Tango as a Metaphor for Life by Carone, Gabriela R.;

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This book is the first to explore Argentine tango as both a philosophical practice and a metaphor for human existence. Written by an Argentine professional dancer and academic philosopher, it bridges embodied experience and intellectual inquiry to propose a transformative “philo-tango” approach. Drawing on classical philosophy, existentialism, and contemporary therapeutic movements, the book argues that tango’s five loves—of music, self, partner, floor, and community—offer a kinesthetic path to virtue ethics and personal growth. Through lyrical analysis, case studies, and philosophical reflection, Carone shows how tango can heal, connect, and inspire, making it not just a dance but a way of life. This groundbreaking work will appeal to scholars in philosophy, dance studies, and ethics, as well as practitioners of tango and philosophical counseling.

When reading this book, there are moments I literally leap for joy. Tango as a Metaphor for Life will make an important contribution to the fields of dance studies and philosophy. It is original; it breaks new ground in both philosophy and dance studies; it is filled with illuminating anecdotes, observations, and analyses of both dances and texts; and it is grounded in the author’s extensive knowledge and personal expertise in both dance and philosophy. Carone’s overarching claim that the practice of Tango, when integrated with philosophical dialogue, functions not only to represent life but transform it, will resonate across disciplines. Her Philo-Tango approach has enormous, proven potential for breaking open conversation and catalyzing healing in a number of venues, from academic to therapeutic settings. The range and depth of the author’s scholarship are consistently impressive. Brava!

Kimerer L. LaMothe, Ph.D., Harvard University, USA

""Gabriela Carone brings together her expertise in academic philosophy and tango to reveal how tango dance and culture can give substance to the Socratic quest to live an examined life, and how, in turn, a philosophical life of self-reflection can bring tango to its most expressive and deeply meaningful manifestations. This outstanding book masterfully threads together the naturally congenial—yet often, for human beings, hard to harmonize—strands of the non-verbal, kinesthetic, and embodied nature of dance with the dialectical, conceptual, and reflective demands of philosophy. This work makes a much-needed contribution not only to the study and philosophy of dance, especially tango, but also to broader debates in practical philosophy, the philosophy of love, embodied approaches in the psychology and philosophy of cognition, Latin American philosophy, and, more generally, to investigations that situate themselves within the ancient tradition of philosophy as a way of life and a therapy for living.""

--Patricia Marechal, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Philosophy Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

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