uk Therapy

Tango Therapy - by Karen Woodley

Dances of passion, happiness and enchantment

With the rhythm of this sensual music you can improve your health.

Tango Therapy has been proven to improve aerobic capacity and coordination. It is a therapy very helpful in the treatment of some cardiac diseases, also Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons.

If you like to dance and you are a fan of the sensual tango you must know that to dance it has real, sound benefits for your health and that it is very good as a therapeutic application in some diseases.

The people who go often to the “Milongas” say that the rhythm of tango helps them improve some illnesses. For this reason some dance venues in Argentina are not only in leisure centres, they are also in places for professional treatment related to Parkinsons and Alzheimer’s.

According to studies made in Washington University (EUA), to dance the tango improves balance more than other exercises. This is because in order to make the marvellous steps a lot of balance and coordination is necessary. In this study the Parkinson’s patients were separated into two groups, one made some exercises with chairs and the other group danced the tango. Even if the exercises with the chairs were good, the group who danced tango improved their balance considerably more.

The Argentinian doctor Roberto Peidro, pioneer researcher of the therapeutic benefits and applications of tango put emphasis on the fact that the rhythms of Tango require a lot of coordination, it is precisely for this reason that enormous benefits are produced in patients with Parkinson’s disease

For people with Alzheimer’s disease Tango Therapy is very helpful as it requires coordination and memory to learn the steps

Also, the director of ”Centro de Vida” (Life centre) from the Favaloro Foundation made the first research about “Tango and health with sedentary people and those with cardiac diseases” The conclusion was that to dance tango for half an hour every day improves the aerobic capacity of the human being

As he said, this is a characteristic that you can find in other activities like walking, but the coordination that the tango needs to work increases the benefits in sedentary people.

Piedro emphasises that “ Tango is not better than other exercises, but it is more beneficial than other Traditional exercises and dances because they do not improve the coordination in the same way.

But, tango it is not only better for the body, it is also good for the mind and the spirit!

Federico Trossero, psychiatrist and MD author of the book “Tango Terapia” suggests and utilizes tango workshops as a treatment for depression, social phobias and also schizophrenia.He says:“Watching the way that the people dance, embrace the other and the attitude to their partners, the professionals can obtain information that helps them to understand better the patient’s psyche”

Dr Trossero started to investigate the clinical application of tango when he noticed that his friends, who danced, felt much better after the “Milongas” , where also their headaches disappeared. “Tango itself is a therapy”

The application of tango as a therapy was increased after the publication of the results from the Favaloro Foundation and now we are delighted to bring this here to the UK

It is much better to dance tango than to do a lot of other exercises, including walking. The music of Carlos Gardel’s tangos not only put happiness into your heart they also awaken your mind and your body.!!

Tango therapy uses the steps of the Tango, the power of the wonderful music of Carlos Gardel amongst other great musicians and the relationship with your partner where you are invited to discover and recover the real-you in the most simple, fun way. Dancing the tango in this therapy puts your body back in balance. For men the balance is with your powerful masculine energy, not being afraid of taking life in your hands, of being the leader. For women the balance is with your sweet, coquettish femininity, of being receptive as the follower.

How does it work ?

It works by dancing steps that help your balance, equilibrium, memory, posture; your movement from your own axis, levity, synchronisation, syntonisation , psycho tonic dialogue, feeling through your physicality.

In other words, the language of your body. In a civilisation of disease, war, suffering, of domestication of the original life impulses Tango puts sensuality and power in your life.

The man leads the woman (or whoever is the leader, men and women can dance together) The woman follows! We live in a culture where men are afraid to be men, afraid to show their sensitivity and where the women do everything for them.

Tango therapy will put life back into your body, your existence, help you to feel alive again! By dancing the steps we are putting our energy in motion, by dancing with our partner we are living, feeling, breathing in harmony with the universe.

Argentine Psychiatrist Dr Federico Trossero author of the book ’Tangoterapia’ uses the dance as part of a treatment programme for patients suffering from illnesses that range from depression to social phobias and even schizophrenia. He says that ‘By observing the way in which the patients dance with and hold the other person and also their attitude to their partner, one is able to better see the psyche of the person.’

Tango therapy works by your connection with life, with yourself, your partner and the whole community. Christine Denniston explains in her book ‘Tango - the meaning of the story of the Argentinean dance’ that “the meaning of Tango is the extraordinary story of a dance that captivated the world, a tale of politics, passion, immigration and romance.”

I feel to dance Tango is to dance your life, the politics of your heart, the passion of your body and soul, with your partner which is where you find yourself (Martin Buber) awakening the romance of living again!

Who can benefit from Tango therapy ?

All types of people can reap the benefits of this Argentinean dance. Those people who suffer with depression, fatigue, headaches and other psychosomatic diseases that stop us from really expressing ourselves. People with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s also with schizophrenia and mental health problems. People who live alone, married couples, business executives and people who want to simply live in resonance with what makes them feel good. People who have no coordination, because we work on this in each class facilitating a pathway of happiness. Those who love music and those who think they can't dance, because we will teach you!

Can every Tango class be a Tango - Therapy class?

No, and this is a very important point.

Because there are many ways to learn and teach tango it is important to understand that not all the classes will be applied in Tango Therapy.

Tango Therapy needs to be led by a Teacher / Therapist with experience in understanding the meaning of communications between the participants. Also not all Tango dances will be applied in Tango Therapy. We need to work, from the beginning with steps and structures, that are important for memory and postures. And then from here we continue with improvisations and the creativity of each person. Also, it is necessary to separate Tango, Milonga and Criollo waltz as different dances because each of them have different meanings and will be used in different interpretations / exercises in the classes.

Dances of passion, happiness and enchantment, dancing the Tango, Milonga and the Waltz that reawaken these forces of life that are living within your own body and help you to live your life more alive, vital, in a sensuous connection with the cosmos and directly from your heart.

Karen Woodley
Director of Tango Therapy UK
Dance your Feelings - Biodanza IBF School Cardiff

www.tangotherapy.co.uk

(c) 2008 Tango Creations