Dancing to Melody - Poema

Stepping to the beat is a basic component of musicality, but it lacks nuance and sophistication. Beats are rhythmic pulses that define tempo—they are discrete, mechanical, and emotionally neutral. Stepping on the beat is like jumping: it emphasizes accents with vertical, fragmented, and percussive movement.

But the heart of dance lies not in the beat, but in the emotion of the music—and that emotion lives in the melody. Melody is continuous, lyrical, and expressive. It carries the sentiment, beauty, and fluidity of the music. To dance to the melody is to glide, not strike—to flow, not punctuate. The result is smooth, horizontal, uninterrupted movement that unfolds with grace and even pacing.

Dancers can choose to follow either the beat or the melody, each offering a distinct style.

When we dance to the beat, we wait for it and step on it with emphasis, producing sharp, disconnected, and punctuated movements. Consider the following example.

The tango Poema, like many classics, is infused with nostalgia and melancholy. As Enrique Santos Discépolo famously said, “Tango is a sad feeling that is danced.” The lyrics were written by Eduardo Bianco, who once played first violin at the Teatro Apolo in 1927. His life took a dramatic turn when he discovered his wife’s affair with the orchestra’s pianist. In a fit of passion and despair, he shot his rival. The lyrics of Poema reflect his sorrow, heartbreak, and regret. Below is an English translation by Alberto Paz:

                        It was a dream of sweet love,
                        hours of happiness and loving,
                        it was the poem of yesterday,
                        that I dreamed,
                        of gilded color,
                        vain chimeras of the heart,
                        it will not manage to never decipher,
                        so fleeting nest,
                        it was a dream of love and adoration.

                        When the flowers of your rose garden,
                        bloom again ever so beautiful,
                        you'll remember my love,
                        and you will come to know,
                        all my intense misfortune.

                        Of that once-intoxicating poem,
                        nothing remains between us,
                        I say my sorrowful goodbye,
                        you'll feel the emotion,
                        of my pain…

The music was composed by Mario Melfi in 1932 and arranged by Francisco Canaro in 1935. In Canaro’s version, only the final two stanzas are sung, performed by Roberto Maida.

When dancing to Poema, immerse yourself in the lyricist’s anguish—as if you, too, are saying a final, heart-wrenching goodbye to a lost love. While you must still be aware of the beat, do not let it dictate abrupt or fragmented steps. Let the melody lead. Move fluidly, keeping your pace even and continuous. Here's an example.

Notice how this couple is not chasing the beat. Instead, they dance slowly, their movements simple, soft, and melodious—filled with the sorrow of parting, perfectly matching the melancholy mood of the music (see The Elegance of the Milonguero Style).

I often find that when I try to express the melody, my partner still instinctively focuses on the beat. This is understandable—most dancers are taught to step on the beat from the start. But next time you dance to Poema, try shifting your attention to the melody. The key lies in controlling your movement so that your steps are smooth and continuous, never abrupt or disjointed.

This is especially important for women, who embody the melodic and feminine essence of tango (see The Characteristics of Classic Tango).