Contradictory tango techniques can be both frustrating and fascinating to tango dancers! They can certainly keep tango interesting for more experienced dancers, who through trial and error have come to understand that there are many ways to dance tango and enjoy playing and experimenting with new ways to move in tango. But these contradictions can drive other dancers crazy - especially those less experienced. I'd be surprised if there is any partner dance with less uniformity and agreement on style than tango. Some tango dancers (usually those relatively new to the dance) argue that there should be a uniform standard and agreement on how tango is danced, accredited teachers and the like. But that in my mind would throw the baby out with the bath water. A large part of the charm (and yes frustration at times - nothing is perfect!) is the stylistic diversity and individuality of expression within tango. That is one of the factors that makes tango unique as a partner dance. Terpsichoral Tango Addict's post below reminded me of how differently I now approach contradictory technique as opposed to when I first started learning tango. I remember back about fifteen years ago whilst in Buenos Aires how devastated I was to learn that Gustavo Naveira had a completely different walking technique to Cacho Dante! Terpsi here puts it all into perspective. I hope that anyone frustrated by tango's contradictions reads this. I also hope this post encourages readers not to discard a teacher just because they differ on some technical points from their previous teachers. My suggestion is to try out new ways of embracing, walking, turning and see if they work for you. But also be mindful that even a small change to your technique may have consequences to other parts of your movement. Terpsi's post is essentially a cry out against tango dogmatism / fundamentalism. I write more about this here: Beware of tango dogmatism.
☆ Click here to find out about our upcoming tango courses in Bondi and North Sydney - from beginners to advanced levels. ☆ To stay posted on our special events, promos and all-things-tango - Subscribe to the SoTango Newsletter |
Blog > Tango Technique >