Had tango its roots on the shores of Tokyo bay instead of the river Plate I could be a Mr Miyagi character and dispense esoteric lessons along the following plan.
Week 1: Standing up straight, feet together, moving your weight from your heels to the balls of your feet by drifting your torso forward and back.
Week 2: Close embrace, standing in. Maybe just a little shifting of weight in time with the music.
Week 3: Taking the first step. No more, just repeatedly taking one side step or forward step.
Week 4: Walking.
Week 5: Half time, double time, and check steps.
Week 6: Pivoting her axis.
Six weeks and all you need to remember to tango. Less than Mr Vidort’s eight lessons. Everything else you’ll pick up by observation and experimentation.
Of course it would never work. After being told to wobble their weight for a week there would be a flurry of gathered coats and the sound of a flapping door as people ran down the street to sign up for an unending series of steps that they would forget by the next class.
This reminded me of something important. Really important. About tango.
Thank you.