The Tango Banter

Some people start tango because they fall in love with the music or love the dance, others start it because they have to stop doing Japanese Kendo. This was the case for Toshi Takeuchi, my guest for this episode. In our banter we touched on a variety of interesting aspects of tango including how different tango is in Japan, the similarities between kendo and tango, and how to cabeceo when you can’...

Do you find that certain clothes make you dance better than others? Sometimes it’s about the way the outfit feels on your body as you move with your partner. Other times it’s how it looks to you as you catch your reflection in the mirror and it fuels your confidence on the dance floor. In this episode I indulge in a banter about one of the biggest loves in my life… clothes. Or specifically, their...

In tango, “connection” is the Holy Grail, everyone talks about it, everybody is after it. But what exactly is it and how do you know you have it?  In this episode I banter about the various perspectives on the idea of connection I had over the years and my two cents on how to get more of it from your dancing. Come dance with us at LA Tango Marathon: https://www.latangomarathon.com/ **Use code LAMe...

In today’s episode you will meet Lozita Onsy, an Egyptian auto engineer living and dancing in Germany who has been a dedicated Banter listener for some time. Lozita reached out to me on social media when she was visiting LA, and like you, I was instantly curious about her. So we met up one afternoon at my house for a much anticipated in-person banter. In our conversation we talk about the various...

When it comes to attraction we are all highly individual. What might be attractive to one person might repulse another. And what you like when you first start tango might change over time as your taste changes. In this episode I banter about the evolution of my taste and how the object of my attraction has changed over the years that I have been dancing tango. Come dance with us at LA Tango Marath...

No matter where in the world you learn to dance tango, at some point most dancers find themselves on a pilgrimage to Buenos Aires - the place where tango never sleeps. There is something special about dancing tango specifically in that city. The the culture, the history, the vibe - all have something to contribute to a sort of “widening” of our tango horizons. This is what Eugene Lewins and I bant...

There is no doubt that dancing tango can transport us into a different dimension of experience, where we can feel and see things in a completely new and novel ways. Our perception alters and we find ourselves coming closer to something sacred, even spiritual. Tango is not the only way to access this state. For me, before tango, it was through yoga that I found my way to this place. And having done...

How does an engineering student from Iran end up dancing tango in Louisiana? In this banter I sit down with my good friend Maziar Amirani whom I met on the dance floor in Portland, OR almost a decade ago. Maziar is a prominent figure on the social dance floors across the US and in our conversation we discuss the circumstances of his falling in love with tango and how he manages to maintain a full...

“I wish I had started dancing earlier” I hear from certain dancers, while others say something like “I couldn’t have handled tango when I was younger.” So what is the idea age to start dancing tango, or to start dancing in general. In this episode I explore this question by diving into my own history of and relationship to dance, how it evolved over time and what I have learned about myself throug...

Some say that you don’t find tango, but that tango finds you. It finds you when you’re ready. For some, like me, it means starting in late 20s but for others it can be much later. You could even get introduced to tango or hear a tango song somewhere and then not start dancing it until a decade later.  Something like this happened to Tanya Magid, a long time social dancer who didn’t start tango unt...

To many social dancers, the idea of competing in tango is unthinkable. For other dancers, the challenge of competing in tango is rewarding and pushes them artistically. Having been an avid social dancer I always was curious what the world of tango competitions was all about. In this episode I share  my recent experience as a competitor at the Southern California Tango Championship and some of the...

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...

"Like a moth to a flame," romance is difficult to resist and many fall under its spell (myself included). It can bring the best and deepest experiences but also cause incredible heartache and pain. But in addition to that, what impact does romance have on our actual dance? In this episode I chew on this issue of romance and share some of my own romantic history and how it has shaped my d...

The way it feels when you step onto a warmly lit dance floor into a friendly embrace among dozens of other people is a very different experience from walking onto a stage with a spotlight over your head, hundreds of eyes watching your every move. Both might be called tango, both might be considered "dance." But for us social dancers, there is a massive hard-to-describe difference in how...

We've all been there. You accept a cabeceo, walk across, take the embrace, and realize that the next 12 minutes are going to be hell. Well maybe not hell, but still, very unpleasant. What do you do? How do you survive/endure/thrive in that kind of situation? Is it even possible? In this episode I ponder the reasons for such unfortunate experiences and how we can make them easier on our bodies...

Continuing our discussion from last week, in this episode I go over the most common complaints I hear from leaders in regards to followers. There is some overlap here, but there are certain things that followers in particular should keep in mind to make their partner's experience more comfortable and enjoyable. LA Tango Marathon: https://www.latangomarathon.com/ Apply to be on the Tango Bante...

Nobody is perfect, but the social dance floor is not the place to air our grievances. So many things remain unsaid and dancers remain unaware that certain habits and behaviors make a poor impression and prevent them from getting more dances. In this episode I tackle some of the major complaints that followers have of tango leaders and provide suggestions for how to remedy the situation. Apply to b...

Gender/role imbalance in tango has been a hot topic of conversation and debate for a long time. What to do about? Taxi dancing is one of the ways dancers can take matters into their own hands, bypass the whole cabeceo game, and get the dances that they want. But it is a viable strategy for the tango communities at large? In this episode I reflect on my experience at the Puerto Vallarta Tango Festi...

Most people assume that in tango (as in life) men are supposed to lead and women are supposed to follow. But in recent years our perception and understanding of roles in tango has been changing, reflecting the changes we are experiencing in the larger context of life. In this episode I banter about my journey into understanding the challenges and rewards of each role and how exploring both can con...

You start tango one day, and the next you're wondering... "how long this going to take?" If you're asking yourself that question, you are not the only one. We all want to know how long it's going to take us to get good and what we need to do to get there as fast as possible. In this episode I ponder the idea of what "good" means and what tools dancers need to get...

So you've started learning tango, now what? You might be excited, overwhelmed, confused, or a little bit of everything. What are the most important/helpful insights to keep in mind about tango to help you adapt and progress. In this episode I share some of my most impactful insights that made the most difference in my journey to becoming a successful social dancer. Musicality Seminar with Hor...

It's a new year and a new perspective on what kinds of evolution social tango is going to undergo over the next years. How tango evolves depends very much on the evolution of the people who dance it. In this episode I ponder the ways tango has changed over the past decades and where it might be heading next. Musicality Seminar with Horacio Godoy: https://imsotango.namastream.com/product/55975...

Tango is an acquired taste. It takes a long time to learn and maybe even longer to get what you want out of it. So how do you know whether to keep going or to go ahead and throw in the towel? In this episode I banter about the best reasons to part with tango, but also about what is NOT a good reason to leave and scenarios when you should keep at it even though it sucks. 12-Month Musicality Course:...

Sometimes it's just butterflies in your stomach, other times you're shaking like a leaf and sweating bullets. Social situations and general, and tango in particular, can shake up those nerves and make you run for the hills. Everyone experiences it, no matter the level, and nobody is immune. In this episode I chat about different strategies I have adopted over the years to deal with my ow...

Whether you love it or loathe it, cabeceo is one of tango's most important conventions. Understanding the rules of cabeceo and knowing how to apply them (and how to break them gracefully) is crucial to succeeding on the social dance floor. In this episode I share some general guidelines for performing cabeceo properly and how to use it to your advantage so that you get the dances you want. FR...