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4 minutes
Argentine Tango steps: From walking to your first figures
- Argentine Tango is based on conscious, elegant walking through space, where every step requires a precise weight transfer.
- The classic basic step consists of eight steps, but in practice, it serves as a flexible building block for free combinations.
- Basic figures like Ochos and Giros bring dynamics and variety to the dance through gentle turns and circular movements.
- Clean footwork and sliding your feet across the dance floor are crucial for the stability and aesthetics of your movements.
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Argentine Tango fascinates with its flowing elegance, which manages entirely without rigid step patterns. Here you can learn how a fascinating dialogue without words emerges from simple walking and classic basic elements.
Definition
- Ochos
Ochos are one of the most well-known basic figures in Argentine Tango, where the feet trace a figure-eight loop on the floor through a rotation of the hips. They are usually performed by the follower and can be danced forwards or backwards.
The magic of walking as the foundation of Tango
Starting with Argentine Tango is fundamentally different from other partner dances. There are no rigid step sequences that you have to memorize to look good. Instead, the entire system is based on natural walking in space. When walking in Argentine Tango, both partners move synchronously, with steps placed precisely under one's own center of gravity. This conscious walking, also called caminata, is the actual foundation of the dance.
Anyone who wants to learn Argentine Tango quickly realizes that every step is a conscious transfer of body weight. Only when one foot is standing stably does the next movement follow. This apparent simplicity requires concentration, but it gives the dance its characteristic elegance and calm. The upper body remains calm and upright, while the legs do the work under the hips.
The basic step as a flexible modular system in space
Although Tango is a pure improvisation dance, a structured sequence helps when learning in a course. The classic Tango Argentino basic step, also known as the "Basico" or eight-step basic form, serves as an excellent tool to train orientation in space. It guides the couple in a closed form through different directions: a step back, to the side, several steps forward, a crossing of the legs, and the final step into the basic position.
It is important to understand that these eight steps are rarely danced in one go in practice. They are rather a modular system. Experienced dancers break up the pattern at any time to adapt to the space on the dance floor. The precise Tango Argentino footwork ensures that the feet glide flat over the floor and contact with the parquet is never lost.
The right technique for walking and turning
- Let your feet glide flat over the dance floor
- Dance every step with a full weight transfer
- Keep your upper body calm and upright
- Adapt your steps flexibly to the available space
- Lift your feet high off the floor when walking
- Cut steps short or rush them
- Let your upper body bob with every step
- Stick rigidly to the learned eight-step sequence
udansa tip
Feel free to practice walking and weight transfer on your own at home every now and then along a line on the floor to strengthen your own balance and axis.
In Tango, walking is already half the dance. Anyone who can walk upright, balanced, and in harmony with their partner is already dancing with deep elegance.
Ochos and Giros bring dynamics into play
As soon as walking and the basic step are secure, the first real Tango Argentino figures bring dynamics and rotation into the dance. Among the best-known elements are the Ochos in Tango Argentino, where the follower's feet trace a visual eight on the floor. This fluid movement is created through gentle dissociation, a rotation of the upper body and pelvis, which is gently initiated by the leader.
Another key element for turns is the Giro in Tango Argentino. In this circular dance, one partner circles the other in a precise sequence of side steps, forward steps, and backward steps. These turns require good balance and axis tension from both partners, but they open up endless possibilities to react to the music and make the dance come alive.
Two ways of moving in space
Walking in the track
The classic walk chest to chest
When walking in the track, the partners move directly in front of each other. The feet of the leader and the follower are positioned on parallel lines, which allows for a very direct and stable connection.
Walking in outside partner position
The foundation for elegant turns
When walking in outside partner position, the axis shifts slightly. The couple moves in a way that allows their legs to glide past each other, which clears the path for complex turns and cross steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to start is by focusing on conscious walking as a pair. Focus on weight transfer and walking together in rhythm before you memorize complex step sequences.
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