Gotta Tango is a superior instructional package for learning how to dance the authentic Argentine tango at a social level. Master teachers Alberto Paz and Valorie Hart take you on a journey through the rich culture, history, and music of Buenos Aires. Over 7,000 copies sold around the world. Can you not afford to have your tango dancing’s Owner’s Manual?Nobody is born knowing, but studying we learn, as long as what we learn makes sense and can be explained in clear and logical terms. As a student, or a teacher, you deserve to know the facts.
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| TABLE OF CONTENTS Copyright (c) 1998-2013 Planet Tango. All Rights Reserved. Permission to use is hereby given as long as the proper credits are given. |
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| This series of articles constitutes the first tango travel log in existence before the age of weblogs or blogs. It was started in hard copy form on December 1997. It is currently being moved to true blog format here with the intention of bringing all of the information to a more current status while preserving the original flair of the writings that Alberto Paz and Valorie Hart used to give an account of their own experiences, first as students of the dance and second as teachers of Argentine Tango around the United States.This format allows for feedback, comments and questions and answers with anybody who wishes to have an active participation in the dissemination of useful information and tips for the good of the tango. We encourage you to do so.Your comments, contributions and critiques are always welcome. |
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| Chapter 1 – Stand up straight, embrace your partner and walk In the land of the do-it-yourself and the cult of self-reliance, those of us who decided to learn to dance the Argentine tango are constantly lectured… |
| Chapter 2 – The missing video One of the main resources for tango dancers is the large number of videos available from various sources. Given enough time and patience, most people… |
| Chapter 3 – Cat on a hot dance floor One of the often used analogies to describe the motion of tango dancers on the floor is that they walk like a feline… |
| Chapter 4 – Mark me, she said In between the Tangos of a set (tanda), a lot of conversation goes on among the dancers standing on the dance floor. The topics of the many conversations… |
| Chapter 5 – What tango shall we dance Previously, we have attempted to provide a series of concepts that include basic elements and fundamental propositions that can serve as the starting… |
| Chapter 6 – Once upon a tango A major transformation in the way Tango is danced began to take place in the late 1930s and continued well into the 1950s. It was a natural consequence… |
| Chapter 7 – Glancing is not stalking A case may be made for the long checklist a Tango dancer must go through before stepping onto the floor… |
| Chapter 8 – Dancing with freedom Argentine Tango dancing is about a couple moving around the dance floor led by the rhythm and melody of the music. Navigating the floor… |
| Chapter 9 – Consensual tango dancing When people judge a book by its cover, they may not find the time to read it, or worse yet, they may become “experts” at what… |
| Chapter 10 – Fear of learning Like in any good milonga when the music stops or the tanda ends, the socializing aspect of the encounter is a very important ingredient to round out an… |
| Chapter 11 – Myths and misconceptions When one embarks on learning to dance Argentine Tango, one is encountered with as many teaching opinions as there are teachers. Since there is no… |
| Chapter 12 – Sacadas are body displacements The dynamics of Tango dancing come into play when the couple moves to the sound of the music. The space occupied varies according to the alignment of… |
| Chapter 13 – The thorns make my lips bleed Have you had non-Tango dancing family members ask you about the rose between the teeth and the dips to the floor? This questioning comes… |
| Chapter 14 – The media vuelta A working understanding of floor navigation and the dynamic interplay of the body positioning, create plenty of opportunities to enjoy a Tango, any Tango… |
| Chapter 15 – The salida cruzada Whether you are dancing with your partner on a crowded or an empty room, understanding the reason and the logic of most Tango moves helps to develop… |
| Chapter 16 – Body language The understanding and good use of the relative positions of the upper bodies leads a dancing couple to clear execution of patterns and figures while… |
| Chapter 17 – Raising the bar As we travel to teach, our own education as dancers and teachers develops. Many questions are asked, and one of the most often is regarding how long… |
| Chapter 18 – Putting the tango on a solid base Tango is a social and cultural manifestation of the city of Buenos Aires which was first a way to dance whatever it was they were dancing to around 1878… |
| Chapter 19 – Dancing on a crowded floor Improvising a meal is a feat that most people relish when on a short notice a bunch of friends or associates drop by to visit… |
| Chapter 20 – All roads lead to tango A male Tango dancer approaches each dance as a journey around the dance floor inspired by the music and the presence of the woman he’s holding… |
| Chapter 21 – All about Eve The biblical story seems to indicate that Eva got to take the rap for turning Paradise into a living hell for the Creator‘s ultimate creation, Da Man… |
| Chapter 22 – Riders of the man’s mark It seems that Argentine Tango dancing is the most talked about pastime because of its free form nature and the many opportunities to dance that are… |
| Chapter 23 – A giro state of mind Dance floors come in all shapes, so the challenge of navigating any floor while dancing the music, protecting the woman, and respecting the presence … |
| Chapter 24 – Picking the lock… step The one and only undisputed fact about the Tango, is that it began as a way to dance existing rhythms, and over a couple of decades, the music morphed… |
| Chapter 25 – The great equalizer A compulsive fixation on “the steps,” holds the development of many a Tango dancer as much as bumping into trees numbs the senses for the awareness… |
| Chapter 26 – All aboard! Recently we stepped back in time to an era when first class travel meant plenty of room to move around, with panoramic views of the landscape, delicious… |
| Chapter 27 – It is what counts It is sadly amusing to read about teachers who ask their students to tap each other’s shoulders and/or back according to the rhythm of the music to feel… |
| Chapter 28 – Whatever, whenever We are reaching a point where the original purpose of this series is being fulfilled. More and more people realize that there is more to dancing tango than… |
TANGO, OUR DANCE 
Hola Alberto!!!
I have enjoyed your website and all you have contributed to Argentine Tango……Let me tell you I have learned a lot from you over the years….Muchas muchas gracias!
The reason why I am writing to you is that I have recently (32 days ago) launched an online Argentine Tango community. I now have 147 members and am averaging about 1200 hits per week, most of my members are from the Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania areas, many are new to tango and (less than 3 yrs) and have no idea that your wonderful, insightful, website even exists. I would be honored and most grateful if you would join (free of course), it only takes a few minutes and you could share your wonderful website and knowledge with those who are already members.
Thank you so very much
Hola Alberto y Valorie!
I so much appreciated your previous website with all the valuable information about Argentine tango and how to dance it, so I am very happy to see that you continue to update the information! I find new things to learn here every time I visit.
Keep up the good work!
Muchas gracias!
Saludos
Hi Alberto and valorie. I purchased Gotta Tango Book and DVD and my wife and i are getting into it. We dance Salsa a lot, but this is really different and exciting. I hope we can get it together! love robert & Sofia.