06/06/2026
From Mihlo Natochi…. Relevant for any dance experience! Thanks, Mihlo!
“Four Ingredients of Expressive Tango
When I watch dancers who truly captivate me, I notice that their expressiveness comes from a blend of different ingredients. Rather than obstacles, these are the key elements that nourish the dance.
1. Your Body is Your Instrument
Whether we like it or not, our body is the tool we use to express the dance. Are you young or old? Athletic or sedentary? Did you grow up dancing, or did you discover tango later in life? None of these define your destiny, but they shape your instrument. The question is not whether your body is perfect, but how well you care for it. Are you building balance, coordination, and mobility? Are you practicing regularly? A well-tended instrument gives you more ways to express yourself.
2. Your Connection to the Culture
Argentine tango was born in the Río Platense region, a broad cultural landscape. Yet it is the Porteños from Buenos Aires who carry the deepest cultural codes of tango. For many of us, this culture is new or even foreign, but immersing ourselves in it can transform the dance. Can you understand the lyrics? Do you know the stories behind the music? Have you heard the difference between orchestras? As my teacher Gavito used to say: "Save your money and take a trip to Buenos Aires." I went in 2004, and it was worth every moment. Being there gave me a depth of understanding that no class or video could.
3. Your Relationship with the Music
We often call this musicality.
I’ve noticed that trained musicians often have an easier time placing movement inside the music. Their ears are already trained to hear structure, phrasing, rhythm, and dynamics.
Of course, you don’t need to be a musician to become musical. But how you listen matters.
Interestingly, if you watch videos of milongueros from the 1980s, the focus was often more on figures and combinations. Today, it is hard to find a top tango couple that is not deeply musical.
The evolution of tango has made musical expression more important than ever.
4. How Much Do You Feel?
This may be the hardest one to talk about.
A dance can be technically excellent. It can even be musical. Yet sometimes it still feels empty.
What makes the difference?
Feeling.
The emotion inspired by the music, the connection with the partner, the memories, the mood of the day—these things cannot be forced.
Some days they are there. Some days they are not.
But when they are, they give the dance a quality that no amount of technique can replace.
For me, these four things—our body, our connection to the culture, our musicality, and our capacity to feel—are some of the biggest contributors to expressive dancing.”
