3 QUESTIONS, 3 ANSWERS
QUESTION: How did Tango Pilates begin?
ANSWER: It all started in a hospital, with patients with motor dysfunctions. These patients lose their rhythm, their “tempo”. They move too fast or too slow, or they get “glued” or stuck to the floor. So I reworked Pilates machine exercises to develop a work-out for two, so that the instructor who worked with the patient could help him move. That was the beginning of “partner exercises”. Then, I read about the benefits of rhythm. I chose Tango because of its strong and square beat that helps them get “unstuck”. When I saw the patients working with a partner and to the tune of Tango I said: “¡This is Tango Pilates!”. And that’s how it started. Then, of course, it evolved to become what is today: A Method in its own right and for everybody, not only for patients…
QUESTION: What are the benefits?
ANSWER: My Method (Tango Pilates) tones and strengthens. Its cardio makes it good for the heart and makes you burn calories. It also improves posture and makes you stand long and elegant. It shapes you and makes you thin. It is for people of all ages and capacities. From the international star Sting who has a most trained body, to an overweight beginner, anybody can do it! Just make sure to look for authorized places. It has to have the Tamara Di Tella Logo to be the original.
QUESTION: Can we say it’s a simple fusion of the two forms?
ANSWER: Not at all!!! It may have started as a fusion, but I re-worked the storied Tango and Pilates moves to develop a new method in its own right, one that is different in essence, in style and even in its objectives. In the first place, it has a completely different apparatus. Second, the routines are entirely different. Third, the music makes a big difference as well. But perhaps the most important difference is it’s cardiovascular or aerobic characteristic. It burns a lot of calories! You can say that Tango Pilates is a unique and completely different workout from either Pilates or Tango. Not at all a combination of the two any more!
