Tango Getting Started Guide

Buenos Aires is the best place to learn Tango, not only because this is where it originated, but also because there are many more (literally, hundreds) and better teachers here than anywhere else in the world. And, of course, Buenos Aires has many events (more than 100 per week) to practice and hone your skills. Here you will become a better dancer and more quickly than anywhere else in the world.

Ready to learn to dance Tango? This is our recommended process for complete beginners.

Where to begin?

1. Try out some Group Classes at a low cost

Argentine Tango is considered the hardest of all the partner dances to learn. Unlike some dances such as salsa and bachata, you can’t just walk into a Tango social dancing event for your first time and figure out the steps, so it’s important to start taking classes.

Go to La Viruta on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. The teachers are good, you’ll meet lots of other beginners, and you can practice your new skills immediately after the class with the other beginners. Even though you won’t make much progress in these large group classes, they’re a great place to meet other beginners and to practice with other people.

The classes below are for complete beginners (see Hoy Milonga for latest times and addresses). Note that some of these venues and times run classes for beginners and intermediates/advanced at the same time, so make sure you attend the beginners class!

2. Take Private Classes

Once you’re serious about learning, taking Private Classes is the best way to develop a strong foundation in embrace, technique, and musicality as Tango demands intricate and accurate movements as well as a form of communication and connection between both dance partners.

Private classes are one-on-one sessions that significantly accelerate your learning progress by providing personalized attention tailored to your specific needs, such as correcting problems, refining & polishing movements, learning about connection, and helping you develop your unique style.

Fortunately, Buenos Aires has hundreds of talented teachers and private Tango lessons are quite affordable compared to other parts of the world. See the Teachers section for private classes.

TIP: If you’re bitten by the Tango bug and are ready to commit to it, taking private classes is the most effective way to improve quickly. This is especially important if you’re only in Buenos Aires for a short period of time and want to reach a point where you can enjoy the dance.

3. Practice at the more relaxed Practicas and Milongas

Practice your new skills and make friends at Practicas and some of the smaller neighbourhood milongas. La Maria, Bilongon, Yuyu, Cochabamba, and Milonga Maniatica are particularly friendly and relaxed for beginners.

We also run a friendly weekly practica called The TangoVida Practica.

Practicas and Milongas have “codigos” or codes/rules for etiquette – before going to your first practica or milonga, read the codigos. You can also read tips on how to get more dances at Practicas & Milongas in the section “How To Get MoreDances”.

4. Wear shoes that help you to pivot

If you’re trying out your first Tango classes and don’t want to invest in Tango shoes yet, you can wear shoes that don’t have a grippy bottom and thus allow you to pivot. You can also just wear socks or put large socks over your shoes. However, proper Tango dance shoes do help quite a bit and can prevent injury. For your first pair of affordable shoes, go to Flabella. If you’re coming from the US, buy these “Over Sneaker Dance Socks” on Amazon.

Tips for Learning: Practice, Practice, Practice!

Now that you have the basics going, you need to focus on practicing as much as possible. While it takes years to become a great Tango dancer, you can accelerate some parts of your learning process. A good guideline is that for every hour of class with a teacher, do two hours of focused practice to truly absorb the learnings. The best method is to find a Practice Partner or use a Taxi Dancer for this focused private practice.

How to get better faster:

  • Take private classes more regularly, at least 3 times per week or more while you’re in Buenos Aires. Note: you don’t need the famous expensive teachers unless you’re already a higher level dancer. Find a teacher who is good and can fit within your budget to take private classes 3+ times/week.
  • Find a Practice Partner when you meet people at Practicas or Milongas that you can practice with on a weekly basis. A Taxi Dancer as a Practice Partner is ideal as their skill level is higher and they will help you absorb and integrate what you’re learning in your private classes.
  • Get real world practice with a Taxi Dancer to go to Milongas, Practicas, group classes, festivals, and as a practice partner. See the page: Taxi Dancers
  • Watch videos on YouTube and Instagram – there are many great tutorials to build technique as well as videos to watch professionals perform.
  • Listen to Tango music – there are lots of great playlists on Spotify, like these: Tango Lounge Practica, Beginner Tango, and Contemporary Tango Music.
  • Practice at home in front of a full length mirror.

This webpage has a comprehensive list of Tango terms. 

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