To experienced dancers, the following guidelines of Tango dance protocol and etiquette are usually well known, but not often discussed. Also following these guidelines sets a good example for other dancers. For new dancers, it's good to know what's what to help avoid embarrassing, awkward, or unsafe situations. In any case, following these guidelines can help to maximize your Tango dance experience.
1. At a Tango milonga (a Tango dance party), couples dance Tango in a "line-of-dance" fashion, counter-clockwise around the dance floor. Typically there is an outside lane, a second lane in and sometimes a third lane in and the center of the floor. As you dance, refrain from cutting across these lanes, cutting through the center, dancing backward to the line-of-dance, and weaving from lane to lane especially on a crowded dance floor. If you do change lanes, then the couple behind you will usually take your place in that lane. Often, you will not be able to return to your previous place because people will fill in the gap.
Leaders, when you want to enter the line of dance, please make eye contact with the leader behind where you wish to enter the line of dance, and once he makes eye contact and nods his permission to you, then step into the spot in front of him and begin dancing. Do not just jump in while the music is playing and dancers are moving. Followers, allow your partner to lead you safely onto the dance floor.
2. If you are not dancing, show respect to those who are by not walking through the busy dance floor and by staying clear of the dance space. For example, while others are dancing, do not stand in the dance lanes and talk. On the dance floor, real estate is always in demand. First priority goes to the dance and the dancers. Give them room.
3. Avoid teaching during the Milonga. This usually disrupt the flow of the dance floor. It is respectful to provide a place for people to be able to dance their best without input. Rather, save your instruction for a Practica Session.
4. As a leader, the safety of your partner, yourself, and the surrounding dancers is your first concern. It is up to the leader to be alert to the presence of other dancers in front, to the sides and the back to help to avoid collision. If a collision occurs, try to soften the collision by bringing your arms in and stopping movement. Afterwards be polite and friendly, make eye contact and acknowledge the collision even if it was not your fault. To a large extent, dancing on a crowded Tango dance floor is an exercise in avoiding collisions in a safe, creative, and fun fashion.
5. No one likes being kicked, run into, or stepped on, so avoid aggressive movements, high boleos, hard-hitting ganchos, jumps and leg extensions. If you feel you are about to step on someone, hopefully not your partner, try to not follow through with the stepping action to soften the blow of your foot landing on another's. Also, leaders keep your left arm down and about shoulder height with your left elbow down and fairly close to your side. It's not fun on a crowded dance floor having to duck when another dancer swings around with their partner and the leader's left hand is three feet in the air and three inches from your nose.
6. On a crowded dance floor, stopping to do numerous and big dance patterns is frowned on since it usually stops the forward progress of the dancers coming from behind and many times it usually involves steps that are not safe to the surrounding dancers. If you feel the need to stop forward movement to do a couple of patterns, move to the center of the floor where you can do that without interrupting the forward line of dance movement.
Generally we respect the speed of the line of dance. Fill in space if you have it in front of you and do not stay in one place for too long.
7. For the leaders, if you absolutely must step backwards to the line-of-dance, look back first. Some instructors teach the Tango Basic starting with a back step. This is unfortunate since it goes against line-of-dance. A more practical and useful basic step is for the leader to drop the back step and begin with a left side step instead. For the followers, as a dance pattern unfolds, be alert to dancers potentially in the way and let the leader know of a possible collision verbally, pressing your left hand to the leader's back, by a hand squeeze, or by pulling yourl partner closer, or all of these, especially on a crowded dance floor.
8. If a dance couple in front of you stops, take the time to dance in place until they move. If they are there for a very long time then you can choose to dance around them if you have the space. Generally we only pass a couple under extreme circumstances not as a general rule.
9. Followers, do not back lead. Not only does it make leading more difficult, but it also makes it more difficult for the leader to avoid collisions.
10. For more experienced dancers, set a good example for beginners: be patient, polite and sensitive, dance at the level of your follower. In general, it is acceptable to give advice, provided it is asked for first, or provided you first ask permission to make an "observation" or a "comment", however, good dancers almost never make comments while dancing. Remember you were once a beginner. A harsh or insensitive, but well intended "comment" can still ruin someone's evening.
11. Last but not least, Argentine Tango is an intimate and elegant dance. For a pleasent experience, good hygiene is essential; bathe before lessons or dancing and use deodorant. Use breath fresheners frequently. No or minimal talking while dancing; focus on dancing and floor traffic. Do not over do the use of perfume or aftershave. Some people are sensitive to them. If you perspire, use a towel or handkerchief often. People as a rule don't like dance partners that are walking wet towels (in the literal sense.) So men, if you perspire heavily, use a towel, take a break and cool down, bring an extra shirt, and change into it at halftime. If you wear glasses, consider contact lenses or removing your glasses while dancing unless you can't see where you're dancing. Getting whacked in the head with someone's glasses as they turn their head is not pleasant.
Partial credits to: George Nicol, Ph.D., Palo Alto, California and Liz Haight Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Painting by Botero: Title : Danceres - 2002