It would be difficult to teach the tango via the Web, but I will try to explain or describe a few basic concepts and give some hints, based on my experience some years ago, to get you started down the road. That's in case, of course, you're planning to take the road. Argentine tango IS all about walking, but.in an odd yet fascinating way. The technique is very distinctive.
We're got an introduction to the Argentine Tango with our teacher, Martina, in the tango portions of the Wednesday dance class in July. We will need a space, of course, and also music, since the dance is based on that. It's critical to have the right music with a slower pace, since we're beginners. Few non-aficionados have ever heard, let alone learned to play Argentine tango music. Jealousy, Hernando's Hideaway, and Habanera, though fine for ballroom tango, don't work for Argentine-style, oddly enough. There are many rhythms in tango, so we have to find the easiest and steadiest beat. We need the right shoes because the technique, and it really is distinctive and intriguing, involves sliding and twisting the feet on the floor. You'll have to experiment with several pairs on different surfaces. Sneakers will work on some but not all. Leather and suede work better. In Buenos Aires many women will only dance in shoes with high heels and closed toes, though now open-toed shoes are acceptable. I think most of us would exchange beauty for comfort and safety.
Elegant shoes:
Ladies
Gentlemen's
If you search Google Images for tango practice shoes, you can get an idea of what's possible. Of course, you can also search for stores that advertise dance practice shoes.
Martina has introduced us to the tango walk, and it's not easy to do without a partner. I'm not sure it's necessary to be able to do it on our own, but it's a way for us to understand it better. There's a wonderful description of tango walking for people with special needs on the Oregontango.com site.
Besides walking forwards, practice walking backwards and also stepping from side to side. The "cross" doesn't have to come into it yet, but it's useful later in order to do ochos and grapevines. You can get around a dance floor quite easily walking forwards, backwards, and occasionally stepping to the side. The dance hold and partnering are very important. We'll learn a little about this, but one really begins to understand it only after a lot of practice. The leader & follower (or responder) lean towards each other without losing balance or straight posture. This is the opposite of International-style ballroom Tango, where partners bend back and away from each other. In Argentine tango, you're so close to your partner's face that you wouldn't dare stick a rose in your mouth.
Just a few tips:
Practice walking to the rhythm and change if it changes. Do this walking smoothly, shifting your weight slowly from one foot to the other without letting your head bob up and down, as though you're a cat burglar or as though you're sneaking out without making a sound). Do this also with a partner as often as you can.
Instead of thinking of following, think of interacting. You're not going to duplicate exactly what the leader does. The interpreter can stop the progress of the dance to do some embellishments, to put his/her stamp on the dance--you'll see them soon.
Try to stick with improving your walking and your frame, which requires a slight tension in the dance hold and an erect body, instead of learning more and more complicated step sequences. Social dancers don't do set routines.
Don't look down! That's counter-productive. The movement comes from the upper body and governs where the feet go, rather than the other way around. Forget about those old foot-track diagrams for the foxtrot, etc. the lead is communicated through the frame, chest forward (for the follower too). The dance hold should have just enough tension both ways so that the follower can feel directional signals.
If your follower doesn't receive your lead, say to step backwards on the right foot, rock your partner back and forth until his/her weight is on the left foot. Stepping from side to side is useful when anything goes awry. At least you can manage to get your weight back where it should be.
I know, I know, those great kicks between the leg aside, you're supposed to try to keep your legs/knees together whenever you can. Of course, when you know a kick is coming... This legs together thing is distinctive for the Argentine tango.
There's no reason why we can't participate in the tango scene, as there are many venues, for example, Central Park and Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing tango night. There are a few rules of tango etiquette: Because the dance moves around, backwards, forwards, and sideways, the leader must be especially aware of where others are placed. In traditional tango, milongas were broken up into sets (tandas) of several tangos mixed with a vals or milonga (the dance party) or two, followed by a break (cortina), during which salsa or other music was played. Those who wanted to dance with more than one person tended to dance several dances, even an entire tanda, with each person. Here, though milongas will almost always have a mix of tango, vals, and milongas, there aren't necessarily discrete sets, and partners change more often. Also, here few follow the tradition of the "cabaceo," where the man catches the lady's eye and gestures toward the dance floor as an invitation to dance. One custom generally adhered to is that partners don't talk while dancing.
Richard Lipkin's NY Tango Page
is an excellent and up-to-date source of information on where to learn
or dance Argentine tango in this area. He's from Brooklyn, so should be
aware of the possibilities there, though it doesn't include the excellent Brooklyn-based teachers Anabella and Todd.
We're got an introduction to the Argentine Tango with our teacher, Martina, in the tango portions of the Wednesday dance class in July. We will need a space, of course, and also music, since the dance is based on that. It's critical to have the right music with a slower pace, since we're beginners. Few non-aficionados have ever heard, let alone learned to play Argentine tango music. Jealousy, Hernando's Hideaway, and Habanera, though fine for ballroom tango, don't work for Argentine-style, oddly enough. There are many rhythms in tango, so we have to find the easiest and steadiest beat. We need the right shoes because the technique, and it really is distinctive and intriguing, involves sliding and twisting the feet on the floor. You'll have to experiment with several pairs on different surfaces. Sneakers will work on some but not all. Leather and suede work better. In Buenos Aires many women will only dance in shoes with high heels and closed toes, though now open-toed shoes are acceptable. I think most of us would exchange beauty for comfort and safety.
Ladies
Gentlemen's
