When you are in relation with a tango dancer..

[Paja]

I think that the special feeling of well-being we experience in tango is primarily due to a co-regulation of the central nervous system. This is a process in which two people, through social interaction, empathy, physical contact, movement, and music, help each other regulate their emotional and physiological states by synchronizing their nervous systems.

Lets change word Tango to Making love (practicing sexual intercourse) and whole sentence makes sense as well.

 

[itwillhappen]

I thought it was (non-exclusive) pair bonding mediated by oxytocin. That fits with my experiences anyway.

That's not a contradiction. The central nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, and the brainstem decide very quickly and unconsciously, based on a multitude of impressions, whether a situation is "safe" for co-regulation.

The control of bodily functions then also occurs via hormones, such as oxytocin. Tango is therefore neither breastfeeding nor sexual intercourse, but it uses similar mechanisms for preparation.

 

[Brummbaer]

Behaviour is working for hundred of thousend years.

But that, let's say 'uncontrolled', behaviour is now perceived by some as something which discourages participation. The 1960/70s are gone. As repeated many times, there are easier ways for that than learning to dance AT! Such behaviour is now seen as endangering AT

 

[Bailango]

Well, a theory which can find some support - along with those cited by @JournalInTime , and not forgetting appeasing, or entertaining, your god(s).

Any activity where genders get a chance to mix can serve purpose of routine or opportunity for mating or pre-mating. I don’t find dancing or partner dancing unique for that these days. Perhaps during Victorian era where such opportunities were few, dancing was like socially sanctioned mix of respectability and finding suitable mate. We are now veering into anthropology.

However, as a sexualised mating ritual, AT (and indeed BR), isn't working in that way now to attract new participants … Other, mainly latin style, dances have taken that role with their active social scene IRL,

Only because it attracts more younger crowd. If you talk to them you will find a divide. Some that dance for fun and that use dancing to find people to hook up with.

whereas elitist AT groupings have discouraged some participants as they have elevated códigos to discourage - except for certain groupings attracted by that.

Elitism doesn’t stop people getting interested in each other. I put it in non- factor bucket.

Nor do I find the 'wellness' (feeling good?) movement which latches onto AT and other dances motivating

Ime this is what keeps people coming back to dancing.

 

[Bailango]

It has to be noticed that Bonobos are critically endangered. If that behaviour is relevant, then it might be an evolutionary dead end.

in your previous posts you had outlined advantages of being couple in tango. That advantage also extends beyond tango. Two individuals instead of renting separate homes can each save money by living under one roof. Economically the family structure has proven to be more stable.

I agree that evolution has supported the way humans behave. It is also to be noted the human behavior of mating is almost universal. In pre-historic times when it was not easy to migrate, the human civilization and society sprouted in multiple regions around the world. And mostly reflected similar behavior. It can be said among all the species, home sapiens have been one of most successful in prospering and ensuring success. Especially among the complex mammals.

 

[Bailango]

I think that the special feeling of well-being we experience in tango is primarily due to a co-regulation of the central nervous system. This is a process in which two people, through social interaction, empathy, physical contact, movement, and music, help each other regulate their emotional and physiological states

I am with you till here. Not sure about central nervous system part.

Like @Rabbit says, hormones can direct how you feel.

 

[Brummbaer]

Only because it attracts more younger crowd. If you talk to them you will find a divide. Some that dance for fun and that use dancing to find people to hook up with.

Yes, that's the primary demographic, but there are similar groupings attracting an older demographic. AT is seen as too hard, or attracting those with a STEM background who can afford it. Maybe a few progress on to AT as they find other options less satisfying.

Elitism doesn’t stop people getting interested in each other.

No, but it can be 'cringe', or just make it uninviting, even unpleasant. But there are cliques everywhere.

Ime this is what keeps people coming back to dancing

Well, it does seem to attract a certain grouping. If that's your scene, fine. 'Wellness', zen, yoga, etc, etc - yeah, put up with them, but not for me. But avoid when they hook that into AT.

I just take it that social AT should be a fun, enjoyable, safe, and sociable pastime. We can get into how the body responds, but so what? Should I avoid that? Or find some better stimuli?

 

[itwillhappen]

I am with you till here. Not sure about central nervous system part.

Like @Rabbit says, hormones can direct how you feel.

I should have more precisely said autonomic nervous system. It controls emergency end emotional escalation and de-escalation, much faster than hormones or the often distracted cerebrum.
I got recommended: The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation [Deb Dana, 2018]

 

[JournalInTime]

Like @Rabbit says, hormones can direct how you feel.

For sure. My mother volunteered in dance therapy for a long time, and follows my tango journey with great interest. Owing to her involvement in dance therapy, she is constantly reading about the benefits of dance, and sends me endless articles and papers on the subject. The most pronounced effects are due to elevated dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, and a reduction in cortisol, with a more limited elevation in oxytocin and epinephrine/norepinephrine.

The exact mix varies from person to person and time to time. For most people, the dominant effects are from dopamine (which is explicitly music- and movement-activated, and accounts for "tango addiction") and the combined effect of dopamine, endorphins, norepinephrine, and serotonin (which account for "flow states"), while the long-term health benefits are principally due to cortisol reduction. I would characterize myself that way.

There is evidence for oxytocin effects in partner dance, but it doesn't appear to be dominant for the most part. There are always exceptions.

I have yet to see a paper tying specific neurochemical profiles to particular dancer archetypes. That would be very, very cool research . . . and probably also very, very difficult research.

 

[Bailango]

Well, it does seem to attract a certain grouping. If that's your scene, fine. 'Wellness', zen, yoga, etc, etc - yeah, put up with them, but not for me. But avoid when they hook that into AT.

There seems to have been some malfunction in the OP. It was posted hours after I wrote and got duplicated. I was not referring to above as what keeps people coming back to AT.

Above is truly a cringe. I seen cringe used in this thread for ‘something not preferred’ or a ‘dislike’. To me cringe is a much stronger reaction or feeling - something closer to aversion or something that repels.

Thankfully, our scene except for occasional odd person, doesn’t have those wanting to fuse wellness, zen, yoga, etc into Tango.

I just take it that social AT should be a fun, enjoyable, safe, and sociable pastime.

Indeed. That’s what it is for most participants.

 

[Miradamiranda]

The most pronounced effects are due to elevated dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, and a reduction in cortisol, with a more limited elevation in oxytocin and epinephrine/norepinephrine.

For quite some years, I have been calling that feeling of a high the day after a particularly good tango event, my ODES to joy. Oxytocin Dopamine Endorphins Seratonin.

 

[itwillhappen]

I just take it that social AT should be a fun, enjoyable, safe, and sociable pastime. We can get into how the body responds, but so what? Should I avoid that? Or find some better stimuli?

I think tango contact, movement, and music are quite effective; stronger stimuli might require drugs.

And no, there's no reason to avoid it. Nevertheless, one can always look for explanations. It might also be worth clarifying within the couple whether it's something on top and nice to have, or whether it's replacing something that actually belongs in the partnership.

My girlfriend, for example, reports quite reliable meditative dancing with a partner who isn't otherwise her preferred type - more of a father figure, as far as I can tell. So he seems "safe" for her subconscious and doesn't dance in a "strenuous" way.

 

[itwillhappen]

matriarchy organized

Well, to a limited extent, as far as I know, about 60% of conflicts are resolved in favor of the female bonobos because they coordinate and band together better as a group, while the physically superior males tend to act alone.

This is also the case in Northern Europe in tango ... in bodywork and so dance in general, and comprehensive in solo (line) dance. I notice this even in our private workshop group. If there are ever "problems" with a male, for example, because he doesn't like a workshop topic, the women sort it out behind the scenes.

The difference between a jungle community and a tango community is that the latter is a voluntary leisure activity. If the concept isn't attractive to men, they can simply stay away.

 

[opendoor]

..Going to dance classes and milongas and practicas is just something I do the same way she goes on long walks or..

You're absolutely right about that, brujo; sometimes it's easier if your partner doesn't have a background in dance at all. It becomes awkward when both partners in a relationship dance, but one of them can no longer keep up, for example, due to health reasons. In my circle of acquaintances, there are three dancers who dance less or not at all to avoid hurting the other's feelings. My best friend, for instance, dances secretly or on business trips because his wife can't stand the fact that he's a popular dancer while she herself often is ill. My ex-wife's new partner also tried to forbid her from dancing (BR, in that case) when he was diagnosed with an incurable disease that made dancing impossible for him. It takes a lot of symmetry or independent resources of recognition to grant freedom to a dancing life partner.