Argentine Tango dancers like ballroom dancers progress counter-clockwise around the dance floor following the line of dance.  A part of learning to dance tango well is having good floor craft so as to avoid collisions with other couples on the dance floor.

It is beautiful to see tango partners lined up in sequence and rotating as one large circle dancing to the music.  At other times, the dance floor may seem more chaotic as in tango nuevo, but beauty can be seen in the randomness of quick movements made by the dancers.

It can be frustrating after the music has started for some time and dance partners are still standing and talking blocking the line of dance.  When this happens to me, I have no other choice than to pass the couple as best I can, usually passing to the inside of the dance lane.

Ideally, Argentine Tango dancers should stay in the line of dance without passing couples and only progress forward as space opens up.  Sometimes a couple may be dancing usually slow in comparison to other dancers, so it is best to pass that couple.

For beginning tango leaders, navigating on a crowded dance floor can be intimidating and challenging.  Most of time while learning tango in class there is plenty of room to navigate.  Learning to dance tango in a small space is a skill leaders have to learn. 

Being comfortable dancing tango in a 3×3 foot square is often mentioned as a goal for beginning and intermediate tango dancers.  Though I have never been to Argentina to dance, I have been told that at some crowded milongas, dancers may only move forward a few inches during the course of a song. 

Some tango movements such as the molinete do require a change of direction that goes against the line of dance.  One advantage of leading a molinete is the leader can survey the distance between the couple in front and behind and know how much space is available for dancing.

Just by realizing when the dance floor is over crowded, then the leader and follower can reduce collisions by restraining their movements to a smaller space and saving the larger figures and movements for another dance.  That is one of the beauties of tango, it can be danced almost anywhere in a large or small space.

No matter how careful the leader and follower may be while dancing tango there will be times when there are collisions between couples.  Most of all, when collisions happen and contact is made with another couple, express your genuine concern.  Hopefully, the couple that was hit will be gracious in forgiving and forgetting the offense in return. 

For a leader, learning how much pressure to give in an embrace with the follower can be a difficult skill to learn. Some followers want and give a firm frame.  Other followers can dance well with just a light embrace.  The leader can not clearly communicate the lead without some resistance from the follower’s frame.  The follower needs a firm frame so as to feel connected and know the movements as led by the leader. 

A firm frame should not be confused with being stiff.  A stiff embrace between the leader and follower destroys their alignment. A stiff embrace means the muscles are clenched and movement is restricted.  Leaders should not have to grasp the followers stiffly, meaning to hold on to her tightly with his hands or arms so as to restrict her movement.

Leaders should keep their left arm as closely as possible to their shoulder.  Followers destroy the alignment when they push hard on their right arm which push leaders to their right. The leader reacts by holding the follower even tighter to keep the alignment.  The follower thinks she is being held too tight when she does not realize she is pushing the leader off balance.

A good connection comes from a mutual desire by the follower and leader to embrace each other.  The connection does not happen because just because the leader holds the follower tightly, rather it happens because they both want the connection to occur.  It is not like a handshake, but a decision to embrace and be connected as one.

The connection begins with a well connected embrace and by listening to the music.  It is not a firm embrace, but an embrace that is well connected and close without being firm.  When you make something rigid it destroys, rather than creates connection.  As a leader you can destroy the alignment of the follower with too firm an embrace.

For many followers, the leader’s embrace and touch with his hands or arms should be as light as possible. Imagine touching only her clothing with your right hand and only feeling the warmth of her hand with your left hand. The lead comes from your body center and not with your hands or arms or by pushing or pulling.

Other followers want a more firm touch in the embrace.  When leaders dance with a light or with no touch from their right arm, not all followers can understand the desired movement.  Leaders have to make adjustments for each follower, but a correct embrace will not destroy the alignment between partners.

A leader should only suggest the movement he would like to express and after the suggestion the follower will dance her interpretation of the music.  If you as a leader make all of the decisions, not allowing the follower to have a voice in the tango then your dances can not vary from one follower to another.  The leader must not force his will upon the follower in any way because if he does the follower has no voice in the dance.

Argentine Tango is a hobby for me, something I enjoy, so I spend time and money for instruction and attending dances. Like any hobby you can spend little or as much as you like. If you dance tango regularly there are some recurring costs that you can budget and keep your tango dancing affordable.

To improve your tango skills, you will need to take weekly classes and have some practice time. Fortunately, I lived in large enough city where one can choose from among several good tango instructors.

The instructors in our area have various rates for group classes and private instruction. Weekly group classes are usually $8 – $15 per hour and often include some guided practice time as a bonus. Hourly private instruction usually runs from $50 to $75 or more for a single or couple. Many Tango instructors offer discounts if you agree to a series of private lessons or pre-pay.

During my years of dancing tango, I have seen some financially secure tango beginners start taking private lessons right away. Some of these same students after a few lessons of private instruction are off to Argentina to take lessons and dance with the Argentineans.  They will have a good adventure, but will probably not learn to dance Argentine Tango well.

It seems some people have more money than sense as it takes time and practice to refine the coordination required to dance tango well. Weekly group instruction is the best way to learn tango and if one has the financial resources, compliment the group instruction with private lessons.

While enjoying my Argentine Tango hobby, I try to spend less than $75 per month.  I pay a modest amount of $40 per month for group tango instruction and practice time from a part-time tango teacher.  Milonga entrance fees of $5 – $10 usually also include some snacks and beverages. Entrance fees can double at special events with guest tango instructors or musicians.

Though I spend very modest amounts on my Argentine Tango hobby, there is no limit one can spend to dance tango. Once you have a good foundation in Argentine Tango, many tango dancers participate in special tango events and festivals.  They regularly attend tango events in the area, across the state, in other U.S. states or even internationally. For them, Argentine Tango is more than a hobby, it is a passion.

In Argentine Tango much depends on the connection between partners. When the connection is strong, simplicity and repetition in figures is not a problem, indeed it can be strength.   When the connection is weak, just adding complexity in figures for the sake of making up for the lack of connection or if one is insecure will not be very satisfying.

There is times when the leader and follower will not have good connection with each other no matter how competent or brilliant their dancing.  Having connection between partners is a mutual decision.  Dancing tango is not a science, it is an art and personal preferences will invariably play a major part in the establishing the connection. 

Good connection comes from listening and connecting with your partner though the music and not only the steps.  For the leader, having a variety of steps to draw upon is a perfectly natural wish.  Most leaders use only use a fraction of what they know step-wise at a milonga. Sometimes the connection needed for the step is lacking or the music is not suitable.

The second, third, fourth dance of a tanda should not be boring or demand an ever progressing expansion of steps and moves if the couple is connected through the music.  Great satisfaction can be had when both appreciate the music, play with it in their steps, and improvise spontaneously as the music suggests and as dance traffic on the floor allows.

The connection begins with a firm embrace and listening to the music. The two dance partners have to make that commitment or they are just going through the motions rather than connecting.  If the woman only follows, but does not contribute to the dance by actively engaging her partner there is no connection.

Followers need to feel the presence of the leader in the embrace.  An embrace that lets the follower feel the movements of her partner to know what he wants, but is not controlling. It should be an embrace that gives and receives.   It is though the embrace that the follower communicates back to the leader when she has finished her adornment.

Having the perfect embrace is a difficult quality to find, but when dance partners are well connected, they move as one.  Part of the problem for leaders is that followers rarely give any feedback to let them know whether or not they are dancing well.  Sometimes, it is just a matter of simply adjusting to the requirements of different partners.  

A good connection flows from the leader’s core, the center of his body, and resonates throughout his body from his fingertips to his toes so that he connects with the follower’s core.  As the leader’s body moves one way, there is an instant reaction by the follower in her body.  In the next instant, another movement by the leader produces a different reaction in the follower.

When couples are dancing well together, improvisations will appear, some based on steps one or the other have learned or they will just appear and for a few fleeting moments they will fit perfectly with the dance. Some may never be repeated again as they were born of the connectivity for that couple in those moments.  In Argentine Tango that is connection.

In Argentine Tango classes there are many steps and variations of movements taught by some teachers to beginning and intermediate students.  Other tango teachers think students should be taught to be connected to the music first before learning more steps.  They reason that tango dancers should be inspired by the music and letting it tell them what to do rather than trying to execute a lot of fancy steps.

Some followers may believe they want or need lots of steps while dancing so it is fun for them. That’s because they have not experienced the real feeling of tango.  Some more experienced followers are not really impressed by leaders doing fancy steps.

Most leaders will only use only a fraction of the steps they have been taught in classes at milongas.  Just learning steps does not help leaders become better leaders. Learning how to embrace a woman and connect movement with the music makes a good leader.

On YouTube there are many videos with fancy steps which have little to do with the way tango is danced socially at milongas.  It is understandable if men think they need to learn more steps.  Learning steps can help them become better leaders even if they do not actually use all their vocabulary at milongas. 

There are many variations of the giro, ocho cortado, and other steps.  Discovering the many variations are fun and challenging. Eventually, leaders will pick what they like and develop their own style.  Just because a leader introduces a new step that does not mean they are not connected to their partner or to the music.

A good social tango dancer tends to have more subtle moves which are well led and conductive to maintaining connection between partners. With time and many tandas most moves can be led smoothly by an experienced leader and followed by an experienced partner so that they connect as one in the embrace. 

Most tango classes focus on step and movement variations as tango is a market driven business.  For many American tango dancers, steps are more important than the connection.  Indeed, in my own tango classes when the teacher wants to stress the basics or musically the attendance will go down.  Only time will tell if learning more steps will make us better tango dancers.