"If the music is 2/4 it won't matter we will always be in rhythm and in time."

Yes, but you will be off phrase which is the same problem.

"It is not possible to step out on a 3 4 beat because there isn't one."

Mathematically no. Musicall, you can still step out of something that has the feel of a 3 4, which would be a consequent measure of 2/4 rather than an indicent measure. In 4/4 think in measures, in 2/4 you must think about pairs of measures.

The constraint is the same either way, it's just the units of measuremenet are different.

Anonymous. It is far better to keep explanations simple, otherwise they will not be read. Twice you have mentioned in Phrase. Your idea of Phrase must be different to mine. Phrase is how music is written in eight bar sequences. 1234 2234 3234 through untill eight. Then it starts again on a new Phrase. Out of Rhythm means dancing on the beats 3412. Out of time would be 2341 which is correct in Latin. but not in Modern. I don't see how a person dancing to a 2/4 Tango can go out of Rhythm or Phrase. Nobody is going to be dancing out of time which would be 21 21 instead of 12 12, only an idiot
4/4 Tango can not only go out of Rhythm but can also go out of Phrase and time. Obviously if I am right and I am out of Rhythm, that's dancing on the wrong beat of 34 when it should be 12. When I reach the end of the Phrase and start the new I will be dancing 34 into the new Phrasing instead of 12. You can work the rest out yourself. If you haven't noticed any groups being taught today are in eights, even Latin . My main argument is that this problem has existed ever since Orchestras started recording in 4/4 tempo, and the books have not addressed the problem. The competition dance teachers have, but it is not coming from where it should. It wouldn't hurt if a white paper covering this were made available. I believe 4/4 Tango's are here to stay because thats what the listening public want. For some reason 2/4 is not liked. I do know that one of the leading dance music Orchestras actually withdrew and re-cut a 2/4 Album. Did I say keep it simple.

"Twice you have mentioned in Phrase. Your idea of Phrase must be different to mine. Phrase is how music is written in eight bar sequences. 1234 2234 3234 through untill eight."

The phrase unit is not always 8 measures, and there is not alway just one unit.

In tango, invariably their is a unit that is equivelent to a 4/4 measure. It may literally be a 4/4 measure, or it may be a pairing of two 2/4 measures. But there is such a unit, and it should be honored. There may also be larger units too, which would also need to be honored.

Put simply, there is no pracitcal difference between so called 2/4 and 4/4 tango - both impose the same constraint on a dancer with a good ear, because both have a unit of the same size, it just has a different name for each type.

Simplest answer and also the safest? Ignore the difference and dance everything as if it had 4/4.

Keep in mind that the well written books are not intended to teach dancing, they are a reference guide for teachers and never remotely pretended to be comprehensive. There are legal patterns for all dances except the waltz which will put you off the music, and not a word said about that... it is up to the musicianship of the dancer, which is not an exam skill and not in the teachers manual.

i can dance better hahahahahaha

Anonymous. So we can come onto common ground. I take it that you use the word measure refering to a bar of music. One mesure = one bar. Most if not all dance music is written in eight measure phrasing.. I've counted Elvis singing a Waltz. Elton John singing a Rumba though neither of these were maybe not intended to be danced to as written above. I have a Neil Diamond song which would be great to dance to except it isn't in eight measures but part way through goes four than another four than back to eight.It is sung in 4/4 tempo. But as I said all music suitable to dance to should be eight measures phrased.