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Already know what you want because you’ve heard how wonderful the Game is?
For everybody else . . .
What is the Game, and why would it interest us?
Our exploration-based way of learning fundamentals and playing with them in fun improvisational ways leads to dancers that other dancers look for—the ones that dance in a clear, comfortable, and creative way, with a warm connection between partners and music.
Many want to dance the Argentine tango because it looks sensuous and elegant, but don’t get started out of fear of mastering the complex movements in a public setting. Or maybe they spend years with limited success, seeking to master the most meaningful aspects of becoming a desirable dance partner.
The Game of Argentine tango changes that.
Hi! “Argen” and “Tina” here. We are your guides for a game of exploration and discovery. We have spent decades mastering and teaching this dance, so we know what new dancers face. We know how to help! We also know that explorers have different paces and styles of learning, different interests, and desires. We have a method for success.
Exploration, discovery, and success at home?
But first, can we learn to dance online? Why would we?
Online, we can:
- Work at the time and place, and pace that works best for us
- Avoid unhelpful comparisons and judgments
- Learn even when we don’t have access to in-person classes or teachers
- Continue to improve our dancing even when it’s not feasible to attend in-person classes. (And even when we can!)
Learn at my place and pace?
“But, dance is a partner activity. What if I am solo?”
- The #1 reason we learn and practice solo is to earn the privilege of dancing with a partner. We want to discover how to use our own body in natural and powerful ways that connect with the music, and then will connect with partners in a clear, comfortable, and creative way.
- The Game wants everyone, even those learning with a partner, to begin each exploration solo. We first want to be clear about what we are doing in our own body. Next, each exploration guides us in working with a partner, where we experience what is happening in their body.
- Even if we don’t yet have practice partners, the Game includes activities with everyday household objects to give a good feeling for how to relate to a partner.
I don’t have a partner yet but want to be ready.
Maybe we love the music and want to learn about the dance. The rich orchestral jazz of the music. The layers, rhythms and melody, predictability with surprises.
In the GoAt, we feel that music is a primary connection. It is a leader for both leading and following dancers. It enriches and enlivens the partner connection. Each grouping of lessons in our tango discovery begins with using basic tango movements with the music. A sort of follow-along “Tango-cize” video.
After experiencing and practicing each exploration’s fundamental movement, in all the different ways we can use it with the music, we then move on to explanations with experiments and experiences to help us understand both physically and mentally why the movement is important, what makes it work, and how to explore the range of possibilities to discover our own sweet spot.
Love the music and want to dance it?
Along the way, we share tips and tools that help us with any kind of learning. They also help us understand the Argentine tango scene and community. These are things that too often we learn too late or by accident. A strong understanding of not only how to dance but also how to fit in makes our entry into the Argentine tango dance world more smooth and fun.
We conclude each exploration with an improvisational dance using the fundamental movements we have just explored, and previous ones. Then we give a “coach’s eye” analysis of that performance, pointing out the ways it fits different aspects of the music, plus the things an insider wants to know about and use in their dancing.
Fun, creative applications for what we learn
I want to become a desirable dance partner. I’m ready to get started!
Fundamentals? What about the fancy stuff?
The fundamentals make the fancy stuff work! The Argentine tango is quintessentially an improvisational dance. Every single step is an opening to any other possibility.
The DNA of Argentine tango is simply two elements — Weight changes and Pivots. Weight changes can be in place or over a distance forward, backward, or sideways Pivots aim us in a new direction. These are the building blocks on which we create our dance. When our foundation is strong, we enjoy a powerful dance that both partners and onlookers appreciate.
Argentine tango is not about memorizing patterns. It is about expressing and being with the music and with our partner.
Want to dance in a powerfully creative way?
But I am a follower, or leader, or both, or neither (yet!)
In the GoAt—as in tango—fundamental movements mean fundamental to everyone. At the highest levels of tango performance, dancers use all the same movements with the interpretation that works the best on each person’s body. We encourage dancers to pursue the role or roles that appeal to them. By the end of our explorations, with good play and participation, explorers should be well equipped to dance either role.
Ready for the rewards of Argentine tango?
We would love to have you join us.
Yes, I want to be a clear, comfortable, and creative dancer of the Argentine tango.
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