Maybe Don has dyslexia.

By the way, Puzzled, are you perhaps Anonymous?

'Phantom of the Ballroom'

Yes!

Puzzled . There are three people sending messages , all dancers using this computer. I just do most of the typing. Next week there could be four. I have unlimited hours at a very reasonable rate .Hence the popularity of my computer.

Yichen 1. Set up for the Tango. I take it that you already know the foot position. For the man, right toe level with the instep of the left.The Lady the natural opposite. In the Waltz the man's right wrist is under the ladies armpit. In the Tango the ladies armpit is on the man's elbow which means the man's right hand is further around the lady. The ladies left hand is more towards the man's right armpit, depending on the length of the arm.The left, right hand arm is much lower than in the other dances. Down through the knees and stay that way. Keeping the feet still, turn the body slightly anti-clockwise. If we were to do about a half a dozen walks we would complete a full circle. The Tango is a stepping dance, so don't glide like a Foxtrot. Think of a Panther stalking its prey. There was a teacher who was reputed to have one of the best Tango's of his day used to count the Tango . That is two Walks and a Link as Stop. Stop. Quick Stop. Even though we all know the timing is S S Q Q. This was repeated in a Closed Promenade. The idea being that he wanted us to keep the back foot behind and not bring it up too soon as in a Foxtrot. There are also terms used like inside edge of foot. Ball flat. and just Heel. This where a good teacher is needed. Best of luck with this. Get those Basics right before you start doing anything too adventurous.

Hi Don
"In the Tango the ladies armpit is on the man's elbow "
Do you mean that literally? Of course it's a more compact hold in tango, but that would bring me very close in to my partner. However, i'm looking for improvement in my tango, so i might try this at our next prsctice

Lady is closer to being in the crook of the man's elbow, yes, but she probably can't quite be there unless her back is very wide or his forearm very short. His fingers will cross her spine unlike in the swing dances - his palm might even be on it. But he shouldn't have his entire hand on the opposite side of her back.

I find actually that the crook of the lady's elbow is often positioned exactly in line with the point of mine, covering it.

On the tango position: ideally the counterclockwise rotation would be of body (hips) only and not really including the shoulders so much. Turning shoulders clockwise tends to break the connection, wheras a really good, wound up tango action is achieved by turning the hips to tuck the right knee behind the left. You do this windup while over the standing foot, then you step forward into what will naturally be CBMP... walk. Take a diagonal step continuing in that direction without turn... walk. Then wind up turning the hips again and step Q, snap to promenade Q... link.

Anonymous. You brought to mind one other thing and that is because of the body position the step is in CBMP. To add to this I have been told that my second step is predetermind by my first step , it must track and not step wide as most people that I see do. The knees are veered into each other in the Tango dances. If anybody has seen Robert Duvall in Assasination Tango they might remember the comedy piece when Robert Duvall is leaving his friends and with both knees together takes off up the street. By the way , even without the dancing, which is the Argentine Tango, it is an exellent film. And dancing there is plenty of.

Phil. There are some good comments below or is it above. Just to add to that is the size of the partnership does make a difference to the stance. I once went to a teacher who tried to make every couple have exactly the same setup. This was in the Waltz which was plain stupid. My present teacher does put her armpit on about the joint of my elbow.
If Yichen is watching this I should have mentioned that on the Link stay down. The movement should have a slight feel of going against the LOD at ground level and stay closed. All that is neccessary then is both to step one floorboard wide allowing a straight passage for the inside leg into a Closed Promenade with the lady slightly behind the man at the beginning.

Great thanks for your expert advice which are very significant to guide my practice.

the first, Im sorry for my english, cause I come from slovakia in Europe:)The differecne is, that the lady is hodlding her partner under her shoulder and thier feet are always on the floor, but you can look at the videos and you will see