Ohhhh Behave!
Ahhhh Argentine Tango, the dance of love, beauty, passion and intimacy. Learn to dance Tango and your life is sure to be enhanced. But… before taking your new moves out onto a social dance floor, here are a few etiquette tips to keep in mind.
1. Keep Tango embellishments to a minimum on a social dance floor.
While we all know how cool it feels and looks to nail the perfect boleo at just the right time with the music, it is simply unsafe, and frankly, rude to “kick up your heels” on a crowded dance floor. Other tangueros may be right behind you and someone can mistakingly get a heel to the rear. Not fun! Other embellishments including sweeps and the like are also risky while at a Milonga as others will not expect misplaced feet to be in their path as they travel down the line of dance. Dancing Tango can be exciting and dramatic when called for, but, on a tight floor, navigate and lead with kindness and respect for others.
2. Stay with your partner throughout the tanda.
Argentine Tango etiquette states that it is polite to stick with the same partner throughout an entire tanda (set of music by the same artist). This gives new partners a chance to connect with each other and get into their groove. It also prevents people from walking through the dance floor within the same tanda. While it is ok to chat in between pieces, it is frowned upon to walk across the dance floor in one set of music. So, keep with your same dance partner and enjoy the journey!
3. Reserve your “thank you’s” to the end of the tanda.
So as not to signify the end of your time dancing with your current partner, save a polite “thank you” for the end of the set of music. Saying “thank you” mid-tanda means that you are ready to move on to a new partner and that may not be your intention.
4. Give her “the look” for a dance.
Unlike in the ballroom dance world, asking for a dance in Argentine Tango is all about eye contact. Guys, seek out the partner you would like to dance with and make eye contact with her. If she accepts, she will look back and stay looking. If she is not interested, she will not maintain eye contact with you and you can move on to the next Tanguera.
5. Keep the flow in the line of dance.
Since Argentine Tango can be a traveling dance, move counter-clockwise around the perimeter of the floor along the “line of dance”. This important etiquette tip will keep you dancing with everyone else instead of, what I call, “swimming upstream” and bumping into oncoming traffic. You may pass slower dancers politely, but do not look to “cut them off”. There is no finish line and it is not a race: it is an adventure. Enjoy it!
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