I often hear the complaint, “I don’t have a tango partner, so I can’t practice/get better at tango.” Although practicing dancing with someone IS helpful, I have not found that the key to improving my technique. I got better at tango, faster, when I started practicing solo. During lockdown, I taught twice-weekly solo classes on Zoom, and all the dancers danced better than they had before lockdown, when we could come out and dance together.
Practicing by yourself is not sexy or exciting. It is hard to begin. I like to run once I have started, but I find it hard to get out the door to get started. For tango, you need to take five minutes to do the work, and like running, once you start, you might continue for longer than planned.
Practicing in the car
Yes, that’s what I said! One of the main ways you can improve your tango is by learning the music better. Instead of setting aside more time from your busy day, why not incorporate practice into what you are already doing?
When you drive somewhere, put on a tango, and listen to it. As you get familiar with the music, you will dance on a deeper, more musical level. Look for the subtle layers in the song. Is there a stretchy, smooth section? Is the music staccato and jumpy? Does the singer mess around with the beat while the piano keeps time? Even a staid, regular tango has myriad points of departure to make a lovely dance.
I have made Spotify lists of about one hundred songs from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s that DJs often play at a milonga. I share them with students so that they can do this practice efficiently. Do you want my lists? Look for them under my name on Spotify.
If you do not drive, put tango on while you make coffee in the morning, or just one tango at lunch. Who knows? You might end up listening to five or six, or more!
Less than five minutes
The things you need to dance well with a partner include good balance; strong feet, ankles, and core; a long, stretchy body so there is room for legs to move with less work; and body awareness to efficiently move with ease. Here are some ways to squeeze practice time into your life without changing your schedule:
Work on your balance by standing on one leg while you brush your teeth twice a day. Added fun: do adornos!
Do heel raises to strengthen your feet and ankles while you wait for your coffee water to heat. Added challenge: do this with your eyes closed.
At work, anchor your hips to your chair and twist your torso to loosen up and find your pivoting muscles (and get a stretch). Yes, you need to twist your hips with anchored shoulder blades for pivoting, but these are the same muscles and you will not shock your colleagues as much as lying on the floor to do that :-)
Lift your pelvic floor muscles and lengthen up your spine while waiting in line at the grocery store. Imagine you are super tall, very fabulous and regal.
I have promised a video review of the Pivots and Pinot class, and I am working on that. Making a video takes more than five minutes, unfortunately! However, if you do one exercise a day for five minutes, you will build a stronger, easier way to pivot. Thank you to the dozen participants and the elongated social “hour” afterwards: you are all a joy to hang out with and chat about non-tango parts of your lives.