Do I need a partner?
No! You never need a partner for our group classes, we will be switching partners frequently. Dance is a language, and like any language it requires a shared vocabulary. It is very good to dance with many different partners, this greatly improves your lead/follow skills.
Can I dance with just my partner?
Though in our classes you never require a partner, many people come to class with a partner that they want to dance with. We will be switch partners frequently in class. Dancing with the same person produces bad habits and idiosyncratic cues that no one else will understand. When two twins grow up together they develop something called "twin-speak," a private language that only they understand. Learning to dance with just one partner will cause your lead/follow skills to suffer the same handicap.
If your priority is to learn to dance then staying with one partner the whole time is strongly discouraged. If your priority is to spend "quality time" with your partner in dance class then you are welcome to stand aside during partner switches and remain together, but your learning will be slower and you will never master leading and following. You will not be able to dance well with others and your lead/follow skills will be crippled by "twin-speak."
A good compromise solution is to switch every odd switch, and return to your partner on even switches, though logistically this may be difficult in large classes. If you are dead set against switching partners then perhaps group classes are not for you, please consider private lessons.
What Should I Wear?
You should wear comfortable clothes. Dress up or dress down, as you prefer. Lulu lemons and stiletto heels are perfectly fine, whatever floats your boat!
Shoes are most important, they should NOT be grippy. Suede soles are ideal, but far far from necessary, just keep the soles smooth. Please don't wear runners. Follows are encouraged to wear heels because tango is designed with heels in mind, but it is not necessary. If you do wear heels be sure they have decent ankle support. If you have the choice between open and closed toe, choose closed toe. Guys should wear dress shoes, ideally with smooth leather soles, but again, whatever floats your boat. The only thing that really matters is that you can smoothly swivel and pivot on the balls of your feet. The harder it is to pivot the harder it will be for you to dance, so make it easy on yourself!
Here is a great discussion of the science of high heels:
http://www.totangoblog.ca/the-science-of-high-heels/
What Level Should I Take?
If you are not sure between taking a higher or a lower level class (say Level 2 or Level 3) then you should always err' on the side of the lower level (ie. take Level 2, not 3). Tango Fusion offers a half-price discount for repeating a level you have previously taken, and the really good dancers repeat levels regularly, especially Level 1! You can never hone your basics too much. ;)
I'm a Fast Learner, can I Skip Level 1?
Possibly. Level 1 is intended for people who have never done any dancing at all. Ever. If you have experience with partner dancing (ballroom, salsa, swing, etc.) and are familiar with the basic concepts of leading and following then you could probably blast through the level 1 material in a one or two hour private lesson. This is both faster and cheaper, and the last thing we want is for you to be bored in class. The only caveat is that the instructor has to approve any level skipping, so you have to prove to us that you are ready for the higher level! This also applies to those who come to us with prior experience in Argentine tango and may be better suited for higher levels. Please contact us with questions if you think you would like to skip a level.
This is Tango Fusion.
COME PLAY!
COME PLAY!
