There are many skills that are required for a man to become a good tango dancer. Depending on their approach, teachers will always have different views about priorities, but I believe that there are some core values and skills that any man should learn if he wants to have a good time in milongas. Unfortunately, many of these core skills are almost completely absent from the program of tango schools. People would rather learn how to do volcadas and sacadas than basic floor craft; they would rather spend time practicing ganchos than making their embrace more comfortable. But that backfires…

photo by Sergio Scandiuzzi © Tango is a language. If you don’t have time, just read that first sentence and leave this article – but if you decide to read the whole blog post you will find out why. I promise you, some of the reasons might challenge some of the widespread beliefs about tango. Some may even change the way you think about your dancing. I first started comparing tango to language to help my students understand what and, more important, why they do what they do. I believe that the best way to teach…

photo by Sergio Scandiuzzi © Tango is a losing game – there are things you should lose if you want to connect with your partner. It might sound like I am some kind of Zen teacher, but I really believe that when people learn tango they should be more focused to forget some things, rather than to learn something new. As master Yoda said: “You must unlearn what you have learned!” if you want to connect with your partner. It is easier said than done. Why? Because it is so much part of our nature that…

photo by Sergio Scandiuzzi © Getting more men in tango is a tricky problem. If you are facing milongas where there are 3 times more women than men (sometimes this difference is even bigger) you are not alone: it is a global phenomenon… and I am still trying to find the fully satisfying answer. In this post I am going to give you my opinion on this topic. Every complex problem usually needs a complex answer, but I think the answer is simpler than one might think. It all started when I first encountered tango. I…

Walking reveals your character, but in tango there is one more thing – it reveals what you feel about the music as well. There are layers and layers of meaning that can be revealed just by watching how a tango dancer walks. You zoom in and zoom out, and you discover that the picture is not pixelated, but clear and meaningful. The closer you look, the more secrets you discover. A good dancer you recognize by the way he walks, not by acrobatic figures. – Pablo Veron This article is about those of you who passed the level of “catching…