Buying Tango Shoes • How D'Rasa Changed Everything for the Better!

When I first started to study Argentine Tango I was not willing to invest in high dollar dance shoes. I really wasn't sure this was the dance for me. 

Feeling prudent, I bought the least expensive dance style shoe I could find. (Did you guess?) I bought the “Character Shoe” which seems to be a Broadway staple. 

This Character Shoe is a closed toe Mary Jane style shoe with a very low heel. There are not many stores that have a wide selection of Tango shoes in my city and, as I said, I wasn’t sure at all about the dance. 

After one or two classes, I knew I had found a movement, an exercise, a challenge, a dance that was so much more than steps and patterns. I found a challenge of posture, and balance. I found a dance that called for the best of me in so many ways - and I was very, very happy. 

I began to notice the shoes that experienced dancers wore. Most all had the open toe style and most had a higher heel than I was wearing. Most all student dancers had shopped at the local “Dance” wear shoppes and some shopped on line. 

The teacher, a professional dancer and instructor, had top of the line leather Argentine Tango shoes which I shop if I could get to Clearwater, or Miami. As those were not options at the time, my second pair was a very nice shoe at $100 or so. It was an open toed, low heeled sandal style and I spent a year or more “falling off” them.  

What I did not understand at the time was this:

Tango shoes are like very fine tools. I needed the right tool for the joy of dancing Argentine Tango. Over the months, I tried on a variety of shoes - 2” heels (which were too low) then a 2 1/2” heel (again too low)  then a 3” heel and sadly, not the shoe but much closer! 

I was still not feeing balanced, fleet of foot, and I kept “losing” the connection with my partner. Partners really do not like the disconnect at all, regardless of role or gender. 

I did not realize that the pitch of my shoe had a good deal to do with my ability to maintain connection as a follower. 

Fortunately after a year or so I was able to go to a Milonga in Titusville, Florida. There were tables and tables of lovely hand made shoes in all styles and all heel sizes.  (In a street shoe, I wear a 6 and it has been my custom over the years to wear a flat shoe.) 

To my surprise, when presented with all the styles and heel sizes at this Milonga, I found out that what I had been missing was a lovely 4” stiletto in a size 5. My surprise! The shoes fit perfectly, my feet did not hurt at all, my posture was perfect and I was suddenly lightening fast!

I chose the D’Rasa brand and ordered the shoe with extra padding. All was custom, so I added a leather sole and a few special touches.  All my previous shoes had come from ballroom stores and a suede sole was really the only option presented to buy there.  A suede sole does give me “purchase” on the dance floor. 

Secretly, I had wondered how the dancers I saw on YouTube and in various videos were able to be lightening fast, to pivot on a dime, and to have such elegant footwork. Of course there is no discounting years of practice - but once I put on the leather soled shoes, my pivots improved immediately. 

In fact, my Tango posture improved as well for two reasons. The first is that the height of the heel - which many find amazing - helps align my body just right. My shoulders are over my hips which are over my knees and those over the metatarsus of my foot.

As well, the pitch of the shoe made it very, very easy to be forward - to connect with my partner. There was a great difference in the pitch of that hand made Colombian D’Rasa dance shoe vs. the pitch of the Latin dance shoes I had purchased and worn time and again.

Today, if I want to work on leading in heels, I will wear a suede sole. If I am going to dance as a follower, then I want all the speed and grace and perfect pivot that the well crafted leather soled shoe has to offer. 

Recently a new dancer who had been dancing in socks or in a worn rubber sole was able to borrow a high heeled shoe. I think the she may well have a 3 1/4” heel, but it is hard to tell as her first shoe is something of a platform sole. A good dance shoe will have a flexible leather sole. 

For gentlemen with nice leather Oxford style shoes - that sole is likely much too thick to help you “feel the floor” when you are dancing. The upper leather is often very stiff and restricts your movement so that you cannot have the same experience with Tango as you would in a proper gentleman’s Tango shoe. 

For followers, the platform is not at all helpful as this too disconnects you with your primary partner - the floor! Of course if that is what you have to bring, please come along! 

The dancer who experienced Argentine Tango while wearing a high heeled shoe for the first time was immediately a better dancer.  The heel height and the pitch of the shoe enabled her to be more present with her leader. 

If one must dance in a flat - I often wear a jazz shoe - it is necessary that as we elongate the spine, we come off the floor a bit. 

This is simply not a flat footed dance. (Remember now - this is my experience with Argentine Tango - yours may be quite different. You may have more experience, have been able to take more classes, or to attend weekend workshops. I often feel as if I am dancing in the desert here, so my observations may required a bit of watering - some nurturing.) 

This does not mean we dance on tip toe…. but if you watch fine dancers in heels or not - you will see the follower will “come up” off her heels and more onto the metatarsi of her foot to be able to be present wth the follower and to execute some of the more advanced steps with grace. 

You are welcome to come dancing with us in socks, sneakers, the finest dance shoes money can buy -  you are welcome.  

One value of the group I dance with is that all are welcome. We are too small for cliques, better than/lesser than dancers. 

Everyone dances - although some choose to dance alone to improve a step or to work on balance.

If you choose to join the class where I dance, we all take turns at leading and following and workshopping ocho cortados and adornos as we may. 

I am a week late in posting - and the good news for next blog is the list of a new gentleman dancer! 

Abrazos! 

LUNA - 2008

Argentine Tango - Breakthroughs in Awareness on a Tuesday Evening

Four people came to dance Argentine Tango on Tuesday night, two ladies and a gentleman. I facilitate as “she who has been dancing longest” as best I can. I learn so much every time we workshop and Tuesday we all had breakthroughs and awakenings of all kinds. 

As a child I picked up the habit of paying strict attention to what was before me to study. Regardless of the subject, I realized that the words of teaching were the backdrop for the realization of the experience of the lesson. 

I have learned much about Argentine Tango by actively watching the masters at dance. I have learned by watching myself practice dance in mirrors. I am excited now that by sharing and helping others learn that I am helped to improve my Tango as well as my ability to articulate and thus to grasp essences of the dance that I could not previously express. 

I hold an open floor in a large city that may well remain “The Desert” for this lovely walking dance. We have become a stable group of four - perhaps 5 for the moment. If you stumbled across this blog, and have no visual reference to Argentine Tango, I will include a dance at page end for your review. 

Some of us have good dance shoes, most are dancing in socks or a street shoe that makes the learning all the more difficult. Still, we carry on. Of course I do hope everyone will be able to manage to have dance shoes in the near future so that only good muscle memory is developed, but we work with what we have. I do think that a good shoe will help those who are falling off balance improve. 

I am very pleased that in group all are welcome. We have leaders and followers and any gender may dance with any gender. I dance lead more often than not, I dance follower to help a new lead understand the impact of their movements. The women in our group dance with each other more often than not, learning both lead and follow. 

I have strayed from the topic of the breakthroughs. 

Once dancer learned that at present close embrace is the best posture for dancing. Close embrace enables a more secure connection, and as this dancers balance is not yet well established, nor the idea of the axis has not yet been made fully clear (I know it takes time to find, and then time to perfect the ability to remain on axis throughout a dance) close embrace makes it easier to lead and follow. 

One dancer realized that when posture is erect, is tall, the spine is elongated that there is more room to take a long back step. This dancer had not fully appreciated the benefit of being “upright”. So - we had a bit of dance as to see why there was trouble in a lead and follow moment. 

I invited the dancer to “be tall.” To extend her body upward and to dance as if suspended from the ceiling by a string. Instantly, that dancers Tango improved. She was much easier to lead… her back step was a lovely glide. There was no hesitation as she was able to “hear” the lead, or you could say to feel the lead. 

This subtle lifting of her carriage made a great difference, and the she was able to realize, to take to the bone, the words that all of us hear time and again when taking our beginner lessons. 

The final awakening was mine - although I shared this with another dancer. We woke up to the same idea each in a different way. The concept was “The Connnection”. 

When leading, I kept “losing” her. I could not “feel” her present with me, and so I could not lead her, nor could she follow. Problem solving this matter, with his dancer as all are different, took some time and challenged me to be able to express connection in better English that I have used in the past. 

In the past I spoke in energetic terms…. but this was not helpful for her. 

To Teach/Learn/Establish connection it was necessary to demonstrate the physicality of the embrace, the importance of being present, of being in someones space, of holding and feeling held. So we had to work on “noodle arms” and to fix the passive embrace where the follower was only physically there - not engaged, not connected, not willing or able to be willing to listen.

So as we danced I had to point out that the follower had “lost the connection.” Her question was “How did I do that? “ I won’t type out for you all the language I used to describe connection, the goal of it, the purpose of it……. but I will share that the language I found that worked for us - that made the point clear is this.

“Connection is the distance that both dancers agree to keep between themselves.” I went on to say that this could be as few a no inches, or 4 inches, 12 inches etc.,  but that what ever distance was created in the embrace once that embrace was established as comfortable for both, was the connection distance. Now - as we were only working on walking as a couple, please know that his statement was given in that context to enable that dancer to stay present with that leader. 

(I do realize that many come to the dance floor with PTSD issues, and that it can take time for a dancer to establish trust in the embrace.  I hope all teachers remember that we come to Tango without shoes, from a history of violence or verbal humiliation, from a place where holding is not at all natural. )

This statement about a measurable fact worked. Of course it did not speak to the emotion between dancers, the magic of the artistic connection, however, those ideas were not critical on Tuesday night. 

So - she was able to be mindful of distance, and in so doing to feel the connection for the first time. I was a able to realize that esoteric talk about an emotional/physical event was not always useful and to add a new description to my efforts. 

I thank all my teachers!! 

Please know - I am not at all an Argentine Tango dance instructor… I remain "she with most time on the floor" and am still hoping for a partner. 5’ 6” to 5’ 8” would be lovely. 

SOLA - Are We Ever Dancing Alone?

This past Tuesday evening most all the members of "Argentine Tango Dancers Jacksonville" sent notes to say they would not be dancing.  There are a few dancers who drop in and out, a couple that dances when able, and a few professional people who often work late, so I never know if they're coming out to dance or not. 

Our practica is listed on MeetUp and I am always as ready to be surprised by visiting dancers as I am to enjoy an hours practice on an open floor should no one come to join me. 

(I do find it incredible that in this very large town that I am often the only dancer willing to come out for  practica. I hear rumors of Argentine Tango dancers existing out there.........)

When I made the decision to hold an open floor every week for Argentine Tango in Jacksonville, Florida,  I knew that it was quite likely that there would be more than one evening where I would be the only dancer. 

It seemed last Tuesday evening would be one of those times - then the best of all possible things happened... Facebook dance friends I had not yet met wrote to say that they would be passing through town and asked if they might drop in for a practica or a lesson or a milonga!  

I have had most fortunate dances just like this! Someone passing through town, an experienced dancer from Miami stops in to check out the scene, or a sailor stationed for just a week or so finds us Facebook or MeetUp and walks on in ready to dance! 

I have shared some marvelous Tandas with these wandering dancers. They keep my hope alive! What hope? That there will be an Argentine Tango dance family here! That this city will host a monthly milonga! I need to believe that. 

Tuesday was a lovely night to walk down to the dance studio. Cool for Florida, just after a rain, magical and melancholy all at once. It was perfect for Tango and a fine night for meeting new friends. 

I miscalculated the time it took to walk down to the Studio and arrived just a bit early. Ever hopeful I waited to meet Ace & Paprika. 

I was setting up music when a lovely couple walked in ready to Tango. 

They were willing to take a lesson, and once I discovered that I might have a few more years floor time in Argentine Tango I was willing to share what I have been fortunate to learn. 

Muscle memory is critical in this dance for warm ups, for balance, for posture and collection and I was glad to have all mine on hand. 

So - what did we do? We do what all good dancers do, we warmed up. We workshopped. We shared how we danced and what we knew. 

I have no ballroom training, which is a fine advantage for Argentine Tango - an improvisational dance that is driven by the music, the emotions, and the energetic connection between dancers. 

All of us worked to establish connection, to perfect that energetic union by dancing without the embrace. I could go on to give a moment by moment account of the evening, but all the details would diminish what for me is the best part of becoming a Tanguera.

What is that? It is meeting and dancing and connecting with people who love the dance as much as I. Those who have practiced, who are familiar with steps and ready to share and move and explore all the explosions and pauses and embellishments that are Tango. 

Those of us who love this dance Must Dance this dance. It becomes as vital to well being as a good nights rest. Myself, I don’t like to go a day without practice, a week without a class an a month without a Milonga.

I send best wishes to the traveling members of my dance family everywhere!  

Abrazos, 

La bailarina de Tango solitaria esta noche