In Russian there is no exact equivalent of the French concept of allure. Elegance of movements, lightness and grace… This quality is immediately recognizable, admired, but almost indescribable. Why do some of us have it and others don’t?
Irresistible and surprising – this “something” instantly attracts the eye. The paradox is that its presence is impossible not to feel, but also almost impossible to describe. For fashion historian François Baudot, author of The Feminine Gait*, it is “a word that means everything and is absolutely indecipherable.” However, by placing in his book photographs of the owners of this quality – Coco Chanel, Jackie Kennedy, Ava Gardner, Kate Moss, Inesse de la Fressange, Twiggy, Audrey Hepburn, Paloma Picasso – the author proved that the mysterious gait is still a perceptible quality. At least with a photographer’s lens!
The world-renowned master of style Karl Lagerfeld speaks of it as something “unconscious, natural and exquisitely subtle.” For the art director of the Chanel fashion house, having a gait means “above all, being in tune with yourself, radiating confidence without being pretentious, and remaining at ease without any effort.” Beautiful clothes can emphasize this quality, but still it is not the main thing: “Allure is more than beauty, although it is not superfluous. This is the head position, the way you move, the way you dress differently than others. This quality seems to be inseparable from the appearance of its owner, just as correctly chosen spirits become part of our image. No wonder the brand Chanel released its famous Allure fragrance, describing it as “inexplicable and absolutely irresistible.”
Movement towards freedom
The French “allure” originally comes from the verb “aller” – “to go”, and means the actual movement – swift or measured, as in equestrian sports, where this concept combines both step, and trot, and gallop. Anthropologist David Le Breton confirms that “this mysterious gift is embodied precisely in a movement that transforms the whole appearance – face, body, and voice, making their owner immediately noticeable and as if illuminated from within” **. For psychoanalyst Virginie Meggle (Virginie Meggle) this external effect is a manifestation of the inner integrity of a person who never tries to pass himself off as someone he is not. “It is the charm of nobility that gives us self-confidence, awareness of who we are, and a sense of our dignity,” she explains ***. However, it is better to know yourself and your desires, accept your characteristics and become more confident in yourself – all this is possible in the process of psychotherapy. So where is the key to this charm – in the inner work on oneself or in the outer – on the capabilities of one’s own body?
However, this question can be considered rhetorical: modern psychology is well aware that our internal state and the state of our body – including the manner of holding on, moving, the way of existing in the surrounding space – are inextricably linked. Our body always speaks: about our temperament (for example, passionate or unflappable), but also about emotions, thoughts, our mood at the moment. It simultaneously testifies to who we are and what we strive for (again, all the same movement, gait). In other words, the movements of our body embody the aspirations of the soul – that innermost force that guides us through life. The rhythm of our steps and the pattern of gestures give rise to a dance of the body – exciting, full of grace … or not. “The possession of a gait suggests that a person moves towards his own future with a certain freedom – like a child who builds his personality outside the circle of parental care,” continues Virginie Meggle. And therefore, regardless of age, each of us has a chance to free ourselves from this internal parental control. “Successful therapy relieves our soul and frees the body from shackles,” emphasizes the psychoanalyst.
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Club “On the 9th floor”
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Tango School Casa del Tango
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The oldest school of Argentine tango in Moscow. The cost is 7000 rubles. for 14 lessons (basic course).
Inspiring gestures
But you can start the change with appearance, says David le Breton. And as an example, he cites a parable: one ugly person hid his face behind a mask for a long time, and when it broke, none of those around him noticed his flaws … However, the anthropologist emphasizes, we can really change only if we do not commit violence against ourselves We do not force ourselves to change and we enjoy them. So, gymnastics will help to acquire a confident posture, but also tai chi or yoga, which teach you to listen to your own body and stay in harmony with it. Dance, which many people are accustomed to understanding only as a sequence of certain movements, cannot be reduced to a single technique either. “Music helps us release our emotions, and partner dance helps us feel better not only about ourselves, but also about our partner,” says Valentina Ustinova, Argentine tango teacher at Casa del Tango in Moscow. And her colleague Anne-Marie Paillard of the association Le Corps du Tango uses in her classes exercises according to the Moshe Feldenkrais method, which this famous rehabilitation scientist called “the awakening of bodily integrity”, and as a result “the impossible becomes possible, the possible is light, the light is pleasant, and the pleasant is elegant”****. “A person who truly feels his body begins to enjoy every movement,” says Anne-Marie Paillard. “As a result, the dance becomes less constrained, it has true expressiveness and real class.”
“Dance is when we move with feeling,” says Gonzalo Quintero Romero, teacher at the Flamenqueria flamenco academy. – In Spain we say: “words are carried away by the wind”, but the body does not know how to lie. Body language is much more important than words. For me, dance is the best psychotherapist, it always helps to overcome internal barriers. Someone – to survive the pain, someone – to throw out rage, someone – to reveal their sexuality. For example, I had a student who was embarrassed to move her shoulders while dancing – because that way she would draw attention to her chest. But flamenco is passion. And when the girl finally allowed herself this movement, she felt a little more feminine, a little freer. And her manner of behaving has changed not only in dance, but also in ordinary life … “
* F. Baudot “L’Allure des femmes” (Assouline, 2001).
** D. Le Breton “Eclats de voix, an anthropology of voices” (Métailié, 2011).
*** V. Megglé, A. Aimelet “Love your physique to finally accept yourself” (Hachette Pratique, 2010).
**** M. Feldenkrais “The Art of Movement. Master’s Lessons” (Eksmo, 2003).
“Dance That Frees the Soul”
This is how the Spaniards, teachers of the Flamenqueria* flamenco academy, describe their feelings. Here are some quotes.
- “Flamenco, which is the same for everyone, can only exist when it is performed by different people, each filling it with its own character. This is the delight of finding your own style, “zest”. This is something that is born right in the stomach, forcing the performer to literally glow: he achieved what he was looking for – he found a unique, his own, native movement … ”Isis Santiago, 33 years old
- “Flamenco is how you feel and how you live. For me, this is the only means of self-expression, the transfer of my emotions, experiences and most secret desires. It is nostalgia, flight, longing, joy, struggle, passion…” Sarah, 32
- “I feel flamenco as a kind of force that exposes and frees the soul, penetrates into every cell, into every gesture, note and the slightest movement … This is the power that you absorb with your skin, the way to express sincere feelings, a mirror in which we see the reflection of our inner world and who we really are.” Ricardo, 44
- “This is a special way to live, feel, breathe and, above all, feel freedom. When I dance, my soul is liberated, exposed – and here it is in front of you as it is, because the dance follows the feelings … “Laura, 30 years old
* Flamenqueria Academy, tel. (499) 921 0246, flamenqueria.ru Flamenco is taught by professional dancers from Spain. The cost is 4500 rubles. for 8 lessons.