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 when they go to a milonga – many of these steps are completely unusable on a crowded dance floor, so … [Read more...] about Top 10 tango skills that men often neglect
Is tango your language?
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 is to explain unknown things with something the student already understands. “Ivica, it is so strong. I think about men I’ve danced with for weeks. I imagine them! I feel them! It is not right, I love my … [Read more...] about Is tango your language?
Learning how to connect is a losing game
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 many are not able to easily let it go. The problem is what is "it?" How can we let it go if no one tells us what should we let go? Lets get in to it! We had a private class. She was an experienced dancer and I was teaching … [Read more...] about Learning how to connect is a losing game
How to get more men in tango?
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 was in a community with no more than 15 enthusiasts and no regular school or teacher. The most experienced dancers had no more than two years of dancing experience. We had to invite teachers from neighboring … [Read more...] about How to get more men in tango?
The secrets of walking
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 the beat." It is for those who are little bit more aware of the musicality – no matter how experienced. “I thought this would be long and boring … [Read more...] about The secrets of walking
Finding happiness in tango
If you are reading this article there is a good chance that you are a tango addict, one of those people to whom happiness has no meaning if it’s not connected with dancing. You probably had that moment of flow, when, while dancing tango, you saw the shapes of the world around becoming shadows - that feeling that everything is just a pale background of the drama that is happening in your embrace. I am not sure that the words, except the language of poetry, can fetch the real meaning of what I am talking about and therefore I will try to explain this with some stories - if the explanation is needed at all. The stories I am about to tell you are real and personal. They happened as I am … [Read more...] about Finding happiness in tango
