探戈中的性别角色

在探戈中，每个舞伴担任各自不同的，与其性别相应的角色。女舞伴拒绝委身，以不顺从来激恼男舞伴，让他感觉不舒服，或男舞伴不保护女舞伴，粗暴而不温柔，只顾显摆自己而让女舞伴黯然失色等，都是违反性别角色的例子。不幸的是，这样的事时常在我们的舞会中发生。

我们的探戈达不到水准的原因之一是我们不教性别角色。我们甚至不使用“男人”和“女人”这两个词。相反，我们使用中性条款“领舞者”和“跟舞者”，而且允许任何性别担当任何角色，完全不知道这个角色是什么，以及该如何承担该角色。以我们“政治上正确”的思维模式，每个人都是中性人。我们不训练学员做一个绅士或淑女，做一个有男子气概或女人味的人，做一个吸引异性的人。我们只教机械运动，没有角色区分，没有激情，没有感情的参与，没有阳刚与阴柔之美，没有诱惑，甚至没有身体接触。因此，我们的探戈缺乏探戈实际上所是的东西，而成为一种中性的舞蹈。

然而，在阿根廷，探戈正好是中性舞蹈的反面。阿根廷探戈是男子气概与女人味最热烈最充分的显示。它突出而不是隐藏两性的魅力和功能。它以拥抱和亲密的身体接触满足男女亲昵的需要。它是一个性感和诱人的舞蹈。

虽然更换性别角色在这个国家成了一种时尚，有一个事实是改变不了的：没有人能违背自然规律而仍然处于他/她的最佳状态。女人做领舞者是太女性化了。尽管在技术上她也许能带领别人，她却没有领舞者必须具有的阳刚，也不能发挥男人必须对女人发挥的作用和功能。同样，男人做跟舞者是太男性化了。他根本没有跟随者必须具有的阴柔，也不能发挥女人必须对男人发挥的作用和功能，尽管在技术上他也许能跟随。探戈不只是带领和跟随。它是阳刚之美和阴柔之美的显示，是一个性别对另一个性别发生作用。没有阳刚与阴柔，探戈便失去了它的光彩。

The Gender Roles in Tango

In tango, each partner plays a distinctive role in correspondence with his/her gender. Gender roles are violated, for example, when the woman refuses to surrender, when she irritates the man with her disobedience, when she neglects her duty to make him comfortable, when the man fails to protect the woman, when he shines himself instead of her, and when he is not gentle. Unfortunately, such happens all the time in our milongas.

One reason our tango doesn’t go very far is that we don’t teach gender roles. We don’t even use the words “man” and “woman”. Instead, we use the neutral terms “leader” and “follower”, and we allow either gender to play either role with absolutely no knowledge of what this role is about and how to play it. In our politically corrected mindset, everyone is a gender-neutral person. We do not train students to function as a man or woman, to be masculine or feminine, and to be seductive. We only teach mechanical movements. There is no role play, no passion, no emotional involvement, no masculinity and femininity, no seduction, and even no body contact. Consequently, our tango lacks what tango actually is. It becomes a gender-neutral dance.

In Argentina, however, tango is exactly the opposite of a gender-neutral dance. Argentine tango is a passionate and elaborate display of masculinity and femininity. It underscores rather than hides the attractions and functions of the opposite sexes. It fulfills the need for intimacy between men and women through embrace and intimate body contact. It is a sensual and seductive dance.

As fashionable as it is to switch roles in this country, one fact remains: nobody can be at his/her best against nature. A woman is too feminine to be a leader. She simply cannot be as masculine as the leader must be, and function as a man must function to a woman, regardless of how technically adequate she can lead. And a man is too masculine to be a follower. He simply cannot be as feminine as the follower must be, and function as a women must function to a man, regardless of how technically adequate he can follow. Tango is not just about lead and follow. It is a display of masculine and feminine beauty and a function of one gender to the other. Without masculinity and femininity, tango loses its splendor.