melt your identity with another to
become “we” as Martin Buber proposed. Solitude kills so dancing together
saves our life.
The dance of love, the Tango is a very beautiful dance!

And in Tango Therapy we can see how the twelve steps listed below are
twelve steps to dance the dance of love and to live the Tango way.
1. To syntonise, tune in to the other one through eye contact - the first
step
2. The mutual initiative

[2] DNI: Tango academy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, also Villarraza and Frigoly are the
creators of the Conceptual Tango Technique (T.C.C)
H M173 h
3. Synchronisation of movement
4. To move fluidly together not in confrontation
5. The psycho tonic dialogue
6. Move in the same rhythm in Eurythmy
7. To be in a reciprocal dialogue, in feedback.
8. Integration of bodies, of the intellectual, affective and sensual
9. Diversification -
10. Unconditional alive embrace
11. Compression / decompression
12. Expressivity
If you are connecting with the best of you, with the most beautiful
movements and with your vital energy as you dance you are connecting
with life. Techniques of connection, of communication of dancing love are
a real way to heal yourself, others and the planet.
Tango Therapy is therapy for the mind, body and soul and more than this
is a way to live your life dancing from your heart.
H M174 h
S professional formation s
H 175 h
Picture: Liliana Esperanza “Tango”
PROFESSIONAL FORMATION
Professional Development
As a Tango Therapist the professional will work with anyone who has
difficulties or concerns with emotional problems, distress and physical
diseases too.
As a TT, you would typically work with clients to help them express their
feelings, develop social confidence and increase body awareness. Your
day-to-day work would involve observing your clients’ movements,
planning therapy sessions, and creating a safe environment to promote
communication.
A program that prepares professionals to be responsive to the emotional,

social, cognitive and physical needs of vulnerable people is necessary. Also
the programme needs to include equal emphasis on academic studies,
experiential learning and supervised clinical placements, and encourages
students to integrate all components to achieve a comprehensive learning
experience.
The programme needs to provide you with a broad understanding of the

theories and practices of Tango Therapy and enables you to practice, on
different levels, as a Tango Therapy Practitioner.
To become a Tango Therapist:

First of all you need to know what Tango Therapy means and which are
the options to work with.
A Tango Therapist can help with different types of diseases/problems and
each of them requires a different training.
Basically, you have three options.
uu To work with people with physical disorders such as Parkinson’s,

Alzheimer’s or heart diseases and the elderly;
uu To work with people with psychological disorders such as
depression, learning difficulties, relationship difficulties, anxiety
and social phobias and...
uu Tango Therapy (sometimes called Biotango too) for self-
H PF177 h
improvement, personal growth and well being.
Requirements to be Tango Therapist.

Tango as a therapy is a new complementary therapy. Normally no previous
qualification is required but you need to ask in the institution were you
want to be trained.h
As a therapist, you will work with vulnerable people, it is necessary to
understand what this means and what we can do to help these people
improve and rehabilitate their condition and not to make their situation
worse.
As a TANGO therapist, we, of course, need to know Tango, but we need to
know more than one style of it and we need to understand that we are not
going to teach Tango for people who want to go to a Milonga and dance
like a master. We use tango as a pathway to reach our goal and our goal is
to improve their health and well-being.
Our experience shows us that it is more easy to become a Tango Therapist
for somebody with some health-related background than for Tango
Teachers.
A Tango Therapist should know, according to the type of problems
that they want to help to solve, several subjects like psychotherapy,
physiotherapy, movement and dance therapy, and several other subjects,
some of them are required by the law[1], are in order to work with
vulnerable people.
Regarding Tango, it is necessary to know different styles because we
cannot apply the same tango style to people with Parkinson’s disease as
we will to people with depression.
This is a list of the institutions that offer training in becoming Tango

Therapists or introductory courses/workshops to understand the
possibilities that Tango can offer in palliative care:
Important note: We cannot guarantee if these courses are still available

unless they are sponsored by the International Association of Tango
Therapy, we strongly recommend contacting the provider to confirm if
they are open.
Argentina:
[1] This is up to the regulations that rule the complementary therapies in your country
H PF178 h
uu Tango Terapia – Dr. Federico Trossero
Web: www.tango-terapia.com.ar
E-mail: [email protected]
Tango therapy is an integrated system of instruments of the

tango dance, its music and its poetry on the basis of experiences
promoting motivation, bringing us closer to deeper knowledge of
the psyche, it allows the diagnosis, treatment and research
Regular courses – Private Training – Advanced courses – Study

groups – Introductory courses – Therapeutic workshops –
Seminars[2]
uu Psicotango - Lic. Monica Peri and Lic. Ignacio Lavalle Cobo
Web: www.psicotango.com.ar
Psicotango is a method which combines the benefits of Tango, a

dance of physical connection, with psychology, and explores the
ways in which our moving bodies express themselves.
It develops in Operative Groups where we make contact with
ourselves and the group through Tango.
The selected exercises in these activities have to do with the
consciousness of ourselves through a dialogue with our own body,
with our partner, and with the others who form the dancing group,
like in an initial matrix.
The Seminars do not encourage the technology of the rigid dance,
the stereotyped and repetitive figures of tango; they are oriented
through improvisation, searching for our own style in a personal
way. [3]
uu Cuyas Tango – Maria Eugenia Cuyas
Web: http://tangoterapia-cuyastango.blogspot.com
[2] Information extracted from his web site on 10/12/2010

[3] Information extracted from their web site on 10/12/2010
H PF179 h
Coordinator of training and workshops of Tangoterapia, method
Dr. Trossero. – Course of Lifelong learning in Tangoterapia directed
to health professionals and tango instructors – Tangoterapia
workshops[4]
Italy:
uu Tango Terapia Italy - Massimo Habib
Accredited by the International Association of Tango Therapy
(IATT)
Web: www.tangoterapia.it
Phone: +393358357593
Address: Milan (Italy) Via Petrella 19 20100.
Master in Tangotherapy
Milan (Italy)
Presentation
The one-year Master in Tangotherapy is designed to train to

therapist level professionals interested in Tangotherapy.
What kind of degree is required for the application of Masters in

Tangotherapy?
At least a three year of graduation in “helping people profession”
is required to attend this Master Tangotherapy, or to be
a professional in counselling, care working, psychologist,
psychotherapist, etc.
Can I apply if I have not completed my undergraduate degree?

You can submit your application prior to obtaining your degree.
We will accept and evaluate your application. However in case of
admission, you will have to provide your degree certificate before
beginning work with Tangotherapy
When do the courses start and finish?

For each academic year, courses start at the end of October and
finish September of the next year with the summer exam session.
[4] Information extracted from her web site on 10/12/2010

H PF180 h
How does the selection process take place?
The Admission Board assesses your application based on the
following criteria: curriculum vitae, experience in helping people.
An interview will take place at the discretion of the Board.
United Kingdom
uu Tango Therapy UK
Accredited by the International Association of Tango Therapy
(IATT)
Web: www.tangotherapy.co.uk
Mail: [email protected]
Tango Therapy UK is an institution registered in the UKPRL (UK

Register of Learning Provider) and is working toward a Level 2 OCN
qualification in their courses as well as being recognized in the ICNM
(Institute of Complementary Therapy UK)
Accredited by the International Association of Tango Therapy (IATT)
Courses will include practical sessions with patients (under
supervision).
After usefully completing the programme students will be Prepared

to be responsive to the emotional, social, cognitive and physical
needs of vulnerable people.
Graduates will be eligible for professional registration with IATT and
ICNM
This course allows Tango Therapy Practitioners to become Full
Members of the IATT and ICNM and allows Tango Therapy
Practitioners to be registered in the British Register of
Complementary Practitioners (BRCP).
Tango Therapy is growing locally and throughout the world and the
programme has further stimulated therapists to go on to undertake
further research and /or join us in our teams often creating their
own positions running Tango Therapy sessions. Tango Therapy
UK will help you and support you in developing your own career in
organizations like Parkinson’s Disease Society, Mind, Age Concern,
amongst others or private practice.
In addition to the taught programme, students will be required

to attend actualisation and relevant external events in order to
continue professional development (CPD)
H PF181 h
Courses:
Tango Therapy Practitioner for Parkinson’s disease patients and

the Elderly.
Part-time course – One academic year

Location / Attendance: Bristol, England, UK
Entry requirements: No formal entry requirements. You will

need a relevant undergraduate degree or a substantive portfolio
of work at an appropriate level. In order to receive your Tango
Therapy Practitioner certificate you will be required to have
approved a POVA Course Level 2 (Protection of Vulnerable
Adults - Social Care course), additional Basic First Aid Course will
be recommendable.
The Modules, key areas of study:

All modules are designed to prepare students for becoming
effective and ethical self-reflective practitioners
Tango Classes :
Walking - Exercises about learning the basics of tango: the walk
- Walking technique - Movement direction and space - Changing
leading / share leadership - Exercises about balance technique
- Embrace - Transfer movements with a partner - Corporal
communication, etc
Energy Medicine
Open the meridians of the body - Dan Tian - The chakras -
Breathing and visualization meditations - Qi Gong exercises - Tai
Chi exercises
Movement Therapy
The importance of the improvisation and creativity - Anatomy
and physiology of the body and the use of warm up and cooling
down - Communication exercises
Psychotherapy
Depression and anxiety on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients
and the Elderly - Compulsive Behaviour
Physiotherapy
H PF182 h
Basic Anatomy and Physiology - Common problems in
Parkinson’s disease and the Elderly - Communication –
Dementia - The Keeping Moving Exercise Programme - Falls and
Parkinson’s - Fatigue – Freezing - Mild Memory Problems - Motor
Fluctuations - Muscle Cramps and Dystonia - Pain in Parkinson’s -
Restless Legs Syndrome – Tremor - Joint Muscles and bones
Complementary Modules:
Complementary Medicine and the Law - Ethical Issues - Code
of conduct - Health and Safety - Working with Tango Therapy
as an independent practitioner or as a partnership with local
representative.
Biotango - Tango Therapy Practitioner for psychological

disorders, social phobias and self development.
Part-time course – One academic year

Location / Attendance: Bristol, England, UK
Entry requirements: No formal entry requirements. You will

need a relevant undergraduate degree or a substantive portfolio
of work at an appropriate level. In order to receive your Tango
Therapy Practitioner certificate you will be required to have
approved a POVA Course Level 2 (Protection of Vulnerable
Adults - Social Care course), additional Basic Firs Aid Course will
be recommendable.
The Objectives:
Applying the most important elements of music, movement

and expression within your sessions in order to reach the desired
outcome of growth, development, expression of your group
To develop the practitioners knowledge of the importance of
expressing emotions and advanced skills in encouraging this
expression through movement and gestures.
To develop the practitioners knowledge of the five lines of
human expression
To promote the ethos of movement full of meaning, movements
related and linked to life
To give guidance to practitioners as to the best ways of leading
sessions of Tango Therapy through the music of Tango, through
H PF183 h
movement, special exercises and elements of the Tango dance in
order to deliver and teach in a healthy, life affirming way to these
special people so that they have a chance at rehabilitation and
also to understand that Tango Therapy is a palliative more than a
real cure and a pathway for a happy life.
Some of the subjects are:
Synergic walking
Physiological walking
Walk of identity
Walk of illumination
Walking with determination
Walking with another
The Tango Walk
As the leader
As the follower
Dance of Harmonic extension - to re-establish the modular
function of the cerebral cortex, generally over stimulated by a
style of life de-compensate and dis-harmonized.
Segmentary movements: neck, shoulders, chest and arms,
waist, pelvis
International Association of Tango Therapy - IATT
The IATT is the organization that promotes tango therapists with ethical
standards and maintains a constant liaison with related professionals all
over the world.
The International Association of Tango Therapy is committed to research,

development, education, training and implementation of the application
of the Tango Dance in palliative care and inner development.
H PF184 h
Aims of the IATT
uu To endeavour to protect the public against harmful conduct by

members of all classes practising Tango Therapy
uu To establish job opportunities and serve as a clearing house for job
openings
uu Supporting and encouraging research, students, practitioners and
the promotion of Tango Therapy in education, social and health
services, including the community at large.
uu Establishing and maintaining a register of professional members
uu To provide up-to-date information for its members
uu To encourage and support research and publications in Tango
Therapy
uu To provide a regional resource for its members
Objectives:
uu To stimulate an active interest in the development of Tango Therapy

uu To provide a support network for Tango Therapy Therapists
uu To provide information on specialised training courses
uu To distribute a quarterly e-newsletter;
uu To provide an informative web site
uu To organise introductory workshops, in-service training and
educational seminars
uu In addition, promote training events on issues relating to Tango
Therapy;
uu To provide an Ethical Framework and a Code of Practice;
uu To provide a Complaints Procedure that governs the professional
conduct and practice of members of all classes who are practising
Tango Therapy;
uu To offer a forum for discussion of professional issues.
H PF185 h
Tango Therapy College
Tango applied in palliative care and inner development.
The International Association of Tango Therapy is a pioneering

institution that brings together tango teachers, psychologists, therapists,
counsellors, movement therapists, and related professionals, with the aim
and vision of using the tango dance in palliative care to enhance the life of
those people with special needs and those with other types of problems
and issues too.
Through this unique and complete programme of courses we aim to

encourage the formation of qualified Tango Therapy Practitioners.
The Tango Therapy College is organized in three levels:
The Basic Entry Level 1:
Tango Therapy Practitioners - Biotango (inner development,

social phobias, interrelationship)
Tango Therapy Practitioner for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s
and the Elderly.
Level 2 - Post Graduate courses:
In this level we will be offering a specialization for Tango Therapy

Practitioners - Biotango who want to work with couples
Level 3: Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

programme.
CPD is to stimulate individual potential and to increase the skills,

build confidence and develop the practitioners expertise.
In this area we are offering special courses and workshops such

as:
uu POVA – Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

uu Dementia Awareness Training
uu Communication, Confidentiality and Report Writing (CIS)
uu Gestalt music, movement and emotions and to work with
this as a pathway of evolution.
uu First AID
H PF186 h
The courses are based in Italy (www.tangoterapia.it) or in the UK (www.

tangotherapy.co.uk) and will be validated by their respective local
associations of Tango Therapy and for the International Association of
Tango Therapy
The requirements may change between schools:
Experience in Tango Dance, a Movement form or Counselling for a

period of two years.
Undergraduate degree in a relevant field of study or equivalent.
Non graduates with extensive experience in a related field will be

considered.
A Tango Therapist Facilitator training is not a postgraduate course, but,

in order to be accepted for the training you must have an undergraduate
degree in psychology, dance therapy, be an accredited tango teacher or be
a professional in a related field.
Alternatively, relevant work experience in tango, dance and or caring

professions will be necessary.
You can contact the School running the training courses to find their
requirements.
You can make contact with the IATT (International Association of Tango
Therapy) to find the information about courses and workshops in your
area.
www.tangoterapia.org
www.tangotherapy.org
H PF187 h
ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Karen Woodley
She is a therapeutic movement teacher who has
specialized for many years in the Biodanza technique,
trained by Rolando Toro Araneda the creator as a
Didactic teacher and Director of the IBF School of
Biodanza Cardiff.
Karen has trained in the Montessori method of

teaching young children and works as a therapeutic
session leader for adults and children on the autistic
spectrum and those with more severe physical
disabilities. She has been invited to teach at the British
Psychotherapy Association Conference, for the Session Leaders of the
Touch Trust, by the autistic society in Araas France, the stepping stones
charity in London for people with disabilities, Shepton Mallet autistic
childrens support groupby the Pan-American Round tables Alliance,
Escobar, Argentina, and for the Artists and dancers of the Girona Theatre,
Escobar, Argentina amongst others.
Founder member of the International Association of Tango Therapy

Therapists.
Prof. Martin Sotelano

He is Argentino, professor of design. Born in 1961 in Lanus, close to Alsina
bridge, cradle of malevos and milongueros. Since he was young he was
interested in this particular culture and in learning to dance tango and
milonga with famous dancers of the area and Delfin
Gavilan too.
As a professional in Graphic Design and Photography
he worked in advertising. Also he worked in Palermo
University, Belgrano University, Raggio College
among others.
However, his passion with the Tango did not drop
off. He collaborated with the Secretary of Culture of
Buenos Aires city, General Administration of Libraries
of the Buenos Aires province in La Plata, Identity
H 188 h
1
Foundation in Buenos Aires and INCAM Cultural Teaching College, Buenos
Aires.
Also, Prof. Sotelano worked in the famous Bar Sur in San Telmo.
As an author and Tutor he published several books as a design professor

such as “Corel Draw, guide to” and “An introduction to Digital
Photography for photographers”, also he developed courses for IAC
(Computing Argentine Institute) and Argentina Corel Draw Users Group.
Founder member of the International Association of Tango Therapy

Therapists.
Both are working together in the UK with institutions such as Parkinson’s

UK (PDS UK) and Alzheimer Society, demonstrating the benefits of Tango
Therapy.
They are the directors of Tango Therapy UK
H 189 h
CONTRIBUTORS
Tamara Di Tella
Tamara is the creator of Tangolates that has
become the preferred fitness of international
celebrities such a Sting, Bryan Adams, and Julio
Bocca, among others. Her innovative method
succeeded in bridging the gap between mind-
body and cardio regimens. She is a journalist
and a presenter as well as the author of
numerous articles and ten books of health and
fitness issues, among which are: “Tamara Di
Tella Pilates” and “The Tamara Di Tella Method:
Tangolates”. Besides writing for magazines and newspapers, Tamara
collaborates in a radio program.
Tamara DI Tella is also the Director of the Tamara Di Tella Schools of

Training where “teachers of teachers” form and certify young instructors-
to-be. Firm believer in Social Responsibility, Tamara Di Tella’ company has
donated a Rehabilitation Ward to a national public hospital for patients
with severe dysfunctions of the motor system.
Contact: [email protected] / www.tangolates.com
Dr. Massimo Habib

He is an Argentinean Tango teacher, writer,
chorus singer. Gestalt guidance Counsellor of
Gestalt Study Therapy Centre of Milan, Italy.
Director of the Tango Therapy Institute of
Italy and founder member of the International
Association of Tango Therapy Therapists.
Contact: [email protected] / www.

tangoterapia.it
H 190 h
Anthony Howell
A former dancer with the Royal Ballet, Anthony
Howell was founder of The Theatre of Mistakes
which performed at many venues including
the Paris Biennale and the Galerie Farideh
Cadot, as well as at the Theatre for the New
City and the Paula Cooper Gallery in New
York. His performance art has been seen at the
Tate, the Hayward Gallery and at the Sydney
Biennale. His seminal textbook, The Analysis of
Performance Art, is distributed by Routledge,
and he is internationally regarded for his performance art workshops. In
2001 he received a £6000 LADA bursary to study the tango in Buenos
Aires. He now demonstrates the tango internationally and teaches it at his
studio/gallery, The Room, in Tottenham Hale.
Contact: [email protected] / www.tangoforbalance.

com
Graciela Pesce
Teacher, pre-school teacher, author and singer.
She has produced three music cds and the fourth
one is coming soon. She is the director, with
Daniel Yamolinski, of the project called “Tango
for children” in Argentina, that is sponsored by
the National Academy of Tango (Argentina), and
it was awarded with “Golden Gobby 2009”.
Also she has published a book “Bulebu con Soda
(Tango for children)” with Daniel Yamolinski,
(Corregidor Publishers – Buenos Aires -
Argentina).
Contact: [email protected]
http://www.myspace.com/gracielapesce
Adriana Pegorer
Adriana Pegorer is an independent dance artist interested in the
interweaving of forms.
Her interest of mixing tango with release based techniques led her
H 191 h
to develop a teaching language that proved
particularly appropriate for people with a visual
impairment.
Winner of the Lea Anderson Choreographic
Award for her dancefilm ‘Double One’ (an abstract
dialogue between tango dance vocabulary &
Jungian symbolism) she was also the recipient of
ACE awards and presented several experimental
and collaborative works mixing choreography with
improvisation, video and music with installations.
Photo: Gary Lam Adriana performed in Professor Marta E.
Savigliano’s ‘Wallflowers and Femme Fatales’ theatrical lecture at the
Harvard’s tango conference in 2007 (Boston, USA) and presented her
own research at the ‘Body, Movement and Dance in Global Perspective’
conference (Hong Kong, China).
She is currently studying ‘Anthropology of the Dance and Human
Movement’ with Professor Drid Williams.
Contact: www.adagioconbrio.co.uk http://tangorelease.blogspot.com
Marius Poliac, Ph. D.

In 1989 I graduated from the University of
Minnesota with a Ph.D. degree in Control Science
and Dynamical Systems. During the same
year I founded Poliac Research Corporation,
a medical device development firm located in
Burnsville MN. I am listed as inventor on over
30 US patents and I published several articles in
scientific and medical journals. I’ve been a rock
climbing enthusiast since college. I climbed in
the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the Tatra
Mountains of Slovakia, Mont Blanc Mountains in
France, Rocky Mountains in Canada and the US,
and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the US. Today I have retired to Reno
and I am in the process of helping build a vibrant local Tango community. I
host two local Milongas: Neo Tango Music on Monday and on Wednesday
Traditional Tango Music. Wednesday mornings I host four Tango sessions
for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Contact: [email protected] / http://health.groups.yahoo.com/

group/tangowithpd/
H 192 h
Greta Polo, MA, R-DMT
Columbia College Chicago, Dance/Movement Therapy and Counselling
Greta Polo studied dance/movement therapy

and counselling in the graduate program at
Columbia College Chicago. Her clinical work as a
dance/movement therapist has included working
with refugees, people with mental illness and
substance abuse, the elderly, and those with
traumatic brain injury. She is now working as
a creative arts therapist with adults who have
multiple disabilities. Greta is trained in various
movement forms, which she utilizes to deepen her Argentine tango work.
Contact: [email protected] / gretapolo.net
Hiroko Uenishi, MA in Music Therapy

Hiroko has been working with people with special needs for 12 years in
a variety of settings such as hospitals, special
schools and care centres. She trained as a Music
Therapist in the UK in 2003. While practising
music therapy in Wales, she became a lecturer
in Music Therapy at the Royal Welsh College
of Music and Drama from 2005-2009. She is
currently working with University of Wales
Newport and works at the Touch Trust Limited as
a freelance session leader.
Contact: [email protected]
H 193 h
ARTISTS:
Raul Delavy
Raul Delavy (1942-2008), Argentinian painter and sculptor. More
information regarding his art-works at www.rauldelavy.com
Liliana Esperanza
Was born in 1958, at Haedo City, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
She began to connect with art in 1992, and learned in many ateliers. Se
has also learned in an autodidact way.
Since 1996 she has participated in different collective and individual
expositions in many countries like: Argentina,
Spain, Chile , Brazil and México. She has also received important national
and international awards.
Contact:
[email protected]
http://www.lilianaresperanza.blogspot.com/
Raquel Sarangelo
An Argentinian artist of figurative style, Raquel Sarangelo puts together
the strong line style with vivid colours and shows us an every day life
with characters of melancholic faces and simple happiness. We can find
her works in private and public collections in Italy, Belgium, France,
USA, Russia, Argentina, Ireland, and she is exhibiting her works in Italy
permanently.
Contact:
[email protected]
http://www.hometuscany.com/galleriaEn.html
http://www.picassomio.es/raquel-sarangello/
H 194 h
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Aragon, Ana; Ramaswamy, Bhanu; Campbell Ferguson, J.; Jones, Cahterine;
Tugwell, Charles; Taggart, Chris; Lindop, Fiona; Durrant, Karen; Green,
Karen; Hyland, Karen; Barter, Sarah; Gay, Stella; (2007), The Professional’s
Guide to Parkinson’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease Society of the United
Kingdom, United Kingdom
Benzecry Sabá, Conceptos a la hora de bailar el tango
Bloch Alice (2006), Isadora Duncan - ’The Soul moving in nature’, www.
gerardmanleyhopkins.org/lectures
Bowlby John, 1997, Attachment and Loss, Pimlico, United Kingdom
Casullo, F. (1989). Diccionario de Voces Lunfardas Vulgares. Buenos Aires:

Plus Ultra
Chodorow, Joan; (1991), Dance Therapy & Depth Psychology, (The moving
imagination), Routledge, New York, USA
Denniston Christine (2007) The meaning of Tango, The story of the

Argentinean dance, Portico Books, London, United Kingdom
Dinzel R., (2004) La danza del tango y la improvisacion, tangotro.com.ar
Dinzel, R, Dinzel, G. (1996). El Tango una danza. El Corregidor. Bs. As.
Duncan Isadora, 1927, ‘My Life’, Liveright
Dunham Katherine, from wilkipedia, www.wilkipedia.org/wilki/katherine

Dunham
Earhart, Gammon M, Hackney, Madeleine E, Kantorovich, Svetlana, Levin,

Rebecca, (2007) Effects of Tango on Functional Mobility in Parkinson’s
Disease: A Preliminary Study, Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy
Farris Thompson Robert, (2205) Tango, the art history of love, Pantheon
Books, USA
Flores, F. (2000), El tango: Desde el umbral hacia dentro. Ed. Catriel,

Madrid.
H 195 h
García-Olivares Antonio & Pedro Vidal (2002), Un análisis informacional

de la comunicación subyacente en la danza del tango, Presentado en el
Electronic Workshop of the Foundations of Information Science group.
Gómes de la Serna Ramón, “Interpretación del tango”. Ed. Ultreya Santa

Fe, Argentina 1949
Graham Martha, American Masters, www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/

episodes/martha-graham
Harris Sara, (11/15/2005) Studies with Tango dancing, computer training,

show ways to maintain a healthy brain in old age, Society of Neuroscience
Magazine.
Humphreys Doris, ’The Solo Dancers’, www.pitt.edu/gillis/dance/doris
Laird Carly, (2008) Dancer using the tango to fight off depression, ABC
News
Lavalle Cobo Ignacio and Monica Peri, Grupo Dinzel (2008) Psicotango:
Encuentros a traves del tango, Metodo y Seminario, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Lavalle Cobo Ignacio, (2007) Tango, una danza interior, Editorial Corregidor,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Lavalle Cobo Ignacio, (2008) Tango, una danza psiquica, Article on

Psicotango (www.psicotango.com.ar), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Levy, Fran J.(1995), Dance and other Expressive Art Therapies, (Wen words
are not enough), Routledge, New York, USA
López-Gallucci Natacha Muriel (2006), Tango, una filosofía del abrazo,

Instituto de Filosofía y Ciencias Humanas (UNICAMP) – Brasil
Mackrell, J. R., (1989), The Art of Dance, Encyclopaedia Britannica
Mataruna dos Santos Leonardo José y Luciana de Oliveira Barros (Brasil), La

constitución histórica del tango argentino:Un análisis desde 1850 a 1890,
Universidad Federal de Río de Janeiro
McKinley Patricia, Allison Jacobson, Alain Leroux, Victoria Bednarczyk,

H 196 h
1
Michel Rossignol, Joyce Fung, (2008) A Community-Based Argentine
Tango Dance Program Improves Functional Balance and Confidence in At-
Risk Older People: A Randomized Control Feasibility Study.
Park Chan, 2004, Tango Zen: Walking dance meditation, Tango Zen House,
USA
Payne Helen, 2008, Dance Movement Therapy (Theory, research and

practice) 2nd Edition, Routledge, New York, USA
Peri Monica, (2008) A psychoanalytic approach to tango, Article on

Psicotango (www.psicotango.com.ar), Buenos Aires Argentina
Pesce Graciela y Daniel Yarmolinsky, (2005), Bulebu con Soda (Tango para
ofrecer a los chicos), Corregidor, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Peidro Roberto M. y Ricardo Comasco (2007), Con el corazon en el tango

(Guia para prevenir enfermedades cardiacas bailando tango), Editorial
Guadal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Pinniger Rosa, Tango trial aims to dance depression away, UNE, University
of New England, Sidney, Australia
Ricardo García Blaya, El vals criollo, todotango.com
Sabo Eric, (08/12/05), Tango forever to age well, Health logy (healthology.
com)
Sato Kenjiro - El tango, el tai-chi y la psicologia en el occidente
Selles, R. (1978). La Historia del Tango: La Milonga - El Vals. Corregidor,

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Solís Marcelo Héctor, Buscando el secreto del baile del tango
Toro Araneda Rolando, 1987, ’El Principo Biocentrico’, Edition Bio’s, Recife,
Brasil
Toro Araneda Rolando, 1987, ’The human movement’, Edition Bio’s, Recife,
Brasil
Trossero Federico, (2006) Tango Terapia, Coquena Ediciones, Rosario,

Santa Fe, Argentina
H 197 h
Trunkhardt María Isabel, El amor y el tango a la luz de Lacan
Villarrazan Pablo and Dana Frigoli, DNI, Relation between tango and yoga,
estudiointango.com.ar
Webber Richard and Bhanu Ramaswamy, (2007), Keeping Moving (Exercise

and Parkinson’s), Parkinson’s Disease Society of the United Kingdom,
United Kingdom
Zavrel John, (2002) Isadora Duncan and ‘The Dance’ www.meaus.com/

isadora-duncan
Bion, W.R (1959) Experience in Groups, Tavistock Publications Ltd
Freud, A (1936) The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defence, Hogarth Press
Jung, C.G. (1946) ‘The Psycholoy of the Transference’, In H Read, M.

Fordham, & G. Adler (Eds.), The Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Routlede &
Kegan Paul
Priestley, M (1994) Essays on Analytical Music Therapy, Barcelona

Publishers
Winnicot, D.W (1971) Playing and Reality, Tavistock Publications Ltd
H 198 h
Disclaimer 6
Table of content
Introduction 7
An approach to “tango therapy” 2nd edition 7
Prologue 9
Tango or tangotherapy? 9
TANGO 11
Tango, a little history 13

The candombe: 14
The milonga: 15
The tango: 15
The criollo waltz: 16
Tango styles 18
Argentinean tango: 18
Canyengue tango: 18
Plain (liso) tango: 18
Lounge / saloon (salon) tango: 19
Milonguero tango: 19
Tango show: 19
Ballroom tango: 19
DANCE THERAPY 21
The pioneers of therapeutic dance 23

Isadora duncan (1877 - 1927) 23
Martha graham (1894 - 1991) 23
Doris humphreys (1895 - 1958) 24
Katherine mary dunham (1909 - 2006) 24
Carl gustav jung (1875 - 1961) 25
Laban (1879 - 1958) 25
Physiology related to dance 26

The dance 26
Why exercise, why dance? 27
The energy centres of the body 28
The psychological aspects of dance and movement as a therapy 30

Introduction: 30
We are our emotions: 30
Wilhelm reich 31
Carl jung 31
Conclusion: 32
TANGO THERAPY 33
What is tango therapy 35

Applications of tango as a therapy: 38
Cardiovascular diseases: 38
Keep your body fit: 38
The elderly: 39
Alzheimer’s 39
Depression: 40
H 199 h
Parkinson’s: 40
Downs syndrome and children with special needs: 41
Relationships: 42
Inner development. 43
Why tango? 44
Tango as a dance 44
The tango embrace 47
Tango as an exercise 48
The therapeutic force of dance 51
TANGO MUSIC 53
Tango music - meaning and analysis 55

A brief introduction to psychotherapeutically oriented music therapy 56
Analysis of music in tango therapy 56
Tango, milonga, waltz, they are not the same. 58

The importance in understanding the music in tango therapy 58
Integration of music and tango therapy 60
Choosing the right music 62
ARCHETYPES 65
Human movement 67
The importance of walk 67
Tango movement 68
An existential expression 68
Dance is the movement of life 69
Tango therapy and the elements of movement 70
Identity and tango therapy 73

Carl jung 73
Martin buber 74
The first years of life 74
Experience of being alive 75
Identity and dance 76
Repression 77
Male and female polarities in tangotherapy 79

The contact 82
The breathing 82
Identification 83
PSYCHO-TANGO 85
Biotango 87
What is biotango 87
How does it work 87
Communication through the tango 88
What are the benefits ? 89
What makes biotango interesting to you and me? 89
Some of the exercises that we do 90
What is the philosophy of biotango 91
Brings balance to inner and outer worlds 92
Why biotango can help you 93
H 200 h
Tango and depression 94
The programme: 95
The first analysis: 96
The second analysis: 96
Conclusion of the study: 96
The phenomenon of relationship in the argentine tango - Argentine tango as a form

of dance/movement therapy 98
Argentine tango therapy as a psycho-therapeutic tool for relationships 99
Summary of results: 101
Conclusion and implications for future research 106
TANGO & CHILDREN 107
On tango and children 109

Tango as a show 110
Tango: a passion 111
The tango song and the children 112
Chan chan 114
Tango for special children 116

Introduction: 116
Movement and dance: 116
Movement and dance for special children: 117
Children and music: 119
The ‘milonga of cuddles’ project: 119
Creativity: 120
The steps of the project: 120
The aim of the project: 122
TANGO AND PHYSICAL DISORDERS 123
Tango for balance ™ 125

Why tango? 125
Tango for memory 127
Tango and parkinsons disease, 128
A personal approach 128
Tangolates ™ 130
It’s origins 131
The science behind it 133
The benefits of tangolates 134
Close your eyes and… dance 136
METHODOLOGY 141
Sessions and workshops 143

Biotango or tango therapy for self-improvement, personal growth and well being :
“the changing point in your life” 143
Tango therapy for psychological disorders 144
Tango therapy for physical disorders 145
What we need to prepare in order to deliver a class 148
The milonga 150
H 201 h
The “tango lessons” 153
The tango technique in Biotango or Tango Therapy for self-improvement and
tango therapy for psychological disorders 154
Tango techniques for tango therapy for physical disorders. 161
Parkinson’s disease: 162
Alzheimer’s disease (dementia) 163
Heart disease 164
Tango and elderly people 165
Some gestures of dance and exercises for tango therapy (Helping to understand
tango music) 167
Rhythm exercises 167
(And dances in the tempo of the music): 167
How do we choose the music 169
Tango music and attitude exercises 170
“Compadrito” attitude: 171
Tango and other techniques 172
PROFESSIONAL FORMATION 175
Professional formation 177

To become a tango therapist: 177
Requirements to be tango therapist. 178
Argentina: 178
Italy: 180
United kingdom 181
International association of tango therapy - iatt 184
Tango therapy college 186
About the authors 188

Karen Woodley 188
Prof. Martin Sotelano 188
Contributors 190
Tamara Di Tella 190
Dr. Massimo Habib 190
Anthony Howell 191
Graciela Pesce 191
Adriana Pegorer 191
Marius Poliac, PH. D. 192
Greta Polo, MA, R-DMT 193
Hiroko Uenishi, MA in Music Therapy 193
Artists: 194
Raul Delavy 194
Liliana Esperanza 194
Raquel Sarangelo 194
Bibliography: 195
H 202 h

Untitled

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Untitled

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Untitled

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

An approach to

2nd Edition - Research and Practice

Karen Woodley - Martin Sotelano

Prologue by Dott. Massimo Habib

Contributors: Tamara Di Tella, Massimo Habib, Anthony Howell, Graciela

Tango Creations Publishers

© 2009 Karen Woodley & Martin Sotelano

Printed and bound by Lulu

This book is also available in PDF format at

First Electronic Edition published in the UK by Tango Creations Publishers ,

Rosa Pinniger, Nicolas Delavy, Liliana Esperanza,

This book is for therapists, future therapists,

You teach us everyday about life.

This book is wholly produced by Tango Therapy UK , which

The main purpose of this book is to provide information on tango

All the health information in this book has been written in

The information provided in this book should not be used as a

The authors and contributors.

Tango, as a therapy, is a child, and this one is growing up very quickly.

Tango Therapy is a therapeutic technique that uses the Argentinian tango

“An approach to Tango Therapy” is a concise and practical introduction in

Why Tango as a therapy ?

An approach to Tango Therapy will be welcomed by students and

Contributors: Tamara Di Tella, Massimo Habib, Anthony Howell, Graciela

Karen & Martin

Let’s try to answer this question.

Many “Tangueros” react to the idea of Tango Therapy in a skeptical way.

If you have a problem about relationships, we’ll concentrate in contact

If you have identity problems, the therapist will concentrate in your

Dot. Massimo Habib

TANGO, a little history

One of the members of that company, Santiago Ramos, composed the

Tango started from a combination of the different musics that the

At the beginning, the musical instruments in the tango orchestra was

In 1913 the tango triumphed in Paris and Rudolph Valentino danced it in

The common people understand Tango as only one rhythm/musical style,

The milonga has a notorious influence in the development of the tango, it

In 1907 Alfredo Gobbi and Enrique Saborido (Uruguayans dancers and

Just to mention some of the most recognized figures related to tango:

Enrique Saborido, Angel Villodo, Manuel Campoamor, Pascual

The Criollo Waltz:

As in other places, the waltz assumes some special characteristics relative

In 1980 a Tango Renaissance began in Buenos Aires. Some of the first

A desire to pass on to the younger generation the dance they loved.

The success was amazing, and from Europe to EEUU.

There exists different styles to dance the tango.

Plain (Liso) Tango:

Lounge / Saloon (Salon) Tango:

THE PIONEERS OF THERAPEUTIC DANCE

Therapeutic movement exists worldwide and from its history we can

Isadora Duncan (1877 - 1927)

Martha Graham (1894 - 1991)

Katherine Mary Dunham (1909 - 2006)

The Swiss psychiatrist who spoke of the “collective unconscious” and

Laban (1879 - 1958)

PHYSIOLOGY RELATED TO DANCE

When we dance into the rhythm, we are dancing in direct connection

Dance activates and directly influences the neurovegetative system,

When we dance with our whole physiology in action to euphorising music,

The neurovegetative system in babies is very strong. From birth to 3