Tango Dancer - What level am I?

Assessing level in Tango is an enormously tricksy thing to do.

There are some who say, if you can lead or follow a back sacada, followed by a volcado then a double boleo you're an advanced dancer!

I am not in this school of thought.

There are many who are capable of forcing a follower into any of these movements (sometimes with a bit of verbal encouragement) and there are followers who fling their legs about demonstrating high boleos whenever the opportunity arises, many of these folk like to think as themselves as advanced dancers, and some of them may have been dancing a number of years. I'm afraid in my opinion at least, these dancers are not advanced dancers at all - quite the opposite.

I think in the UK at least, for this is the Tango scene I know best, the vast majority of dancers are somewhere between beginners/intermediate/improvers!

Harsh you may think, but I would include myself in with these groups. The term beginners would include anyone who's been dancing under roughly 18 months (regularly). The term intermediate/improver, would include such a huge range of abilities from 18 months onwards, up to some still dancing after 30+ years.

And this would make sense really, as int/improvers are going to be average dancers, and an average dancer is what most people will be by default, or it wouldn't be an average. And the average level from place to place may vary slightly, and of course by that measure, the advanced dancers would be rare, and they are..

So how do I become an advanced dancer?

I believe what turns you into an advanced dancer is all in the saying 'It ain't what you, do but the way that you do it!"

An advanced dancer for me at least..

Is someone who listens to the movement of their partner and responds sensitively to them, whether leader or follower.

Is someone who is listening to the music (by which I mean REALLY listening to the music) and dancing TO the music, not despite it.

Is someone who can understand the possibility of a change of dynamics to any given movement.

Is someone who can play with timing, suspension, pause, playful syncopation.

Is someone who's embrace is such that it encompasses you. You feel safe and comfortable whether leader or follower.

Is someone who dances not only with YOU during the tanda, but is aware and dancing, to an extent, with ALL the other dancers in the room, creating an instinctive and organic flow to the ronda.

An advanced dancer is someone who never stops learning and developing.

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An advanced dancer is NOT any of the following

A dancer who announces to you that they're an advanced dancer.

Someone who rushes around at the same speed throughout any song.

Someone who insists on leading gancho after leg wrap, after volcada etc, demonstrating their prowess in executing (and by that I mean killing) their full repertoire of movements.

Someone who flings their legs about, showing everyone their inner 'Tango goddess', despite none of these movements having been lead.

Someone who teaches on the dance floor

Someone who insists that they have right of way on the dance floor.

Someone who has stopped attending any kind of classes, practicas, workshops or private lessons

Someone who believes that beginners are below them.

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So, now how to assess yourself

Don't overestimate your skills

Beginners

There is no shame in being a beginner, it is better to make sure the fundamental foundations are solid

before giving yourself more challenging ideas to tackle. An unstable foundation, makes for a fragile structure.

Leaders

You are a beginner if you are having trouble with, or having to concentrate very hard while applying fundamental technique (ie posture, foot collection, good transition of weight, consistent (not pushy nor wet) embrace,) to a limited number of simple movements.

Followers

You are a beginner if you are having trouble with, or having to concentrate very hard while applying fundamental (ie posture, foot collection, good transition of weight, consistent (not heavy not floppy) embrace) to a limited number of simple movements. And if you are trying to guess what is being lead next, or trying to remember sequences.

Intermediates/Improvers

This is where most of us will stay, and again there's no shame in this. We are better off staying here

and polishing the dance we can cope with, rather than throwing ourselves at advanced, more complex

ideas, and upsetting our dance partner.

Leaders

You are an intermediate/improver if you can cope easily with all the fundamental technique, posture, embrace and simple musical structures we introduce into beginners.

You are now exploring and will continue to explore and be improving numerous variations in movement, variations in embrace, variations in musicality, during which time you will be making choices as to what you prefer.

You should be able to distinguish between the different types of music we dance to ie - Tango, Vals, and Milonga.

And should be able start to distinguish between the different styles of tango music ie, Rhythmic, Melodic, Romantic, Dramatic. This is an ongoing process, which continues into being an advanced dancer.

You will be dancing socially, and will understand that what you learn in a class should not be taken immediately onto the social dance floor (ie Milonga) it should be practiced in a practica or in class until the movement is at a stage where it does not interfere with other dancers, and does not make the follower feel anxious or uncomfortable.

You'll be starting to use mirada and cabeceo, and understand that good floor craft is important to maximise the experience for everyone.

Followers

You are an intermediate/improver if you can cope easily with all the fundamental technique, posture, embrace and simple musical structures we introduce into beginners.

You are now at a point, where you trust your leader to invite you into a range of movements, which become more familiar over time. Your skills of sensitivity will be improving in that you will be starting to feel subtle variations of lead into various new movements. You should be able to distinguish between the different types of music we dance to ie - Tango, Vals and Milonga.

And should be able to start to distinguish between the different styles of tango ie - Rhythmic, Melodic, Romantic, Dramatic.

You will be dancing socially and will be starting to, or able to use mirada and cabeceo, and will understand that consideration for other dancers on the floor is important to maximise the experience for everyone.

All that we learn as beginners/intermediates/improvers continues into becoming an advanced dancer.

Some intermediate dancers still attend beginner classes, as do all advanced dancers

Beginners can dabble their toes in intermediate classes after (roughly) 3 months, but need to continue with the fundamental/beginners class as well.

Intermediates can dabble their toes in advanced classes, but need to continue with fundamentals and intermediate classes as well.

Advanced Dancers - Read from the beginning!