How to Do the Tango

Hot-blooded, Latin music and graceful, sweeping steps across the dance floor equal the tango. Here's how to learn a move or two in the tango, the dance of love.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Comfortable shoes that won't slip on your feet
• Loose, comfortable clothing
• Tango music
• A large, smooth floor on which to practice

Tango is a very sensuous dance, so think romance!

1. Stand up very straight, and take a deep breath. Ladies, hold up your right hand, and put your left hand lightly on the gentleman's right shoulder. Look to your left, with your chin up. (Genuine tango dance position is a modified version of this but, for the basic steps, we'll use basic dance positions.)

2. Stand up very straight, gentlemen, and take a deep breath.Grasp the lady's right hand loosely in your left hand and put your right hand at the small of her back, just at the waist. You will look to your left as well.

3. Bring your feet together as your starting point, ladies. Tango is danced to a count of slow-slow-quick-quick-slow/touch. Steps are more like glides across the dance floor, just above the surface, and very graceful. Pick up your right foot and move it back in a straight line. That's your first slow step.Shift your weight to your right foot, pick up your left foot, and move it back in a straight line, passing your right foot. That's your second slow step.

4. Put your feet together to start, gentlemen. Pick up your left foot and step forward in a straight line, being careful not to step on the lady's toes. That's your first slow step. Shift your weight to your left foot. Pick up your right foot, and move it forward, gliding above the dance floor and passing your left foot. That's your second slow step.

5. Shift your weight to your left foot, ladies, to continue your part, and pick up your right foot. Move it in an "L" shape, pulling it back to meet your left foot and then forming an angle and moving it out to your right. Put your weight on your right foot. This is your first quick step.Now pull your left foot over to meet your right foot, and put your weight on your left foot again. This is your second quick step.

6. Shift your weight to your right foot, gentlemen, and pick up your left foot. Move it in an upside-down "L" shape (just like the lady does but in a mirror image), and push it forward to meet your right foot, forming an angle and moving it out to your left. Put your weight on your left foot. This is your first quick step.Now pull your right foot over to meet your left foot, and put your weight on your right foot again. This is your second quick step.

7. Lift your right heel up off the floor gracefully but leave your right toe touching the floor and your left toe as well, ladies. This is your slow/touch step. You've just completed your first tango step on the dance floor. You'll notice this frees your right foot to take your next long, gliding step back, beginning your next basic tango step.

8. Lift your left toe slightly up off the floor and leave your heel touching the floor and your entire right foot as well, gentlemen. This is your slow/touch step. And congratulations to you too! You've just completed your first tango step.

9. Practice your basic step many, many times, for this is the step all the others are built upon. Try to glide and gracefully sway when moving across the floor. Learn to move together on this basic step, and the more intricate ones will come more easily and naturally to both of you.

Tips & Warnings

• Counting your steps to yourself, "Slow--slow--quick-quick--slow," will help you remember and match the beat of the music to your steps.
• Try to swing your leg smoothly from the hip, in one long motion, when you are taking your slow steps.
• There isn't the swaying hip movement in tango that there is in the rumba or cha-cha.
• Don't clutch or grab at your partner.
• Don't watch your feet! Watching your feet will only make you lose your balance.