Tango::The Tango is a game of seduction...

Ah, now I get it! The Tango, as a dance, is a game of seduction. And like any game of seduction, it begins with the eyes, in a glance, and has very clear rules.

I happened across this video series on YouTube bright and early this morning. They comprise an instructional series featuring Osvaldo Zotta and Mora Godoy. Nothing against Osvaldo y Mora. The video series is titled "TANGOCITY - LEARN HOW TO DANCE TANGO IN YOUTUBE" (in twenty lessons)

Virtual Tango - that's a new concept - dancing tango in YouTube - actually IN YouTube.

At first I thought, "great! what a great resource for beginners!". The more I watched though, it became obvious that a beginner would become very confused very rapidly. The voice over does not match the steps they are taking all of the time. The narrator is counting out "one" "two" "three" "four" "five" "six" "seven" and "eight" (or "stop") - sometimes not matching the actual step being taken on the video. All of the videos show the dancers in slow motion - good for very rank beginners, to be sure, but they should also see the vocubulary/figure danced at full speed, and "to the music".

This is "Lesson 1 of 20" - and with 110,448 views, I now understand why there were so many leaders dancing the basic eight at the Fandango de Tango - back step and all - and with musicality equal to dark matter (less than zero).


Here is Lesson 12 - Rulo (lapiz) con sacadas...


Lesson 12 was better as far as the voice over and dancer's steps matching.

Overall, I would say this is a good resource - a good "primer" - but more for intermediate or advanced beginners - not the brand new beginner - especially not without a real, live teacher and some group classes.

ACK! I just watched Lesson 5 "Medialuna". The narrator says that Osvaldo leads with his fingers and the palm of his hand....MUY MALO! BAD! BAD! BAD! VERY BAD!

As we all KNOW...everything, absolutely EVERYTHING in Tango is led with the torso/chest...at least in social tango. Fantasia tango might be different.