TangoFascia (Doctorat)

TANGO FASCIA: Longevity and NeuroTraining for WELLNESS and DANCE using the Argentine Tango Wisdom

Doctoral Thesis: Lucian Stan

Ph.D. Director: Dr. Facundo Arteaga (UNA, Bs As, Argentina)

Thesis Supervisor: Mario Morales (Argentine Tango, Bs As)

Universidad Nacional de las Artes Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bucharest-Buenos Aires | Starting date: July 2024

TANGO FASCIA THESIS PROPOSAL

Quick links:

Vision | Personal Why |

Academic Objectives

Hypotheses & Framework

Thesis Chapters

TANGO FASCIA Beneficiaries

Bibliography

TANGO FASCIA DICTIONARY

TANGO FASCIA RESOURCES

In the last 20 years, due to the latest research and newest technologies, there has been a great evolution in all sciences and arts. The wisdom body – mind – consciousness now means interconnection and transdisciplinary research. The human being is seen today as an energetic, holistic and harmonious system, but with many external stimuli that affect our well-being and longevity.

A fundamental key to such well-being is the fascia (connective tissue), seen as an integral matrix that unifies everything and facilitates communication between all systems (muscles, organs, bones, ligaments, nerves, lymph).

In order to fully express their inter- and intra-personal potential, the dancer and the dance educator both need to know how this web-emergent fascial network affects their movement and how they can neuro-train their fascial system for wellbeing and higher performance.

When Fascia (1) and its amazing properties (remodeling, sensitivity, proprioception) meets the Dance (2) and its core fundamentals (creativity, improvisation, expression, pedagogy, education, training), uses the latest Technology (3) (software and hardware to monitor in depth the body, movement, performance and neural activity) and mixes the 'new' research of Neuroscience (4) (circuits for attention, memory, learning, decision making, emotion regulation, interoception and visceroception) with the 'old' secrets of Argentine Tango (5) (couple embrace and harmony, connection, improvisation, musical cymatics), then we are presented a very original and complex (yet difficult) five-point investigation: TangoFascia.

the WHAT?
Vision TANGO FASCIA

The wisdom body – mind – consciousness now means interconnection and transdisciplinary search. Scientific research is now seen more as an open network of possibilities and interdisciplinary groups. The entire social network, research groups and interdisciplinarity of art can be seen as an expanded organic fractal of the fascial matrix.

In the last 20 years, due to the latest research and newest technologies, there has been a great evolution in medicine, neurobiology, mental sciences, medicine, chemistry, biology, sports, psychology, therapies, fitness, somatic disciplines, health and anti-aging. In the attempt to find some missing links in biology and medicine, great attention was paid to connective tissue studies and research. Since 2007, a systemic fascial approach has been carried out through the International Fascia Research Congresses and the Fascia Research Society. According to experts, the path to fascial consensus was difficult, but with enormous benefits.

In particular, the discipline of dance now has the perfect time to benefit from this mature research. Each dance discipline has its own isolated vision, specific technique, body conditioning, aesthetic approach, training routines, performance objectives. But every dance pedagogy can complement its deep knowledge with effective fascial neuroeducation.

Furthermore, this fascial systemic perspective of dance can be supported by 140 years of Argentine Tango dancing and its phenomenology maturity: a solid social, artistic and somatic experience, individually and in couple. Hence the relevance of the thesis: bringing together in a synthesis the most recent scientific research on fascia and body, the solid principles of the art of dance and the old secrets of Argentine tango, with a final objective: an original perspective on longevity and neuro training for well-being and dance.

Current state of knowledge on the subject

More and more movement disciplines and performance educators, sports and therapy experts connect their field of expertise with connective tissue. Likewise, the scientific literature on fascia in dance is relatively scarce in articles and studies. Some pioneers (such as Eric Franklin) attempted to fill some of these gaps with their books, programs, and research. Or the experts at Fascia Training Academy with their program (10 weeks) Fascial Fitness for everyone have also made their contributions.

Taking many ideas from these programs (Eric Franklin, Robert Schleip), and more than 20 years of professional dance and teaching, the thesis will continue in this direction, that is, complementing the training of the holistic dancer with the most fascial information and scientific research. recent. Therefore, the status quo of the art of dance can be changed with finesse and professionalism.

1.visiontangofascia

2.personalwhytangofascia

my main WHY?
Lucian Stan & TANGO FASCIA

I was always amazed how dancing appears individually and in the dance couple. How dance flow and couple harmony can be reached? FASCIA helped me answer these questions and more...

How does my body work?

In order to get a fluid, organic, and expressive movement, I had to study how my body works effectively (fulfill objectives) and efficiently (least effort and resources).

How does my dance body works (solo and duo/in the dance couple)?

There are movement and performance embodied secrets, like how fascia works. To get harmony, connection, improvisation, and flow in the dance couple, I had to awaken all 8 senses through Fascia Training and using AFI tool: Awareness, Focus, and Intention.

Can I improve my dance performance?

I can better adapt to my dance partner, music, uncertainty, and challenges from outside world, due to a more aware and higher frequency inner world: fascia matrix and interoception (here included visceroception - the intuitive feeling and states from the internal organs).

How can I be a better educator? How can my dance students learn to dance faster, deeper, safer?

Dance educators know the importance of flow, presence, resonance/ attunement, aesthetics, connection, trust, in the couple, and the dangers of performance (body injury and performance errors). Tango Fascia can prevent injury, regulate movement, improve performance, build empathy and couple harmony,

3.objectives

the WHY?
TANGO FASCIA: Academic Objectives

General TangoFascia objectives:

investigate how Tango Fascia influences well-being, longevity and performance (through individual fascia and TangoFED - Dual Emergent Fascia - within the dance couple)
propose a pragmatic method of fascial neurotraining for dancers and dance educators (TangoRESL - Rebound Elongation Sensitization Release)

TangoFascia Specific Objectives:

present the best known methods to train fascia for daily health and longevity (Fascial Fitness, Fascial Slings, Fascial Release etc.)
present the principles of fascial training and visually show how it is used in the myofascial chains in dance and Argentine Tango
describe the contributions of the fascia and neuroscience scientific community
inquire with dance experts and tango teachers about the fascia
disseminate to the public (amateurs, educators, dancers, somatic therapists) the benefits of tango fascia for well-being, longevity and dance performance (paper, exercises, images, diagrams, videos, website pages)
describe the common concepts between somatic disciplines (Feldenkrais, Bartenieff, Laban etc.), Yoga, Pilates, martial arts (Qi Gong, Tae Kwon Do), therapies (psychotherapies, alternative therapies, dance therapy, tango therapy), dance and tangofascia
analyze:

1) emerging fascial biotensegrity in tango improvisation,

2) functional and dysfunctional fascia in dance couples (professionals and amateurs, tango and sports dance),

3) continuous and contiguous fascia in dance couples (the role of intention in communication and biomechanical transduction – load transfer, biotensegrity)

the HOW?
TANGO FASCIA research framework

Hypothesis

TangoFascia influences well-being and longevity, through the individual fascia and the dance couple fascia (Fascia Emergent & Dual/ FED), within and between both dance partners. Additionally, one can improve the performance of dancers (amateur or professional) and the performance of dance partners using tools such as TangoFED (Fascia: Emergent & Dual) or TangoRESL (Rebound Elongation Sensitization Release).

Both TangoFascia tools are based on intention, proprioception, interoception (based on neuroscience and consciousness). Dual Emergent Fascintegrity proposes the idea that every time two dancers (with different bodies and techniques) mix, their fascias create a synergistic (more powerful), ergonomic and emergent architecture (new properties). This new Fascial Integrity (Fascintegrity) has surprising properties (it automatically adapts to improvisation and the unknown, changes the field of energy and emotions, vibrates to subtle intention and music, modifies the chemical structure of the tissue over time, etc. .).

New scientific research (Schleip and others) shows that people with a bad mood and depression have more inflammation in their connective tissue. Everything inside the fascia (the largest sensory organ in our body, according to some scientists) such as fibroblasts, the extracellular matrix, protein complex structures, collagen and elastin fibers are very receptive to external and internal stimuli.

The TangoFascia thesis wants to take this latest fascial science for wellness research and explore it deeper.

TangoFascia: theoretical framework

The thesis will cover four main fascial topics, each with its own research path:

1.What is fascia and how does it influence well-being and longevity?

2.How to train the fascia according to neuroscience and the latest fascial research

3.Fascia in dance and Argentine tango today

4.TangoFascia research and its benefits.

the HOW?
TANGO FASCIA Chapters

CHAPTER1. Fascia for Wellness and Longevity

(scientific studies & current hypotheses

What is FASCIA and does it do?

1.1. Connective Tissue and Fascia (definition, role, composition)

1.2. Fascia for Longevity and Wellness (health, flexibility, balance, posture, breathing, strength, fascial chains, diaphragm, pelvic floor)

1.3. Fascia Matrix in Therapies, Somatic Disciplines, Yoga, Martial Arts: exteroception, proprioception, interoception

1.4. Neurosciences and Technology for Myofascial Discoveries

CHAPTER2. Training Your Fascia

(general practice and better performance)

How to train effectively your FASCIA?

2.1. Fascia for General Movement and High Performance Sports

2.2. Neuro Training and Motor Learning for Fascia vs for Muscles (embodiment, integral movements, holistic somatic disciplines)

2.3. Fascia in Injury Prevention and Body Recovery

2.4. Existing Methods for Fascia Training and Muscle Training

CHAPTER3. Fascia for Dance and Argentine Tango

(case studies & tools proposals)

Can I be a superdancer though my sensorial and intentional FASCIA?

3.1. Fascia: Intention, Visualisation & Dance Flow (states/stages)

3.2. Fascia for Uncertainty, Creativity, and Dance Improvisation

3.3. Fascia “secrets” in Dance Learning and Dance Mentoring

3.4. Proposals: Methods and Tools

Tango Neuro Training (TNT) for Dancers
AFI Tool (Awareness, Focus, Intention)
TangoFED (Fascia: Emergent & Dual)
TangoRESL (Rebound Elongation Sensitization Release)

CHAPTER4. Research on Tango Fascia

(personal hypotheses and future study)

Improve your PAST dance results and benefit NOW from the FUTURE fascial research!

4.1. Dance and other fascia-centered research disciplines (Fascia Research Congress, Fascia Research Society, Fascia Project)

4.2. Holistic NeuroIntegration (Brain Heart Fascia Viscera) and IPNB (Inter Personal Neuro Biology): current and future research

4.3. Triunitary integrative research: Somatic Education, Dance and Movement Therapy, and Tango Therapy

4.4. Personal research on TANGO FASCIA (3 investigations)

5.chapters

the WHO?
TANGO FASCIA beneficiaries

This doctoral project is dedicated to all dancers, no matter their dance style, age, genre, experience, talent or artistic skills. It is made with the dancer in author's mind: their learning, discipline, dancing path with ups and downs. TANGO FASCIA only wishes to be a humble companion and sooth their dancing path with inspiration drawn from this amazing wonder we call so simple "the human body".

Possible contributions of the proposed research

Although the principles of dance, training, well-being and longevity are well referenced in known literature, what is totally new is the scientific contribution of this project.

The idea of this thesis is a daring bridge between the science of the body and the art of dance, using the 'new' secrets of the latest technology and the 'old' secrets of Argentine tango.

The TangoFascia thesis can really contribute from the field of fascia to dance, but also from the field of dance to fascia. You can combine the wisdom shared at international fascia conferences with the wisdom of movement educators and dance teachers. It can mix the theoretical academic framework with the social practice of tango, a popular dance, and the high performance of dance, seen as a performing and performing art.

Main beneficiaries of TangoFascia: dancers, somatic teachers and educators, movement professionals, therapists, researchers and scientists. It can be useful for high-performance professional dancers/ athletes, but also for amateurs and the general public, dancers or not.

Main benefits of TangoFascia:

produces original and relevant knowledge in the disciplinary field of dance, seen as a stage and performing art
introduces four instruments for dancers and movement educators: TangoFED (Fascia; Emergent & Dual) and TangoRESL (Rebound Elongation Sensitization Release), but also a training method for professional dancers TNT (Tango Neuro Training) and a general tool for all dancers AFI (Awareness Focus Intention)
proposes a new multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research - dance, tango, neurosciences - for well-being, health, longevity, based on university values and the top-level academic brand
contributes to the level of excellence in the teaching field of the arts in general and in dance in particular
intervenes in the scientific field with new dialogues and exchanges between researchers:

1 Argentine Tango professional: Lucian Stan (Bucharest, Romania)
1 ph.d. director specialist in native dances, folklore and culture: Dr. Facund Arteaga (UNA, Bs As, Argentina)
1 counselor/supervisor: world-renowned tango choreographer with a wide experience in training stage tango world champions (Mario Morales, Bs As, Argentina)
several international researchers: fascia pioneers (Robert Schleip, Thomas Myers, Carla Stecco), fascia training in dance (Eric Franklin), neuroscientists (Daniel Siegel), tango masters (Hugo Mastrolorenzo, Ruben Veliz , Corina de la Rosa, Graciela Gonzales)

6.beneficiaries

the WHERE?
Initial bibliography TANGO FASCIA

Bois, Danis Ph.D (2009) The Wild Region of Lived Experience: Using Somatic-Psychoeducation/ La región salvaje de la experiencia vivida: uso de la psicoeducación somática, North Atlantic Books

Courraud, Christian (2019) Fascias: Le nouvel organe-clé de votre santé/ El nuevo órgano clave para tu salud, Paris: Editeur LEDUC

Clippinger, Karen (2007) Anatomía y cinesiologia de la danza – Principios y ejercicios para mejorar la técnica y evitar las lesiones más corrientes, Barcelona: Editorial Paidotribo

Earls, James (2020) Born to Walk – Myofascial Efficiency and the Body in Movement (2nd edition)/ Nacido para caminar: eficiencia miofascial y el cuerpo en movimiento (segunda edición), Chichester, England: Lotus Publishing

Franklin, Eric (2014) Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance (2nd edition)/ Imágenes de danza para técnica y interpretación (segunda edición), Champaign: Human Kinetics

Franklin, Eric (2007) Danza - Acondicionamiento fisico, Barcelona | Buenos Aires: Editorial Poidotribo

Guimberteau, Jean-Claude; Armstrong, Colin (2015) Architecture of Human Living Fascia: Cells and Extracellular Matrix as Revealed by Endoscopy/ Arquitectura de la fascia viva humana: células y matriz extracelular reveladas por endoscopia, Handspring Publishing

Haas, Jaqui Green (2010) Dance Anatomy (2nd edition)/ Anatomía de la Danza (segunda edición), Champaign, USA: Human Kinetics

Kaminoff, Leslie; Matthews, Amy (2015) Yoga Anatomy - Practical Guide of Movements, Postures, and Breathing Excercises/ Anatomía del yoga: guía práctica de movimientos, posturas y ejercicios de respiración, Bucuresti: Lifestyle Publising

Lesondak, David (2022) Fascia: What It Is, and Why It Matters 2nd Edition/ Fascia: qué es y por qué es importante, segunda edición, Handspring Publishing

Myers, Thomas M. (2021) Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals (4th edition)/ Trenes de anatomía: meridianos miofasciales para terapeutas manuales y profesionales del movimiento (4.a edición), US: Elsevier

Quéré, Nadine (2022) Soigner son corps avec les fascias: Une nouvelle pratique de santé et bien être/ Sanar tu cuerpo con fascia: una nueva práctica de salud y bienestar, Paris: Dauphin Editions

Schleip, Robert, and Wilke, Jan (2021) Fascia in Sport and Movement (2nd edition)/ Fascia en el deporte y el movimiento (segunda edición), East Lothian: Handspring Publishing

Schleip, Robert, and Bayer, Johanna (2021) Fascial Fitness: Exercises to Stay Flexible, Active and Pain Free in Just 20 Minutes a Week (2nd edition)/ Fascial Fitness: Ejercicios practicos para mantenerse flexible, activo y libre de dolor en solo 20 minutos a la semana (segunda edición), Berkeley CA: Editorial Lotus (North Atlantic Books)

Schleip, Robert Ph.D; Frederick, Chris (2012) Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body: The science and clinical applications in manual and movement therapy/ Fascia: La red tensional del cuerpo humano: la ciencia y las aplicaciones clínicas en terapia manual y de movimiento, Churchill Livingstone Publishing

Stecco, Carla (2014) Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System/ Atlas funcional del sistema fascial humano, Churchill Livingstone Publishing

Resources fascia, courses and study guides:

https://fasciaresearchsociety.org/ Sociedad de Investigación de Fascia (membresía)

https://www.fasciaresearch.de/ Proyecto de investigación de fascia (recursos) Berlín

https://fasciatrainingacademy.com/ Fascial Fitness Academy

https://fasciaguide.com La Guía de Fascia (podcast, resources)

https://fasciainnovation.com/ Fascia Innovation

https://fasciatherapie.org/fasciatherapy/ DBM Fascia Terapia, France

https://www.fascialrelease.com/ Fascial Therapy Institute Australia – FTIA

https://thefasciahub.com/ The Fascia Hub – educational forum UK

https://www.petrosliolios.ro/ Perceptive psychopedagogy & Fascia Terapia, Romania

7.bibliography