TANGO-LIFE: when tango becomes well-being, inclusion, and shared life

These considerations gave rise to TANGO-LIFE (Project 101185089 — TANGO-LIFE), a project co-funded by the European Union under the ERASMUS+ program, which puts tango at the service of well-being, inclusion, and quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities, mental disorders, and other vulnerabilities. The project looks at sport and dance, specifically tango, as tools for care, participation, and dignity, in line with European values of equality, inclusion, and the promotion of healthy lifestyles for all.

The project is led by Maendeleo for Children APS (Italy) together with other Italian partners Fede in Azione Cooperativa Sociale and Live your Dance, Slovenian partner Drustvo za kulturo inkluzije, and Spanish partner Ibonis European Research Projects. You can find all the specific information about the project and its partners at www.tangolife.eu.

When tango becomes therapy: body, emotions, and relationships in motion

Tango therapy is much more than physical activity. It is a holistic approach that acts simultaneously on several levels:

• Physical: improves balance, posture, coordination, and fluidity of movement

• Emotional: supports self-esteem, mood, and motivation

• Relational: strengthens communication skills, trust in others, and a sense of belonging.

Tango requires listening and connection. It is a dance that invites you to feel the other person and yourself, to recognize your own body in motion, and to discover new potential. For this reason, many European and Argentine therapists recognize it as an effective rehabilitation tool capable of producing concrete benefits.

TANGO-LIFE is coming to an end, but its goal has always been clear: to improve the well-being of at least 60 people through the development and implementation of a rehabilitation model based on tango, adapted to the specific needs of people with fragility, which promotes active and conscious participation, fights social isolation, values diversity as a resource, and contributes to breaking down stereotypes and stigma related to disability.

The project has adopted a cross-sectoral approach, combining dance, health/well-being, and education, generating positive and lasting effects not only for the beneficiaries but also for the operators, organizations, and communities involved.

An opportunity for operators: free training on the EAV Point Platform

TANGO-LIFE is also about sharing skills and professional growth.

For this reason, all interested operators, educators, trainers, and professionals are invited to register on the course page on EAV, where the project's training materials are available free of charge.

A concrete opportunity to:

• Learn more about the tango-based rehabilitation model

• Acquire useful tools for working with people with intellectual disabilities, mental disorders, and other vulnerabilities

• Get in touch with European best practices and innovative approaches in the fields of sport, dance, and health

An invitation to learn, experiment, and bring the value of TANGO-LIFE to your own work contexts!

Project mobility: tango travels across Europe

During projects mobility in Italy, Slovenia, and Spain, TANGO-LIFE took shape through workshops and public demonstrations, which were real opportunities for participants, operators, caregivers, and local communities to meet.

These events were not simply performances but shared experiences, where tango became a common, accessible, and inclusive language. A concrete way to show that dance can be a safe, open, and transformative space for everyone.

The videos of the workshops are available on the YouTube channel, which we invite you to subscribe to: a valuable archive of real experiences that tell the story of the project through the faces and movements of the people involved, offering training ideas for operators, educators, and professionals and raising awareness of the value of tango therapy as an inclusive and replicable practice.

The final event: a moment to meet and look to the future

The TANGO-LIFE project will culminate with the final event on February 27, 2026, to be held in Rome and online on Zoom (the link will be available a few days before).

The event will consist of two main parts:

• The Final Conference: an open and participatory opportunity to share the results of the project, describe the model developed, reflect on the future prospects of tango therapy, and continue to build networks and alliances for a more inclusive Europe (venue to be confirmed).

• The Workshop: a final public demonstration that will take place in the afternoon (from approximately 2:30 p.m.) at the Live your Dance (Tangobar) headquarters in Via Macerata 9 - 00176 - Rome (Pigneto).

We invite you to participate, in person or remotely, to celebrate with us movement, relationships, connections, and every person's right to well-being. Every step, when shared, can really make a difference.

TANGO-LIFE reminds us that caring for a person does not just mean intervening on a problem, but creating real possibilities for improvement and well-being, and with tango therapy, the body moves, emotions find their voice, and relationships become strength. Because tango, after all, is life!

Stay up to date, all the news about the final event will be published on the project's social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.