贴身探戈与开式探戈（一）

我喜欢阿根廷探戈的许多方面：它的音乐，激情和美丽，它的艺术，体育，社交和娱乐功能，它的文化（舞会规则，老舞棍传奇，点头邀请，甚至男子气概）等等。然而，探戈如果不是男人和女人之间的舞蹈，所有这些都不会有太多意义。苏珊娜·米勒说，“如果你喜欢探戈，那么你喜欢女人。”我们面对现实吧，说到底，女人是探戈之所以吸引男人的原因。反之亦然。虽然在一定程度上其他双人舞也是如此，探戈却与众不同。它是一种有更多身体接触，更亲密，更感性的双人舞。

某英国广播公司（BBC）的评论员说，“探戈隐藏着男人和女人之间互相向往的秘密。”此乃一语中的。但是，男女之间的向往并非全是性的向往。我相信探戈满足异性之间亲密接触的需要，是非性欲的。在我们的社会中，这种男女之间的纯洁接触被视为禁区，任何异性之间的接触都被视为性接触而不被允许。男人和女人除非想发生性行为，就不能有任何亲密接触。换言之，我们的文化不接受两性之间纯洁的亲密关系。

但阿根廷探戈代表着一种不同的观念，或一种认同异性之间纯洁而亲密接触的文化。探戈是那一文化的产物。从这个角度说，探戈不只是一个舞蹈。它是满足人类需要的一种程式化的优雅方式。探戈设有一套规则来维护参与者的行为得体与个人尊严。这也是为什么舞会规则是探戈的重要组成部分。我相信，探戈在文化上对世界的影响远​​远超出其在艺术上的影响。探戈现在成为一个世界性的现象是有原因的。它满足人类异性之间纯洁向往的需要。

但是探戈的这一层面对美国人来说还是个全新的概念。这可以从我们拥抱探戈的方式得到证明。我们把探戈当作一种交谊舞，我们在跳舞时避免亲密的身体接触。许多人羞于贴身拥抱而采用开式拥抱。虽然开式拥抱在布宜诺斯艾利斯很少见，在美国却占主导地位。点头邀请和舞会规则在美国舞厅中也没有实施。我们探戈群体的文化氛围更是个人主义的，竞争性的，甚至对立的，而不是亲密，友好，合作的。去过布宜诺斯艾利斯的人都知道我是在与什么做比较。

CloseEmbrace and Open Embrace (I)

I like everything about Argentine tango: its music, passion, beauty, its artistic, sportive, social and recreational functions, and its culture (milonguero legends, milonga code, cabeceo, and even machismo, etc.). All of these, however, would not mean so much if tango were not danced between a man and a woman. As Susana Miller said, “If you like tango, then you like women.” Let’s face it, at bottom it is women that attract men to tango, and vice versa. Although to some degree that is true with all partner dances, tango is different. It is much more intimate, physical, and sensual.

One BBC commentator remarked, “Tango contains a secret about the yearning between men and women.” That is right on. The yearning, however, is not necessarily a sexual one. I believe tango fulfills a human need for intimacy between opposite sexes in a nonsexual way. Our society is so sex oriented that this innocent yearning between men and women has been deprived. Any intimacy between opposite sexes is deemed sexual and, therefore, is repressed either voluntarily or involuntarily. Men and women cannot be intimate unless they want to have sex. In other words, our culture does not approve innocent intimacy between the two sexes.

But Argentine tango represents a different view, or a culture, that recognizes and sanctions nonsexual intimacy. Tango is a product of that culture. In this context tango is not just a dance. It is a way by which that innocent human desire can be met with stylized sophistication and elegance under a set of rules designed to maintain the dignity and decency of the participants. (That is why milonga code is such an important part of tango.) The influence of tango to the world, I believe, is by far more cultural than artistic. Tango is now becoming a worldwide phenomenon for a reason. It meets a fundamental human need—fulfilling that secret yearning between men and women.

But that aspect of tango is still new to Americans, as evidenced by the way we embrace tango. We dance tango as but another ballroom dance. We are not intimately engaged to each other in the dance. Many of us still shy away from close embrace and prefer to use open embrace instead, which, although rarely seen in Buenos Aires, is the dominant style in American tango scene. Cabeceo and milonga codes are not taught and practiced at most milongas in the U.S. The general culture and atmosphere in our tango community is still more individualistic, competitive and even hostile than intimate, cooperative and friendly. Those who have been in Buenos Aires know what I compare with.