I'm interested in learning Argentine Tango. Do I understand correctly that there is no basic pattern?

I understand that it can be tricky to learn. What is the aspect that makes this so?

"Dancing is a contact sport; football is a hitting sport" - Vince Lombardi

I know very little about Argentine tango, but from what I've heard, you're correct. I believe that you could put together a basic, repeatable pattern, but it could be anything. It's not like waltz where you can just do Natural Turn / Closed Change / Reverse Turn / Closed Change all around the room. It's more international tango where there isn't a good, obvious, repeatable basic pattern. But considering how little I know, I could be wrong.

As for difficulty learning, my understanding was that to *really* do AT well, you have to actually lead/follow every single step. Not patterns/figures like in international style where once you lead the beginning, the woman knows the rest of the figure. I believe that in AT you can stop in the middle of most figures and throw in something else, changing things on a whim. So that would require very good leading and following skills as well as good improvising skills. That's one reason I probably won't learn AT any time soon (apart from not knowing of regular classes in it around here) -- too much improvising for my taste.

I bet there are other people who know more and could give you better information, but I hope this is of some help.

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

I'm not an expert, but have taken a few Argentine lessons. From what I've learned, there are a variety of differences between Argentine and whatever else you've been dancing.

For starters, Argentine is danced to the music's melody, not the beat. You can therefore dance it to anything, even waltz music. Yes, there are "figures" -- at least as taught in the US - I don't know how its done in Argentina, but I tend to suspect that the same holds true there. As you advance, improvization becomes highly valued. Figures can be led by either partner, and start with either foot. It is much more "folk" dance than "ballroom,;" in the sense that it is much more casual, you dance with much more eye contact, etc. It's different, and fun. I'd do more of it, if it weren't for my rather isolated location.

Somebody else might give you different/better answers. If you go to an Argentine website like Bridge to the Tango, you can see further discussion of things like whether or not there are steps. There has to be something (otherwise it would no form or structure), though it might be better to think of them as components rather than steps. And everybody does the components a little differently. Examples of "figures/components" might include: La salida, La cunita, La resolucion, El ocho, etc.

My two cents, for what it's worth

I took a series class a while back from an older Argentinian couple. And they repeated 3 things continually, 1) There are no patterns. 2) Do not start going by taking a backwards step. 3) Don't dance unless there is music playing.

And what you find is that there is a LOT of infighting amongst those who teach about styling and patterns. An example is starting out by doing a back-side-forward, apparently another teacher taught to start this way, but is frowned upon by 75% of the AT community. Why? Crowded dance floors, more than likely there will be some lady behind you. And don't get me started about partner connection differences.

But as for no patterns, think of AT more like WC Swing than Tango. Here the partners are having a conversation, as a leader you can suggest a pattern, but the lady has the right to embelish with toe points, flicks, leg crawls, and you have to be polite and let her finish.

Also, there is a different set of etiquette at an AT Party (aka a Milonga) They will play 3 or 4 songs in a row (a set?) lasting about 20 mins, and I think you are supposed to dance with one partner for that whole time. I got chided at for being rude at my first and only Milonga.

You're best bet is to find a dance who is already in the know and ask them for advice.

After spending some time in Argentina I learnt that AT is not at all like other dances. You do have an advantage having danced Ballroom and Latin but the only thing you should use, from your previous dancing, is the knowledge anbout lead and respond. Forget all about steps, patterns and syllabus. As mentioned before there are not many predefined steps. However there are some basic patterns.

The most important thing in AT is weight change. YOu change wieght from one foot to another whenever you want and the girl has to follow, but you cant start unless you are absolutely sure which foot the gilr is on and that she is following you. By maintaining a frame, which again is different, you can move the girl backwards, forward, side etc. The girl is always following the man's chest. There is little head styling and the girl is faceing the man's cheast or head all the time.

The girl has her weight on the toes and very seldom on her heels. The man can pull her in to closed embracement or push her out in an more open(latin style) position during the same song.

There is also something called tango-waltz in AT. The tango steps and style is still used but the timing is more even and faster(can be) than in the tango.

There are alot of rules in a milonga. If you want I will tell you about that in another response.

AT is fun and passionate. My experience is dancing cheek to cheek with one of the greatest tango dancer in Bueno Aires, Argentina.

Would love to hear it.

"Dancing is a contact sport; football is a hitting sport" - Vince Lombardi