Maintaining Shoulder Parallelism

Milonguero-style tango, known for its close embrace, emphasizes an intimate, inward experience. This style requires partners to maintain chest-to-chest contact and keep their shoulders parallel to ensure maximum connection and effective communication.

Yet many dancers underestimate the importance of shoulder alignment. Some women drift too far to the man’s right side, wrapping their left arm around his right arm instead of positioning themselves squarely in front of him, with their left arm resting over his shoulder. This misalignment weakens the connection and restricts the movement of his right arm. Others connect with only one side of their torso, leaving the other side open and forming a V-shape with their partner. Beginners who are uncomfortable with physical closeness often instinctively lean back to create space. Many also rotate their entire bodies rather than dissociating at the hips, which breaks shoulder alignment. Some even tilt their shoulders at a vertical angle to their partner’s just to accommodate a particular movement. Compounding the issue, men often lead complex steps that force women to sacrifice both connection and alignment. These habits not only contradict tango’s intimate, feeling-driven nature but also detract from the compact and cohesive aesthetic of the dance.

It’s important to remember that tango is not about executing complex choreography, but about expressing the music and emotions through intimate, physical interaction. Maintaining chest contact and shoulder parallelism is essential to this dialogue. To truly experience the intimacy, soulfulness, and comfort of the dance, beginners must let go of cultural hang-ups and mental barriers that stand in the way of truly embracing the dance.

Technically, the close embrace relies heavily on dissociation—the ability to keep the upper body stable while allowing the lower body to rotate freely (see Dissociation and Gear Effect). Mastery of this technique is key to preserving shoulder alignment and ensuring a smooth, continuous connection throughout the dance.

Men should avoid leading women into overly challenging movements and instead use natural, simple steps. The body’s capacity for dissociation at the hips is limited—exceeding this range disrupts shoulder parallelism. Therefore, men should refrain from leading steps that require excessive hip rotation, while women should focus on maintaining shoulder parallelism throughout their movements.

In short, preserving chest contact and shoulder parallelism is essential for fully experiencing the intimacy, sensuality, and emotional depth that make close-embrace tango such a soulful and comforting dance. It also makes the dance look more polished and elegant. Tango students should work to unlearn habits that conflict with the spirit of the dance and cultivate skills that embody its essence (see Contra Body Movement and Dissociation).