The average length of a hug between two people is 3 seconds. But the researchers have discovered something fantastic. When a hug lasts 20 seconds, there is a therapeutic effect on the body and mind. The reason is that a sincere embrace produces a hormone called "oxytocin", also known as the love hormone. This substance has many benefits in our physical and mental health, helps us, among other things, to relax, to feel safe and calm our fears and anxiety.

Ortiz-Marquez said the Argentine tango she dances is reminiscent of the origins of the style, before the upper classes of Buenos Aires began adapting it for themselves.

“Most people think that tango is what you see on ‘Dancing with the Stars,'” Ortiz-Marquez said. “People look at it as something super high-class or pretentious, but it came right out of the slums. … It’s a way of connecting with different human beings.”

I hear this statement all the time: “Leading is more difficult than following.” Sometimes apologetically, sometimes with the qualifier, “but just in the beginning and intermediate stages,” but always with the bottom line that leading intrinsically requires more skill, more thought, and more attention than following.

This might be okay if it were true, but it isn’t true, and this mistaken belief distorts the true nature of leading and following and leads to negative effects in our dance partnerships and in our communities.

What does make us tangueros is the sentiments that we dance and listen to, it’s not only the connection, but also the sentiments for the music, for the shared movement, for the enjoyment of a tanda, with whomever, without thinking of their LEVEL. Learning is a divine state, a beautiful process of exploring. Let’s do it for the tango as the tango has been doing a lot for us. Let’s study it, understand it, take care of it, instead of destroying it with our human banalities.

Hugging releases oxytocin and dopamine, meaning that hugs lower stress levels, blood pressure, and heart rate, and they make us happy. They also make us trust and care for each other more, strengthening our relationships and personal connections. In fact, scientists (who are apparently getting around waaaaay more than I thought) recommend hugging for at least twenty seconds, eight times a day.

If you’re interested in learning how to dance, Argentine Tango should be one of your top choices. Some call it the "dance version of yoga" or the “Tai Chi of dance” but Tango can really be just as athletic as you want it to be – your choice! All that is required to be a great tango dancer is your desire and ability to move as one with a partner, fully present and fully aware.

An important consequence of wearing high heels is a re-distribution of our body weight over the feet. On high heels, with the centre of gravity shifting forward, almost the entire body weight becomes concentrated on the inner side of the ball of the foot, instead of being spread evenly across the entire foot. As a result, the ball of the first and second toes experiences added pressure.

Looking to buy or sell anything Tango? Join Thrift Shop Tanguera on Facebook to sell and buy secondhand and new dance clothes and shoes: It's easy!