Learn to Dance Tango -- On the Web?

[pygmalion]

Hey you AT'ers. What do you think of this -- a website with detailed, step by step Argentine Tango dance lessons, all on the web.


http://home.att.net/~larrydla/basics_0.html


Is it possible to learn Argentine Tango this way? What do you think?

[SwinginBoo]

Oy, I don't know how I could learn to dance from reading a detailed description. :? I realize there are times here when I ask how to do a certain move and I try to figure it out from there. That can even be difficult, and I have a background knowledge of the dance in which the question springs from. :wink: I can't imagine trying to pick up tango from a website, no matter how detailed it is. That's really amazing that this person took the time to do so though. :) It might be helpful for people who are taking lessons elsewhere to read up on it.

[will35]

You cannot learn to dance from a piece of paper or cyberpaper, but it is a good book. I have read it. I think the reason it is good is because Argentine Tango has been taught wrong so many times, that most people are really confused. Larry's book makes pretty good sense of it. It won't teach you to dance Tango, but at least you can get some idea of what the dance is. In some cases, that does not even happen from private lessons.

[Lucrezia]

Hi,

I've looked at the site. It's very good and detailed and it may be a good help for someone, who's starting to learn tango and wants to work on his own a little more. It may even be a help for beginning teachers, as it may add structure to their lessons.

But: In my opinion it is not possible to learn tango like this. To learn tango you have to watch tango. Only reading about how to stand or to walk is not enough, you have to see it. You have to watch a teacher or other couples doing it the proper way.

And what about a site with instructional videos? Well, better, but not good either.
No matter how well you may understand or how good something is shown, it is very uncommon, that your body will be able to imitate everything correctly from the beginning. There has to be someone with a good eye and a lot of patience who tells you again and again: "Look, your chest is falling down, or: you've already forgotten to close your knees..."
And there has to be someone who soothes you again and again: "Don't cry. I know it's not easy, but maybe you would like to try it like this... and it will soon be better."
:wink:

So my votum: learning tango alone from internet sites is no good idea.

But of course, if you live in Alaska, Kenia or Mongolia you may not have other possibilities to learn tango. So, thanks a lot Larry E. Carroll for the wonderful work you did.
:lol:

[pygmalion]

That's what I was thinking, Lucrezia. This looks like an excellent reference for someone who is studying tango with an actual human being somewhere. It's a supplement, just like videos can be.

That said, Larry Carroll did do a wonderful job in thinking through, compiling, and publishing all this material. :D

[DanceMentor]

There is another excellent and detailed tutorial/story at Planet Tango:
http://www.planet-tango.com/ourdance.htm