I don't like being a beginner at things. In fact, there are few things that I dislike more than that awkward and clumsy feeling you get when you start learning something new. It's been a while since I have felt this way, but recently I got an unexpected opportunity to dive back into this iconic experience.

In this more vulnerable episode I share my current, unresolved struggles with being a beginner and how I deal with all those pesky emotions that plague our beginners' minds.

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We all want to be good enough so that we get to have more of what we want. And most of us dancers are willing to do the work, take the classes, sign up for workshops, do private sessions, etc. in pursuit of that goal.

But frequently, no matter how much time passes or how much work we put in, we still don't feel like we measure up with the level of "good" we think we are supposed to reach.

In this episode I discuss what this concept of "good enough" really means on our tango journey, and how we can successfully orient ourselves within it so that we get what we want.

Rate/review Tango Banter: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tango-banter-confessions-of-a-social-dancer/id1610218111

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Not all tango teachers are created equal. And not all tango dancers have the same ambitions. Knowing your goals and understanding how to choose the right teacher to achieve those goals is one of the best ways to guarantee your success in tango.

In this episode I lay out some of my most important considerations for selecting the right teacher for you as well as some important questions for self-reflection that will help you make the right decisions.

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When I was new to tango I thought the way to getting the dances I wanted required a high level of talent and technique. So my thinking was "the better I got technically, the better dances I would get." 

Unfortunately, when it comes to attracting the higher level dancers, I eventually realized that it really wasn't about my technique. There was something else at play that had nothing to do with my lines or my aesthetics. 

Reframing my mindset was the key to my eventual success in the social tango scene. In my latest episode I share my most useful social strategies for attracting the dancers that you really want. 

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"Why is she getting the good dances and I am not?" - used to be one of the most persistent questions running through my mind at a milonga. I had done the work - group classes, privates, technique training, workshops - but still I found myself sitting tanda after tanda sulking. Tango can be pretty brutal like that. 

Seemingly for no reason, it grants favor to some but not others. The "some" soak it in, taking it for granted. The "others" are left scratching their heads on the sidelines wondering... 

But the good news is that the solution to my problems was right under my nose all along. I just needed to change perspective. 

In this episode I  spill the beans on what I consider to be the most important reasons why you might not be getting the dances that you want and suggest some practical ways you can begin to take matters into your own capable hands. 

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"Who are the good dancers here?" "Is he/she any good?" Those are frequently uttered questions at the milonga and it's not surprising! 12 minutes is a long time to spend in someone's embrace and we want to make sure we enjoy it. 

Whether someone is good or not can be fairly subjective but there are certain things that stand out about good dancers that appeal to most of us. In this episode I reveal some of my preferences and things I look for when I am deciding whom to dance with at a milonga.

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We all want to say no to a dance sometimes, but frequently we don’t because we feel guilty. We don’t want to hurt the other person’s feelings and maybe we are afraid that if we say no to one person, then we might have to sit out another tanda. 

The struggle is real! And although it does get easier with time, the awkward, difficult feelings that come with saying no to someone never really go away. Each dancer has to decide for themselves, when to say yes to a dance, and what are the dealbreakers that will make it a definite no.

In this episode I share my own dealbreakers and how they formed over the years.

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You’ve got the moves but you’re still not getting the dances you want? Succeeding at social tango doesn’t just require technical proficiency, but each dancer also has to learn how to navigate the sometimes unpredictable social environment of the milonga.

For many dancers, social discomfort is the main obstacle that prevents them from getting what they want and/or quitting tango all together.

In this episode I share some of my own challenges as a very shy and introverted person and the tools that I developed to become more confident in uncomfortable social situations.

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"What's your goal with tango?" I ask this question of all of my students, expecting them to share with me their ambitions to become stage performers or teach or become a DJ. Many of them shy away from answering, but those that have the courage to admit to what they really want say something along the lines of "I want to be a popular dancer that everybody wants to dance with..." 

I will be honest. This is what I wanted too and it took me a while to figure out what it takes: what skills, strategies, mindset, or talents. To me the answer is twofold: there is the technical side and the social side.

In this episode I spill the beans on what I consider to be the most effective technical elements for creating the success on the dance social dance floor that we all want.

Anatomy of a Tango Orchestra, Saturday, August 6. Info at http://imsotango.com

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They say the Golden Age of tango roughly covers 1935-1952 but what made it so... golden?

🤔 Was it the quality and the amount of highly innovative music?
🤔 Was it the high numbers of social dancers dancing all over the city every day and night?
🤔 Was it the high number of dance clubs that hosted milongas at all hours of the day?

Well, ALL OF THE ABOVE!

🤯 Imagine yourself rushing from one milonga to another to catch orchestras such as Pugliese, Di Sarli, or D'Arienzo playing live every day of the week. Imagine having to choose because they are all playing at the same time at different venues!😩  Imagine every milonga packed to the brim with dancers who are all as obsessed as you are. Imagine tango music playing everywhere, wafting through the city from every home radio... That's what it was like during those years.

A tango dancer's paradise I tell you...

🌺 So why did it happen? What triggered this tango frenzy? And could it happen again?
Well, according to Rodolfo Roballos - the director of Academy Tango Club in Buenos Aires - the key to bringing a new Golden Age in tango is training new musicians that form new orchestras, not just in Buenos Aires but in every major city around the world!

🌍 Who knows, maybe somewhere out there in the world is the next Troilo and Rodolfo wants to do everything he can to equip and empower regular people to become tango musicians.

Astor Piazzola - The Central Park Concert - https://youtu.be/-S0hO5wAxyw
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La Academia Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzOZspKM59k

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