How Biodanza takes my tango to new levels
At first glance, the two dances couldn’t be more different. Biodanza “Dance of Life” is often danced in bare feet with free movement, varies from group, solo, to partner, engages the widest range of music that covers all continents, and quite often looks like hippy dancing. Argentinian Tango is danced with a partner, in shoes/heels, appears structured, serious, and upright. The music is often sung in Spanish, French, or Lunfardo (old Buenos Aires slang), and sounds serious, heart wrenching, or playful! with a lot of unspoken codes.
But my! Dive a little deeper, and the two are so exquisitely linked.
How it began
Tango and Biodanza came into my life 10 years ago. I started tango to improve my zouk lambada, and Biodanza - well, I thought it was another latin dance. Tango quickly magnetised me, taking me to Buenos Aires for 3 months, and Biodanza was a nice slow burner. Biodanza allowed me to connect with parts of me that were waiting to be healed, and tango was very technical, yet deeply emotional (though I hated the music!).
I grew a deep fondness for both over time, they resonated with me in different ways. I found it easy to pick up tango, and for the first time in my life, I felt a knack for something, though not without frustrations as my body didn’t move the way the professionals did. However I found this strange phenomena in Biodanza where those who have been dancing a while looked so immersed in their experiences, and while my ego judged it,
My heart and body knew I needed more.
Fast forward to now, several overseas dance trips and a 4 year Biodanza Facilitator training/thesis later, I can’t imagine not dancing either until I grow old. Biodanza brings a whole new uplevelling in my body, mental health, growth, connection, community, and thirst for life, and tango brings me deep connections with another, playfulness, expression, community, perfectionism, and my love for exquisiteness.
I’d love to share what I have found so powerful in my tango that I’ve embodied through Biodanza:
Creativity & Expression
We play games in Biodanza, which inspires playfulness, creativity, and expression. I find myself lost in the delicious moments of simple games, where my internal child (who was conditioned to be proper, even how to move my feet to music) is now given permission to express, be silly, move on the floor, and have fun!!
Creativity comes in the moment of the music, with another, and this has supported me to own all parts of my very creative being. I bring this to tango - a little inspiration that my body feels called to experiment, or allowing myself to feel joy, sadness, anger, cheekiness, shyness, or vulnerability. I find the delight in every moment of my dance.
Connection/Feedback
Walking backwards in heels with my eyes closed in tango means I have 2 key senses available - touch and hearing. My body is constantly communicating with my partner - through touch, energy exchange, and intuition. In Biodanza, a key area that we cultivate is feedback, in other words, tuning into our bodies’ messages - to rest, engage a part of our body, or to bring more energy as a few examples. Feedback with our environment - for example, responding to another participant’s energy levels, their feelings, their comfort with proximity to another, or respecting their wish to be alone. This amazing feedback system is sensed through our vagus nerve - which runs along the front sides of our bodies and regulates our hearts, lungs, and digestion.
The vagus nerve is in constant feedback with our environment - from whether we feel safe to how we feel in the presence of another. Biodanza helps us to sharpen our senses through a range of dances, invitations, and the regulation of our nervous system.
Bringing this to tango, I’ve noticed how much more attuned I am to my partner and my environment is (I instinctually open my eyes just moments before a potential collision in my partner’s blind spot, and signalling non-verbally in the moment). I respond to my partner - I consciously embody a more loving and calming presence if I feel they are feeling frustrated/scared, or softness if I sense their sadness/hurt, or playfulness if cheekiness is present. Likewise, they respond to me - I have had some delicious moments of feeling melancholy and my partners instinctually step up to hold, protect and allow my tears to flow while minimising my exposure to others, or when I’m feeling vulnerable, they slow down and keep steps simple while holding a strong container for my feelings to flow.
Musicality
I (now) find so many delights in tango music that it feels like a shame to not feel the music through me. Music in Biodanza goes through a selection process where it is tested across countries for about a year before it makes it into the official catalogues (right down to particular versions). The reason is the music (and dances) invite us to experience a particular ‘line(s) of human potential’ - Vitality, Sexuality, Creativity, Affectivity, Transcendence. In Biodanza, musicality is a direct experience through our body, which over time, cultivates a sense of musical embodiment. Bringing this to my tango, I feel my confidence to respond to the music, and my fear of making mistakes is far reduced.
Fluidity / Body Movement
As I mentioned in jest (kind of), Tango is more upright, and Biodanza is more free form. When I first started tango, I was told I had too much salsa-hips, and I learnt to hide and lock it away. Biodanza invites fluidity into our bodies - to enable us to flow through life’s challenges and obstacles, and allow more integration between different areas of our body, and life - eg allowing fluidity in our necks, hearts, hips, and limbs for life to flow through. The more I deepened into both dances, the more I gave myself permission to bring this fluidity back into my tango - I am still upright, but I feel a sense of fluidity and stretch that feels incredibly gooooood - my inner cat or serpent awakens.
Oh how I love these moments!
Receptivity
My body is opening more and more through Biodanza, being more attuned to my environment’s energies, signs, and messages. Biodanza brings particular invitations for openness and receptivity in our bodies, hearts, and souls, enabling us to be more receptive to life. An experienced tango dancer recently commented “you feel much softer now” (compared to a few years ago). I responded “yes, I’ve been practicing being open and receptive” - this has helped me to better attune to my partner’s movements, intentions, and movement.
Much like tuning into each other’s radio station!
Where I once thought I couldn’t understand this particular dancer’s musicality and gentle leadership, I now feel so delightfully awake when I dance with him, and being curious about his musicality and cheekiness!
I hope this gives you a sense of some positive side-effects of Biodanza. To bring 2 apparently-different dances together and some of the ways in which Biodanza can support your Tango.
If you are in Melbourne, join me for Biodanza on Thursdays in Brunswick East. Free taster on Thursday 18 January, 2024
