What’s up with the ‘2-step tanda process’ in tango?
Podcast and transcription.
The “2-Step Tanda Process,” a simple yet powerful approach to creating a deeper connection with a dance partner in tango.
Listen to the podcast here or in your favourite podcast app.
Hi, this is Dimitris Bronowski, the curious tanguero. My goal is to bring more people to tango and more tango to people. I hope you’ll find this episode useful and that you’ll share it with your friends.
Today we’ll discuss the 2-step tanda process.
What a terrible title by the way.
Where is the passion, the art, the creativity?
What happened to improvising, feeling, expressing?
Shame, shame, shame.
And now that we got that out of the way:
A 2-Step Tanda Process
When I dance with a new partner, I want to create a great experience for her.
For me, that’s 30% ego satisfaction, 30% assuring myself I am good enough, 30% desire to give and help, 30% desire to connect, and 7% not understanding how percentages work 😀
Over the years, I learned about a few things that make connection harder, and about a few things that make connection easier.
So, I am using a 2 step process that helps me avoid the first and get more of the second.
I learned about all this from Vaggelis Hatzopoulos & Marianna Koutandou, two wonderful Greek teachers you should definitely take classes with if you have the chance.
OK, the 2 step process that I apply in the first dance:
Step 1
I focus on helping her relax
- I make sure my body is relaxed. If I am relaxed, she feels it, and relaxes. If I am tense, she will get tense.
- If I feel she is nervous, I make pauses, breathe in and out. It helps if she can feel me breathing (from the movement of my body, NOT from the air brushing her ear, neck or cheek!!!!).
- I re-embrace: during a pause I gently open my arm and then re-embrace.
- Especially for less advanced followers, I avoid dancing with her at her limits constantly. Even if I take her there for a few moments, I go down again.
Step 2
I focus on building trust
Trust makes everything easier.
But how do you build trust?
- In the first song I lead movements that I am extremely comfortable leading. This allows me to lead with clarity, which in return allows her to trust me.
- I choose movements that allow me to be in balance. If she feels I am losing my balance she will get tense. She won’t feel free to explore creative solutions in fear she might have to hold me when I am losing balance.
- I show her in the first step that I am careful of the others. She needs to feel I am not going to send her into a table, step on another person, hit another couple, etc. 30 seconds of a careful attitude is great for building trust.
- A great, great one: I show her that I listen to the music and know the song well. If in the first ten-twenty seconds you step on the music very well, then the next part of the song is going to be more fluid. She will trust you. This last one is the one I always use, since for me it has proven to be the most effective.
You can find more tips on building trust in the book Tango Tips by the Maestros (in English, Spanish and Italian).
The novel When the Embrace Whispers can be found here (in English, Spanish and French).
If you enjoyed what you learned in this episode, don’t keep it to yourself. The best thing you can do is to share it with your friends. That’s what social media and messaging apps are for. You’ll be helping them and me.
The second best thing you can do is to visit thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango There you’ll find a list of free and paid resources to help you improve and enjoy your tango. I am updating that webpage often with new stuff so make sure to re-visit it every once in a while. thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango