CONTACTANGO
ContacTango is an immersive journey where somatic movement, contact improvisation, and Argentine tango weave together into one living dance — a space where breath, touch, and movement open pathways between structure and freedom. Rooted in the intimacy and musical precision of tango and the emancipatory flow of contact, ContacTango invites dancers to trust their bodies, explore transformation through connection, and experience dance as a process of shared metamorphosis — where every encounter can become a co-liberation in motion.
In January 2016 I embarked on a PhD project on touch in Tango at Deakin University Melbourne. To challenge my embodied habits and assumptions as a tango dancer, deepen my sensitivity, expand my vocabulary and develop practical tools of movement inquiry, in 2017 I have approached contact and contemporary modes of dance improvisation. In particular, by leveraging the kinaesthetic tools and the spirit of freedom and emancipation typical of Contact Improvisation, I have explored the fundamentals of Tango not as given techniques or assumptions but as ‘enabling constraints’ to find a deeper sense of freedom and sharing in the dance. Engaging tango through the ‘lens’ of Contact Improvisation allows the dancer to observe and follow movement dynamics as they unfold in the shared improvisational process through the subtle play of touch, pressure and weight. The doctoral research was conducted in public spaces (first phase) and in dance studios (second phase) but I have never stopped dancing Tango and Contact Improvisation socially since the field work began. The PhD, awarded in March 2020, develops an experimental framework for engaging touch in Tango as an experience of kinaesthetic listening. The process of inquiry led me to articulate both practical and conceptual resources for exploring the somatic-imaginative spaces between the dancer’s inside and outside worlds. …
ContacTango in St. Johann in Tirol (Austria): “Exploring Intimacy & Elasticity in the Dance” | 22.6.2026
A playful and immersive workshop exploring the meeting point between Argentine tango, contact improvisation, and somatic movement. Through touch, weight-sharing, breath, and improvisation, participants discover how intimacy and elasticity emerge together in the dance — creating a living dialogue between structure and freedom, support and surrender, listening and movement. Open to tango dancers, contact dancers, movers, and curious beginners.
Lezione invito alla ContacTango all’Hangar383 (Bassano del Grappa): “Un Incontro tra Tango Argentino e Contact Improvisation” | 23.6.2026
La ContacTango è un incontro tra tango argentino, contact improvisation e movimento somatico guidato da Raffaele Rufo. Un’esperienza aperta a tutti per riscoprire il piacere del contatto, dell’ascolto e dell’improvvisazione attraverso il corpo e la danza. La lezione viene seguita da una pratica di tango argentino aperta a tutti i livelli.
Contango St. Johann in Tirol (Austria): “Dancing together Between Tension and Release” | 25.1.2026
An exploratory workshop between tango and contact improvisation, where breath, touch, and movement open a somatic dialogue of trust, rhythm, and transformation. Join one workshop or immerse yourself in the full-day intensive ending with the JamMilonga — a shared space where tango and contact meet, and form becomes flow.