How long will it take me to learn how to dance the Tango

Some people never become proficient at doing the Tango, but they also never expect to make a living performing the dance, nor expect to win a competition. Dancing the tango may be solely for the fun, for the exercise, or for the sake of saying that it was one task on a personal to-do list and now, it has been completed. People see the tango being danced on television shows, and often wonder if they have what it takes to learn the dance. And, for the last few years, everyone has watched the couples on Dancing With the Stars agonize over learning the steps to the tango. So probably, the first question most people ask before enrolling in a tango class or dance lessons is, "How long will it take me to learn how to dance the Tango?".

While many agree that the basic steps of tango are easy to learn, the actual dance of tango is not. There are so many components to tango dancing that do not exist with other types of dances. Doing the tango is not just about getting the right steps. Rather, it involves:

• moving quickly around a large dance floor or ballroom in a forward fashion,
• remembering the rules of etiquette while on the dance floor with hundreds of other people,
• understanding how to meld the steps with the beats of the music,
• executing the nuances or subtleties of the story being told in the dance,
• the capability of improvisation,
• the focus and determination to complete the dance which is more a performance than just a groove,
• and the ability to look like one is connected to one's partner.

Each area or stage of learning to dance the tango has it own set of obstacles. Overcoming the hurdles of each stage will be different for each person and each couple. Therefore, where many say that learning the steps of the tango is quite fun easy and in most cases, can be learned with a few practice steps, the truth is that most people do not learn the real dance for months, even years, depending on often they practice, and how dedicated they are to learning. It should be pointed out that couples who enter competitions have most likely been training and learning together for some years before they consider themselves to be at competition level.

Generally, someone who wants to learn social dancing can do so in a few lessons. They require neither the stamina nor the perfection of the competitive dancer. Further, they are not expected to be completely elegant and graceful when doing the tango. An understanding of the steps is all they hope to achieve, so that they can use the knowledge in a fun setting.

Many professionals indicate that the first year of tango lessons will include practicing the same steps over and over from both basic and intermediate classes. As posture, and the body's position in the dance next to the other person, are crucial to the overall performance, the classes are as much about teaching these areas, as well the actual foot steps. Learning tango takes plenty of repetition, patience, determination, and perseverance.