• About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • New to Tango?

SF Loves Tango

Insider’s guide to Argentine Tango in the San Francisco Bay Area

  • Home
  • Learn
    • Tango Instructors
    • Senior Tango
    • Queer Tango
  • Dance
    • Monday
    • Tuesday
    • Wednesday
    • Thursday
    • Friday
    • Saturday
    • Sunday
  • Wear
    • Tango Shoes
    • Tango Clothes
  • Live Music
  • Festivals
  • Music & Books
    • Tango Music

The Beginner’s Mind in Tango

January 15, 2018

Greetings for the New Year!  A new year is a great time to renew or begin your passion for Argentine Tango.

This post was first published in July of 2015, yet still provides great advice for Tango dancers of all levels.

Shoshin (初心) is a concept in Zen Buddhism meaning “beginner’s mind”. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.

Last night I had the opportunity to dance with a beginner dancer.  I say “opportunity”, because if you are like me and have been dancing for numerous years, you probably are a bit picky about your dance partners. And here in the Bay Area, one can get really spoiled as there are just so many really good Tango dancers. At a regular milonga I can easily have one great dance after another and be kept in Tango heaven all night, or at least until my feet scream at me to stop. So, with so many great dancers to choose from, dancing with a newbie can be low on the priority list. And quite frankly, after reaching a certain level of competence, it’s only natural to seek out dance partners that are good complement to your skill level.

RoseGardenYogaThis brings me back to dancing with a beginner. The opportunity arose as it was still early in the night and I was antsy to dance. I also like to keep an open mind as to my dance partners, as sometimes someone new can be a pleasant surprise. But in this case, it was obvious that my partner was a new dancer from the first embrace. Although the tanda was decent, especially considering my partner had only been dancing for a few months, it could have been a lot smoother and safer for both myself and the people around us. Not wanting to deter this new dancer, I refrained from any criticism or advice. But afterwards, I kept thinking about what could have made the experience better, not only for my partner and I, but for everyone around us.

The problem with learning anything new is that it sucks not to be good.

It takes time, patience and dedication, and in this world of instant satisfaction, its easy to become frustrated. We watch advanced dancers execute difficult moves flawlessly not realizing they practiced for years in order for it to look so effortless. So how does a newer dancer deal with the sucking until finally reaching competence?  Focusing on the basic elements of tango instead of just learning fancy steps is a good start.

I started out this post thinking about what a beginner dancer should focus on when first starting tango, but as I began to write, I realized these tips are relevant for all Tango dancers, no matter what level.  So these are tips for not only the beginner dancer but for the dancer with Shoshin, the beginner’s mind.

beginners_mind_experts-mind

For Leaders:

  • Practice your Tango walk, by yourself and with a partner. The Tango walk is the foundation of Tango.
  • Practice staying in the line of dance. At a practica or class, stay behind the couple in front of you and always do your best to maintain an equal distance between you and the couple in front. Plus, always look around and notice where others dancers are in relation to you.
  • Practice connection with your partner. Connection happens not only at the points of contact, but also with your spirit.
  • Practice new patterns by yourself and also with a partner. Practicing the movement over and over again helps to get it out of your head and into your body.
  • Practice awareness of your partner’s weight changes. Know which foot they are on before leading a new step.

For Followers:

  • Practice your Tango walk, front and back ochos and adornos by yourself and wearing your dance shoes.
  • Practice collecting your feet after every step. Collecting your feet makes it so much easier for your partner to tell which foot your weight is placed so that they can lead you into the next step.
  • Practice being grounded (really feel the floor with your feet, and slightly bending knees helps) and also relaxed on the upper half of your body.
  • Practice being sensitive and patient to your partners lead. From a collected state, there are many options. Let your leader decide. If you anticipate, most likely you will be wrong.

For Everyone:

  • Listen to a lot of Tango music. Get to know the top orchestras and what makes each one unique. Knowing the music helps your body to become an instrument with the music.
  • Watch good dancers. A lot can be learned from watching.
  • Pay attention to your breath, posture and quality of movement, as all three of these are interconnected.
  • Be content but not complacent. Know and understand the level you are at yet always strive to improve.

As a side note, many people, when first beginning their tango journey, flit from one instructor to the next. This is fine when first starting out, but once you find someone you like, stick with them. All Tango knowledge cannot and will not be shared in just one workshop or class series, but over time your instructor will share jewels that will resonate with you forever. The beauty of teaching Tango is that those who do it, do it because they truly love the dance and want to share this joy with you. So for all of you dancers, advanced, beginner or somewhere in between… keep on learning and exploring possibilities.

Life is full of uncertainty, so let’s remember to find pleasure and enjoyment with friends and loved ones on and off the dance floor. Blessings to all of you in 2018!

Filed Under: Learning Tango, Musings Tagged With: Argentine Tango, Bay Area Tango, Beginner Tango, Dancing Tango, Learning Tango, San Francisco Tango, SF Tango, Shoshin

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

Celebrate #bayareatango community, support everyone involved & share ♥️ of #tango with San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

sflovestango
✨ Vecher Tango at the Russian Center had another ✨ Vecher Tango at the Russian Center had another star-struck night!✨

@ariadnayfernando returned to San Francisco after their last visit in 2016 for @noras_tango_week.

On top of teaching all afternoon and performing four songs of their choice, they surprised us with an improvised encore to live music by Seth Asarnow (@sethasarnow on piano) and Adrian Jost (@fueyequerido on bandoneón), a first-time collaboration for the four artists altogether!! 👏👏♥️♥️🙌🙌 ¡Qué celebración del Tango!

Thank you Julia Schiptsova @juliasch999 and Davood Yazdani for bringing @ariadnanaveira and @fernet_sanz back to SF! We look forward to welcoming them back later this year in Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for details.

Check out our stories for video snippets from the amazing evening!
.
.
. 
#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino  #tangoperformance #bailar #bailemos #bailando #tangoshow #tangoevent #tangoperformance #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto #sanfrancisco #tangoislife #sflovestango #livemusic #duo #bandoneon #piano #improvisation
That Saturday night ❤️‍🔥 when Duo Villarr That Saturday night ❤️‍🔥 when Duo Villarreal Crom, @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom joined forces with Orquesta Típico Domo at @thetangodome !🎶🎻🎸🎹🎤
.
.
.
#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #milonga #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
Part 3️⃣ of Duo @juanvillarreal_13 & @patricio Part 3️⃣ of Duo @juanvillarreal_13 & @patriciocrom Crom at @thetangodome … a Chacarera! When the musicians extended an invitation to the audience to join them on stage, a few dancers spontaneously jumped at the chance! 👏👏👏👏
.
.
.
#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
REPOSTING… because how could one resist missing REPOSTING… because how could one resist missing the standing ovation *and* an encore because earlier post got cut off due to unknown glitch🙈… Second half of part 1️⃣ the highlights from an amazing night at @thetangodome with Duo 🎸🎸 @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom ! And our very own @scottodaymusic made it a guitar trio for the encore! 
.
.
.
#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
❤️‍🔥DJ @lebendiguna DROPS THE NEEDLE with ❤️‍🔥DJ @lebendiguna DROPS THE NEEDLE with the world’s fastest learning curve!❤️‍🔥

When Una’s laptop unexpectedly failed to connect to @thetangodome sound system, Daniel Peter’s vinyl collection and on-the-spot knowledge transfer to the rescue!! 😮🔥🧯❤️ After watching Dan just a few times dropping the needle between tracks, Una hit the track her FIRST TIME trying‼️✌️

🎥 @thetangodome 
.
.
.
#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #milonga #tangodj #tangomusic #vinylrecords #newskillunlocked #tangoislife #oldtechisgoodtech #bayareatango #oakland
Part 2️⃣ from a fun Saturday night at @thetang Part 2️⃣ from a fun Saturday night at @thetangodome with Duo Villarreal Crom, featuring Tango Guitarists @juanvillarreal_13 and… Señor D'ARIENZO?! 👀🤨 Can you guess what was happening here? 😆😉
.
.
.

#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #puppet #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
Part 1️⃣ of the highlights from an amazing nig Part 1️⃣ of the highlights from an amazing night at @thetangodome with Duo Villarreal Crom, featuring Tango Guitarists @juanvillarreal_13 and @patriciocrom ! 💎 watch till the end to see SF’s very own guitarist @scottodaymusic joined them for an encore!

🎸ABOUT THE ARTISTS🎸
Juan Villarreal and Patricio Crom began working together in 2010 playing tangos in milongas and clubs in the city of Buenos Aires. From the beginning, the Duo Villarreal-Crom, tried to find a particular aesthetic and a unique style that they have refined with the passing of the years.

Today they are one of the most renowned duos on the tango scene in Buenos Aires and the world, having made countless tours in Latin America, Europe and the United States.

They have released 4 albums: "De corte romántico (2012)", "Cinco tonos (2015)", "En la luna de Valencia (2017)" and "D'Arienzo en guitarras (2022)". In May 2023 they will present their new album consisting entirely of original works.  In 2022, they were on the cover of the renowned German magazine "Tangodanza", the world's largest tango magazine.
.
.
.
#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevents #tangomusic #tangoconcert #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusicians #travelingmusicians #duo #guitarists #livemusic #argentinefolklore #contemporarytango  #bayareatango #sflovestango #oakland #weekendvibes #goodvibesonly #performanceart #tangoislife
♥️ 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 ♥️ (link in bio🔗)

Did you know that the very first post on SF Loves Tango was published by @maikalanidesigns on 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮? And April 21, 2019, is when the brains and hands behind SF Loves Tango changed to us, @jxtango ? We would like to celebrate these anniversaries by recapping what we’ve accomplished post-COVID and start looking ahead!
.
.
.
#bayareatango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tango #tangocommunity #sanfrancisco #sflovestango #dancingislife #tangostories #beyondthedance
👋 Many of you know @aviksbasu and Mitra Martin 👋 Many of you know @aviksbasu and Mitra Martin as accomplished tango dancers and teachers. But did you know they are also professional researchers with curiosity and interest to understand tango better?

Check out this cool new research project they are working on: the 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆! (link in bio 🔗)

⏳ It takes about 20-30 minutes to answer some intriguing (anonymous) questions about what you experience as you dance - mental talk, images, sensations, etc.

🎯 Fill it out today and help them reach their goal of 1000 participants by April 30th! They’ll gather neat data to create more empathy and understanding and help the community grow.
.
.
.
#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #community #tangocommunity #project #research #qualitativeresearch #communitybuilding #sflovestango
Abrazo, the queer milonga, happens every 3rd Satur Abrazo, the queer milonga, happens every 3rd Saturday of the month, and today, April 15, @abrazoqueertango welcomed @inesmuzzopappa for the first time and the pre-milonga class was sold out!
.
.
.
#tango #argentinetangoclasses #tangoworkshop #tangoargentino #queertango #tangoevent #bayareatango #berkeley #bailemostango #milonga #learningisfun #dancingislife
✨SATURDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨ Che! Milonga is a con ✨SATURDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨

Che! Milonga is a conventional 4.5-hour long milonga with a cozy and casual vibe that happens on 1st and 2nd Saturday of the month at La Pista Tango Studio. 

Tucked away among storage and industrial spaces for local businesses, La Pista is a dedicated tango studio frequently used for classes and workshops. With lighting, seating, wall projection, and table decoration arrangements, our beloved hosts, Ramada and @tanguera_e , put thoughtful touches that give the space a nightclub ambiance.

Check out our February story drop featuring @che_tango_sf (sflovestango.com/che-tango-sf/) and tomorrow, Saturday, April 8, is your chance to dance at their Che Milonga with DJ @kostas_aretos ! 

📸 from Che Milonga on Saturday, April 1st with DJ @ayano.yoneda.tango 
.
.
.
#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangodancers #tangolovers #dancecouple #socialdancing #tangoevent #milonganight #embrace #bailar #bailemos #dance #partnerdance #improvisation #dancingislife #sflovestango
❤️ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 ❤️
Women's History Month is almost over, but celebrating the impact of women is today and every day! 

Remember the Women's Gathering hosted by @ayano.yoneda.tango in the beginning of this year? Are you curious about the 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 and 𝙬𝙝𝙮 behind these events? 
"𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 – 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 – 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳." – Ayano Yoneda

More in our latest story drop (🔗 link in bio)!
.
.
.
#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangoevent #tangostories #tangocommunity #bayareatango #tangosanfrancisco #womensupportwomen #communitybuilding #lifteachotherup #sflovestango
Load more Follow us

Connect with us

RSStwitterfacebookinstagram

Get updates to your inbox

Subscribe to SF Loves Tango

* indicates required

Categories

  • Guest Post
  • Interviews
  • Learning Tango
  • Live Tango Music
  • Milonga Spotlight
  • Musings
  • SF Festivals
  • Special Events
  • Tango Clothes
  • Teacher Spotlight
  • Visiting teachers

Recent Comments

  • xiaomin on Saying Hello
  • Jeffrey on Saying Hello
  • maika on Saying Goodbye
  • Gigi Jensen on Saying Goodbye
  • William Ward on Tango Festival Survival Guide
  • Randall Crane on Tango and the Feminist

Privacy Policy Copyright © 2023 SF Loves Tango