Uncategorized

Every great tango dancer breaks the rules. On occasion or often, they decide to go off the rail and do things that are usually not considered recommendable or allowed, and they are not “punished” for that.

I agree that it’s not what makes them good dancers, but there’s something in being bold enough to deviate from the norms that makes them better. Is it the self-confidence? Is it the personality? Is it the act of being different?

Before we get into the details, let’s clear out some things:

---

1) What I Mean by “Rules”

First, when I say “the rules,” what do I mean by that? Well, the codigos are a part, but it’s not just the codigos I’m talking about here.

There are many widely accepted or even standardized ways of doing things in tango, and they can vary in different communities. People use different techniques when they move, choose different steps, have different tastes in music, appreciate different behavior, dance in different environments, etc.

Like every other micro-culture, tango has its logic and its myths, things that are considered normal, and others that are “outlawed.” These are not universally accepted, but they exist even when dancers are not consciously aware of them. It’s just how society works.

---

2) The Importance of Understanding and Respecting Rules

Second, I’m not advocating here that rules should not exist or that in order to become a good dancer you should disrespect them. In fact, the opposite is the truth.

If you talk to any of the students in my school, they will tell you that I’m very tough as a teacher, especially when some of them decide to go off the rails and experiment a bit.

I agree it’s quite a rigid approach, and some may say it discourages creativity. Trust me, I have a reason for that: one must first understand and adopt the norms—the outside-the-box thinking comes only after that.

---

3) The Difference Between Correlation and Causation

The third thing I have to clarify is that the respected dancers are not good dancers because they break the rules; they are despite doing so. There is a difference between correlation and causation.

Breaking the rules is almost always not a good thing and one should try it with extreme caution. The “wild thing” behavior has great potential to backfire and get you into an uncomfortable situation.

For example, you can try inviting without cabeceo, directly approaching and thinking that you will not be rejected, but be prepared to get into the uncomfortable situation of being publicly humbled.

You have to be quite familiar with the subtle games that are being played all around the milonga between the dancers to get away with it. The same is valid for dancing technique: you can try doing some moves in your own way, but only if you’re sure you know how to make it work.

---

How Great Dancers Get Away with Breaking the Rules?

You have to first make a difference between the appearance and the essence. For example, the milonga etiquette might seem like useless rituals if you don’t understand the reasons for their existence.

Freedom comes with a price: you first have to understand!

The ritual of invitation by cabeceo is meaningless if you don’t do it in a respectful way: it has meaning only if you let others reject you without taking it personally. In fact, I’ve seen people use cabeceo in a horrible way—in a dramatic and obvious way, without subtlety, and noticed by everyone around—putting the lady in an awkward situation of everyone noticing that she is ignoring it.

On the other hand, if you understand that invitation is best if it’s done leaving space to be rejected without an unpleasant situation, you can get away without the ritual of cabeceo itself.

I’m not smart enough to invent a better ritual, but I’ve been invited by ladies with a very smart choice of words that showed respect for personal preference and left space to be rejected without hard feelings.

I think that this “rule-breaking thing” works even better for your dancing technique.

Fortunately, tango is not a standardized dance, and there is no one right way of dancing. People have different body anatomies, different tastes, and different talents: expecting them to dance in the same way is unreasonable and unfair.

In fact, I believe that rule-breaking here enriches the dance, the same way that dialects are an example of the richness of a language (as long as it’s understandable).

---

Do you like reading my articles? If you do please consider a small contribution to the existence of this blog. I appreciate every contribution, big or small, as much as you feel you gained value from this article.
From my heart to yours!
Ivica

Securely processed by PayPal

---

Examples of Rule-Breaking

I clearly remember when she approached me after the milonga and politely introduced herself.

“I was looking at you for a couple of tandas, but you seemed not to notice,” she added.

Well, we were at this event in Spain where you could be accepted as a participant only if you were respectful, and she was from France, from a well-mannered and educated community. I’m 100% sure she knew I noticed her mirada, but decided (I have no idea why) not to accept the invitation.

She quickly changed the topic, and I didn’t feel pressured at all. I’m sure she did this not to put me on the spot.

She kind of broke the rules, but the next milonga I invited her—and it was one of the best dances I had at that event. She is still one of my most favorite dancers to this day, and whenever I meet her at an event, I never miss a chance to dance with her.

Another example is Alito, a milonguero who doesn’t dance apilado and doesn’t even maintain a straight axis. In fact, I would say he’s leaning back.

Some of the milongueros prefer to dance in apilado, others prefer keeping the axis on their own, but you rarely see them dancing leaning back. It’s unusual, a kind of maverick move to do so. Yet, Alito gets away with it.

---

In tango, the best dancers understand and respect the rules, but they also know when and how to break them. This balance of discipline and boldness is what sets them apart.

By mastering the norms first, they gain the confidence and insight needed to deviate in ways that enhance their persona and their dance.

---

Sign up to my newsletter

or find out more about it

---

I was sitting on the bench (it was not even a chair) and thinking that this event was a waste of time and money. Not that there were no ladies who were decent dancers, but because guys danced horribly… they were not respecting others on the dance floor, doing aggressive energetic moves and leading high boleos and ganchos. The music was mostly acceptable, but the dance floor was a battlefield.

The only bright spot on the dance floor was an older gentleman, an Italian who danced calmly and with great elegance. Being aware of the situation on the dance floor, he trimmed down his repertoire to its bare bones – hardly doing any sequences. Unfortunately, that was not enough; I could see the frustration on his face when other couples would enter his space in the ronda.

I said he was the bright spot and I picked up some of his tricks to adapt to the chaos, but there was something I didn’t like about dancing so simply. You see, I like minimalism in dancing, but this was too much even for my taste.

I wonder if doing just rock steps and side steps could be considered dancing tango at all? I would say no, but let’s delve deeper into it.

Tango Minimalism is a Virtue

I wrote more extensively about tango minimalism in my article “Tango Minimalism: Small Steps to Heaven” and I still think the best dancers dance without unnecessary fluff. I think it was Michelangelo who said that “everything becomes beautiful if you remove the sufficient” and it’s true, but there’s a point where you can go overboard with it.

Tango Minimalism: Small Steps to Heaven

Dancing simply gives you the opportunity to focus on the connection and not on the flashy moves, but I don’t think that the connection is the only thing that makes tango a tango.

Moves are important as well and when the dance floor is so crowded that you can’t move, or so chaotic that moving (or even just being there) is risky, I would rather just sit or be at the bar socializing.

If I have to summarize my point, it’s that the connection is the first priority on the list, but it’s not the only thing on the list – moves are there as well.

Examples of Dancing Simply

I chose three videos to showcase my point. Before you see them, I have to say a few things about them – they’re all milongueros from the Golden Age, but in these videos, they perform – which means they dance to entertain the crowd, but I’ve seen videos of them dancing in milongas and there is not much difference.

Example 1: Ricardo Suarez

If you look at Ricardo’s videos, it seems he has only two moves, no matter if he dances milonga, vals, or tango; and no matter what orchestra he’s dancing to. Although I admire his simplicity, I still think it’s too simple – tango can offer so much more. I don’t say it’s bad – maybe he has a way to make his partners enjoy it, but I don’t see it. Maybe I am not able to.

Example 2: Ismael Heljalil

I first discovered Ismael on Tango and Chaos in Buenos Aires. Rick, the author of the site, showed him as an example of simple dancing.

I’ve watched this clip a lot of times, so I’d like to make a couple of comments. You may notice that Ismael is dancing simply—at least on the surface. Like most milongueros, he knows dozens of steps and figures, but he doesn’t use them. In fact, I don’t even see a real giro or a corrida. If I had to give names to anything the dancers do in this film, all I could say is that I see one pause, and I think Ismael’s partner does half an ocho. That’s about it. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot here. Notice how Ismael waits for the music, and builds his energy for the first step. And about 20 seconds into the video, when Laurenz puts in a short riff with the piano, Ismael takes his partner around, right with the pianist’s fingers as they run up the five keys. As you watch it, think about all of the technical aspects of tango we’ve discussed—things like posture, step, balance, connection, and compás.
Tango and Chaos

Ismael dances a bit less simply than Ricardo, but it’s still too simple for my taste. I mean, I can see myself dancing that way, but I would rather add something more. What I want to mention here is that to this day I admire his ability to move in a smooth way, connecting pauses with movement in a seemingly unnoticeable way.

Example 3: Beto Ayala

Alberto dances simply! I think his way best suits my taste and character, and I strive to achieve this. Simple as possible, but not simpler! You can count what he does on the fingers of one hand, and I believe that’s more than enough to dance well.

---

My work depends on your support! Donate and help me spread the message far and wide. I appreciate every contribution, big or small, as much as you feel you gained value from this article.
From my heart to yours!
Ivica

Securely processed by PayPal

---

Cacho Dante once wrote, “When they didn’t really know how to dance, they did 20 steps; when they knew a bit more, they did 10; and when they really knew what they were doing, they danced five… but with real quality,” and I totally agree. This shows that in tango, what matters most are the nuances and subtlety, not the number of steps.

On the other hand, I also think that Einstein was right when he said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” This reminds us that while simplicity is important, it should never be a goal in itself and come at the expense of the dance’s essence.

---

Sign up for mu newsletter here:

---

You can’t teach emotion? Yes, I agree, but I strongly believe that isn’t everything one can say about it. While teaching someone how to feel in a certain way is impossible, you can help people cultivate what they feel, express it, channel it; you can give them tools to give their emotions a form.

I always believed that there is a part of tango that is well beyond the scope of a tango teacher. In fact, I’m not sure if I consider it a dance at all.

There’s something unique happening between humans when they move together in intimate embrace – so, I would rather say that tango is meditation for two.

This means when you dance tango you learn how to better communicate with others; how to exist in a community, you learn empathy. Then, as an extension to that, tango is a great platform to work on yourself and your own flaws – because it’s a mirror in which you can see yourself without the usual self-deception we’re all so good at.

Beyond Teaching Tango

I think that if you’re a good tango teacher, part of your job description is to help your students get through all these complicated processes… Of course, you teach them steps, but your role goes much deeper. In fact, every tango school needs a tango teacher and a psychologist (or even a psychiatrist) – or if you like, a spiritual guru 🙂

Jokes aside – my point is that tango teachers are not always well-equipped to deal with problems their students have. I’m talking here about local tango teachers – Argentine celebrities come for workshops and leave, but the local teacher should continuously take care of his students’ development.

If you feel your job is to teach them the moves and make them memorize steps, you’re probably fine – but then you’ll be a bad teacher, because what they learned has to work with a partner, in the music, on the dance floor, at crowded milongas…

And then, in all of that chaos and challenges – you expect them to express their emotions!?

---

My Strategies for Teaching Emotion in Tango

I think that there are no ultimate solutions when it comes to teaching emotions, but I can summarize my own experience in three main strategies. I write them here in the hope they will help my fellow teachers, but I also want to let dancers know what they can do as well.

1) Building a Foundation

You can’t express emotion in the dance if there is no way for it to take shape, a material form. So, you don’t start with emotion; you start with learning some basic movements. I first teach my students to walk on beat. This is simple enough for them to learn quickly and gives them some basic musicality – there is no music without a beat, and there is no dancing without recognizing it.

Second, I give them a very basic pattern – the 6-step basic. I’ve seen people calling it the square step or “baldosa”… whatever you call it, I strongly believe this is more than enough to dance tango with emotion, even for experienced dancers.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the videos in my online course recorded in 2017, just to illustrate what I’m talking about:

This is all a teacher can teach – the physical movement! Now, it’s up to the dancer to learn them and channel what they feel.

2) Embracing Silence

Others should judge, but I think that I am one of those tough teachers who get people into uncomfortable situations right away to challenge them to learn. Well, not always, but I believe that people have to be pushed out of their comfort zone if they want to learn new things.

I often challenge my students to stay in an embrace doing nothing. Intimate closeness is for many people a challenge, and their brain shifts into panic mode when they have to stay silent and do nothing – but one can recognize their own emotions only if they’re able to overcome that panic.

You can’t fill a cup if it’s not empty – so help them empty the cup. Once they start feeling comfortable and relaxed in an intimate closeness, then the emotion will emerge.

So, what do they do? They act out emotion. This is one of the reasons why we see so much fakeness on the dance floor, which gives me a feeling of repulsion when I see it.

3) Raising Criteria for Learning

Once students learn how to dance in an intimate closeness, the harder job is to keep them doing it. We all want to learn quickly, and many unfortunately take shortcuts. Well, you can’t cheat your way to dancing with emotion!

I believe a good tango teacher has a responsibility to have high criteria about when students can consider a new step learned. Most of the bad dancing comes from half-assing when people learn – picking up a new step at a workshop with a tango celebrity and considering that it’s enough to incorporate it into your repertoire.

One step should be considered part of your dancing vocabulary only when you can do it without effort while maintaining calmness in the embrace and connection with your partner. If you have to sacrifice all of that for the sake of doing a step, in my book, you’re a bad dancer.

You can only express emotion when your movements are easy and natural!

---

Do you like reading my articles? If you do please consider a small contribution to the existence of this blog. I appreciate every contribution, big or small, as much as you feel you gained value from this article.
From my heart to yours!
Ivica

Securely processed by PayPal

---

While emotions themselves can’t be directly taught, tango offers great platform for cultivating emotional expression. It’s a dance of connection, a mirror to self-discovery, and a pathway to deeper communication.

I disagree with the idea that tango teachers’ role is to teach just dancing: we are facilitators, guiding students through the complexities of physical movement, emotional vulnerability, and milonga codigos. Because without that, tango classes are meaningless!