Category: Tango Tips & Advice

Beyond the Basics: Why Your Tango Journey Never Ends (And How We Keep It Exciting)

There’s a beautiful moment in every tango dancer’s journey. It’s the moment you step onto the milonga floor not with anxiety, but with confidence. The steps are in your body, you can navigate the floor, and you can create a wonderful dance with a partner. You’ve arrived.

This is a huge achievement, and it’s often at this very point that a new question arises: “Do I still need to take classes?” The cost and time of a class can seem less appealing than the pure joy of a milonga.

We believe that this moment of confidence isn’t the destination; it’s the true beginning of your artistic journey. This article is about embracing the idea of tango as a never-ending path of discovery and how we at Amistoso have designed a system to keep that journey exciting, affordable, and deeply rewarding for even the most experienced dancers.

Part 1: The Never-Ending Journey of Tango

Why continue with formal learning when you can already dance well socially? Because tango is not a finite skill to be mastered, but a language to be explored. Once you know the basic words and grammar, the real joy comes from learning to write poetry.

Here are the infinite realms that open up to an experienced dancer:

1. From Vocabulary to Artistry

A beginner learns steps (the vocabulary). An intermediate dancer learns to combine them into sequences (the sentences). An advanced dancer, however, learns to play with the texture of the dance. They explore the subtleties of the pause, the dynamics of an acceleration, and the nuances of the connection that turn a simple walk into a profound conversation. This is the shift from execution to artistry.

2. The Infinite Depths of Musicality 

At first, we learn to dance on the beat. But soon we discover that this is just the first layer. The journey into musicality is endless. Can you dance to the melody as well as the rhythm? Can you interpret the singer’s emotion? Can you express the dramatic tension of Pugliese, the playful staccato of D’Arienzo, and the sweeping romance of Di Sarli? Every orchestra, every song, is a new universe to explore, and a class is the laboratory where you can learn to navigate them.

3. The Evolving Connection 

The connection in tango is a living thing. As an advanced dancer, you move beyond the mechanics of leading and following. You learn to listen on a deeper level—to your partner’s breathing, their balance, their energy. You learn to propose ideas rather than give commands, and to respond with creativity rather than mere obedience. This level of connection requires constant refinement and practice in a focused learning environment.

Part 2: Your Journey, Evolved: The Amistoso Approach

We understand the challenges faced by experienced dancers. You need more than just new steps, and you need a structure that fits into your life. That’s why we’ve rebuilt our advanced program from the ground up.

1. Removing the Financial Barrier: The Subscription Model

The single biggest change we’ve made is our subscription model. We wanted to remove the “cost vs. milonga” calculation from your decision-making. With a subscription, you can say “yes” to learning. You can drop into a class on a Tuesday or a Saturday without a second thought, making consistent learning an easy and affordable part of your tango life.

2. A Curriculum for the Advanced Dancer

Our Advanced Level Classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays are specifically designed for dancers with years of experience. We don’t just teach new sequences; we dive deep into the concepts that elevate your dancing. These classes are your dedicated time to work on musical interpretation, advanced technique, and the quality of your connection among a peer group that will challenge and inspire you.

3. A Constant Stream of Fresh Inspiration 

Stagnation is the enemy of progress. To ensure your learning never gets stale, we frequently host world-class visiting teachers in our regular advanced slots. This brings fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a direct connection to the global tango scene right here in London. It’s a chance to be inspired by the best, without having to travel the world to find them.

Part 3: Practical Details of Your Advanced Journey

To help you on this continuous path, we’ve designed our advanced program with specific goals in mind. Here’s a look at the weekly schedule and the philosophy behind each class format, allowing you to choose the path that best suits your personal goals.

Tuesdays: The Deep Dive (Come on Your Own or with a Partner)

Tuesday Special is your laboratory for focused, in-depth work. These workshop-style classes explore a specific theme, giving you time to tackle complex techniques through repetition and mutual understanding. You can come on your own or with a partner.

• Tuesdays: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM, Advanced, at Claremont Project, 24-27 White Lion St, Islington, N1 9PD

Thursdays: Classes for Each Level

Thursday classes take place at Claremont Project, with separate sessions for Beginners, Improvers and Intermediate dancers.

• Thursdays: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Beginners, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Improvers, and 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM Intermediate, at Claremont Project, Upper Hall, 24-27 White Lion St, Islington, N1 9PD

Saturdays: The Social Dancer’s Lab & Community Hub (Drop-In Welcome)

This class is your training ground for the real-world milonga. The drop-in format is designed to hone your adaptability and responsiveness with a variety of partners. It’s also the perfect opportunity to meet fellow dedicated dancers and find a partner for regular practice. You do not need to bring a partner to the class. The class is followed by our milonga, so you can immediately put your skills into practice.

• Saturdays: 6:45 PM – 8:15 PM Advanced, followed by Milonga Amistosa from 8:15 PM – 11:30 PM
• Location: 10 Herbal Hill, London, EC1R 5EG

Sundays: Tango Unlimited (Open Level)

• Sundays: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Tango Unlimited (Open Level), followed by Milonga Simpatica from 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM
• Location: Claremont Project, Lower Hall, 24-27 White Lion St, Islington, N1 9PD

Please check the live weekly schedule for current dates, teachers, times, venues and booking before attending.

Your tango journey should never feel like it has an end point. It is a path of continuous discovery, and our goal at Tango Amistoso is to be your partner for every step of that journey. We invite you to find the blend that works for you and join our dedicated community of lifelong learners.

Continue the Conversation in the Tango Maitri App

Enjoyed this article? The learning and discussion don’t have to stop here.

We believe that sharing ideas is just as important as learning steps. That’s why we created the Community section inside our Tango Maitri app, featuring a space for “Tango Tips and Discussions.”

You can find this article and many others there, including:

• The Partner Paradox: Why the ‘Wrong’ Partner Might Be Your Best Teacher
• Crafting Your Perfect Tango Week: A Guide to the Amistoso Ecosystem
• The Other Half of the Dance: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Your Tango Tribe

Best of all, this community hub is completely free for everyone. Simply download the Tango Maitri app, log in, and join the conversation. We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

People, we are all different. We all have different views on how life goes on. One thing that we must agree on to have a nice community is the hygiene part. Most of you are already pretty good at this but even if you think you are good at this, it is important to read this and go through the “tests” mentioned below. Please understand that we are publishing information like this with good intent, to build a community where everyone gets the best out of the community. Our intention is not to patronise or tell you how to lead your life.

There are two important tests: Arm pit test, breath test.

Arm pit test:

Do this test before you leave your home/office for the classes/events. Despite your good intentions, even when you have not been physically working hard during the day, this can still go wrong. Smell your arm pit! Yes, do it because the implications of not doing this are grave for all your partners. During the hug in a close embrace, the arm pit plays a big part. Leaders, remember that when you are in close embrace, your arm pit is physically very close to the follower. Followers, please keep in mind that your arm pit is pressed against the leader’s shirt/jacket. This is all on top of the “smell” factor.

The test: simply smell both your arm pits. If it is pleasant for you, great, you are doing well. If it is not pleasant for you, it is definitely not going to be pleasant for your partners!

Things to do or not to do to get this right so you give a pleasant experience to your partners and everyone in the room.

1. Shower before the classes/events. If you are going to come straight from work, make sure that you had a shower in the morning and use a good deospray. Do the armpit test to validate that you have got this right.
2. Do not re-use shirts/tops! We’re going to be embracing each other. You should really be changing your shirt/top before coming to the class/events but at the very least please make sure that you wear a fresh one before heading to work on the days you come to Tango.
3. Tip: carry a deospray with you and apply before you enter the class/event.
4. Tip: carry wet wipes with you so you can freshen up after work.
5. Tip: bring an additional shirt/t-shirt/top with you so you can change before class especially if you are coming to the class straight from work after a physically demanding day.
6. Generally, aim to smell nice. Obviously, do not overdo it and make the whole room smell with your favourite fragrance but a little effort in this regard will create a pleasant experience for everyone.

Breath test:

Do this test before you leave your home/office for the classes/events. Please understand that bad breath often goes unnoticed by the person who is causing it. It is usually the listener who suffers unfortunately. Imagine having a super interesting conversation with someone and then you having to wonder why they are not engaging with you, bad breath could very well be the reason.

The test: Blow some air towards your palm while holding the palm in front of your face and smell the air you are blowing out. If it is a neutral smell, you have nothing to worry about. If it is not pleasant for you, it is likely that it is not going to be pleasant for your partner either!

Things to do or not to do to get this right so you give a pleasant experience to your partners and everyone in the room.

1. Coffee and drinks with alcoholic content seem to be the biggest contributor for bad breath in the Tango classes. It helps a lot if you goggle with water straight after you finish your coffee or any such drink. This may not always work though, especially with alcoholic drinks.
2. Carry chewing gums or mint with you and use it after having coffee or food that could affect your breath.
3. Brush your teeth or use a mouthwash before coming to the classes/events.
4. Pay attention to what you eat during the day. If your food contains onion, garlic or such things that can affect your breath, please take corrective action – chewing gums, mint or brushing your teeth.

Thank you for your support in building our beautiful community 🙏🙏🙏

This is a course that is very close to my heart. Most of you know that I love dancing in a dynamic way to D’Arienzo, the King of beats. We will look at the technique needed to dance fast and furious to D’Arienzo in this course. More importantly, we will also learn how to differentiate between Staccato and Legato phrases. We will learn to flow smoothly to the beautiful lyrical music of D’Sarli, the King of Tango. We will do all of this by learning to have a nice soft embrace and good walking technique. Of course you will learn lots of cool sequences and adornments but this course has a lot more than that. Hope you can join us. The course starts on Wednesday, 6 October and runs for 7 weeks with classes every Wednesday. If you can’t do all the classes, you can compensate for the classes. Discuss it with us during your classes.

To book for the course, go to the link here, go to the timetable section and book the course starting on 6 October.

https://www.city-academy.com/tango-classes-improvers

Hope to see you in the classes!