Why do people enjoy conventional couple dances even when they eschew conventional gender roles in real life? Is there some broader virtue that is cultivated in this highly codified, chivalrous language? What’s satisfying about setting aside important aspects of identity for the duration of a dance, and instead, pracitcing a kind of whole-body-listening with a stranger?

Soroa Lear is a professional dancer, though she’ll hasten to say that Tango is not her area of expertise. I’ve spoken to her about free-form dancing more generally (episode #4). This conversation is a follow-on from that, in response to popular demand :)

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