Being a newbie in anything can be scary. But just like with most things if you want to learn it, you will, and if you want to do it, you will.
Let’s talk about intention.
I find that if someone is trying something out for someone else than the journey will be very challenging. I sometimes meet a student who desperately wants to connect with their life partner, who happens to be obsessed with tango. Or in being a good partner and eager to please, the partner obliges. But rarely, rarely does this journey go as well as either partner expected.
Speaking of Expectations, they often have a lot to do with this, too.
Sometimes I find that a new student will say, “my partner does it, so how hard can this be?” I think, it is harder to learn with this attitude.
Learning anything new is a process.
And a process that takes time. And no one can determine how long that process will take. I do know that if you ethusiastically take 3 hours of tango class/week and practice 1 -2 hours in that same week that you will be able to navigate a dance floor and a decent embrace in 16 weeks. I see it all the time. BUT if this same student is not enthusiastic and trying to learn the same way you memorize vocabulary from flashcards, then, the point of tango is being missed.
As a trained teacher and dancer, I struggle with students who “want it now”. And well, I can easily give you a bunch of patterns that will make you look like you’re dancing NOW but I know that you will not be happy with the end results and neither will the partners you find on the dance floor.
So my advice is to 1)question your motives? Why do you want to learn this dance? and Do you have a demanding partner or time frame?
2) Ask around, find a teacher that works for you. There are plenty of teachers who claim to teach Argentine Tango, but I encourage you to take the time to question what they do, where they learned and from whom. What is their experience?
3) And finally, decide what you want to do. Do you want to socialize? And become a social dancer? Do you want to do competition? Would you rather learn a host of ballroom dances? Or what about performance or stage tango?
Answers to these questions will also help to shape your plan and make you a better informed student.
New Beginner classes starting in July.
Look forward to Date Nights and Beginner Bootcamps!