Argentine Tango private lessons

Marcelo Solís teaching a virtual Argentine Tango lesson

Imagine Learning Tango in its Golden Era...

If you had lived in Buenos Aires, or another city along the bank of Rio de la Plata, in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, you would have danced Tango.

You would have learned from your relatives and friends.

You would have seen them practicing at home, and they may have taken you and tried to dance with you, given you some instruction, and in doing so integrated you into the culture of Tango, which was part of the culture of that geographic area at the time.

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In your teenage years, you would have gone to “practicas”, Argentine Tango practice gatherings in your neighborhood, where experienced dancers would help you improve your dance.

Money was not involved in this transference of knowledge, beyond paying the club fee at the facility where the practica took place.

The system functioned based on familiar connections and on your interest and commitment to dance well:

if you were committed to improving, you would get more practice and more precise explanations on details, and get to practice more complex dance patterns.

Your eventual connection to the milongas and the community of dancers who were regulars there was rooted at the practicas in your neighborhood.

A relative or friend you make at practicas would take you to your first milonga, and over time help you to integrate.

El Cachafaz with Carmencita Calderón dancing Argentine Tango

On the other hand, there were Argentine Tango maestros, to whom those, outside of the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and other cities, upper-class citizens or foreigners, would approach for classes.

These maestros were great dancers themselves.

We know who they were:

Among others.

In the 1960s, there was a gentleman called Gaeta, who taught Tango by mail, copying the idea from Arthur Murray, and would send you paper patterns to place on the floor to guide your footwork.

However, I don’t know anyone in the milongas who learned this way…

How to learn to dance Tango today?

In our private lessons we combine elements of the practicas, tutoring, observing, and dancing with you, with the more straight forward dance lesson mode of the maestros.

The first approach is necessary because Tango is a culture, as shown at the practicas, and the lesson mode is necessary too because we don’t live along the bank of Rio de la Plata in the 1930s, 40s, or 50s.

Learn more about the History of Tango

Our goal is to share with you the powerful beauty of Tango, as it is a jewel that needs to be passed as part of the best of our human nature.

During private lessons we focus on:

Good, relaxed posture.
Awareness about your body, surrounding space, and your partner's presence.
A nice embrace that connects you to your dance partner.
Musical sense: how to listen to Tango music.
Moving interpreting the music:
- Walking.
- Walking with your partner.
- Pausing.
- Changing weight.
Footwork and technique.
Basic Argentine Tango patterns.
More complex patterns and combinations.

Also, we introduce you to the essential socio-cultural aspects of Tango:

The milongas where you will dance.
Códigos of the milongas (etiquette).
Tango music and the Orquesta Típicas of the Golden Era.
Historical background of Argentine Tango.

We are confident in your ability to become a great dancer.

Our teaching method and information we share with you will guide you to become a great dancer, a true milonguero or milonguera.

We know you will share our love for Tango.

The duty of a Tango maestro is to introduce you to the milongas and help you to be part of this community.

Neither group classes nor private lessons alone will make you a good dancer. You need both.

If you take only private lessons, you make Tango a private relationship with your maestro, which is not enough to understand what is Tango, and make you a milonguero/a.

If you only take group classes, you are not going to get deep enough into the fine details and the profundity of Tango to make you a good dancer.