How Long Does It Take To Master Argentine Tango?

And How Will I Know When I Get There?

You take classes and lessons for months. You move up to new levels of classes. You attend workshops. You dance socially. You go to practicas. Months turn into years, and you're still not "done."

How long will it take to become a good tango dancer? It's completely natural for students to wonder about this, and I've heard some of them ask out loud. Unfortunately, no one can give you an answer.

Even if there were some objective standard for mastery in the Argentine tango (there isn't), the time that it would take to reach that level would vary widely from person to person. Some people advance faster than others. Some have more time to invest and more access to practice partners. 

But the fact is that there is no such standard. Learning the Argentine tango is an open-ended pursuit.

Every time that we succeed in doing something well, we develop ideas about how it could be done differently. Or better. There are always new ways to enhance or combine movements. Techniques can be altered, rearranged, and improved constantly.

Musicality and choreography are similarly open-ended. There will be new ideas to explore and express forever. And every time you try to implement one of these ideas, you'll need to spend time practicing and refining it.

How long will it take to master the tango? An answer isn't possible, so why bother to ask? Instead, ask a more inspiring question. Examples:

    "What can I do today to improve my tango while enjoying the process?"

    "How can I have more fun at milongas and share that fun with my partners?"

Keep in mind that improvement comes in layers, and there's always another layer. As soon as you reach one level, the next one will be waiting to entice you just a little beyond your reach.

Why waste time worrying about how long it will take to get there? Just work hard and enjoy each bit of progress as you meet up with it on a beautiful and endless adventure.


¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

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