Opposition. (pron: aw-poh-zishun) According to Webster’s Dictionary Opposition is a noun and was first used in the early 14th century and comes from the earlier latin word “oppositiō” which means “Opposite”. The word ‘Opposition’ means “the action of opposing, resisting, or combating, or antagonism or hostility or person or group of people opposing, criticizing, or protesting something, someone, or another group”.
Usage. In the case of Argentine Tango, the concept and activity of Opposition does not come anywhere close to it’s dictionary counterpart. And that’s because it’s derivative of the completed phrase, “Walking-In-Opposition”. Opposition, as a concept, does not get talked about a whole lot, and yet is the very bedrock of nearly everything that one does in Tango. Erroneously, we talk about ‘Contra Body’ motion as a descriptive in place of what Opposition really is all about. Opposition (for short) is what one does in one’s walk. It is a wholly natural action, and uncontrived. This is something that you do by default while walking that you don’t have to do a whole lot of thinking about. However, when it comes to Tango, we slow it down and exaggerate it slightly for effect, and still for balance and stability.
Clarity: To be fair ‘Opposition’ is a Tango Topics term. This is not something that you’ll find in any other teaching manual, or online text. So it may sound a little strange to you, as you’re hearing/reading this stuff for the first time. The term is representative of the descriptive of what happens in the dancer’s walk. Opposition as a whole, is always, always, always present regardless of embrace, or role. Opposition means that, for example, if you’re stepping forward with your right leg/foot, your left shoulder/arm will come forward to oppose this motion. The arm, not the shoulder, acts as counterbalance to your leg and upper body motion thereby creating ‘stability’.
Lead, Follow, or Both ? Both roles use this.
Technique Video: Yes, there’s video on this stuff, lots of it. Registered users can purchase the entire Foundation Series as a whole, or the separate videos (Lead/Follow). Also both the Lead Technique Video Bundle and the Follower Technique Video Bundle have extensive videos on this subject. Subscribers will find this described in detail in their video library in their Foundation videos on the Follower’s Back Step or the Lead’s Forward Step videos, as well as you’ll find new and complimentary videos in your Lead Technique page or your Follower Technique page.
The Tango Topics Opinion: Opposition, as a concept in Tango, is exceptionally important. Mastering it as a skill requires time and patience as it is present in nearly every single thing that we do. However, the language that is used to describe it is wholly in accurate and untrue. “Contra-Body”. Stop and think about this well worn phrase. “Contra” means against. So that means you want to go against your own body ? WTF is that about ? Walking-In-Opposition (WIO) is a bit more clear and descriptive as it is clear that you are walking, and you can walk without opposition (WWO)! It’s important to distinguish that there is another form of WWO that is frequently confused as being such and that’s ‘Homo-lateral’ movement. Meaning that you would walk forwards and move forwards with the same side. Example: Stepping forward with your right foot, means that your right shoulder comes forward as well.
It should be noted that while the video above shows an exaggerated form of Opposition, it does happen in a much smaller way when the couple walks, almost imperceptibly to the outside observer except in milonga and forward steps out of the Argentine Cross, or an Argentine Dip, but it is most certainly ‘felt’ within the construct of the embrace if it is led! It’s shown here in its fully drawn out usage, and that’s because Tango Topics uses the axiom “Over-shoot To Under-do”, which means that if you can do it in the extreme, then the minimal is a piece of cake!
Opposition is a wholly natural action. Homo-lateral and WWO is a contrivance. Usually Homo-lateral movement happens because someone is confused about Opposition. WWO is something that happens due to the dancer being told that they must remain stiff and that no upper body motion, and really rotation, happens. And yet, that upper body rotation is entirely required for stability and control of one’s walk.
Opposition is also a ‘kissin’ cousin to another skill that we need to develop in Tango: Disassociation. While Opposition is a natural action, Disassociation on the other hand is wholly contrived, and unnatural. And yet they look very similar to the untrained eye, until you realize that one is used in motion (WIO), and one is done from a near stationary position as setup for something else (Ochos for instance).
Why the need for another word that you need to learn and remember ? Clarity. “Contra-Body” doesn’t mean what you think it means! That’s why. WIO or Opposition (for short) is a far greater, and granular term that can be (and is) used to clarify bodily motion errors, create greater physiological control over what one is doing with one’s body and how. Only through that control and repeated feedback can awareness start to occur and thereby greater levels of granular physiological control that gives the dancer greater and greater range of skills.