Recently I wrote about taking new friend Liz shopping for tango shoes, and last night she had her first tango lesson. As she was a tad nervous, I went with her, and Alejandro and I did a few demo dances.

Liz did amazingly well! Check out her video, and remember this was her first time dancing tango! (Due credit to Alejandro as he is an amazing teacher.)

Before you watch the videos, I wanted to say something people often ask me about. Every time I post one of my tango videos, someone usually wonders how I can remember all the steps and sequences. The answer is that I don’t. You don’t need to remember, because you dance according to where you’re being led, and as you contribute to the co-creation of the dance, the steps evolve naturally. None of these videos, including Liz’s, is choreographed in any way. It’s all about connection with the music, between the dancers and with the floor.

We did three demo dances. The first was a traditional tango with music from the thirties or forties, then we did a lighthearted, playful one, and the last one was dramatic and passionate — Liz said she couldn’t breathe as she watched it!

Anyway, I’ve included just the first and second ones for you to see the different ways you can dance tango.  I love tango — can you tell?

Liz’s debut!

Traditional style

A more playful approach