Tango and Yoga in Boulder (Ep. 1)
After finishing my first week of tango classes in Boulder I felt inclined to write some articles about my experience. I am publishing this post in the Yoga in Boulder website because there is much yoga in tango. The depth of this realization almost moved me to tears.
Of course, yoga can be applied to anything, from dance to fighting, from business to spirituality.
Tango and Yoga in Boulder
I am not exactly sure of how I came to take these tango classes in Boulder. I was born and raised in Argentina and never had I ever taken any tango classes in my life. I always saw tango as a pillar of my native culture, but I never felt any connection with the dance. Maybe this is so because I moved to the United States when I was 14 years old. Now that I think about it, I never felt much connection to other aspects of the Argentinean culture, such as the extreme passion for soccer.
Somehow this return to Boulder inspired me to give tango a real shot and I am super grateful that I did. I always found the dance beautiful, but the more I understand it, the more I fall in love with it.
What almost moved me to tears today was the realization of how much connection (in other words, how much yoga) is needed for every movement to be effective. The moment that the connection is broken between the dancers, everything turns to chaos. Simply said, yoga is a requirement for tango.
Of course I am not talking about yoga poses, breathing or meditation, although those practice would surely help any tango dancer. What I am talking about it the connection between the leader and the follower.
Needless to say, this connection is required for most forms of dancing, but it is particularly essential when it comes to tango. The dance simply does not work without yoga. This is why I consider tango to be a sub-practice of yoga in Boulder.
Tango Teachers in Boulder
If I am unable to communicate this idea clearly, it is because I am new to tango dancing and not even close to knowing as much as Gustavo and Giselle. These tango teachers have been dancing for decades and are able to explain the details of the tango system with outstanding clarity and humor.
I must say I am very much pleased and surprised by Gustavo and Giselle’s ability to teach this class. They make an excellent couple and do a great job teaching tango together and individually. I am very grateful to have them as leading figures in this new journey.
My Experience Learning Tango in Boulder
So far my experience has been excellent. At first I had some doubts “is this really worth it?, “will there be anyone tall enough to dance with me?”… all these concerns where dispersed within the first 10 minutes of class. Maybe it is too early to tell, but I think I am hooked.
During the two classes that I took this week I got to dance with at least 10 different people, all of them were women of different ages, somewhere between 30 and 70. Everyone has been lovely and very supportive, it is a really nice group of people and I feel glad to share these classes with them.
I am surprised of how much I have learned so far. The classes are only one hour long and even though we don’t cover a ton of material it still feels like plenty. Surprisingly, after just two hours of class, I already feel confident dancing and would feel comfortable dancing outside of the classroom, even if my knowledge is still very basic.
I am already thinking about taking the next level class which is coming up in October but I don’t need to get ahead of myself, I still have three more weeks to finish the level I am currently in.
Yoga in Boulder
It is very exciting to publish this post about tango and yoga in Boulder. This is the first blog I publish since I left Boulder to travel to Hawaii and Ecuador. This is also the first yoga in Boulder article that does not focus on traditional or classical yoga, but in a completely different approach to yoga that, again, has the potential to be recognized in almost any activity.
I look forward to writing more articles about yoga in Boulder that focus on these “sub-sets” of yoga. Dancing and yoga will surely be a topic that will be covered on this site. I also plan on including articles about yoga in sports, yoga in community gatherings, yoga in events and all things related to yoga in Boulder. This is just the beginning. =D
