Learning Tango: Two Perspectives

The following behaviors are common among beginners: (1) They are eager to learn steps but overlook basic skills. (2) They imitate movements but ignore technical details. (3) They focus on themselves but neglect their partner. (4) They lean back to avoid intimate physical contact. (5) They lead and follow using their arms and hands. (6) They grasp their partner to assist with movements. (7) They fail to listen to and follow the music carefully (see Imitating Steps vs. Developing Skills).

All of these stem from one fundamental issue: they regard tango solely as steps. To them, learning tango means learning steps, and they believe that if they can perform the steps, they can dance tango. This step-centered mindset leads them to neglect many other essential aspects of the dance.

It is important to understand that what we dance in tango is not the steps but the music and the feelings that music inspiresis. Tango is a feeling that is danced and that feeling comes from music. Steps are but the tools used to express the music and feelings. Of all the elements that made tango, music and the feelings stirred by the music are the most important two, without which there is no tango, only gymnastics (see Tango Is a Feeling).

You need to know steps to dance tango, of course. But just knowing steps doesn’t mean you can perform them musically and coherently with a partner. Tango is teamwork, where the man uses his body to guide the movement of the woman. The woman, in turn, must follow the lead rather than concentrating solely on executing the steps. Focusing on getting her own moves right distracts her from following the lead. This is why dancing with a beginner often feels awkward and uncomfortable. The man’s lead is guided by the music. When the music is sharp, his lead is sharp. When the music shifts to tenderness, his lead becomes gentler. Therefore, the same step should be danced differently, depending on the music. Instead of focusing on executing her steps, the woman should concentrate on following the lead and expressing the music.

Different leads convey different messages. For example, when the man’s right chest pushes while his left chest pulls, it indicates that he wants you to swivel your hips to his right. Similarly, when his left chest pushes and his right chest pulls, it signals that he wants you to swivel your hips to his left. Often, the lead emanating from his chest is so subtle that it cannot be seen but only felt. Tango is a sophisticated form of body language. Learning tango is not primarily about mastering steps but learning that body language, learning to conceive, respond to, communicate with, and be one with your partner's body with your body (see Tango Is a Language (I)).

This perspective requires the dancer to shift their focus from steps to the body, embrace, connection, communication, music, and the emotions evoked by the music, to use your body to feel, to share with the partner what you feel, to exchange feelings through direct physical interaction, to move your body in harmony with the movement of the partner's body, and to please the partner with your body. Tango is not any ordinary dance. It is intimate interplays between two dancers. Instead of concentrating on imitating steps, let making dancing with you a pleasure for your partner become the purpose and focus of your learning and practice in tango.

The transformation from a step-oriented, self-centered, single-focused beginner to a feeling-oriented, partner-centered, multitasking team player is a lengthy process. Beginners cannot fully grasp the essence of tango until they have acquired sufficient knowledge, skills, and experience. However, adopting the right perspective from the very beginning can set you on the correct path and significantly shorten the journey to becoming a proficient tango dancer (see The Four Stages of the Tango Journey).