‘THE TANGO TOUCH’

Poetic - Kinesthetic Workshop & Discussion

Public Pedagogies Conference

Victoria University, Melbourne

28 November 2016

Conducted by Raffaele Rufo and Valentina Vitolo

 

Photo by Heena Mulchandani (2016)

A short interactive performance, followed by a guided practice of some of the key kinaesthetic principles of tango dancing and by a discussion on their tacit pedagogical implications.

“This work with Tango would improve peoples’ kinesthetic intelligence, spatial relationship — and the mathematical, numerate implications of that: distance, symmetry, balance, perspective. It would improve social intelligence, empathy, and emotional intelligence. World peace!”
— a participant

Description:

Short interactive dance-theatre performance followed by guided group practice and discussion.

After the interactive performance participants will be guided into a practical exploration of some of the basic principles of Argentine tango dance with specific focus on listening, surrender and connection.

The last part of the workshop will involve a discussion on the pedagogical implications of what has been experienced by participants.

 

Stage One: THE STATION

  • Activate your senses and try to find your stillness;

  • Listen selectively to city sounds trying to identify their different sources and qualities;

  • Try to feel the different parts of your body in relation to space and people around you.

 

Stage Two: CROSSINGS

  • Walk following the direction of the lines on the floor;

  • Try to move in time with music;

  • Try to not overcrowd any particular area of the room.

 

Stage Three - TOUCH

  • Look at people around you and try to connect with one person in particular;

  • With the aim of moving with your new partner, choose whether to lead or follow: if you choose to follow, close your eyes; if you choose to lead, move behind your follower;

  • Followers will be offered a blindfold to cover their eyes; leaders are invited to put their hands on their partner's' shoulders, connect with her/his inner rhythm and guide her/him through a very slow walk following the trajectories of the lines on the floor.

Photo by Heena Mulchandani (2016)

Feedback from Participants

“This work with Tango would improve peoples’ kinesthetic intelligence, spatial relationship -- and the mathematical, numerate implications of that: distance, symmetry, balance, perspective. It would improve social intelligence, empathy, and emotional intelligence. World peace!”


“Connection: one learns, we all learn. We’re in this together. Serving you serves me.”


“Pedagogical implications: trust in self, embodied learning, knowing with the body - develops community.”


“The movement resulted/engaged the creation and re/creation of the space and of the bodies. The space also created and recreated the movement and the bodies.”

“The connection is engaged after we warm up. I think that it is what we look forward to in dance. We imagine connections as something more than they are physical. We imagine possibilities and futures.”


“Learning together in time and space. Building awareness and trust through dance, while at the same time developing other skills, knowledge, awareness.”


“The implications for me were the collective kinesthetic experience of people in space creating empathetic peripheral awareness.”

 

Artist Bio

Raffaele Rufo is a Melbourne-based Argentine tango dancer and theatre artist currently enrolled in a PhD at Deakin University. His research investigates how tango contributes to contemporary city life focusing on kinesthetic connections. His teaching and performance practice integrates interdisciplinary aspects of creation and direction. Rufo runs classes and workshops independently and for dance studios such as Arthur Murray and LocoMojo. He has choreographed several routines and produced several dance theatre shows - The Tango Touch was presented in August 2016 at Melbourne Fringe Festival and will participate to La Mama Explorations Series in November 2016. He was recently founder of the Melbourne Baldosa Tango Festival. Rufo has also worked with disadvantaged youth and cultural communities in Italy where he was awarded a national prize for social responsibility in 2014. The pedagogical implications of his artistic approach were presented at the 2015 Melbourne Public Pedagogy conference. In 2016 he co-led the launch of the Creativity and Communication Program for Melbourne University Master of Entrepreneurship. (www.raffaelerufo.com; www.facebook.com/tangotouchmelbourne)

 

For references and quotes from the text of this page, cite Raffaele Rufo, 2023, ‘The Tango Touch Workshop’, https://www.raffaelerufo.com/tango-contact/the-tango-touch-workshop.