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This dance is a testimony to - the encounter - or the disencounter - between man and woman. The dancers - search for each other with the intensity born of passion. Yet, they walk away from each other at the end of the dance.

Instructions for TANGO

1.The skeleton of the dance is a walk of the follower that is designed by the leader.

2.The leader creates the next layer by building a step of his (traditionally his, that is) or hers (I like that!) in the spaces between the followers confidently laid out pattern.

3.The follower, and the leader, now decorate these two interwoven steps with a layer of adornments.

Therefore, by this reading of the dance, the basics are as follows.

The follower:
1.Must learn the frame, i.e. concepts of keeping space open for footwork, and of honoring the embrace.

2.Must learn how to keep a steady walk going while learning the limited vocabulary that is always used by the leader ....for the follower, that is:
Walks, forward and back,
Ochos, forward and back,
Giros, right and left,
When to cross in response to the leader's choice of position

3.Must be able to walk all of these steps while interpreting the beat of the music.

The leader:
1.Must be able to lead the follower's steps so as to create the comfortable smooth walk which he or she will then use...the skeleton of his step.

2.Must have the basics of navigation down, meaning do these without stopping her walk, i.e.:
how to move forward and stay in place,
how to turn right and left,
how to look where he or she is going while leading the steps,

3.Must understand how to change the orientation of his or her feet from parallel to crossed and back again, without disturbing the followers walk,in various ways and with confidence.

4.Must learn to shift position from side to side without disturbing her walk, etc.

5.Must be able to give the follower a sense of the beat desired while also keeping his or her own steps in the music.

6.Must be striving for a minimum of force in the lead and an elegant attention to the follower's pleasure throughout.

7.And, oh yes, one must know how to walk to the cross.

Sounds complicated, huh?

It's not, you learn one step at a time and then intergrate each step as you learn it.

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