Teaching Method

Last Updated: 6/28/98

These are my ideas about how Tango should be taught in a group situation.

During the past five years I have attended nine tango weeks in this country. The usual method is to separate the men and women, then teach each group to do their own steps. I often find this method confusing, because when we come back together:

  1. I don’t know what my partner is supposed to do, I should.
  2. I’ve learned where to put my feet, but I don’t know how my steps relate to my partner.
  3. My partner does know what her steps are, and she may do them regardless of my lead, or even contrary to it.

I've been left with the problem of figuring out what I should lead my partner to do, and when and where I should step in relation to her. After that I have to get my partner to pay attention to my leads. I've noticed that other men have the same problem.

Teaching the sequence to women is contrary to what happens in the actual dance. I don’t think learning steps helps them at all to ultimately be better dancers. I believe it even hinders them, because they practice dancing in the wrong frame of mind. I’ve seen some women spend a whole week learning sequences, which are useless on the dance floor, but fail to improve their technique. If a woman's job is to follow well, using good technique, I think that's what they should study. I know some women are wondering why they attend dance weeks if it’s only to be a warm body while their partners struggle to figure out what’s happening.

I think the essential process on the dance floor is this:

  1. The man decides on a step and leads the woman to do it.
  2. The woman follows his lead to the best of her ability, dancing to the music.
  3. The man includes his own movement and steps with that of his partner, following her movement carefully.

I believe it would be beneficial if the teaching method was more in line with the reality of the dance floor, instead of opposed to it.  

My preference would be this. Separate the men and women, but work with the women on improving their technique only. Teach the men first what they should lead their partners to do, i.e. back-ocho, molinete-right, forward-ocho. Then teach the men to include their own footwork and movement with that of their partners.

I am particularly interested in knowing differing points of view that other teachers may have.

email: Please send me your comments or questions.

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