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Basic Tango Elements for Tango Therapy

Article · February 2019

DOI: 10.22713/JT2019002

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Review Article Journal of Tango, Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar. 2019, pp.1~5 ISSN 2636-1663 01

Journal of Tango
Official Journal of Korea Tango Therapy Association (KTTA) 01
Basic Tango Elements for Tango Therapy

Youngsoon Koh1, Yoonchul Hur2*, Geunwoong Noh3**

1. Medical Tango, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province,
2. Tango School, Seoul,
3. Allergy and Clinical Immunology Center, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Korea
* Co-corresponding author: Yoonchul Hur, Tango School (Sinsa), Yonhap Bld B1, Jamwon-dong 13-10, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06524, Korea; E-mail:
neohan3@hanmail.net
** Corresponding author: Geunwoong Noh, Department of Allergy, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Center, Cheju Halla General Hospital, Doreongno
65, Jeju-si Jeju Special Self-Governing Province 63127, Korea, Tel: +82-64-740-5064; Fax: +82-64-743-3110; E-mail: admyth@naver.com

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Argentine tango (tango) is used clinically for therapeutic purposes. Effective tango therapy Tango, Tango Therapy,
analyses tango’s unique characteristics according to functional anatomical kinematics for standard Tango Element,
Basic Tango Element,
tango movements. Many kinds of movement exist in tango, from simple to complicated figures. This Dance Therapy
article systematically dissects and reviews tango elements that consist of complicated tango figures.
One can question the movements from the terms that are used to teach tango movements in the
ACCEPTANCE INFO
lesson. The article evaluates the therapeutic application of tango elements such as posture and
Received Feb 27, 2019
stance, tango gait as a linear movement, holding and tension, ocho, and dissociation as a round
Accepted Mar 15, 2019
movement. It concludes that tango therapy can be performed using tango according to functional
10.22713/JT2019002
anatomical descriptions.

1. Introduction inappropriate form of therapy. Moreover, tango therapy

is not standardised for therapeutic purposes. [4] So,
standardising tango movements is the first thing to do.
Argentine tango (tango) is used clinically for
Argentine tango has several representative movements
therapeutic purposes, but strictly as dance exercise. [1]
that should be utilised delicately for tango therapy,
Dance itself involves complex whole-body movements
depending on the disease’s characteristics and resulting
through space synchronised to music. [2] Tango
disability. [1]
movements seem to have many unique, complicated
To standardise tango, one must dissect its
figures. [3] For effective tango therapy, it is essential
movements and classify their elements. Many movements,
to understand the nature and essence of tan
from simple to complicated figures, exist in tango.
go and dissect its unique characteristics according
This article reviews and analyses tango elements that
to functional anatomical kinematics. [4]
consist of complex tango figures. It offers the first step
Tango movements, or adjusted tango movements,
towards an intermediate stage of medical description
have been applied in diseases like Parkinson’s disease
for therapeutic purposes.
using just movement as an extent of exercise therapy.
[1] However, the difference between tango therapy and
exercise therapy is that tango therapy employs tango
music.
If one considers only its artistic aspects, tango is an

1
 Basic Tango Elements for Tango Therapy
2. Definition of Terminology for the
Description of Tango Movements
Tango is a dance. One must define several terms to
describe tango movements systemically. ‘Body axis’ is
the line from the top of the head to the coccyx through
the spinal cord. ‘Weight axis’ is the imaginary
gravitational line that balances body weight. ‘Weight
limb (Wt Limb)’ is the lower limb supporting body
weight, and ‘free limb’ is the lower limb that is free
from supporting body weight.
3. Basic Elements of Tango Movements
One can analyse essential movements from the
terms used to teach tango movements in a lesson
(Table 1). [5]
Table 1. The major tango elements for therapeutic application.
Posture and stance are the first elements of tango.
In tango, one dances together with a partner. However,
before advancing to the point of dancing as a couple,
one must learn the many reasons why the correct
posture and stance in tango are vital elements of tango
movements.
Tango is frequently described as ‘the dance of
walking.’ [4] The subject in an initial tango lesson is
the walk, caminar in Spanish. The first element of
tango is the gait. Walking to tango music is the dance’s
primary element and forms its linear movement. Tango
artists emphasise the tango gait (caminar) as the most
crucial first step in tango. [5]
Tango is a walk to tango music. More specifically,
tango is a walk with a partner to tango music. So,
communication and the transference of precise signals
between couples are absolute prerequisites for the tango.
2 Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar. 2019
This signal communication is conducted through the
effective and correct abrazo, which means ‘hold
together (embrace)’. [5] Abrazo is also a fundamental
element of tango.
Holding one’s partner develops tension. [4] Tension
is the mediator of signalling movement between a
couple and a critical element of tango.
A unique tango movement is ocho. [4, 5] This is
a way to move the free lower limb across the weight
limb (the weight-supporting lower limb). In ocho, the
twisting of the body is absolute. The body makes a
round movement around the axis of its body weight.
‘Dissociation’ or ‘torsion’ is the term for the twisting
of the body in ocho and is a key tango movement.
Tango consists of some conceptual movements
such as cunita, which describes tango’s rhythmical
movement, and rebote, which is a rebound action. [5]
Another artistic and technical element of tango is
giro. Giro is a figure in which one turns around the
other dancer. It is also a complex of sequential
movements: Ocho adelante, the ‘side-to-side gait,’ and
ocho atras. These principal elements of level-one tango
movement are important to list, define, and describe
for tango therapy.
4. Posture and Stance
The dancer’s posture and stance in tango are
essential for the precise signalling and communication
between the couple. [5] They are not out of the ordinary
but are based on correct and healthy normal posture
and stance anatomically.
Normal upright posture relies on accurately
determining the orientation of the supporting surface
concerning gravity. [6-8] Phasic processes reliant on
short latency automatic and reflexive pathways are
central to posture and gait. Background tonic
neuromuscular activity also plays an important role in
postural control and locomotion. [9-12] Sustained
fatigue-resistant muscle activity (tonus; more specifically,
postural tone) counteracts gravity by keeping the
numerous body segments aligned to maintain an
upright, stable posture. [13] In healthy ageing, muscle
tone and the processes that control tonic level change,
which can increase the risk of falling. [14, 15]
Postural control is a sustained contraction produced
by a descending tonic drive from tonigenic sub-cortical
structures. [16] Numerous brainstem regions are thought to
 Youngsoon Koh⋅Yoonchul Hur⋅Geunwoong Noh

be involved in these tonic neuromuscular processes, In a couples-based dance like the tango, the
including mesopontine regions that have connectivity to physical and psychological aspects of walking and
the spinal cord, the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and cortical moving together especially resonates with the dancers.
sensorimotor areas such as the M1 and the supplementary In other words, communication between the couple is
motor area. [12, 17] Basal ganglia-brainstem-spinal absolute and comes from each dancer properly holding
pathways also help regulate postural tone and locomotion. the other. In the tango hold, tension mediates the
[11, 12, 18] Specifically, pathways from the substantia signal that is made and maintained in the process of
nigra pars reticulata to the pedunculopontine tegmental holding.
nucleus participate in regulating postural tone. [12]
A proper tango begins with correct carriage (the
bearing of the body). A tango movement cannot be
7. Ocho
artistic and healthy if performed with incorrect
postures and stances. Therefore, its emphasis on
Ocho is a diagonal movement of a free limb across
posture makes tango therapeutic for the correction of a
the weight limb. [4] This movement consists of
turtle neck or an incorrect posture and stance. Correct
twisting the body and a linear gait. Namely, ocho is a
posture and stances should be understood anatomically
rounded movement of the body and a linear gait. Ocho
and explained by kinematic descriptions. [4]
adelande is a forward round walk, and ocho atras is a
backward round movement. Consequently, subjects
move their free limb across the weight limb.
5. Gait
Gait is the critical aspect of therapy in medicine
8. Dissociation (Torsion)
because a soft and comfortable gait is the purpose of
rehabilitation for neurologic disorders. A tango gait is
Dissociation or torsion is the twisting of the body
fundamentally based on a normal gait [4]. So, gaitology
in the rounded movement around the weight limb in
is key for tango gaitology.
many tango figures, including ocho. [4] The base of
A human gait mainly goes forward, although
tango is standing on a single leg. The lower trunk
walking side-to-side or backward occurs, albeit
muscle activity-induced alignment of the centre of
infrequently. A tango gait consists of a forward gait,
pressure (COP) position should be analysed functional
side-to-side gait, and backward gait. Unlike a normal
anatomically [23]. In dissociation, abdominal bracing
gait, a side-to-side and backward gait frequently occur
forms the important medical point. [24] This dissociation
in tango and comprise the main components of a tango
or torsion in ocho is beneficial for rehabilitation in some
gait.
disease conditions, but therapists should be aware that
torsion may be harmful to some conditions of disability or
may aggravation the disease, or even develop the disease
6. Holding and Tension in some conditions. Therefore, a functional anatomical
understanding of dissociation must precede the effective
Dance-related reviews of the evidence have application and prevention of side effects of tango therapy.
examined the effectiveness of dance therapy on the
psychological and physical health and well-being
outcomes in patients with cancer, schizophrenia, and
9. Therapeutic Application of Basic
depression. [19-21] The Argentine tango has also
therapeutically treated depression in comparison to the Tango Elements Level 1
effects of mindfulness meditation and a wait-list control
group. [22] While depression levels significantly Posture and stance are important in physiotherapy
dropped in the tango and meditation groups compared for neurological diseases. Even the maintenance of
to the wait-list control group, only the tango group normal upright posture in which the combination of
demonstrated significantly reduced stress levels. phasic and tonic neuromuscular processes are involved

3
 Basic Tango Elements for Tango Therapy
is essential in Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is known
by one of its cardinal symptoms-tonic dysfunction.
[25] Tango postures and stances are critical for the
rehabilitation of neurological diseases.
Neurological conditions, including Huntington’s
disease and Parkinson’s disease, almost invariably
affect walking, balance, and mobility. [26, 27] Gait and
balance impairments have a profound impact on an
individual’s ability to perform daily activities, and
consequently, affect the quality of life. [28, 29] Tango
therapy has multiple benefits, including improvements
in balance, gait, and motor impairment in Parkinson’s
disease. [30] The tango gait is based on and
strengthens the normal gait. Moreover, tango therapy is
a walk to tango music. Tango may promote wellness
by strengthening the muscles. Dance conditions an
individual to moderate, eliminate, or avoid tension,
chronic fatigue, and other disabling conditions. These
conditions may decrease fatigue during physical
therapy with the effects of music therapy.
Ocho and dissociation are related to the mechanisms
of human adaptation to rotating environments. [31] The
postural centre of pressure (COP) and multi-segment
body kinematics are cores of the physical movements
of ocho and dissociation. Dissociation is the centrifugation
of the body. Abdominal activation strategies are studied
for lumbar stability. [32] Also, techniques for active
lumbar stabilisation are also investigated regarding
spinal protection. [33] Dissociation is also related to not
only the harmonious actions of multiple muscles but also
the possible strengthening of the lumbar area and other
muscles that one does not use in everyday living. Ocho
and dissociation possibly strengthen the abdominal
muscles, which play a crucial role in stabilising the
lumbar area.
10. Conclusion
Tango therapy may be more effective by applying
essential tango elements dissected according to the
movements’ unique characteristics. Tango has complicated
figures. However, for the therapeutic purposes of disabled
patients and the preventive purpose of health promotion,
the basic elements should be classified according to
the difficulty of their movements. The major tango
elements for therapeutic application are posture and
stance, tango gait as a linear movement, holding and
tension, ocho, and dissociation as a round movement.
4 Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar. 2019
After reviewing these elements, tango therapy can be
performed using the nature of tango itself according to
a functional anatomical description and kinesiologic
application.
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