THE TANGO DANCE

Naturally in the embrace, the human being conveys emotions. People embrace for the meeting and farewell of a loved one, in love, in sadness, in joy, in affection, in the excitement, the exaltation, HUG in humans is a natural gesture of containment, protection, confidence, health, connection and transmission. Tango allows this embrace between two people that move to the beat of this great music, produces what many call «the magic of tango». The tango is a feeling that is danced (Discépolo)

Presentation: Before presenting concepts, it is clear that I will explain my point of view based on my knowledge and experience of having danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires and the world uninterruptedly for most of my life with an average of 4/5 times a week and several years as a Tango teacher. By mathematical calculation, it’s as if I have danced five hours daily for 10 consecutive years, with dancers from Argentina and from all the countries where you find any tango dancers.

Forms of dance: The dance of tango has two fully defined and different ways, one is dancing exhibitions and shows, where the dancers exhibit skills to the public who observe them, and the other is the popular or social dance, which I’m about to develop, but there are 5 tango styles: 1 of exhibition and 4 of social dance

THE SOCIAL AND POPULAR TANGO DANCE:

The social, or “popular” dance, is named according to its style, tango salon, pista style or milonguero style. It is danced in the milongas . Regarding to this I made a sentence that accompanies me everywhere. I put it into practice when I dance, it is entitled «The Majesties of the Tango» where the Prince is the embrace, the Princess is the improvisation, the Queen is the musicality and the King is the feeling.

How to learn to dance and practice the social tango

The Tango dancing requires taking lessons and practicing in the «Practices or Prácticas» and with friends and classmates in the milongas, as the tango code remarks, the center of the dancefloor is reserved for it.

As in the dance of tango there is not only one «truth» each teacher teaches differently according to their knowledge and everyone dances as a reflection of their personality, their feelings and what their body allows.

In order to learn and to be more motivated every day, I advise taking lessons with a teacher whom the student feels comfortable with, not paying much attention to his or her dancing. Many times good dancers cannot be good teachers and good teachers are not always great dancers.

When there are not many options of teachers for you to choose from, then it is best to take from their teaching only what the student likes and the movements your body will be comfortable with.

Concepts

The opposite sex is what defines who is a good dancer. Dancing good is not only to look good. It is to mutually adapt and finish the dancing with the sublime pleasure of joy and satisfaction.

To this end, I suggest learning to dance in a relaxed way, beginning with learning to walk hugging one another, each one in their role; learn to follow the musical beat, in a proper balance and in conjunction with the partner. (You are already dancing). This takes technique to be learned and practiced because our minds and muscles are used to do those daily movements in a different way, so the strong initial practice is important. (Once a week is very little time and a loss of money, twice or three times weekly is the minimum acceptable)

Once dominated these points, to learn the tango steps will be much easier, because the brain and muscles are prepared for this purpose.

I do not suggest learning in reverse. To learn steps and sequences without first preparing the body and mind will be more laborious and unsightly, plus creating vices that are difficult to remove.

Likewise, students should consider that steps, sequences and exhibition tango movements need enough room to be performed, they are rarely applicable in a milonga for reasons of security and respect to the others that are on the dance floor, and the codes of the milonga.- (before article in this blog)

Learn to dance in a relaxed manner is critical, people are tense and sweaty when their movements and body posture are made with too much effort, in addition to the possibility of body damage (after a few years) and not enjoying much dancing. Besides, the dancing time is shortened.

During the dance, the dancers can feel one another and cannot see each other feet and bodies; in response, the colorful movements seduce the public (when well made). Instead, the neat movement in a good rhythm, a passionate embrace and a good and permanent connection seduces partner.

Defining two forms of dance in the milonga:

to display 2) for the partner

TO SHOW	TO THE PARTNER
You think of looking good, the mind is in the body movements.	Your mind is on your partner and in the music.
The dance is to the audience that is watching.	The dance is to the partner.
It’s all about movement, to shine, to make it attractive and technical.	Like love, you dance with your heart.
The embrace is warm and plays a secondary role.	The embrace is primordial and magical. It allows connection between the two souls.
The seduction is first for the spectators and then to the partner.	The seduction is for the partner.
The connection is primarily for the coordination of movements, steps, etc.	The connection is primarily for the feeling and after for the movement.
A tango dance made to show.	You are dancing a feeling.

My suggestion is to define what your objective is: 1) to show your dance to others, to seduce the audience 2) dance to feel, to exchange hearts, regardless of other people 3) both options, which is the ideal of every dancer.

If you select 1 you should take dance classes with guidance to show, with great technique. The ideal teacher are those who dance tango show, but you also must complete the learning experience with those who dance a lot in the milongas, then, when someone choose for how you look on the dance floor, would be disappointed if you do not fulfil the expectations, you must feel as good as you look.

If you select 2 you should take dance classes to achieve good emotional connection. The ideal teacher is the milonguero. In the milonga you will be chosen for the feeling that you transmit, for the embrace and comments of those who already danced with you. However, I suggest taking technique classes to perfect posture and movements, because in the milonga you are also chosen by how you look.

Regardless either option you choose, you’ll go over the years incorporating the other option, if you keep the goal, to be a complete dancer. If you’re starting out I suggest starting with Option 2.

All without exception must pass the learning stage where we permanently think of steps, sequences, figures, we stress out, we look for the musicality. This is where patience has an important role.

Whatever your choice is, the goal is to dance relaxed (unstressed) without physical efforts, both dancers using body language, the man marking with natural intentions and women following them. Thus there are mutual responses between partners.

To dance well you must inevitably get the rhythm which also seduces both the partner and the public. To achieve this, if you don’t have a musical ear, you need to take classes in music composition and hear as much tango as possible trying to identify the instruments.

Men must learn to master the dancefloor and its spaces, according to existing codes and customs. Therefore, it is not enough to know only dance but also know how to dance in the milonga. A brush or blow with other couples would usually spoil a beautiful dance

Personally I prefer, like most of the milongueros, a partner that is light to dance, who answers all my marcs, somebody that connects with me, who loves me for the two or three minutes of the tango with a nice embrace, not a woman who looks good when she dances but feels uneasy: moving alone without my marks or out of rhythm, worried about her technique and embellishments (I cannot see it), dancing out of musical time or moving suddenly, thinking about her body and the people who are watching, with cold embrace, not connecting with me.

Engineer Carlos Neuman