| It's time to tango! Few dances rival the passion and | | | | common knowledge that the successful dancers are |
| showiness of the tango, the dance that everyone | | | | those that book a month of classes and show up to |
| associates with Argentina. Celebrity dancing shows like | | | | every one. |
| Dancing With The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing | | | | 4) It takes two; find a partner |
| are popping up all over the world, showing us all that | | | | Once you've put in the time with your own steps, it's |
| anyone can have a go, but where do you start? Try | | | | time to get someone else involved. Even though tango |
| these useful pointers... | | | | isn't a subtle way to meet people, make sure you |
| 1) Listen to the music a lot to get the "feel" | | | | dance with lots of different partners so that you don't |
| Familiarity with music gets your body moving nicely to | | | | get lazy being accustomed to the way one other |
| it, and feeling is everything with the tango; experts say | | | | person dances; everyone is different, and if you are |
| that you must really learn to listen to the music before | | | | improvising you should be ready for that! |
| you start to dance. Do it whenever and wherever you | | | | 5) More practice; get out there and enjoy your dancing! |
| can; in the car, at work, just before you go to sleep. If | | | | Hopefully if you've dedicated yourself regularly to the |
| you find after a few weeks that you can't stop | | | | previous steps, you'll have a group of people with |
| listening, you may have just found a life-long passion! | | | | whom you can go out and dance for fun, as well as |
| 2) Get comfortable with the basic steps to find you | | | | knowing some good spots. The free-flowing aspect of |
| dancing feet | | | | the dance will come easier with time, as moves need |
| Tango as a dance is very free-form, based in | | | | to come automatically from "body memory" and not |
| improvisation. However, before you can let your feet | | | | from actively thinking about them; this naturally only |
| do the talking, you need to train yourself in the basic | | | | comes with a lot of practice. |
| moves and steps. To get helpful pointers and be | | | | Which style to learn? |
| surrounded by others to keep you motivated, find a | | | | Tango evolved in Argentina as a melting pot of cultural |
| local dance school or, even better, dance with | | | | influences from world-wide immigrants that flooded into |
| someone who already knows it. Failing either of these, | | | | Argentina at the beginning of the 19th century. Lonely |
| don't let circumstances kill your passion; try finding | | | | and looking for company in their new surroundings, the |
| instructional videos on the Internet, a much easier | | | | arrivals developed tango as a means to mix and |
| alternative to reading a list of foot movements or | | | | express themselves beyond language. Thus, tango is a |
| trying to decipher pictures. | | | | portrayal of Buenos Aires and its people. Over the last |
| 3) Persevere... | | | | 100 years many different styles have evolved, including |
| Like everything in life, only regular practice will get you | | | | Ballroom, Social and Stage. Many consider the styles |
| going smoothly, and tango is no exception. Beginners | | | | to be so drastically different that if you have learnt |
| must devote lots of time to solo practice and it is | | | | one, it won't form a basis to help you learn another. |
| widely acknowledged that big advances can, and | | | | True or not, the best way to learn Argentinian tango is |
| must, be made in tango without a partner. As you | | | | to follow it to the source. Numerous companies run |
| "walk your miles", try to move like you are already an | | | | entire tours based around exploring Buenos Aires |
| excellent dancer; the dance is as much about attitude | | | | through learning to dance the tango. As well as an |
| and communicating yourself as anything else. You may | | | | unforgettable adventure, you'll be sure of learning a |
| find yourself more convincing than you think! Also try | | | | pure-blooded form of the passionate, dramatic and |
| and make your practice a regular commitment; it is | | | | beautiful dance that everyone wants to be good at. |