Good technique is not about dancing a specific style or learning lots of fancy moves. It's about using relaxed, natural movements and connecting with your partner, and the music. If you can master the basic techniques, you will be able to dance complex figures with confidence. More advanced dancers will also benefit from being able to improve the quality of their movement.  

 

The first part of the class focuses on fundamental aspects of tango movement like posture, axis, presence, walking, giros, ochos and leading and following skills. More complex combinations and jumps may be included for some students depending on individual participants' level of experience. The exercises will be tailored to the level of the class and the needs of individual students and are designed to improve posture and balance, enabling you to control your own movements and therefore dance without leaning on or offering heavy resistance to your partner, so that you are both more stable and more comfortable to dance with. They also train the body to move in ways specific to tango, such as using dissociation and initiating movements in the upper body, in order to develop muscle memory and train your body to execute the movements in a smoother, more fluid, more effortless way. Good technique is not an end in itself. It is a tool which frees you to focus on more artistic elements of the dance, such as the music, the choice of steps and the connection with your partner.

 

The second part of the class will focus on musicality, with exercises designed to hone your listening skills and teach you to express what you hear in the music through the way you move and the types of steps you chose.