It’s much more simple than you think.
This last weekend I had an absolutely amazing time at the Buffalo Tango Marathon. However, I did get a few apologies for simple steps, despite having an amazing time dancing with my partners. There is a pressure on the leaders to perform complicated patterns, but I do not want us to loose the essence of social dancing. Enjoying something with our partner. Appreciation of sharing this time with another human.
I danced with a beginner who apologized that he did not have a huge step vocabulary. My response was along the lines of “At the end of the day the follower just wants to be held in a sweet embrace by someone that cares about her comfort. We are simple really. I promise we don’t need complicated steps. If you remember that as you learn, your tango will be comfortable. Wait- this is also good life advice…”
That’s it.
If you are prioritizing her comfort over your fancy steps she will always be happy. There are tandas I do to exercise my athleticism. There are tandas I do to practice my speed and precision. There are tandas that I do with strangers. There are tandas that I do with strangers that have become friends. But the common thread of all of the enjoyable dances is that my body was prioritized, not fancy steps. The other person was happy dancing with me. We enjoyed sharing this moment in time.
“Dancing with the feet is one thing, dancing with the heart is another”
dagny arizona 