About TangoSomatics
TangoSomatics is a practice that brings together Argentine tango, contact improvisation and somatic movement education to help people feel more connected, expressive and alive in their bodies. It is the outcome of Raffaele Rufo’s cross-disciplinary research and his long-standing artistic and pedagogical collaborations across Europe, Australia and Africa. It blends the structure and musicality of tango with the freedom and playfulness of contact, and the sensitivity and slow attention typical of the Feldenkrais method. Through guided explorations, body-scan work, shared movement and improvisation, dancers learn to trust their own sensations, loosen unnecessary tension, and enjoy moving together with more ease, creativity and presence.
Rather than reproducing a fixed form, TangoSomatics invites you to discover tango from the inside out — through touch, weight, breath, balance, and a living sense of dialogue with a partner. It is a way of dancing that welcomes beginners and experienced dancers alike, supporting everyone to move with confidence, curiosity and pleasure.
TangoSomatics also extends beyond the duet. It plays with the collective ritual of the ronda, explores open-role dynamics, and uses space as a doorway to encounter others beyond judgement. In this practice, movement becomes a tool for building empathy, trust and a sense of belonging — whether in a dance community, a school context, or a group of people meeting for the first time.
Discover more in my book on TangoSomatics — available here.
About Raffaele Rufo
Raffaele Rufo is an Italian dance pedagogue, director, performer and researcher with over twenty years of international experience across Europe, Australia and Africa. He first encountered Argentine tango in Italy in the early 2000s, studying with renowned masters and later performing with the EfectoTango dance company. In Melbourne, he deepened his movement practice through Contact Improvisation, Body Weather and the Feldenkrais Method, expanding his understanding of touch, perception and improvisation. In 2020 he earned a PhD from Deakin University (Australia) for his research on touch in tango as a gateway to somatic listening and embodied creativity.
Across two decades of training, performing, teaching and community work, Raffaele developed TangoSomatics — a unique integrative method that combines tango, contact improvisation and somatic movement to cultivate relational awareness, presence and creative transformation. His workshops welcome dancers of all backgrounds, encouraging each person to rediscover movement as a space of connection, curiosity and play.
He has shared this approach at major international Tango, Contango and Contact Improvisation festivals, including Stuttgart (2025), Freiburg (2025), Padova (2025), Wuppertal (2018, 2020, 2025), Strasbourg (2022) and Tyrol (2021). He currently teaches TangoSomatics at the Community Arts School of Teatro del Lido di Ostia, while continuing to develop pathways where dance becomes a tool for wellbeing, expression and social connection.
Contact us
Contact us for specific queries on TangoSomatics workshops, programs and other events, or to invite Raffaele Rufo to teach at your festival, school or community space.