[Tango-L] What Does It Take to Dance Tango?

[astrid]

> If only all felt that way but it's not the case. Since it's bad protocol
to
> teach a woman how to do steps at a Milonga, she is left with no recourse
but
> to learn from from a teacher or someone else who has the time and patience
> to teach on their own at practicas. Many times at Milongas, men try to
lead
> me into doing steps with which I have no familiarity or have yet to learn.

This is a typical problem of a female beginner of tango. But you will see
that once you have acquired not the steps, but rather the BODY of a tango
dancer, with strong achilles tendons, balanced ankles on your high heels,
strength around the middle of your body, a proper axis down the length of
your body, and are able to hold your weight at a constant well balanced
angle above the balls of your feet in connection with the man,that you don't
need to know more than 2/3 or so of the moves the man leads you into. Your
body will just follow the rest and figure them out on it's own.
Someone said, there are just four basic moves in tango: a step to the front,
to the side, the back and a pivot. A woman takes it one step at a time, and
once you know how to do that, and have a man who leads clearly and properly,
the rest is easy.
But let me tell you, building up the muscles and tendons of a tango dancer
takes at least a year.

That is why technique classes are so important for women. All this walking
exercise, ochos against the wall, boleos against the wall, adornos against
the wall, it has a purpose... Lasrt week Laura here led a milonga class that
consisted of drills only. Walking alone, walking in couples...Steps alone,
steps in couples.. I was bored to pieces,but she said, there are some
beginners in that class who have never danced tango before, and they need to
learn those simple moves. In milonga, connection is everything.
>
> Sometimes people have fun doing more elaborate or complex sequences of
moves
> and that's their business - if they are going to take it upon themselves
to
> teach or learn it - why not?

Well, not everyone is a beginner.
>
> Does one really have to have background in dance in order to be a good
tango
> dancer? I don't know, I've seen many many good dancers at clubs and other
> venues who had never taken a class in their life. So, either you've got an
> innate sense for dance and musicality  or you don't despite if you had
> training or not.

Tango is not something you can learn from an "innate sense", and I very much
doubt that you found "many many good dancers who have never taken a class in
their life" on the tango floor. This is a myth, and it may have worked in
the 40ies when men practised with each other before they were let loose on
the women but not now. But to become a tango dancer, yes, having done other
dances or certain sports helps. Whether that be salsa, waltz, ballet,
flamenco, karate, judo or skiiing.
>
> Personally, I am going to keep taking classes until I've learned all the
> moves that leaders tend to do at Milongas.

Yes. And you should also learn the moves that women do at the milongas.
Women have their own moves, you know, and they are often quite different
from the men's, even though they are usually led. But leave the adornos til
the second year, they just get in the way otherwise.

Best
Astrid