How to Do a Basic Walk in the Tango

Tango is a walking dance. In fact, walking is such a large element of it that dancers spend decades perfecting their walking technique. Because it's based on a regular walk, the basic tango walk shouldn't take you too long to learn, even if you may spend a lifetime perfecting it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Turn on some tango music and walk to the music by yourself before you walk with a partner. Social tango, as opposed to ballroom tango styles, is a relaxed dance, so just use your normal walking style if you're dancing socially. For ballroom dancing, maintain a ballroom stance as you practice.

2. Focus on moving your feet in two tracks. When you're walking forward, you want to go straight forward rather than out to the sides; when you're walking backwards, you want to go straight back.

3. Walk with your body rather than just with your legs. The movement for the tango walk should come from your core rather than from your knees or your thighs.

4. Embrace your partner, using your preferred embrace. Some styles of tango encourage partners to lean in to one another and other styles encourage partners to dance on axis. Regardless of your embrace, you should meet each other's energy and feel a connection as you dance.

5. Shift weight to make sure that you're both on the same foot, then begin walking to the music.

6. Use the same approach to dancing with a partner as you did to walking to the music alone. As a leader, walk confidently forward or your follower won't know what you're asking her to do. As a follower, move your body forward even as you're stepping back to stay connected with your partner.

7. Lead your follower in side steps and forward steps once you feel comfortable with the walk. To lead a side step, bring your feet together, pause briefly and then step to the side. You can gradually do away with the pause as you practice. To lead a forward step, bring your feet together and take a step backwards, keeping an embrace but not pulling her forward.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your whole foot as you dance whenever possible. Followers should put their heels down, using them to step, rather than just dancing on their toes.
• As a follower, it's easy to fall into a forward step rather than stepping gracefully into it. To prevent falling into a step, soften your standing knee and move slightly back as if you're going to sit down at the same time as you extend your leg. However, in an especially close embrace or with a forceful leader, you might not be able to do this.