The Four Stages of the Tango Journey

If tango to you is only what your eyes perceive—the steps—then you are at the earliest stage of your tango journey. The intangible aspects of tango remain beyond your grasp at this point. However, you should not be deceived by the steps. They represent only the tip of the iceberg. Tango is a multifaceted art form. While steps are essential to dancing tango, there are things more important that you must learn first. At this stage, you should concentrate on developing good posture, embrace, connection, balance, stability, lightness, dissociation, pivot, torso leading/following, and walking (see Tango Is a Language (I)). Many students attempt to learn advanced steps when their posture is still awkward, their body is still stiff and heavy, their embrace is still broken, their walk is still clumsy, they still can't lead or follow with the torso, and they still need to hold on to the partner for balance and stability. Consequently, the complex steps they learn carry little significance and only exacerbate their bad habits. At this stage, it is vital to resist the temptation for quick results. Instead, adopt a structured and gradual approach, dedicating time to mastering fundamental skills and building a strong foundation (see Imitating Steps vs. Developing Skills). This approach may seem slow at first, but it will ultimately enable faster progress in the long run.

Once you’ve moved beyond the introduction stage and begun dancing tango socially, you enter the second stage of your tango journey. At this stage, you continue to learn steps, but your primary focus should shift to correcting bad habits and cultivating good ones. If your personal practices do not align with tango standards, or if you developed poor habits during the first stage, now is the time to address them. This stage can be long and challenging because the habits you have accumulated over a lifetime are not easy to break. It requires patience and hard work. You need a good teacher to guide you and help you correct your bad habits bit-by-bit. Practicing in front of a mirror or videotaping your dance can help you analyze your posture, embrace, connection, coordination, and movements. You must make a constant, conscious effort to overcome your old habits until you have ingrained the correct way of dancing tango and internalized the proper posture, embrace, connection, movements, and techniques that adhere to the aesthetic standards of tango.

As your dance begins to embody the distinctive tango aesthetic, you enter the third stage of your tango journey. At this stage, your attention starts to shift from external elements to the internal ones. Once steps are no longer an obstacle, you can focus on the intangible aspects of the dance. You need to enhance your musicality, familiarize yourself with music across different genres, tempos, rhythms, moods, and orchestras, and learn to dance to different pieces differently. You should work on expressing the music and your emotions through your dance—pausing, embellishing your steps, dancing with both slow and fast motions, and incorporating advanced techniques that prioritize not only the appearance but also the feeling of the dance, such as cadencia and the gear effect. Additionally, you need to work on your body's flexibility and coordination, refine your connection and communication, and enhance your ability to effect the movement of your partner's body with your body. You also need to go beyond the technical aspects and become a socially adept dancer. This involves learning the philosophy, culture and etiquette of tango. As your skills grow and your perspectives broaden, you will begin to see beyond yourself.

The ability to see beyond yourself marks the most significant transformation, signaling your entry into the final stage in your tango journey. At this stage, you begin to focus on your partner, to feel their emotions and feelings, to interprete their musical expression, to adapt and accommodate their dance, and to be one with them. You no longer dance to showcase your skills, but to provide comfort and joy to your partner. Tango is no longer just about steps; it becomes an expression of love. Your lead becomes less difficult and forceful, but gentle, thoughtful and suited to the ability of your partner. You want her to feel free and enjoy the dance. Your follow becomes less bumpy and counteractive, but fitting, smooth, light and in harmony with your leader. You want him to feel comfortable and enjoy you. You start to understand the essence of tango and see tango as what the milongueros see it. Now, you are at the top of the game.