How Hard is Walking

To learn tango walking you need good teachers who can coach and guide you progressively from the outset

There is a lot written and demonstrated on the internet and social media about how to walk in Tango. Walking is such a key part of Argentine Tango, and is the single hardest thing you will do in this dance, but it’s a fundamental discipline that everyone needs from the beginning.

There’s nothing in life, and no other dance, that can prepare you for tango, or walking in tango. Everyone has to learn it.

However, walking isn’t about striding non-stop around the floor. Which is something you won’t be able to do in a typical Milonga. Tango walking is a skill you do need to learn because it’s unlike your daily walking.

You cannot hope to get this perfected from your first lesson, so it’s important to be patient. It’s all too easy to have unrealistic expectations, either of yourself or your partner. After all, walking is something we all do every day – what can be so hard about that?

Teachers will break down the tango walk, which is composed of various elements. It is different for leaders and followers. Then it’s down to practice and good coaching.

People are individuals and teachers need to assess the way your body moves, your core strength, balance and axis and the way you process information to help you understand how do the elements correctly. If you get the chance to have someone video your tango walk, try to overcome the natural aversion that many of us have about seeing themselves on video. It’s a source of valuable feedback. What your walking feels like will probably be quite different to what it looks like.

Those who already have some tango experience, if you have been learning sequences, especially in the early weeks, this can lead to a misguided belief that you have been learning to walk. In reality our mind will inevitably be focused on what movement comes next, rather than paying full attention to the quality of your walking. I would advise treat walking as a separate exercise in its own right.

Both followers and leaders need to learn their individual roles in the art of walking in terms of balance and axis. Walking in time with the music is especially important. At its simplest, if you’re slightly ahead of the beat your partner will feel rushed if you’re behind it drags. However, it mustn’t be slavishly mechanical. Adapt to the music, and your partner. As your standard advances you will become more aware of the style and phrasing of the music so that your walking has a beautiful ebb and flow.

Creating an elegant and simple dance based around walking will include good foundation skills of embrace, starting, stopping, weight change, side step and cut steps. You can have an exquisite dance being innovative with these foundation walking elements.

Gentlemen – it’s very unlikely your natural way of walking is landing on the toe first. Landing toe-first can encourage you to ‘bounce’ as the ankle and knee tend to flex. There aren’t many strict rules when it comes to Tango style, but one we hold dear is – bouncing is bad. A quiet upper body is what everybody strives to achieve. Think of a swan’s serenity on the water, then consider what the feet are doing under the water.
As you become more practised with walking, be conscious that walking forward is going to be far easier for you than it is your partner who is walking backwards. She may not be able to match your long stride; you will need to adapt to every partner.

When walking forward, the most natural and elegant walk is with a “soft foot,” extending the toe but then landing gently heel first. If it’s helpful, think of an aeroplane gently landing. This will encourage you to have a very quiet upper body. This is just part of the story, as it’s then the way the whole body moves when you take a step. The energy and timing of your lead comes from your chest and invites your partner to step backwards. It’s a common fault initially that the upper body gets left behind. Getting this complex movement right usually needs time, patience and coaching.

Ladies – you not only have to walk backwards and forwards but in balance and axis and in time with the music, but also to keep the line. It’s also your responsibility to learn how to do this and in a way that completely avoids you being trodden on. There are quite specific techniques to accomplish this, how to keep in contact with the floor, when to use your heels and when to elevate. All of which require demonstrating and coaching rather than just reading about.

Where your focus and energy are is a more complex subject, but for now let’s look at one simple tip – imagine you’re walking backwards along a gymnast’s balance beam (see all the photo – these are stills of an actual dance). In our walk the foot lands directly behind that front foot, staying in contact with the floor at all times, only lifting for specific movements. Walking forward and back requires you to know how the leading leg and foot works, this is another dimension to learn.

Ladies if you feel any lower back pain whilst walking, you need to discuss this with your teacher. Don’t let things get worse before doing something about it.

Private Lesson – are available to help anyone having difficulties or want to progress further. Contact me – here

To know how to protect your body and dance, there’s more about this here

Choose your footwear with care:

Gentlemen – using heavy outdoor shoes will impact the way you walk and how you dance with a partner. You need to avoid the ‘John Wayne cowboy’ look when walking.
Dance shoes give you “feel”, to feel the floor and your partner’s foot when leading specific moves.
Good shoes for dancing give you feel. Outdoor shoes essentially remove the feel as they’re designed to protect your feet.

Ladies – as most of your dancing is backwards, your shoes need to be flexible. A lot of movements will require you to elevate, so unforgiving outdoor shoes will prevent your feet from moving correctly.

For both leaders and followers – getting anything into your muscle memory requires a certain amount of commitment. Try to do a little tango walking on your own each day. A mirror will help.