Video Exploration · Inside the Tango Laboratory · 5 min
Perfectionism Paralyzes Potential
with Valeria Zolotco
Psychoanalyst & Founder of Psychology of Movement
About
Changing how we respond, one imperfect step at a time.
In Psychology of Movement, tango becomes a living laboratory for change. A psychological pattern we explore in our sessions becomes something we can work with in motion: recognise it as it happens, experiment with a different response, and understand what we are changing.
Together with tango teachers, we connect psychological exploration with embodied experience. The client works on a specific pattern with me, then explores that same pattern through movement. We bring the experience back into reflection, allowing each discovery to inform the next step.
Perfectionism makes this process particularly revealing.
You may know that mistakes are part of learning. Yet the moment you miss a step, your body tightens. You hesitate, apologise repeatedly, or try to control everything that happens next. Understanding has arrived; your habitual response has yet to catch up.
This is where our work becomes concrete. With the teacher’s support, you explore how to recover your balance, stay connected, and continue. At the same time, you notice what this asks of you psychologically: tolerating uncertainty, receiving feedback, allowing yourself to be seen while still learning.