Steps, Musicality and Choreography

Novice dancers often fixate on steps, overlooking the equally—if not more—important aspects of musicality and choreography. Yet, the essence and quality of tango lie far beyond footwork. To understand this more deeply, let’s first look at how the milongueros dance tango.

What truly stands out in the dance of the milongueros is not the complexity of their steps, but their exceptional musicality and choreography, characterized by the following qualities:

(1) They dance at a slower pace, allowing the woman to follow in a restful and elegant manner. (2) Each step is thoughtfully crafted and clearly led, focusing on expressing the music and feelings, not on impression. (3) They pause after each musical phrase or sequence, much like punctuation marks structure a sentence. (4) The pause is not static but filled with subtle motion, offering the woman space for personal expression and embellishment. (5) Their steps are pulsating—resembling surging waves rather than a steady stream—facilitating cadencia in the dance. (6) Transitions between steps are smooth, often involving slight pivots to prepare for the next surge in a different direction. (7) Surging step, pause, soft transition, and another surge constitute the basic rhythm of their dance. This arrangement can better reflect the music, sentiment and feelings that feature social tango.

This approach contrasts sharply with the way many of us dance today. Our tango often filled with hasty, busy and beat-chasing steps, prioritizing action over musicality and choreography. If their tango is an art, then ours is more like gymnastics. We tend to step on every beat and move at a constant, rushed pace, leaving little room for the woman to express herself. What’s missing is the pause, the slow motion, the softness, the subtlety—those quiet spaces where emotion and connection can surface. The following is an example.

These are not novices but fairly experienced dancers. In fact, their technical skills surpass the average found online. I chose this example to demonstrate that dance techniques, musicality, and choreography are distinct skills. What most dancers lack is the latter two.

Of course, like any skill, tango takes time to master. The dancers in the next clip have made noticeable progress.

Many of them have begun to adopt the style of the milongueros. A standout example is the man in the hat who appears between 3:10 and 3:50. By incorporating more pauses and slow motions into his dance, he has achieved a style that feels deeper, more flavorful, and less gymnastic. Pauses and slow motion in tango are like punctuation in writing—they make the dance more musical, meaningful, expressive, and captivating (see Floorcraft, Choreography and Hastiness). The following is another such example.