The Curious Tanguero - A Tango podcast for Tangueros

What is “tango bliss,” and can every dancer reach it? Author Aleksey joins us to discuss how Argentine tango can awaken presence, healing, and joy, and how breath, attention, and connection shape every embrace. You can find the book at https://blissfultango.com You can join the Curious Tanguero newsletter at http://thecurioustanguero.com Hug and let go. The first will bring you happiness, the second peace.

Advanced tips: Your foot is NOT a point For more tango tips, resources, books, retreats, and much more: thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango

How to improve your tango by observing others For more tango tips, resources, books, retreats, and much more: thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango Some of my suggestions: Watch videos of Jonathan Saavedra & Clarisa Aragón dancing D’Arienzo. Watch videos of Chicho dancing Di Sarli. Watch videos of Vanesa Villalba and Facundo Pinero dancing Pugliese. Watch videos of Sebastian Achaval dancing to Miguel Calo. Watch videos of Ariadna Naveira and Fernando Sanchez dancing milonga.

How to easily recognize the beginning of a musical phrase in tango Hear the Beat, Feel the Music: Link For more tango tips: thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango

👉This episode is about three realisations that helped me understand: 1) how we communicate our free-leg position, 2) how elegant lines are created and 3) how we connect different body parts so that our partner can get ‘access’ to them during the dance. For more tango, check this: thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango 👉A huge 'Thank you' to Sara Grdan and Ivan Terrazas for teaching me most of the things you are about to read or hear. They deserve all credit for whatever makes sense. Everything that doesn't make sense, comes from my own misunderstanding. Transcription: Many times, when in classes, I heard the following phrases from teachers: ‘You have to communicate to your partner where your free leg is.’ ‘You have to stop controlling your free leg, and let your partner control it.’ ‘Straighten your back leg, you let it always relax and pointing in the wrong direction.’ ‘I can’t feel where your body is.’ And many more, around similar topics. When I hear statements like these that sound like instructions, I try to understand if they are actually instructions or they just ask for a final result without providing a way to get there. Well, for me, all the above are NOT instructions on what to do, but on what result they expect. This email is about three realisations that helped me understand: 1) how we communicate our free-leg position, 2) how elegant lines are created and 3) how we connect different body parts so that our partner can get ‘access’ to them during the dance. Let’s start with the third one: Connecting different parts of our body to allow our partner to either understand or control them. Most people believe that dissociation is the tool we use to stay in front of our partners. We rotate our chest so that we can continue looking at our partner during a giro, even though our feet might move toward different directions for example. But for me, this is not the most important function of dissociation. When you rotate your upper body in respect to the lower body, a set of muscles and tendons are engaged. This engagement creates a stronger connection between two different parts of your body. This muscle tension, where two different parts of your body seem to be pushing toward a different direction is a tool to connect those two parts. And once that connection is achieved, you partner can use one part of your body to communicate to the other. If you start thinking of dissociation not only in terms of ‘opposite rotation’ but in terms of ‘opposite direction that creates tension’ you might start noticing that it exists everywhere: When your teachers tell you that the bottom part of the body needs to push toward the earth while the upper part goes to the sky? …You are creating this tension that connects the two parts of the body. When your teachers tell you to push down your shoulderblades while you elongate your neck toward the sky? …You are creating this tension that connects the two parts of the body. ‘Opposite’ tension creates connection. I have come to perceive all these ways to create tension by expanding toward opposite directions as ‘dissociation’. Whenever I want to create a clear connection between two parts of my body, a create that tension. To sum up: Dissociation is a way to create tension, and that tension connects two parts of your body. Starting considering using dissociation not in a limited way (communicating a pivot, staying in front of my partner) but as a connector of different body parts. Alright, second point: Communicating where the free leg is With some followers (or leaders) it is incredibly easy to understand where their free leg is and how to control it. Let’s call the ‘A’ dancers. And that allows advanced dancers to stop a movement in the middle, to create elegant shapes and adornos, to control the size of a step, etc. But with some other dancers this seems simply impossible. For me, the main difference is this: The ‘A’ dancers create the motion of the free leg by pushing from the base leg. If you don’t know how to do that in side, back, forward, side rotated, back rotated, and forward rotated steps, I highly advise you to find someone who can teach you. To give you a simple example, try to take a side step to the left. If you start the movement of the left free leg by engaging the left leg’s muscles, then you are not pushing from the base leg. A functional push from the right leg would work something like this: Move your weight on the outside part of the right foot (your base) having clear contact on the whole surface of the foot, from toes to heel. That moves your axis to the opposite direction than the one you want to step towards. Transfer your weight to the inside part of the right foot and start pushing the floor toward the right. This will move your axis toward the left. Your free left leg will move relaxed under your axis to step on the left, right under your axis, so that you arrive in a position of balance. Now, there are a lot of things that need to be explained for suc

✨ New Tango Podcast Episode Alert! ✨ Today on the Tango Tips Podcast, I’m diving into the wisdom of Nacho Mora & Celia Rodríguez with selected excerpts from their chapter in Tango Tips by the Maestros. Ready to boost your balance, body awareness, and partner connection? You can discover the complete book Tango Tips by the Maestros here: https://tangotipsbythemaestros.com/ You can find more tango resources, tips, stories, videos etc here: https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango

Let's discover Carlos and Mirella's advice to: Uncover how true grounding in dance starts from the floor up, Learn the art of a seamless embrace with steady pressure points, relaxed shoulders, and crystal-clear open vs. close positions. Elevate your elegance and musicality with bite-sized exercises, from 20-second posture checks to deep dives into musical phrasing and tango escenario. For the complete chapter, and many more, check the book Tango Tips by the Maestros on Amazon in English, Spanish or Italian: tangotipsbythemaestros.com Join the Curious Tanguero newsletter here: https://thecurioustanguero.com/

A tango tip on double beat - argentine tango. How to dance the double beat in argentine tango. For more tango tips, resources, and the occasional dad jokes: https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango Join the Curious Tanguero Newsletter so you don't miss the next tips: https://thecurioustanguero.com

What if your hands, your breath, and your awareness were the missing links in your tango connection? - by Bruna Estellita & Julián Sanchez, world tango champions 2023. Let's reveal the subtle, often overlooked elements that make a tango truly come alive. For more tango tips, resources, and the occasional dad jokes: https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango/ Join the Curious Tanguero Newsletter so you don't miss the next tips: https://thecurioustanguero.com/

Ever struggled to lead a cross without using force? In this episode, we explore how a different angle can make tango movements feel different. Find more ways to develop your tango at https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango Receive more tango tips at https://thecurioustanguero.com/

The "2-Step Tanda Process," a simple yet powerful approach to creating a deeper connection with a dance partner in tango. Find more ways to develop your tango at https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango Receive more tango tips at https://thecurioustanguero.com/ Check the book Tango Tips by the Maestros at https://tangotipsbythemaestros.com/ Check the tango novel When the Embrace Whispers at https://whentheembracewhispers.com/

Discover the surprisingly simple yet powerful technique that can instantly make your tango walk and turns feel more stable and controlled. By embracing the rhythm of "push the sand, pull the sand," you'll unlock a whole new level of balance, connection, and effortless movement on the dance floor. Find the tanscription here: https://thecurioustanguero.com/the-simple-tango-tip-that-transformed-my-stability/ Find more tango resources here: https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango Join the Curious Tanguero newsletter for more tango tips: https://thecurioustanguero.com/

In this episode, tango legend **Alejandra Mantiñan** shares raw, unfiltered insights on what’s missing in today’s tango world—passion, depth, and the courage to truly expose oneself. She reveals how life shapes your dance, why chasing styles is a lie, and the painful truth about the fading authenticity of milonga culture. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and stirred as we dive into the soul of tango with one of its most iconic voices. You can find more of Alejandra's thoughts in the book Tango Tips by the Maestros in English, Spanish and Italian. Available on Amazon for worldwide delivery. More info: https://tangotipsbythemaestros.com/ To continue developing your tango: find tango resources at https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango

Feeling trapped on the closed side of the tango embrace? In this episode, we break down why it happens, how both leaders and followers can create more space, and what small adjustments can transform your dance experience. Transcript: https://thecurioustanguero.com/unlocking-space-on-the-close-side-of-the-tango-embrace/ For more tango tips, resources, and the occasional dad jokes: https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango/ Join the Curious Tanguero Newsletter so you don't miss the next tips: https://thecurioustanguero.com/

If you want to check the free live masterclass ‘The Relaxed Dancer’s Roadmap: 4-steps to Stop Overthinking in Tango‘ you can do it here. To read the transcription of the episode go here.

Discover the secret to a connected tango embrace that feels like home. In this episode, we dive into the power of breathing with your back and how it transforms both your lead and your partner’s experience on the dance floor. For more tango tips, resources, and the occasional dad jokes: https://thecurioustanguero.com/argentinetango/ Join the Curious Tanguero Newsletter so you don't miss the next tips: https://thecurioustanguero.com